Page 9 of Trapped with the Billionaire

I checked my watch for the bad news: another four hours to go.

Chapter 3

Nicole

After landing at JFK and getting through immigration and customs and back into the airline system, we located the gate for the next leg of our flight.

“I vote for Hawaii next year,” Sandy said after plopping down in a seat. “This immigration and connecting-flight shit sucks.”

“Pick an island. I’m with you.”

“Maui, Kauai, the Big Island, I don’t care. Anything that doesn’t mean all day in airplanes.”

Eventually our boarding time neared, and they asked for volunteers to be bumped to a later flight in return for a two-hundred-dollar travel voucher.

One of the two gate agents started calling names over the PA. “Nicole Rossi, please come to the counter.”

“What’s that about?” I asked Sandy.

She shrugged. “I doubt you got an upgrade.”

In line at the counter, I could see it definitely wasn’t an upgrade. The person in front of me threw a monster fit, and the agent called her supervisor, who I heard call security.

I stepped back until they got the situation resolved.

“Next,” the agent said a moment later.

I presented my boarding pass. “Nicole Rossi.”

The agent pasted on a phony smile and handed me a slip of paper. “Here’s your five-hundred-dollar travel voucher, and you’ve been confirmed on flight seventy-three. It leaves in two hours from gate eight.” She pointed to the right.

“But I didn’t volunteer,” I objected.

Her smile brightened. “I know. That’s why you’re getting the larger voucher.”

“But I really need to get back.”

“You’ll still arrive tonight, just a little later.” She moved to the side and pasted on that same fake smile again. “Next.”

I shuffled back to Sandy. “I got bumped.”

“That sucks. Till when?”

I blew out a breath. “Two hours—if it’s not late.”

“Well, that’s the beauty of big companies like these airlines. They’re so cheap they won’t feed you anymore, and then they overbook to maximize their revenue, and at the same time ruin the customer experience. I don’t think they’ll ever learn.”

We commiserated about the evils of airline consolidation until it was time for her to board.

I gave her a sendoff hug. “I’ll be in touch as soon as I replace my phone.”

“I still think you should think about how quickly you come to Lara’s rescue this time.”

“Sure. I’ll think about it,” I lied. Though Sandy wasn’t exactly wrong, Lara was family, and I couldn’t turn my back on her.

Sandy’s boarding group got called, and she gave me a quick hug before leaving. “Get a new phone first thing.”

“On my list. Fly safe.” I turned and trudged off in search of a bite to eat while I waited.

---