Page 20 of Heartfelt Goals

Her chef justspiton her life.Ptwooey!

Oh – and she missed her book deadline, so any and all edits were done after the cancellation. Now, there was explanations,apologies, groveling to the ‘publishing lords on high’ only to receive a two-day reprieve. She met the new deadline by furiously typing like a mad fiend for nearly forty-eight hours straight before sleeping for fifteen amidst the ribbing from her sister about ‘dragon-boinking’ once again.

Children were not good for your self-esteem or ego. Who knew husbands weren’t either?

“Peachy. Just peachy,” Laurel sighed heavily, glancing at Kendall. “Just let me know when the new flight is scheduled to take off, and we’ll find a place to crash here to sleep or get something to eat while we…”

“Mrs. Lafreniére, you misunderstand,” the woman replied kindly. “You may board the plane.”

“Come again?” Laurel blurted out, cupping her ear.

“You are welcome to board now. I was just getting ready to announce your group, and it looks like your seating was changed.”

“Whaaadya mean? - I don’t understand. We have newseats?”

“Yes ma’am,” the gate attendant smiled and waved at Kendall, who rolled her eyes rudely. “You’ve been moved to first-class business.”

“There’s been some mistake…”

“Shaddup, Laurel,” Kendall interrupted quickly, yanking on her arm – her face glowing with awareness. “Thank you. Can we get our new tickets?”

“Kendall, I didn’t buy first-class seats.”

“Maybe ‘Ol’ Blue-Eyes’ did,” Kendall taunted, reaching for the new tickets, and nearly dragged her down the ramp toward the plane. To her shock, they were moved to two seats beside each other where blankets, pillows, and a toiletry bag sat in each.

“Cool. Headphones,” Kendall announced, already digging in the stuff that was waiting there as a flight attendant smiled at her indulgently.

“If you want to take your seats, get comfortable, I’ll be around to take your food orders shortly along with mimosas since it’s before noon.”

“We’re eating on the flight?” Kendall gushed, slapping her on the arm excitedly. “You hear that, peanuts are for the paupers! Little Boy Blue really came through and…”

“Okay,” Laurel hissed, trying to hush her sister immediately as others started to board the plane. “You’ve got to stop calling him that – and quit assuming that he bought the upgraded seats. I assure you that he wouldn’t do something like that.”

“Uh, hello? He paid for the movers and…”

“His new contract paid for the movers,” Laurel corrected pointedly. “Now buckle up so you are ready when they come around.”

“Can I have a mimosa?”

“Have you aged nine years in the last week?” she countered Kendall pointedly – and sighed. “I feel like I have, but no, you cannot have a mimosa.”

“A sip?”

“Fine.”

“Contributing to the delinquency of a minor,” Kendall sang in a hushed voice, squirming happily in her seat as Laurel turned slowly to her sister in disbelief.

“You did not just say that…”

“If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck…”

“Theduckcan drink water,” Laurel said flatly.

“What?! No fair! You said we were gonna have mimosas and…”

“Shhh.”

“Look, just because your life is ruined doesn’t mean you have to ruin mine in the process,” Kendall grumbled, crossing her arms. “I never get to have any fun, get pulled from my school, all my friends, to go to some frozen wasteland where Idon’t even speak the language, all so my putridly shy sister can simmer in her own rejection-pot of Blue-eyed-boy-lust and revel in imaginary rampant dragon-boinking, all the time for days on end.”

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