Page 3 of Summer Haze & Tokyo Craze

“I only found one with a twenty-four hour layover in Los Angeles. That would make you miss the whole first day.”

Resigned, I come to a stop and lay my head back, exhaling an annoyed sigh. “Fuck. Yeah, that’s not an option. Thank you for checking, Felix.”

“You’re welcome. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you better news. I’ll keep looking and let you know if I find something.”

“It’s alright,” I assure him, seeing from the corner of my eyes that Adam is now in a more serious discussion with the womanworking at the reception. “I don’t want to keep you from your other work.”

“It’s fine, Lily. I know how anxious you’re on planes. Trying is the least I could do.”

I want to assure him that I’ll be fine, that it’s not going to be that bad. But I know better than to lie to him. Felix might have only started to work for me half a year ago, but somewhere along the line, he apparently learned to read my mind way beyond ‘she needs caffeine asap’.

So, all I can say is "thank you" before hanging up the phone.

When I glance over, Adam is not at the reception anymore, so I guess either they relented or he's as shit out of luck as I am.

I scan the crowd hovering around the boarding area, but he’s nowhere to be seen.

Then I take a deep breath, put on my friendliest smile, and step up to the counter to try my luck and hopefully make it back into business class.

Anxiety washes over me as soon as I board the plane, making all of my muscles rigid and each, slow step toward my seat a goddamn challenge.

After laying on the charm heavily, additionally to letting my anxiety shine through just the right amount, the stewardess found a way to put me into premium economy.

It's not quite business, but at least I know the rows are two-seaters. It’s still too cramped for my comfort, but knowing that I won’t be perched between strangers in a middle seat managed to make me feel a bit more at ease. It’s not ideal, but it’s something I can deal with.

Thank God.

While I have no idea why they didn’t put me in there to begin with, I’ll take it.

After I was finally able to calm down a bit, I got myself a coffee and messaged Felix the good news. He apologized again for not being able to get me business class on another flight, but I mean, what else could he do? If he checked, I know there was no other way.

Thank God I have him as an assistant.

I remember when I first started in the industry, also as an assistant, and was overwhelmed with the simplest tasks: how to save documents to the company folders, what to say when answering the phone and how to stand my ground when people dicked around instead of keeping to deadlines. It was a struggle.

Once I found routines and processes that worked for me, and got into more executive roles, I flourished. Maybe I just wasn't made for administrative tasks, and I can’t say that they’re my favorite part of the job, even today.

Felix, however, has found his calling in them. He delights on filling out charts, setting up contracts and keeping our digitalcompany structure organized, and by now, we function like a well-oiled machine.

He's doing all the behind-the-scenes stuff, and I'm the one who steps into the spotlight. It’s a system that’s working perfectly for us and now I couldn’t imagine doing my job without Felix. There's a reason Millie and Kayla call us their dream team.

I find my seat number quickly and throw my handbag onto it, groaning inwardly when I realize that mine is the window seat.

If there's one thing I hate about flying, it's badgering other people to let me pass so I can go to the bathroom or pace nervously at the small space at the end of the plane.

But I'm a grown, strong woman, and I can survive a minor inconvenience like this.

I put my carry-on into the overhead compartment, then grab my handbag and sit down. The seat is a bit snug, pressing into my thighs and I grimace. I hope the seat next to me is just going to remain free.

After all, supposedly it's only business class and first class that were overbooked, at least according to the lovely woman I spoke to. There’s hope!

I try to get comfortable in my seat and do a bit of people-watching as more and more board the plane and walk past my row.

There are a lot of families, some with children that look excited to fly, others with teenagers who look annoyed as hell, and I grin,knowing that’s exactly what I looked like as I flew out for my gap year.

Suddenly, I see a familiar dark-haired man enter the plane. The seat next to me is still free and dear God, I hope it will remain just that.

Please don't let Adam be my next-seat neighbor. Please don't.

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