Page 17 of Ice Block

I stand, letting her pass as she grabs her gigantic purse with a huff and kicks it under the seat in front of her, finally collapsing in her goddamn seat.

“You know, Maggie, you could have just climbed over me,” I whisper, leaning into her space. “It’s not like you haven’t done that before.”

Her jaw clenches as she looks back at me. “The only way I’ll ever climb you again is over your cold, lifeless body. We may be stuck on this flight together, but that doesn’t mean I have to be nice. Don’t look at me. Don’t talk to me.Don’twhisperin my ear.” Clearly frazzled, she gestures to my hands. “Put your little earbuds back in and do whatever it is you do on those damn flights you take every fucking day,” she barks as she buckles her seatbelt,contemplating something as she looks at the call button. “But…ifI fall asleep, wake me up for snacks and drinks. Otherwise, we are complete strangers on this flight. Got it?”

I hide the smile trying to peek through knowing she is not going to miss out on free booze. “Got it.”

I place my earbuds in my ears and turn on some classical music. When I’m in the gym, I listen to metal bands. Russian, German, American. All of it gets me fueled up for the game or a workout as the beat pumps through my chest. But when I relax, I prefer to listen to Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi…anything without words. I lean back, trying not to steal glances at the woman next to me and focus on the sad piano ballad playing through my ears. Moonlight Sonata.My mother used to love this song. I try to focus on each note, hoping the somber tune will distract me.It’s not working.All I can think of isher. Here. Next to me. All I want is for her to be in my lap. I squirm in my seat, trying to adjust the semi hard cock in my pants. Glancing at her from the corner of my eye, my mouth waters as I picture her full lips against mine.I’m going to have to ask for a damn blanket to cover this up if I’m not careful.

I close my eyes as I feel the plane start to take off down the runway, falling into the familiar routine of travel. When the armrest next to me suddenly shakes, I’m pulled out of my classical trance. I look to see Maggie’s white-knuckle grip between us, her face cringing with crinkled eyes as the plane ascends.Does she not fly often?She told me not to speak to her, but...is she scared? I tilt my head, shifting in my seat.

I remove one of my earbuds and place my hand on the armrest beside hers so only our pinkies are touching. She whips her head to look at me, her hand still locked in place next to mine.

“Are you okay?” I whisper, leaning closer without meaning to.

“Fine,” she snarks. A beat passes between us, the plane turning sharply to head toward the lake. “I don’t fly often.”

“Are you scared?”

She scoffs. “Of course not. I’m just not used to this.”

The stoic look on her face tells me she’s lying through her teeth. “If you’re scared, you can hold my hand.”

She grits her teeth. “I’m not scared, and I’m not holding your fucking hand.” The plane dips and her nails dig into the soft leather. “What happened to you not talking to me?”

“Just making sure you’re okay.”

She snorts and turns her attention out the window. I try to hide my smirk as I place my earbud back in and relax, but she hasn’t moved her hand from the armrest, her pinky still touching mine. Something twists behind my ribs, tight and restless, trying to escape years of isolation. It’s painful and comforting all at once. She didn’t pull away, and it’s making me feel something I haven’t felt in a long time.

Hope.

13

maggie

WHOOSH!

Startling awake, I’m propelled upwards too fast to be enjoyable, my seatbelt the only thing keeping me in place. The hum of the engines and the overly dry, recycled air serve as a reminder of where I am. My heart settles as a muffled voice comes over the speakers.

“Folks, this is your Captain up here in the flight deck. We’re hitting a patch of turbulence. Should clear up shortly, but we are going to ask you to stay seated with your seatbelts on, until we hit some smoother air.”

My stomach churns, and I shut my eyes so tight I’m not sure I can ever open them again. I am not a huge fan of flying to begin with. I love to vacation, but that doesn’t mean I like to fly. Just the thought of being in a giant metal tube hurtling through the air where one wrong move could cause us all to…My shoulders fall, my body curling in on itself.Let’s not go there.Especially since we’re havingfucking turbulence. Goddammit, I hate this.What was itKennedy said? You’re more likely to go in a car crash than a plane? Great. Neither of those thoughts is exactly calming.

My body relaxes a little thinking of my sweet friend, but I hear rustling next to me and all the tension returns. I can’t bear to peek at the mountain sitting next to me. At the one person I hate more than anything. Without looking, I’m sure he’s sitting there calm and cool as a cucumber, like nothing ever happened between us. I grit my teeth.Fuck him.I can’t believe we’re sitting next to each other on this damn flight. Hayes and Olivia have somemajorexplaining to do. And dammit Liv knows Ican’tbe pissed at her because it’s her wedding.

I stifle my groan, trying to focus on something,anything, other than the fear andannoyanceof my current situation.Why didn’t I just move my meeting and fly with everyone else?If it wasn’t a potential side-gig that could help me get out of Lakeshore Creative, I would have cancelled. If I’m honest, I’m glad I kept it because it went amazingly well. It was with a local craft beer company that’s wanting to rebrand. They started out small and did their own marketing using graphics they pulled from a ‘create your own logo’ website. But their beer has become so popular they are opening a new location and need a more professional look to their branding. Surprisingly, Bougie recommended they talk to me about helping them with their graphics. Apparently, he loves their beer and is investing in their business.God, to be independently wealthy.A spark in my gut whispers this mightactuallywork. This could be the start of owning my own business.All it takes is one client to spread the word, and to get in with a company at this stage could be a real game changer.

But I’m still stuck sitting next to a giant asshole for hours.How much longer until we land?I don’t even know what time it is.How long did I doze off for?I should probably check my phone.

Peeling my eyes open just the slightest bit, I notice my tray tableis pulled down and a drink with a lime sits on it, as well as a little bistro box full of snacks.Shit, are those gummy bears?My stomach grumbles.Yes!

Wait…how did this get here?Glancing at my handsome, jackass of a seatmate, he’s got his earbuds in, eyes closed and is moving his foot to the rhythm of whatever he’s listening to. And of course, he has a short sleeved shirt on and his sexy tattoos are on display. Memories of that night flood my mind, my legs pressing together at the thought of those inked arms pinning me down while he devoured me.Goddammit, why does that get me so worked up?

Tapping his arm to get his attention, he takes out his earbud, his head tilting as he shifts his focus fully on me.

“What is this?” I snark, pointing to my tray table.

“Snacks and a drink,” he says stoically, as if he’s simply stating a fact.

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