Page 6 of Sweet Escape
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are now beginning our descent into Memphis. Please ensure your seat belts are fastened and your seats are in the upright position. We anticipate a smooth landingand expect to be on the ground shortly. Please proceed to the ticket counter upon arrival to book a new flight to your final destination. Further instruction will be provided by the ticket agents.”
Fuck.
Olivia
Happy birthday, Olivia. Let’s recap this shit show, shall we?
You turned thirty today. Stupidly suspecting some grand proposal was on the horizon, you put on your best dress, had your hair and nails done, and got plucked and waxed within an inch of your life, only to walk in on your boyfriend of three years raw dogging your best friend in your bed.
If that wasn’t bad enough, you were then roughly manhandled by TSA and had your bags searched, at which point they found your lipstick bullet vibrator and proceeded to investigate it like you were about to single-handedly take out a plane with nothing but clitoral stimulation and a dream.
But wait. There’s more.
When you finally board the plane, you’re seated beside arguably the hottest man you’ve ever met, and he has the privilege of seeing you at your lowest. Turns out, he’s also incredibly kind and thoughtful. Then, just when you think things are looking up, he whispers filthy shit in your ear right before you find out the plane isn’t making it to your destination. What else could possibly go wrong?
“I’m sorry. The next flight to Nashville doesn’t leave until tomorrow night. You’ll have to find a hotel.”
MOTHERFUCKER!
A warm body brushes against my back, and I stiffen until a familiar amber cologne floods my senses.Wilder.I thought I’d lost him in the baggage claim.
“And is the airline going to cover the additional expenses?” he asks.
“You’ll have to file a case with the airline to have your expenses approved and recuperated.”
There’s a small crowd of disgruntled passengers growing around the ticketing desk. Several voices are talking over each other, trying to get answers. This is a sensory nightmare. I need to get out of here.
I push through the crowd, dragging my luggage behind me. As soon as I find a quiet place to sit, I sink onto a chair, curling in on myself as I attempt to shut out the noise and figure out what I’m going to do next. This trip wasn’t exactly planned, so the diversion has well and truly fucked me. Not exactly how I imagined getting fucked on my birthday, but I guess beggars can’t be choosers.
“Hey. Are you okay?” Wilder’s soothing voice cuts through the brain fog.
“Are you stalking me?” I ask.
He chuckles. “No, but we’re in the same boat and we’re friends now. Friends don’t let friends have a mental breakdown in the middle of an airport.”
He has no idea how right he is. In the wake of everything that happened with Jake, I can’t for the life of me remember if I took my meds today. I normally have my anxiety and ADHD well in hand, but today has been one disaster after another, and I’m spiraling.
“Look, I’m going to get a room for the night and drive back to Nashville in the morning. Why don’t you keep me company?”
“You seem like a good guy, Wilder, but I think it’s a bit soon to be sharing a room.”
“You didn’t seem opposed to being near me when you fell asleep on my shoulder.” His brown eyes bore into mine. Heat blooms in my chest at the thought of sharing a bed with him, but I tamp it down as he continues to speak. “But I only meant to bring you along for the road trip. You can get your own room. Unless, of course, youwantto share.”
“Are you asking me to be your passenger princess?”
A deep chuckle reverberates through his chest. “If that’s what you want to call it.”
I waver, considering my options. Do I want to be trapped in a car with this gorgeous man for three hours while we, presumably, pretend we aren’t wildly attracted to each other? Considering the alternative is waiting around all day tomorrow as my anxiety spirals out of control—yeah. I do. “Ok. I’m in. Let’s find a hotel.”
For the first time since landing, I pull out my phone and switch off airplane mode. A barrage of text messages floods in, and I realize I forgot to block Amber’s number. I rectify that situation before tapping over to the family group chat. There’s a voice message waiting for me, and I don’t think twice before pressing play. My entire family is singing an off-key rendition of Happy Birthday.
Wilder’s gaze immediately snaps to me. “It’s your birthday?”
“Yep. Lucky me,” I say with a small, humorless laugh.
“So, let me get this straight. Your limp dick ex-boyfriend fucked your best friend in your bedon your birthday,and you didn’t murder them both on the spot?”
“That about sums it up. Although, I am reconsidering my level headedness now that the rest of this day has gone to shit. Might’ve been easier to spend the night in jail.”
