Page 68 of Embrace
“Just dinner,” he said.
“And hot tea, Earl Grey, with a little milk and honey. He’ll have that.” I’d heard him place that order at the café in the hospital between surgeries on several occasions.
Finally, he smiled at me.
We stared at each other. My heart beat like crazy. Then his eyes narrowed just a pinch before he went back to programming the console.
If we were alone, I would’ve asked why he was being so distant. However, I didn’t want Greg to know things were tense between us. Thank goodness the pilot announced we were on our way to the runway. The flight attendants came into the cabin to serve our drinks and make sure we were buckled up. The one with dark hair and red lipstick made eyes at Greg. As I watched her, I felt eyes on me. I quickly looked at Asher, who was glaring back at me.
My lips parted. I wanted to explain that I wasn’t staring because I was jealous. I was simply marking an observation in my head. But Asher had turned away before I could try to explain.
Then we were speeding down the runway and climbing to altitude. Once we were settled, the flight attendants served dinner, beef tenderloin with Yukon Gold potato puree, glazed carrots, and a variety of freshly baked breads. Asher hardly touched his meal, while Greg and I devoured ours. We’d had an eventful day.
After fiddling with the controls on the table, Asher made a call to Chief Brown. It was just the two of them, and they were on together for a while. Mostly, Asher said things like “Yes,” “No,” or “Check that.” He was good at having a private conversation with others in the room.
Greg flirted with the stewardess named Willow, asking her where she was from and whether she had a boyfriend and all sorts of surface questions to keep her talking. I tuned him out, though. I was more interested in trying to decode Asher and Si’s conversation. It was difficult to do, and so far, I hadn’t been able to pin anything they said together to help me figure out what they were talking about.
Willow and Mina, the other flight attendant, collected our plates. Asher asked them to hold off on dessert, then announced we were ready to begin the call.
“You’re not going to eat?” I asked.
His eyes smoldered when he said, “Later.”
I melted into my seat.Was that a double entendre?I hoped so.
“What’s that perfume you’re wearing, sexy? It’s the best thing I’ve smelled all day,” Greg said to Willow.
“Oh, I’m not wearing perfume,” she crooned. “It’s against the rules.”
“Ooh, then that’s your natural scent. Tasty.”
I snarled at Greg and the show he was putting on. Wow, after all that personal shit he’d shared about his father and never loving football, I’d thought he had a heart. What a dick.
When I turned, Asher was staring at me again. I wished he would say something and stop glaring at me as if he was chastising me for paying attention to Greg.
“Willow, please leave us. We’re starting the meeting,” Asher said.
“Yes, Mr. Christmas,” she said like an obedient flight attendant who got paid a lot of money to remain professional.
Greg held out his hand for her to take. Willow’s face was beet red. She hesitated but put her hand on top of Greg’s. The thing was that it was her job to make him feel comfortable, and he was crossing many lines. I glared at Asher, on the verge of demanding he put an end to Greg’s harassment.
“That’ll be all Willow. Leave, please, now,” Asher restated.
Willow snatched her hand out of Greg’s grasp and scurried into an area where I supposed the kitchen was.
Greg jumped to his feet, glaring at Asher. “What the fuck, Christmas.”
Asher didn’t flinch. “Stop harassing my flight attendants, and get your ass over here. We’re starting.”
“Dr. Ross, can you hear me?” Chief Brown asked.
I snapped to attention. “Yes, sir.”
And again, Asher gave me an odd look.
“What?” I blurted out. I had no restraint. I was tired. He wasn’t telling me why he was tossing me the cross looks, but they were annoying as hell.
Asher shrugged. “Nothing,” he said calmly.
