by Ellie Danes
Chapter Nine
Chance
This is Captain Gerard…we are making our descent into sunny Las Vegas…
The flight was almost over and for one of the first times in my life I had wished it had been just a little bit longer. The last few hours had flown by and admittedly, I had gotten very little work done. I had spent most of my time talking with Becca. I felt guilty that I hadn’t let her get her work done, but selfishly, I didn’t want our conversation to end.
I enjoyed learning how driven she was, yet fun. I was impressed with her business background and the things she had been involved with at her agency. She appeared to be a girl that could let loose, but still stay focused. I wondered why she wasn’t taken already. She had occasionally joked about her bad dates, but I never allowed myself to ask anything more. If she had wanted me to know about that aspect of her life she would have told me. Just as I held back any details of what I had left at home.
Home. This was also one of the few times I was actually excited to get into Vegas. Excited to finally be there alone and away from home. I would finally be able to get some work done and not feel that I needed to be at every social event or store, shopping in my down time.
“Sir, can I get you anything else before we land?” Her long blonde hair swished around her neck and fell around her shoulders to her cleavage. She smiled and gently rubbed her hand on my bicep as she bent down close to me, almost whispering in my ear. “Or, maybe after we land?” Her eyes sparkled as she smiled at me.
“I truly appreciate the offer, but I’m good.” I glanced at Becca and smirked. She hadn’t heard the whispered conversation. “Becca, would you like anything before we land?”
“No, I’m fine thanks.” Becca continued to scribble away on her pad, covered in notes and jumbles.
I turned back toward the leggy blonde but she had already headed back toward the front of the plane, scowling at me over her shoulder.
Chapter Ten
Becca
The flirty flight attendant with the low cut blouse made her rounds again, but this time seemed less than friendly toward Chance or myself. “You’re going to need to put that pad away. We are getting ready to land.”
I glanced over at Chance and giggled. “Wow, I guess someone didn’t have a good flight to Vegas.” I smile to myself as I thought about just how great my flight actually had been.
The red tiled roofs of the houses below were almost a blur as the plane slowly descended into the airport. I felt the nervousness take over my stomach as the expectations of the harsh landing settled in. The descent never bothered me. It was when we hovered just a few hundred feet over the tarmac.
The engines slowed and then revved again and I tried to keep my focus on the landscape outside. I reached for the armrest once more, hoping that I would instead find Chance’s arm like I had earlier, but it wasn’t there.
“We’re almost down.” His smooth voice comforted me as I felt the warmth of his hand on top of mine. Electricity flowed through my body as I looped my thumb upward onto his hand, holding on to him. “Is this okay?” He whispered as he looked at me.
I met his gaze with an inviting smile. “Yes, perfect. Thank you.” It was actually more than perfect.
The plane dropped onto the tarmac with a thud, the wheels screeched as the brakes were applied, quickly slowing us down. We finally slowed to a taxiing speed and I kept my hand in place, still slightly grasping Chance’s hand, not wanting him to move it. I closed my eyes briefly and imagined him holding on to me for so many other reasons.
“Well, looks like you’re just about forty-five minutes or so from starting your big party weekend. “Chance smiled as he slowly pulled his hand away from mine, his fingers gently touching the back of it.
“I know, I’m excited, but I still have so much work to do. Looks like I’ll be delaying my play time for just a little longer.” I watched as he slid his tablet into his brief case and pulled out his phone, turning it like all of the other eager passengers on the flight. I followed suit, hoping there might be a message from my boss telling me the presentation was no longer needed. No such luck.
I watched as Chance scrolled through a list of messages on his phone before dropping it back into the briefcase sitting just beneath his feet. “Looks like I’m going to have a busy day as well.” He shook his head and chuckled. I think I’d rather be heading to your bachelorette party.
Me too. I thought to myself as I smiled. I imagined the look on the girl’s faces as I brought Chance to the party, like some sort of gift. Hell, if anyone was getting this gift it was going to be me. I sat speechless as the racy thoughts shot through my mind. I knew I should say something, but I wasn’t sure what, and out of nowhere the words fell from my mouth. “Well, maybe I can give you a call when we figure out our plans?”
The moment the words left my lips I knew I was in trouble. I braced myself for the rejection as I felt my face redden. I had just turned an amazing flight, sitting next to a hot guy that had been holding my hand, into a train wreck I wanted to forget.
“That sounds great.”
My heart sunk into my stomach as his words hit my ears. Sounds great. Becca what did you just do? I smiled but I knew I must have looked like a deer standing in the road at night, just caught by an oncoming car’s headlights. “Um, ok.” I fumbled some more as I faked a smile, still dumbstruck by what just had happened.
“I left my cards in my jacket. I’ll give you one once we get off of the plane, but you have to promise to call.” His perfect blue eyes and white smile melted me.
“Deal.” I had gone from holding an intelligent conversation with a sophisticated man to barely able to mumble one-syllable words.
Chapter Eleven
Chance
I could feel my phone vibrating in my briefcase over and over as I walked up the ramp into the main terminal. My jacket flung over my arm, briefcase in one arm and Becca’s carry on in the other. It was a bit comical watching her gather everything up and exiting the plane. She was obviously not a seasoned traveler.
As we both approached the terminal I put on my jacket and reached for my phone in the side pocket of my tan leather bag. Two missed calls from my father and a dozen texts from Sara. Neither person I wanted to talk to at that moment.
Becca grabbed the handle of her rolling carry-on and took it from me as she smiled. “Thank you. I can’t believe how unorganized I am, between my purse, book, carry-on.”
“Oh yes, the book.” I smiled at the thought of her reading some trashy romance novel. I had actually picked up one of Sara’s at one time and read it when she wasn’t around and found it was surprisingly entertaining.
“What? Don’t you believe in romance?” She smiled as she nudged herself against my arm in a playful way.
“I love romance, but I would rather make it, than read about it.” I gently nudged her back, unable to resist the temptation to touch her again. “Oh, before I forget, here.” I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out my card, handing it to her.
“Wow, you spared no expense on these, did you?” Becca laughed as she held the white card in her hand. Only my name and cell phone number were printed in the center of the card in raised black ink.
“Well, it has all of the important information on it…and now I’ve held up my end of the deal, now it’s your turn.”
Chapter Twelve
Becca
I loved the feeling of flirting with him as we walked through the airport towards the baggage claim carousels. The ringing of slot machines echoed throughout the airport as people had to get their first fix of gambling the moment they set foot into Vegas. I rolled my eyes as we passed an elderly man and his wife and heard them coaxing the slot machine to make them a winner.
Through some miracle, our bags had made it to the claim area before we had. I watched as my black bag with the pink ribbon tied to the handle circled around. Before I could grab a hold of it Chance lifted it without effort. His six foot something frame ma
king my heavy bag appear as if it were filled with air. “Thank you again.” I smiled, not wanting to let him away from me for a minute more.
Chance quickly grabbed his suitcase with just as little effort and let out a huff as he reached into his briefcase for his phone, staring at the screen. “I’m sorry, this is the third time they’ve called. I’ll only be a minute.”
I watched as Chance picked up his bag and walked toward a quieter area in the airport. Even from behind he was stunning. I had his card. Now I just needed the nerve to actually call him while I was here.
As I stood and watched Chance from a distance, a short man in a red jacket hurriedly approached, grabbing a hold of my carry-on and larger suitcase. “You need a taxi ma’am?” His accent slurring his words.
“Yes, but…”
“Ok, follow me please.” He quickly grabbed my suitcases and headed towards the door as I tried to stop him, but it was too late. I struggled to keep up as I looked over my shoulder at Chance, who was now farther and farther away. I stepped outside in the hot, dry heat and was immediately lead to a long line of people waiting for taxis. “Here you are ma’am.” He held his hand out waiting for a tip.
I let out a frustrated breath as I stared at him. “I was trying to tell you I wasn’t ready. My friend–”
“It’s ok, you can just leave your bags here. They will be safe.” He stood there, still holding out his hand as I searched my purse for a few dollar bills and settled for the one folded dollar bill in the side pocket.
I grabbed my bags and quickly wheeled them back inside, hoping Chance was still where I last saw him. I burst through the doors, pulling my two bags towards baggage claim number nine and stopped as my heart sunk. He was gone. I scanned the terminal and he was nowhere to be found.
Outside. I thought to myself as I pulled my bags back towards the automatic double doors, the blast of heat hitting me in the face like I was standing in front of a hot oven. Perspiration formed on my lip as I dragged my bags through the crowd of people looking for the hot man that had been my savior and traveling companion throughout the day.
I crossed the main thorough way and onto the concrete median, looking back toward the terminal, hoping he was standing near the curb looking for me too, but he wasn’t. I dropped the handle on the small rolling bag, which sent it toppling to the ground. I felt lost and a wave of desperation and sadness flooded over me. The last four and a half hours of my life had been spent sitting next to the perfect man. Great job, Becca.
It felt silly feeling so sad and lost over something, or someone, that wasn’t mine to begin with. Taxis zoomed into the lanes, picking up passengers as I stood and watched, my bag still sitting sideways on the curb.
The heat and exhaust of the passing shuttles and taxis added to the overbearing temperatures making me feel faint. I gathered the strength to pick up my bag and head back to the long line of people, waiting for a taxis.
“Excuse me…” I stopped short of stepping off of the curb and turned to see a long, black stretch limo with dark tinted windows parked just feet away. The driver quickly exited and made his way toward me as the back window lowered a bit more, revealing Chance’s chiseled profile. “…do you need a ride?” I heard his familiar chuckle as he opened the door. “Come on, get in. This has to beat taking a taxi, don’t you agree?”
I stood speechless as the driver quickly grabbed my bags and tossed them into the trunk of the limo, not even waiting for my answer. I stared at Chance, knowing he had come to my rescue every time I needed him, without ever having to ask. “If it’s not a problem.”
“Of course it’s not a problem.” Chance extended his hand and helped me into the limo. I slid into the black leather seats as the air conditioning sent shivers across my skin. “So, where are you headed?”
I pulled out my phone and tapped through to my email, quickly finding the reservation information. “The Viridian.”
A smile formed on Chance’s face as he sat comfortably in the seat next time mine. He poured two glasses from a bottle of champagne that was chilling in the bucket in the small bar on the side of the limo and handed me one. “Me too.”
Chance Encounter 2
Chance Encounter Series, Book Two
(An Alpha Billionaire Romance)
By
Ellie Danes
www.Ellie Danes.com
Chapter One
Chance
The corporate offices were located on the forty-eighth floor. Normal hotels would have saved that floor for the high dollar suites, however my father insisted his office had a view and that he was able to watch what all of his staff were up to at any time. I made my way down the long hallway to his office. I was hoping that Mary, my assistant, would already be in. She had been with dad for nearly thirty years and then he decided he needed someone with more technical know-how. That really translated into he wanted an assistant with perky breasts and that would wear a tight skirt for him.
It was ironic how dad wanted me to settle down, yet he found that running around was keeping him young. Don’t be like me. That’s what he loved to say as he scolded me. Trust me, I had no desire to be like him, at all.
Mary had recently begun working for me. She always made life easier. I nearly made it all the way down the hall before Richard stopped me in the hall.
“Chance! Welcome back. Are you up for a drink tonight? Maybe a little escape from the women?”
I glanced at him and wondered whether it was worth the effort to tell him about Sara. We weren’t all that close, but he was one of the few people I did speak with on occasion. I decided against it. “I wish. I can’t tonight. I have a lot of work to catch up on…speaking of which, I need to catch up with Howard. I’ll catch you later, ok?”
I ducked inside my dad's office, almost blinded from the reflected glare of the mirrored glass on the adjacent hotel. It was empty and I breathed in a sigh of relief. I really did want to see him, but it was a necessarily evil. Something I had to do when I was in town.
The smell of furniture polish filled the room and burned my nose. Dad’s office was always neat and proper, unlike mine. I knew where everything was and I liked it that way. Dad saw it as unorganized, like me. I scanned the office and shook my head. Photos of my father with just about every celebrity that had ever visited the property were hung on the walls or adorned the many tables throughout the office. There wasn’t a single picture of me. I was the accident. Dad certainly didn’t plan on having me when he was in his fifties. Mom was in her mid twenties and the only thing they had in common was their love for money, spending and me. It’s no wonder they went their separate ways after I was in college. I’m surprised it lasted that long. She died a few years ago and Dad didn’t even shed a tear. He could be hard like that. He says it’s strong. For a man in his late eighties, he was holding his own. Completely grayed, he still had a head of full hair. He wasn't lacking when it came to the ladies either. He just didn’t take them seriously anymore.
I circled the office, staring at the pictures as the door swung open.
“Well, look who we have here.” He stood at the door, holding his hand along the edge. He looked stern, but he spoke with a worked up energy.
“Hi Dad. How are things?”
“Looking pretty good downstairs. I'd say the place will be packed by midnight.”
“Looks like it.”
Dad scanned the room as if I were hiding something and I knew what was coming next. “Where's Sara?”
“Sara's not here.” I cleared my throat, hoping that I'd get through the next question.
“Not here? What? Is she out shopping already?” Dad chuckled. “You’d better marry that girl Chance. It’s the only way you’re going to be able to afford her.”
“Dad, Sara’s at home. I broke up with her.”
“You what?” His voice deepened and his mouth hung open slightly. “Are you fucking kidding me?” His face reddened as he took a step closer inside of his office.
“I couldn�
�t deal with her anymore.”
“Deal with her? What's that supposed to mean Chance?” I could hear him mumbling under his breath all the way to his desk. He took his chair and spun it in a complete circle, tapped it a couple times and then sat down.
“You broke it off with Sara?” He twisted in his desk chair, his jaw tightened.
I could feel his tension from across the room. “Yes I did. You just don't know her Dad”
I watched as he shook his head and squinted his eyes at me. “Chance, you need to fix this.” He took a deep breath and flipped open the notepad on his desk. “I need to see progress in NYC. We seem to be spending a lot of money out there on this new project.”
“Progress? You need to see progress? It’s almost complete.”
“This should have been done last month. If you spent less time doing whatever it is you do out there…”
“That's such bullshit!” I bit my lip as I debated whether I wanted to continue the conversation or not.
Dad stood and stared directly into my eyes. His face was flushed and the vein protruded from his thin, tanned neck. I sensed the warning coming, and I waited for it. It never came. He sat back down, looking fully disgusted with me, as usual. “Go, get the hell out of here! We’ll talk later when I calm down.”
I left as I listened to him muttering under his breath.
Chapter Two
Becca
A first class flight and then a limo to the hotel, both shared by an incredibly gorgeous hunk that was as mysterious as he was handsome. He made sure my bags were unloaded and before I knew it, he was gone, just as quickly as he appeared in my life.
The lobby of the Viridian was every bit as exquisite as the pictures I had seen online and even more so. I stood in the lobby and took it all in. This is going to be one fun weekend.