Gas Up the Jet, Baby

by Aubrey Parr

  Gas up the Jet, Baby

  New York

  by Aubrey Parr

  A novella from the Love on… Series

  Copyright Aubrey Parr 2017

  Smashwords Edition

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This novel is purely a work of fiction. Any characters, names, or events are the product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real persons, places, or events is purely coincidental.

  Dedication:

  This book is dedicated to:

  My Fifty Shades Bitchier girls - My days would not be the same without each one of you.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Acknowledgements

  Author Biography

  Connect with Aubrey

  Other Works in the Love On... Series

  CHAPTER ONE

  “So… where to?” Nicole asked her best friend, taking another sip of her wine.

  “I don’t want to go far,” Kate answered. “Kenzie is still getting over her cold.” Kate and Dominic’s daughter, Mackenzie, was just over a year old, and the two of them have fallen perfectly into parenthood. The dream of being a partner at her law firm was still there. She just wasn’t in such a hurry anymore.

  “Let’s go somewhere new,” Nicole suggested. The girls had been as close as sisters since college. Nicole met her Mr. Right and now-husband, Derek Stone, three years ago, and he came with a personal jet. Then as fate would have it, Kate met Dominic Price a year later while visiting her best friend and was now married to her bad boy millionaire artist. If Derek’s plane wasn’t available, the Price jet could always be sent to pick them up.

  Shockingly, the two women had stayed incredibly grounded. They would have fallen for their men regardless of their financial situation. In fact, Nicole had thought Derek was just a guy from Detroit, rather than an ex-MMA fighter turned vacation property developer. Kate had believed Dominic to be a tattoo artist from South Beach, rather than the famed artist Dominic Price and a member of the family that owned over half of the Port of Miami. Both women were head over heels before they learned the truth.

  There they sat, in a pub in Chicago, deciding where their next monthly weekend trip should take them. With the arrival of Mackenzie- “Kenzie”-, a majority of the trips in the past six months had become just “girls’ weekends.” Kenzie was in the capable hands of Daddy and Uncle Derek while they were gone. The trips are always quick; Kate can never stay away from her little one for longer than two days.

  “What about New York?” There was a twinkle in Nicole’s eye with the suggestion. Her husband didn’t have a property in New York, but not all trips needed to be free. A sophisticated weekend going to posh bars and taking in a Broadway show was exactly what they needed.

  “Hmm...” Kate pretended to ponder the decision. “Gas up the jet, baby.”

  …

  Ever the casual ladies, they always took the El train to the airport. Dominic had stopped trying to talk his wife into letting him drive, or at least sending them in a car service. She wouldn’t budge. Kate and Nicole were city girls, and mass transportation was part of the package. The train was good enough before she was Mrs. Price, so it was still perfectly capable of getting them to the airport now. After smothering Dominic and Kenzie with kisses, she and Nicole pulled their suitcases behind them and headed on their next adventure.

  As they sat on the train chatting about life, Nicole noticed the occupant of the seat across the aisle from them. After being nudged by Nicole, Kate inconspicuously leaned forward to sneak a peek. Most likely in her mid-twenties, legs lifted on the seat as she hugged her knees tightly to her chest, she rocked ever so slightly, her blonde locks falling in front of her face.

  The women eyed each other, trying to discreetly find out if she was crying.

  “Sweetheart? Can we help you with something?” Nicole asked in the gentlest voice she could produce.

  The blonde looked up cautiously, mascara trailing down her cheeks. She mustered a smile. “I’m sorry.”

  “Oh, don’t be. I’m Nicole, and this is Kate.” Kate quickly waved a hello. “Tell us what’s wrong.” Nicole never minded butting into someone’s life if she thought she could help.

  “What else? Men!” The girl tried again to form a smile. “I’m Lauren.”

  “Honey, we know about men,” Nicole replied sweetly. “Where are you headed?”

  “Not sure. He tried to kick me out. Well, I told him I was leaving first. However it happened, it’s over!” Lauren glanced down at the huge duffle bag taking up the entire leg room below her.

  “Do you have anywhere to go?” Kate leaned forward more, concerned.

  “Not really. I honestly got on the train, and I’ve been riding for the last hour trying to figure that out.” Lauren widened her eyes and looked up while wiping under them, removing what were most likely mascara smears. Taking in a deep breath, she leaned her head back and tried to think clearly. She really hadn’t been doing much thinking before. Sitting there in a daze or staring out the window was getting her nowhere so far.

  Nicole twisted her mouth, contemplating. She glanced over to Kate, and silently they agreed on what needed to be done.

  “Well, luckily for you, we’ve figured it out for you,” Kate said, smiling.

  Nicole cut in, “You’re coming with us!”

  That made Lauren laugh. “WHAT? And where are you going?”

  “New York,” Nicole replied simply.

  “Oh, New York, okay. That sounds reasonable,” Lauren joked. “My older brother lives there, but I don’t think so.”

  “Do you work weekends?” Kate always tended to be the logical one, and with a somewhat demanding job, she understood how work could make a weekend away difficult. Nicole was a writer, which worked perfectly for her lifestyle. Work was possible for her wherever she had a computer and power connection.

  “I do. I’m a bartender at a bar in the Gold Coast area,” Lauren replied cautiously.

  “Can you take the weekend off?” Nicole asked with a wide smile.

  “You ladies are a little bit crazy, huh?” Lauren was trying to figure out these two random women next to her. They seemed nice and normal- well, normal? They were asking her to go to New York. Used to reading people all the time as a bartender, she could see they were a little crazy, but ultimately harmless.

  “Only on occasion,” Kate chimed in, and they both laughed.

  “I can’t really fit New York into my budget, along with finding a new place.”

  “Sweetie, it’s on us. Really, what are you, twenty-one? We were young and broke once upon a time. We get these girls weekends away now, and we’d love to bring you in as a new recruit,” Nicole explained.

  “Please!” Kate added. “You don’t have anywhere else to go, and the next stop is Midway Airport.

  “Plus I believe in signs.” Nicole was ready to beg. This poor girl looked completely out of sorts and alone. Nicole knew what it was like to feel that despair. “What are the chances that we’d choose to sit right across from you and that massive bag filled with your life’s possessions? We were meant to meet. And you can visit your brother.”

  “I’m twenty-five, by the way. But did I mention you two are crazy?” Lauren half-joked.

  “Blah, blah, blah. Grab that bag of yours; we’ll help you lug that thing to our pl
ane.”

  “Your plane?” Lauren almost choked. “Who are you people?”

  Nicole laughed. She and Kate both had had the same reaction when they found out about Derek’s plane. Now somehow it seemed weirdly normal.

  “Nicole, Kate,” Nicole joked as she pointed at herself and then Kate, reintroducing themselves. “I have an amazing husband with a plane. We’ll become fast friends, and you’ll get used to traveling in style.”

  When the two women rose, Lauren stood, not sure of herself. Nicole walked past, and Kate stopped for a moment. “I promise, it’ll all be okay. Come with us, and we’ll have an amazing weekend. We’ll help you forget your stupid man.”

  “I can’t believe I’m going to do this,” Lauren smiled to her new friend. “I’ll call my boss from airport.” She heaved her huge bag over her shoulder and followed them off the train.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Both women recognized the blank stare on Lauren’s face as she walked onto the Stones’ plane. White was everywhere she looked- the rounded walls, the lavish seats, even the small tables in between them. After dropping their bags, Nicole and Kate each curled up comfortably in a chair, aimlessly swiveling while they watched Lauren take it all in.

  “Come sit.” Nicole motioned to the chair across from what could be considered the aisle. “Karen will come by to bring you a drink before we take off.”

  On cue, a woman in a simple navy dress walked out from the back of the plane to check on the ladies.

  “Hello, Mrs. Stone, Mrs. Price. I see we have an extra guest?” She smiled to all three of them.

  This must be a dream! Lauren thought to herself. She didn’t realize her bag was still hung over her shoulder until Karen approached and offered to take it, so that she could sit and relax with her friends. Friends… Could she really have friends with their very own plane?

  “Oh, thank you,” she replied with an awkward smile and claimed the seat closest to her. Lord, it was comfortable. Her body melted into the cushioned leather. She watched out the window as the airport employees hurried to get the plane ready for its flight.

  “A glass of prosecco, ladies?” Karen returned holding out a tray with three glasses of bubbly.

  Lauren was worried how easily she could get used to this.

  …

  “Wanna talk about what happened?” Nicole didn’t want to press but figured it was a completely reasonable question.

  “Have you ever been with a guy, and you knew he was cheating, but you just couldn’t prove it?” Lauren began but didn’t wait for a response. It was one of those rhetorical questions that didn’t need answering. “I always knew. I’d confront him, and he’d deny, deny, deny. Well, I walked in on him with a woman. In our apartment, in our bed!” Feeling her blood pressure rising again, she took a deep breath. “Once the homewrecker left, I grabbed my bag and started throwing everything I could find inside. He tried to stop me and tried apologizing. When he saw that it wasn’t working, a switch flipped, and he tried to tell me that I should be comforting him!”

  “HUH?” Both women asked in unison.

  “Right?” Lauren rolled her eyes. “He acted like he decided to come clean, and I should be happy that now we could move forward with no more secrets! He actually expected me to comfort him, since this was hard on him, too. I’m not sure if he completely missed the part where I walked in on them? Did he forget about the lies?”

  “Wow!” was all Nicole could answer.

  “You have her speechless! Not easy to do,” Kate responded.

  “I’m so done with men!” Lauren shrugged.

  “Famous last words,” Nicole added with a laugh.

  …

  The rest of the flight was spent going over the basics of their lives. Both women knew that their situations in life were not normal, especially Nicole’s. She and Derek lived in different apartments on his properties, like an endless vacation. Most of them were in Mexico, but with Dominic’s move to be with Kate and the arrival of Kenzie, the Stones now spent far more time at the Chicago property. Plus they want to be close to their goddaughter.

  Though a bit too young to know Derek as an MMA fighter from years back, Lauren was still impressed. Then impressed again when she found out that Nicole was finishing up her first novel. She was aware of Chicago Home Magazine, where Nicole wrote before marrying Derek. Although she didn’t follow his work, Lauren was also familiar with the artist Dominic Price and was a little starstruck. Both women had definitely been lucky in love. Lauren silently wondered what, then, was wrong with her.

  Kate and Nicole knew from their conversation on the train that Lauren had a brother in New York but discovered that they weren’t close. Being ten years older than his sister meant he was far closer in age to Nicole and Kate. Nicole still insisted that they host a reunion between the siblings. Lauren couldn’t remember the last time she saw him. Maybe their grandfather’s funeral?

  Their parents still lived in a little town in Indiana; both kids moved into the big city the first chance they got. Cameron chose New York, and Lauren opted for Chicago. She dropped out of college when she couldn’t keep up with her bills- one reason she and her boyfriend, Tim, had moved in together prematurely, a bit more for convenience than love. On her way towards a hospitality degree, she worked in a bar to keep current with and involved in the industry. She loved it; there wasn’t anything quite like the restaurant industry. It had a life of its own.

  …

  The New York hotel was incredible. As the new friends walked up to the front desk to check in, Lauren of course noticed the entrance to a small lounge. Dark inside, she could see plush velvet bar stools drawn up to the thick mahogany bar. The room was decorated simply, with deep maroons that left the focus on the floor-to-ceiling windows that showed spectacular views of the city. Lauren had never been to New York before, and she decided the views of its city were like no other. When the bartender glanced in her direction, she stopped in her tracks. He was leaning into the bar, his arms set wide apart while he watched a game on one of the TVs across from him. His dirty blond hair was long enough to show a bit of a wave that framed his face. It looked as though it hadn’t been touched since he rolled out of bed. He pulled off the look perfectly. There was something about his eyes. They were the combination of kind and wicked all mixed together. He gave her a crooked smile that produced a large dimple on the side of his rugged face; it made her knees want to buckle. Somehow the imperfection and contrast made him even more appealing. Lauren smiled back and pulled her attention to her friends at the counter.

  “We should check out the bar once we’re settled in,” Lauren suggested, looking down at her ripped jeans and casual white t-shirt. Not exactly New York bar attire.

  “You can borrow one of our dresses, babe,” Kate offered, noticing her concern.

  “What would I do without you?” Lauren flung her arm around Kate’s shoulders as they headed to the elevator. Sneaking a glance over at Mr. Sexy, butterflies swarmed her stomach as he smiled back when they passed by.

  …

  The room was magnificent. The corner suite was all windows with a breathtaking view of the city. Walking into what only could be called the living room, Lauren stopped and slowly turned to take it all in. Nicole and Kate were impressed as well. The wood was dark, with warm coppers and golds as accents. The furniture was modern but still incredibly comfortable looking. Besides the couch and chairs, there was a dining table next to the large bar.

  Nicole had upgraded their room from a one-bedroom to a two-bedroom with the addition of Lauren. Though she was undoubtedly harmless, Nicole wasn’t dumb. She wanted a room that could be locked. Both women carried cash and credit cards, and had husbands that spoiled them with jewelry. All things that could be tempting to a woman in a desperate situation.

  The bedrooms mirrored one other, each with an enormous King-sized bed with piles of pillows. There was a chaise lounge and desk that led up to a wall of windows with more views of New York City. Lauren unpacked
what she could, leaving most of her belongings in the massive bag. Nicole and Kate unpacked their things, and Kate grabbed a simple black dress that could most likely fit Lauren. They could always do some shopping later. Kate was small with short, dark brown hair; the opposite of tall, leggy, blonde Nicole. Lauren was petite like Kate, but with short blond hair. She looked younger than twenty-five, with rosy cheeks and a sweet smile. Once she had calmed herself and flashed her genuine smile, Kate noticed how pretty her face really was.

  The three ladies met in the living room, ready to start their weekend. Luckily the dress fit Lauren like a glove. Her hair was tamed a bit with some product, so that waves fell and brushed just over her shoulders. She wore red lipstick that stood out against her light hair and slightly tanned skin.

  “I’m glad that works. You look great!” Nicole said as she hugged Lauren. Something about this girl reminded Nicole of herself at that age.

  “I feel like I’m going to keep thanking you over and over,” Lauren admitted.

  “Well, that’ll get old.” Nicole scrunched her nose at her, joking. “You are very welcome.”

  “Let’s do this, ladies,” Kate said, as she opened the door to head for the bar.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Lauren shot glances around the elegant lounge as the three women sat down. The sexy bartender was nowhere to be found. He wasn’t conventionally sexy. He wasn’t exactly the tall, dark, and handsome look. She couldn’t put her finger on it. Something had caught her attention. She kept looking for him, trying not to be obvious, hoping his shift hadn’t ended. Then her heart practically leapt out of her chest as he wandered in from the back. Behind the bar in the middle of New York City, wearing a white button down with the sleeves rolled up under a black vest (usual bartender attire), he could easily be walking down the beach in a wet suit with a surf board under his arm. He looked like he should be a beach bum in Hawaii rather than a bartender in New York. She half expected to see him shake sand out of his hair. Maybe that was it. Something was relaxed and casual about him, and she was drawn to it. Joking with herself, she thought how easily he could take her mind off her breakup with Tim.