Girl on a Plane

by Cassandra O'Leary

  She enjoyed his small groan of frustration and the crinkly lines which crept across his forehead. She might have been mean but she got a thrill from causing the big hunk of overconfident man to squirm.

  “Okay. You should have been a lawyer. You have a real knack for contract negotiations. I have a question. Under these new rules, am I allowed to take you out to dinner?”

  She nodded, enjoying a thrill of sparkly pleasure in her belly. “Yes, you may.”

  “Would you do me the honour of accompanying me to dinner tomorrow night? Or tonight, seeing as it’s already after midnight.”

  “Yes, thank you. You can call me after lunch, when I’ve had some sleep.”

  Gabriel nodded and she noticed him loosen his death-grip on the seat. She sighed happily and stared out the window.

  After a few minutes, the cab exited the motorway and the familiar lights and streets of her neighbourhood came into view. More than usual, she looked forward to getting home to her flat. This time, after a long and tiring trip she had something, someone, to look forward to seeing.

  After giving a few directions to the cab driver, they pulled up in her street. She paid the fare after refusing Gabriel’s attempt to do so, and moved to get out of the car. Quick as you like, Gabriel shot out of his side of the car and went round to her door, opening it for her.

  “My lady.” He dipped his head in a half bow.

  She laughed. “Thank you, kind sir.”

  “Let me walk you to your door.”

  The cab driver had deposited her bag on the footpath. Gabriel grabbed it, shooing her away when she attempted to carry her own bag. After a word to the driver, asking him to wait and take him to his hotel, Gabriel followed her.

  They walked up the cracked concrete path to the two-storey red-brick house, now divided into four separate flats. Her place was nothing impressive, but it was home, for now. She refused to be embarrassed by her humble abode, even if he was used to the finer things in life.

  She waved her hand at the house. “So, this is me. Goodnight Gabriel.”

  “Goodnight.”

  He moved forward to kiss her, then a shadow crossed his face. Apparently he’d remembered the rules. For a moment she wished he’d forgotten himself. But if this plan were to work, he’d have to play by the rules. They both would.

  He stepped back and handed over her bag. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

  “Till tomorrow.”

  Her laughter couldn’t be contained, it bubbled up and escaped in a rush. It must have been contagious because Gabriel’s wide smile took her breath away as she unlocked her front door.

  It would be stupidly frustrating waiting until tomorrow evening to see his face. But considering only that morning she’d never expected to see him again, she couldn’t believe her luck.

  She hoped it was luck. As she closed the door behind her, she decided luck was only part of it. She had a plan, and the rules.

  Gabriel downed his third espresso of the day and tapped impatiently on the cold black lacquered board room table. The long-winded budget update from his London team was making his ears bleed and figures were swimming before his eyes on his laptop screen. Five hours’ sleep hadn’t been enough, lying alone in his new hotel bed.

  He’d woken several times overnight and reached for Sinead, finding the other side of the bed cold and empty. Somehow, in two nights and half a day, he’d become used to sleeping with a warm, soft woman pressed up against him. Not just any woman. Sinead. Hopefully he’d break down her defences soon and she’d be back in his bed, in spite of her infuriating rules. But that wasn’t all he wanted from Sinead. Not only that. Something else had been driving him to catch up with her in London. The possibility of something more.

  A voice floated into his brain. “The marketing budget is coming in slightly over, but we expected the outlay in the set-up phase.”

  Gabriel blinked and lifted his chin. His attention had been anywhere but on his best friend, Ryan McKinlay, acting in his new role of European regional manager. Ry looked sharp, his dark hair slicked back and his grey suit Savile Row stylish. Unlike Gabriel. He was rumpled and exhausted. Not his usual style.

  Ryan’s last comment required some sort of response, but for the life of him, Gabriel couldn’t work out what he was meant to say. Clearly, his head wasn’t in the game. That was unusual too.

  “Gabe, are you with us?” Ryan smirked, clearly amused by Gabriel’s lapse in concentration.

  Gabriel blinked and opened his eyes wider. “Sorry mate, I’m jet-lagged. I think I’m done with absorbing information for today.”

  “Okay folks, show’s over. I’d like everyone to email their reports to Gabriel and myself by close of business. Thanks.” Ryan dismissed the team with his usual confident and friendly way, chatting with people on their way out.

  A procession of four men and two women filed out of the conference room and Gabriel struggled to remember their names. It would click into place once he read their written reports. Hopefully.

  Ryan flopped back into a swivel chair and stretched out, hands behind his head. His dark hair flopped over his eyes as he stared at Gabriel.

  “Come on, spill the beans. You’re on another planet today and I reckon it’s more than jet-lag.”

  Ryan had always been insightful, which made him a great people-manager. But Gabriel didn’t feel like sharing. Especially since he himself didn’t understand what was going on.

  “Is it your Mum?” Ryan’s question was hesitant. Gabriel hated to think his friend might be afraid to raise the subject.

  Gabriel had been otherwise occupied and the situation had almost slipped his mind in the past few days. It had been a relief. But now the guilt hit him hard, right in the gut. “No. The worry’s always there, but she’s all right for now in respite care. I might look into permanent care at the centre.”

  Sinead was still occupying his thoughts. He should talk to Ryan. His best friend was probably the only person who’d understand what Sinead’s presence could mean in his life. He closed his laptop and avoided his friend’s eyes. “I um, met someone. A woman.”

  Ryan sat up straight and his familiar grin appeared. “I’m surprised. One of your hook-ups?”

  Gabriel’s head shake and raised eyebrows got a laugh out of Ryan. “Sinead’s something else.”

  Ryan leaned forward in his seat. “Now I’m intrigued. Give me the low-down.”

  “Flight attendant, Irish accent, long blonde hair, fantastic breasts. She’s hot, but she’s more. Funny and sweet. She’s got me agreeing to all sorts of crap to keep seeing her.”

  “Like what? Bondage, discipline? Cavorting naked in a field?”

  He snorted, but enjoyed Ryan’s joking. It’d been too long since they’d hung out. Gabriel hadn’t had the time lately. “No, but I wouldn’t put it past her. She’s making all these rules. No touching for a month.”

  “Oh man, you’ll be out of your mind. You agreed? She must be special.”

  “Special.” Funny, Sinead had used the same word. It was growing on him. “Yeah, you could say that. Lucky we already got down and dirty in Singapore, so I know it’s worth waiting for. It’ll be hell in the meantime though.”

  Ryan chuckled and got up from his seat. “Good luck, mate. I’d like to meet her sometime.”

  “She’s in London, so you might. Anyway, I’m taking her out tonight, so I’d better get onto booking a restaurant for dinner.”

  “If you want my advice, don’t overthink it. It sounds like she wants to get to know you. Talk to her. Try not to be your usual charming self.”

  “Sarcasm. Nice.”

  Ryan laughed hard on his way out.

  Gabriel was aware of his reputation with women. Some would call him a womaniser. But that wasn’t fair. He’d never led anyone on, and only chose women who wanted some fun. And he could be charming. The charm was something he utilised for business reasons, or when it was warranted. But with Sinead, he wanted something different. He wanted to be
different.

  Sinead was special, there was no point in denying it anymore.

  Gabriel drummed the tabletop again. Working the way he had over the past twelve years, like a machine, hadn’t left any time for a real relationship. He’d always avoided ongoing commitments with women, to spare them the complications in his life. And he’d always assumed no woman would want him if she understood the issues he faced with his Mum.

  Tonight could be the right time to open up to Sinead, at least for starters.

  Coffee, fabulous coffee.

  Sinead thanked the god of caffeine for her fix as she waited for Yuki. Shot Espresso off the Fulham Road was a sweet little Italian café, perfumed with the scent of real, fresh roasted coffee beans, a balm to her soul. It was the perfect spot for brunch with her friend, and a debrief on the Gabriel situation.

  She hadn’t confided in Yuki about her new man, so far. It had happened so fast – it was only four days since they’d first met. Although with the typhoon and jet-lag, she’d entered some type of alternate universe where time stretched out like a giant rubber band. Everything had happened in fast-motion, then been jammed in place before things snapped back, not quite in a straight line. Now she was back to regular life, everything was strange and wobbly.

  From her seat by the café windows, she spied Yuki heading her way. Yuki had been scheduled on a different flight back to London, so it seemed to Sinead as if she hadn’t seen her friend in weeks.

  Sinead waved and Yuki answered with a tinkling laugh she could hear from inside. Her friend looked happy. Yuki’s days in Singapore with her boyfriend, Daniel, must have made her beam. Yuki pushed open the door, jingling the old-fashioned brass bell.

  “Hi Sinead! It’s so good to see you. I was worried about you.”

  Yuki swished her curtain of black shiny hair over her shoulder as she hugged Sinead. She sat in the opposite chair and rolled her shoulders, as if to release some tension.

  “I’m grand, but it’s good to see you too.” It really was a relief to see her friend safe and well. And to have someone to talk to. “So get yourself a cup of tea and prepare yourself. I’ve a story to tell.”

  “Oh, interesting. Sounds like I need a whole pot of tea.” Yuki ordered English Breakfast tea from the young waiter, a man with Italian good looks and a bright white flash of teeth. “I’m ready. Tell me this story.”

  Sinead told the tale from the beginning, the flirty exchange with Gabriel on the original flight out of Melbourne, and how they met again in the airport lounge. The twinkle of excitement in Yuki’s eyes was contagious.

  “Oh, I remember. A top prospect from the Young Rich List. He was gorgeous! A bit cranky but definitely a spunk. Did you do the deed?”

  “Aye, we did the deed, and wow. You know it’d been a while for me. I nearly tackled him to the ground when I got him alone in my suite. Turns out he’s a marathon man and more than equipped for the task.” Sinead giggled.

  Yuki squealed and clapped her hands in delight. “Yay! Sounds like exactly what you needed. Are you going to see him again?”

  Sinead held her tongue as the waiter arrived with Yuki’s tea. He poured the steaming brew into a china cup with tiny rosebuds painted around the rim. Then he left them alone again.

  “I’m seeing him tonight. But there are a couple of other things I should tell you. I’m not sure if I’ve lost my mind.”

  Yuki’s eyes widened at Sinead’s explanation about Gabriel’s aversion to relationships and his attempt to fob her off. She left out some details of both their delicious lovemaking and rampant shagging, and the way she’d tried to run away.

  Sinead sipped her latte and sighed. “It’s been years since I felt anything close to what I already feel for him. So I decided to give him a chance. But I wanted to make sure he was really interested. I invented some rules. Number one is already freaking me out – no touching for a month.”

  Yuki clutched at her heart. “Whoa. You may be shooting yourself in the foot. He’s hot stuff. Don’t you want some touchy-feely time?”

  Sinead groaned and rolled her eyes. “Of course I do. I’ll probably have to sit on my hands to stop myself grabbing him at dinner tonight. It’s just I want him to be a gentleman and treat me like a lady. I think I deserve it.”

  “You do.” Yuki placed her hand on Sinead’s and then her mouth stretched in a wicked grin. “But some rules are made to be broken. It wouldn’t hurt to tease the man a little. Let’s go shopping for a dress that’ll have him picking his tongue up off the floor and begging to lick you like a lollipop.”

  Sinead snorted and barely stopped a mouthful of coffee from exploding across the table. “You’re on. Shopping for tongue-lolling outfit. Excellent plan.”

  “I don’t think I can get it over my head. Help!”

  Sinead twisted and squirmed, trying to make an impossibly small “body-conscious” dress fit over her head and flailing arms. She spoke through the fabric. “I don’t think this overstuffed sausage skin look will win me any beauty contests.”

  Yuki burst in from the next cubicle in the posh boutique’s changing room. Her squeal of alarm also alerted the haughty shop assistant who came rushing over.

  Sinead huffed out a breath then sucked in her belly. Her less than glamorous yet sensible white cotton knickers were making an appearance. The ones with the unravelling elastic, reserved for when she was feeling jet-lagged or pudgy. Or when she’d got back from her travels and hadn’t had a chance to wash her clothes.

  The shop lady poked her ribcage with a bony finger. “You are aware there is a side zipper, I presume?” Ms Haughty-Pants enquired. Obviously Sinead hadn’t seen the zipper or she wouldn’t be in her current predicament.

  At least Haughty was helpful, releasing the stuck zipper and Sinead’s head with it. Yuki helped to wrench the dress off, thrusting it at the shop lady with unnecessary force.

  “Here, why don’t you go find my friend something delectable to wear? She wants her new man to try to lick her all over, although she’s not going to let him.”

  The shop lady sauntered off with a barely disguised look of disgust. Sinead giggled and patted Yuki on the shoulder. Sinead picked up a tiny bandage dress from a pile on the chair in the corner, but Yuki slapped her hand away.

  “Wait! No more sausage dresses. I have the perfect thing.”

  Yuki dashed into her original cubicle and was back quick as a flash, closing the door behind her. She waved a bright red silk dress, swaying from the hanger with a pleasing swish.

  Sinead admired the intricate swirl of fabric at the front, like a rosette. Sliding her fingers down the length of the dress, she let out an oooh at the softness. “I don’t know, it’s more your style.” Sinead went for modern, edgy styles, while Yuki liked feminine, retro fashions a la Audrey Hepburn.

  “Try it on. I’ll bet your fancy-man will love it.”

  Sinead was sold on the dress the moment it slipped over her head with a whisper against her skin. It fell with a low v-neckline, gathered under her breasts, then it floated down to her knees. A naughty split was hidden under a fold at the centre seam.

  “Your boobs look awesome in it. Gabriel’s going to be dribbling on you before you finish dinner,” Yuki said.

  Bubbles of excitement rose in her belly until she almost popped. Her lips tipped upwards. “I guess it’s a winner.”

  Sinead’s happy face slid downwards when her phone chimed from the depths of her cavernous tote bag. She fished it out and glanced at the caller’s name on the screen, then mouthed to Yuki. It’s him.

  “Hello Gabriel. It’s a pleasure to hear from you.”

  He had the perfect evening planned. When he should have been concentrating on work, Gabriel had spread out the contents of his briefcase across the spare executive desk and studiously ignored it. Instead, he’d called in a couple of favours to snag VIP tickets to a sold-out Slammers gig at an exclusive club he’d never heard of, and booked a table for dinner at the Italian wine bar, North.

&nbs
p; It was enjoyable, trying to work out what type of date would appeal to Sinead. A mixture of fun and glamour, he guessed. He grabbed his phone and dialled her number before he knew what he was doing.

  When she answered, he could have sworn he heard giggling in the background. What was she was up to? He could picture her, face lit up with internal sunshine, radiating from her creamy skin.

  “Hello Gabriel. It’s a pleasure to hear from you.”

  Relaxing back in his leather chair, his lips stretched upwards. “The pleasure is all mine, believe me. What are you up to?”

  “I’m trying on a pretty dress which apparently makes my boobs look awesome.”

  Heat spread from his neck up to his face at the image she conjured. He was pretty sure his eyeballs were bugging out. She was teasing him, trying to get a reaction, he could tell by the lilt in her accent. It was damn well working.

  “Oh Irish, will you wear it for me tonight?” His voice was huskier than usual due to a serious case of dry-mouth syndrome.

  “Why yes, I think I will wear it tonight.”

  How was he going to get through a whole evening with her in some super-hot dress with all the boob action, with no touching? He cleared his throat.

  “I can hardly wait. I’ve got some surprises lined up for you too. How about I pick you up from your place at seven?”

  “Seven o’clock sounds grand. Looking forward to seeing you all handsome. Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  He ended the call and found himself staring out the window. Grinning like a kid who’d been allowed to lick the last traces of cake batter out of the mixing bowl. He had to go and think of licking things. Sweet and tasty things.

  The heat that’d spread over his face now rushed downstairs and overheated matters. What the hell? No other woman had ever had such an effect on him. Uncomfortably hard, he shifted in his chair and stretched out his legs.

  Sinead had better not leave him hanging for long. He was trying, making an effort to be the gentleman she wanted. But he wasn’t known for his patience.