Snowed In Read online

  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been able to do that.

  Mike’s phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket. It was Phil, of course.

  Swiping the screen Mike answered, “Yeah.”

  “The flight is set to leave at ten-fifteen. You have to be here by ten. Not a minute later.”

  “Got it.”

  “I’m serious,” Phil warned, “They’ve changed the flight plan three times already to accommodate you, Sleeping Beauty. It’s leaving and we are paying for it whether you are on it or not.”

  “I’ll be there,” Mike assured him and hung up.

  Stepping into the elevator he closed his eyes for a moment. When he did he saw Nikki; her golden eyes gazing up at him. Her sexy smile. The perfect lines of her body.

  His phone buzzed again and he pulled it out. It was Lizzie. She had wanted to remain friends after they broke up. Which would be fine with Mike if every one of their “friendly” conversations didn’t end up with her talking about them getting back together. He did not have the patience or the time to deal with her right now.

  He ignored the call as he stepped out of the elevator into the foyer of the suite. As soon as he placed his phone back in his pocket it buzzed again.

  You’ve got to be kidding me.

  Once again, he removed it from his pocket. His mother’s face illuminated the screen. Great. It was going to be one of those days.

  Chapter Five

  Nikki opened the overhead storage compartment and grabbed two mugs and set them on the serving cart.

  “Seriously,” Julie, who was also working the flight, stood beside Nikki typing on her smartphone sighed, “two hours. We’ve been waiting for two hours. It has to be a celebrity. They think the world revolves around them. Who cares about the little people and their lives, right? We are just nameless, faceless minions put on this earth to cater to their every whim and desire.”

  “So I’m guessing he hasn’t called,” Nikki said flatly.

  Julie, who was a gorgeous statuesque red-head, had hooked up with a fairly well-known actor during a flight a few months back. He told her he’d call. She waited. He didn’t call.

  Then last month, as luck—good or bad Nikki couldn’t call it—would have it, Julie worked another flight that he was on. They hooked up yet again. He fed her some song and dance about losing her number—yeah right—and Julie had bit hook, line and sinker. He’d told her he’d call, even programmed her number into his phone in front of her. She’d waited. No call.

  “No, he hasn’t,” Julie snapped, her green eyes shooting daggers at Nikki. “But that has nothing to do with what I was talking about. Me, being irritated about rude passengers has nothing to do with him.”

  “Ooookay, sorry.” Nikki put her hands up in mock surrender. She honestly felt bad for Julie but the girl really only had herself to blame. Not only had Julie naively fallen for his line of BS once, but she’d done it twice. Nikki definitely prescribed to the—fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me – philosophy. Julie had also told everyone and their mother about her star studded hook up, making it seem like they were in a committed relationship.

  Nikki never understood that. Why anyone, male or female, would put their personal business out there, willingly, was so beyond her realm of comprehension. For as out-going and social as Nikki was, she was also fiercely private. She never understood the upside of sharing your personal life with people. What happened between two people should stay between those two people, especially if it actually meant something.

  “He’ll call,” Julie said defensively.

  Nikki nodded in agreement. She wasn’t sure who Julie was trying to convince, but if it made her feel better to row down the river of denial then far be it for Nikki to tip her boat.

  “If you would have heard the things he said to me, you would know for a fact that he will call,” the conviction in Julie’s voice wavered.

  Nikki was sure that actor-boy had probably put on a really good show. The guy was an Oscar winner, so he must have been fairly convincing but that would have been red flag numero uno in Nikki’s book. He was an Oscar winning actor. If anyone could play a part and make it seem believable it would be an actor. It was like her dad had always said, “Never trust an actor or a politician, they are both paid to lie.”

  “What about you? Any hot hook-ups lately?” Julie asked as she set her phone down.

  Yes.

  “Nope,” Nikki answered. Everyone knew she didn’t broadcast her business but it didn’t stop them from asking. The only people Nikki ever talked about her love life—or more accurately her sex life—with was her sister and the few girls that she’d grown up with and considered true friends back home in Hope Falls.

  “What about that basketball player?” Julie raised a questioning eyebrow.

  A few months back, an NBA player had chartered a flight for a bachelor party flying to Vegas for one of his friends. He had then proceeded to hit on Nikki the entire flight. He’d been attractive enough but Nikki made it a strict policy not to mess around while she was working. She’d politely shut him down. He’d taken it as a challenge and proceeded to send flowers, chocolates, balloons and various presents to her. The girls she worked with thought it was romantic. Nikki thought it was creepy, especially since he was married with two kids. She knew that his borderline obsession with her had nothing to do with her as a person, he just thought she was a challenge.

  “Nothing happened. He’s married.”

  “Yeah, but he really liked you,” Julie stated as if the fact that he ‘liked’ her trumped the ring on his finger.

  “He’s married,” Nikki repeated trying to understand how someone as beautiful and smart as Julie was could really be that lacking in the self-esteem department. Nikki had always had a healthy dose of self-worth. She was never going to settle for anything less than what she deserved.

  Like Mike. That small voice in her head piped up.

  Since leaving him this morning, Nikki had replayed the night before in her head about oh a hundred times or so. The way his hands felt on her body. The way he kissed her like if he didn’t, he would die. The way he’d felt inside of her, filling her completely. The way their bodies fit together perfectly like a puzzle, like they were made specifically for each other.

  She’d also been replaying this morning over and over. Had she done the right thing by leaving just a note? Should she have said goodbye? Should she have left her number?

  No. She told herself firmly. Julie was the perfect example of why she absolutely should not have left her number. If she had, she would be checking her phone like a crazy person. Like Julie. Waiting for a call that in all likelihood was never going to come.

  She couldn’t deny the sadness she felt because she was never going to see him again. But last night had been perfect. Mike had been perfect. And because she hadn’t left her number or woke him up to say goodbye, she could always have the memory of the perfect night with the perfect man.

  She’d done the right thing. Right?

  Nikki heard steps on the steel staircase leading up to the door of the small plane. She looked up just as the pilots walked in. Captain Neil Howard and his first officer, Ray Martin, came into the galley.

  She loved working with Captain Howard. He was a pro. She never felt safer than when he was flying. Ray however was a different story. Let’s just say competent would not be one of the five words she would use to describe him. Asshole would be though.

  “We’ll be taking off in thirty minutes. Our guest is en route. He should be here shortly. We have two people flying with us today. And once we get through this storm system, it should be smooth sailing,” Captain Howard said as he stepped past Nikki and Julie heading towards the cockpit.

  “Finally,” Julie said in a huff as she and Nikki quickly began prepping the rest of the snacks that they would be offering.

  “So who is it?” Julie asked as she set the creamer and sugars on the small serving cart.


  “Some politician,” Ray shrugged as he grabbed a soda from the fridge and popped the lid.

  Someone must have dropped it or shaken it though because the second the seal broke, soda sprayed everywhere. It was on the ceiling, the floor, the cabinets, the walls and all over Nikki’s white cotton button up shirt. She was a mess.

  Lovely.

  “Sorry,” Ray said without an ounce of sincerity in his tone as he leaned against the counter casually making absolutely no effort to clean up the mess he’d just made.

  Nikki’s fists clenched. She was really tempted to knock that smug expression right off his face and if she happened to knock out a few teeth along with it… well all the better. She’d grown up with brothers and she knew how to land a punch. Lucky for Ray though, she wanted to keep her job so she decided against it.

  “Here,” Julie handed her Tide wipes. “Go clean yourself up and I’ll wipe up out here.”

  Nikki’s hands unclenched as she took the wipes from Julie’s hand. She opened the small employee locker and pulled her compact hair dryer out of her bag. As she stepped into the tiny bathroom she shook her head in frustration.

  First, she’d been late. Then, they’d had a two hour delay. Now, she was covered in soda. It must be karma’s way of evening things out after how amazing the night before had been.

  Oh well. At this point what else could possibly go wrong?

  --- ~ ---

  “Thanks,” Mike handed the driver a tip as he stepped out on the curb of the passenger drop-off zone. The unforgiving cold hit him like a slap in the face. He felt a shiver run the entire length of his body. It didn’t help that his hair was still damp from his rushed shower.

  All around him a sea of people hurried to pick people up, drop people off or catch a flight. Travel days after flights had been grounded for any considerable amount of time were always insanely busy. This was one of the few times he did enjoy the perks of his job. With a chartered flight he knew that he wouldn’t have to wait at a crowded gate, or go through traditional security.

  His phone buzzed. Mike answered it as he made his way inside.

  “I’m here,” he told Phil.

  “Excellent. I’m headed your way.”

  Mike disconnected the call just as he heard a now all too familiar high pitched squeal.

  “Oh my god!”

  “That’s him!”

  Several young girls, all of which were decked out in orange University of Tennessee sweatshirts, beanies and scarves, rushed up through the crowd of people towards him. Mike braced himself.

  “Oh. My. God. You are even better looking in person,” the petite blond gushed loudly.

  “Can we get a picture?” the tall brunette asked as she and her friends were already gathering around him and getting into place.

  “Sure,” Mike said as stood like a human prop while they all took pictures in different combinations. All together. Two and two and of course singularly.

  Mike, honestly, could not wait for the backlash from this thing to die down. This kind of attention had never been what he had signed up for. Everything had changed drastically. Overnight he was recognized everywhere he went and followed by paparazzi. He knew it wouldn’t last forever but he wished his fifteen minutes would be up already.

  Just as the last picture was snapped and the girls were saying their goodbyes and thanking him profusely, Phil walked up looking happier than a kid in a candy store.

  “I see you found some admirers,” he said reaching out to take Mike’s carry on before turning and walking quickly in the opposite direction.

  “They found me,” Mike clarified as he followed Phil through the crowd.

  Once they had made it through a maze of hallways, navigating the masses and were walking down a relatively quiet corridor Phil asked,” Have you called your mother regarding the benefit?”

  “Not yet. I will today,” Mike’s jaw tensed as he replied. He knew it was Phil’s job to follow-up with him, but something about the fact that it was his mother that he was being reminded to call just felt wrong. Like Phil was crossing some imaginary line.

  “See that you do,” Phil instructed. “I just got off the phone with Lizzie.”

  “And?” The only thing that Mike liked less than Phil asking him about his family was him bringing up Lizzie.

  “We think it would be a good idea if you took her to the benefit.”

  “We? Who’s ‘we’?” Mike was trying very hard to stay calm.

  “Myself, Lizzie, and your mother,” Phil replied as if “we” was obvious.

  Aha, the holy trifecta. The three people who felt they could run Mike’s life better than he could. Well, unfortunately “we” did not get a say in who his date was going to be, if he decided to bring a date at all.

  “I’m not bringing Lizzie,” Mike said firmly.

  “Listen, with all this new media attention, you need to appear stable in the eyes of voters. The latest polls show that although you are more popular than ever, your credibility in the eyes of the public is slipping. People know Lizzie. She’s familiar and they like the two of you together.”

  “And by ‘people’ I assume you are referring to yourself, Lizzie, and my mother again,” Mike said as tension rolled through him in waves.

  “Look,” Phil stopped and turned to face Mike, “It doesn’t have to be a real relationship. She’s willing to do her part and play along for the cameras. And after you’re re-elected you can publicly break things off with her. Until then, you need her by your side.”

  “No.” Mike was not about to back down on this one. “I will not pretend to be in a relationship to get votes. That is not going to happen.”

  “You need her to turn this around. Prove to everyone that you’re not the playboy the media is trying to portray you as,” Phil said with a patronizing tone in his voice.

  Mike hated when he was being “handled”.

  “I’m not a playboy. But if that’s what people want to believe then they can. I’m not going to the benefit with Lizzie.”

  “You’re not a playboy?” Phil crossed his arms and tilted his head.

  Mike was not about to answer what he knew Phil intended as a condescending rhetorical question.

  “Where were you last night?” Phil’s eyebrow raised.

  “This conversation is over,” Mike stared dead in Phil’s eyes. If he thought he had something on Mike, some leverage he could use, because he wasn’t in his room last night, he was sadly mistaken.

  Phil waited for several seconds before turning and heading out the glass doors that led to the runway where their plane was waiting.

  Mike didn’t kid himself. He knew Phil had dropped the “Lizzie” subject, but only temporarily. Phil would be revisiting it again, soon. He could bring it up as much as he wanted to though. The outcome was going not going to change.

  Mike was not going to fake a relationship for votes. He absolutely wouldn’t do it. That was where he was drawing the line.

  As they strode towards the plane, Phil filled him in on his schedule for the day. He would be doing several phone interviews, a dinner with a potential campaign contributor and a meeting after with Judge Randal for drinks.

  Mike was only half listening as Phil rambled off the list of things that needed his immediate attention. After discussing Lizzie, all Mike could think about was Nikki and how different the two of them were. They were both beautiful and sexy but that is where the similarities ended.

  Nikki was real, down to earth. She said what she was thinking. Mike had immediately felt at ease with her. She was easy to talk to and open up with. She had no idea who Mike was, so therefore she had no agenda, hidden or otherwise. She hadn’t played games with him.

  Lizzie (or Elizabeth) was all games all of the time. Mike couldn’t trust a word that came out of her mouth. He’d never felt like he truly knew her. Even though they’d been together for years, he couldn’t remember ever sharing personal things about himself with her. She wouldn’t have cared even if
he had. She had been with him for status, nothing more. She was calculating and manipulative. She was also the most self-centered, egotistical person he’d ever met. Lizzie truly believed the world revolved around her.

  Mike knew that the only reason she hadn’t moved on and still wanted him back was because he’d hurt her sizeable ego. ‘Men did not leave her she left them.’ That’s what she’d screamed at him after he’d told her that it wasn’t working out between them.

  Mike had only stayed with her for as long as he had because he really didn’t think that there was anything more for him out there. Growing up, his parents had a marriage of convenience. He’d never known a time that they’d even slept in the same room.

  Now they lived in separate houses. But as far as the public was concerned they were a happily married couple. Showing up to social events and playing the part of doting husband and loving wife.

  Since that was all Mike knew he thought that was enough. He’d even justified his and Lizzie’s relationship to himself by saying that at least they had a good sex life. But, one day he’d gotten out of the shower and looked at her lying in his bed and realized that not only did he not love Lizzie, he didn’t even like her. He’d ended things that night. It hadn’t gone well.

  “Mike,” Phil’s harsh voice interrupted his inner thoughts.

  “Yeah.” Mike lifted his head and realized they were halfway up the steps to the plane. He’d just been following along on auto-pilot.

  “Did you get a hold of Senator Rollins?” Phil’s tone clearly communicated that he did not appreciate having to repeat himself.

  “I’ll contact him today.”

  Phil nodded curtly and then continued up the steps.

  Oh yeah, it was definitely one of those days.

  Chapter Six

  Nikki heard a soft knocking on the thin door to the bathroom. “They are walking up now.” Julie’s voice called out.