Sam took another sip of her champagne and blinked a few times to see if her amazing surroundings would disappear. “Is this how you usually travel? I can’t even imagine this being the norm.”
Brody nodded. “If it’s too far to drive, yes. I have standing orders with this company and they know exactly how I want things arranged. Normally there would be a flight attendant that would bring us drinks and serve us lunch, but I decline her services on my flights for apparent reasons.”
“When was the last time you flew on a regular plane?”
Brody thought hard for a second, narrowing his eyes at her as he tried to remember. “I flew with my dad to Ohio when I was sixteen.”
“What was in Ohio? Family?”
“No. We went to see a doctor and facility there that specialized in the latest and greatest burn reconstruction procedures. He was the best in the country at the time. We had high hopes that he could help me.”
Sam sat silently waiting for him to continue. When he didn’t, she prompted, “What happened?”
Brody looked at her, his brow furrowed. “Obviously nothing could be done or I wouldn’t look like this.”
Sam opted not to press on that topic. Instead, she reached for his hand and held it as the engines kicked into high gear and they started down the runway. She wasn’t afraid of flying, but she still got a little nervous, especially in a small plane like this one.
A few minutes later, she was able to look out her window and see nothing but ocean. “This is amazing.”
“I’m glad you think so. But you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Sam smiled and sank into the plush leather of her seat, thinking she could fall asleep that instant, it was so comfortable. By the time the plane leveled off and the seat belt light kicked off, she had finished her champagne and was fairly certain life didn’t get much better than this. “You’re going to spoil me with all this luxury. Ten-course meals, private jets… What am I going to do the next time I have to fly coach and eat fast food?”
“Sadly, you’ll have to suffer like the other 99.9 percent of the population. Are you hungry?” Brody asked.
“Yes.” Sam had forgotten her protein bar when they left this morning, and her stomach had been rumbling for a while. The champagne went straight to her head on an empty stomach.
“Let’s go check out what they left us for brunch.”
Sam followed him back to the dining area. On top of the minibar was a platter with all sorts of breads and pastries. In the refrigerator was an assortment of sliced fruits, cheeses and rolled, thin sliced deli meats. There was a plate of canapés like bellinis with caviar and crème fraiche and another with a fresh variety of sushi. Two pitchers were in the bottom of the refrigerator. One held a dark red sangria and the other, a cold strawberry mint soup.
It was more than she could eat in a few days, much less a few hours.
“I hope you skipped breakfast,” Brody said, pulling the first platters out to sit on the dining table.
“I guess I’ll eat myself into a coma and then go flop onto the bed in the back.” Sam scooped up the tray of baked goods and followed him.
“That sounds like an excellent plan.” Brody held out a strawberry to Sam and she took a bite of the juicy fruit. “Ever considered joining the Mile High Club?”
* * *
Several hours later, they touched down on the small island of Culebra, Puerto Rico. Brody watched Sam gaze out the window at everything as they taxied through the small airport. When they got off the jet, a limo was waiting for them. The driver did not get out of the car to greet them as they usually did. Instead, Brody opened the door for both of them to climb inside. The partition between the front and back of the limo was closed. He could hear the driver’s door open once they were in the car. Through the dark-tinted glass, Sam watched the driver collect their bags from the jet and place them in the trunk.
“So, are we staying in Puerto Rico?” she asked.
“Nope.” He has having fun playing this game with her. She couldn’t stand not knowing what was going on.
“And where are we going from here?”
“To the marina.”
“We’re going on a boat?”
Brody turned in the plush leather seat to look at her. Sam’s cheeks were still a touch flush and her hair a bit disheveled from their private tumble in the back of the plane. Every time he flew down here, he’d eyed the jet’s bed and fantasized about using it for more than a nap. Given that he always flew alone, it wasn’t really a possibility until now. “You aren’t good with surprises, are you?”