“Bond? Solitaire?” Asher questioned. “I’m missing some kind of inside joke there, aren’t I?”
“You must know who James Bond is, and I guess Solitaire is a girl from a Bond movie. I asked him but he told me to look it up.” I tried to smile through a yawn that hit me. “I think I’m going to get some sleep too. By the way, is jet lag a real thing?” I looked around for the little suitcase Poppy had helped me pack.
And there he goes again, lost in thought. Not what I pictured a playboy to do.
“Asher, did you hear me?”
“Good idea, yes and obviously yes.” He answered without actually looking at me. “If you’re looking for your suitcase, the assistant already placed it in the first bedroom.”
“Now that Gunner is gone would you like to talk to me about what happened?” I paced the short distance from recliner to recliner. “Have I offended you in some way?”
“No, definitely not. I’m just thinking, that’s all,” he said. “Like I said, I want you to have fun. Don’t think about a wedding right now. All we have to do is convince the paparazzi.”
“Will you be too busy to get out in public like your mother asked?” I wanted to know if this was the beginning of him resisting.
“I will make sure I’m available to do whatever you need,” he said.
“I told you already, I’m low maintenance. I can entertain myself.”
I stood at the far side of the living room area waiting for him to go back to the guy that was joking around less than fifteen minutes ago. He didn’t get weird until I brought up the wedding. Maybe reality was setting in and I was being fooled earlier by the charming playboy?
“Imogen, you can back out now if you want to. I would understand your not wanting to spoil your first wedding.” He had reached his desk, but instead of sitting down, he leaned against it to talk to me. “There’s a phone in the bedroom. Call your parents and talk as long as you want to. Give them your new cell number. Tell them about this marriage or don’t, it’s up to you, but I think we should get to know each other first.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your understanding.” I walked toward the bedroom. “Just know now that I won’t be changing my mind. I gave your mother my word that I would help correct this scandal by marrying you. Tomorrow when we walk off this plane, I am your fiancée and I will be acting like one.”
“I’m not sure if I’m scared of that or excited by it.” Asher joked.
“I’m done being afraid. Your family saved me, now I’m going to save you,” I said before I walked into the bedroom. “Hey, where are you sleeping?”
“Tonight, I’ll sleep on the recliner, but tomorrow night we begin our journey sharing a suite.”
“No reason to wait. You’re welcome to join me tonight…to sleep.”
Chapter 26
AUGUST
Ididn’t take Imogen up on her offer to share the bed. It felt a little too much, too soon. In the hotel suite there would be separate bedrooms and no paparazzi to film us. No need to force it until we have to.
“Good morning,” was all Gunner said on his way past me to the bathroom.
I buzzed the pilot to let him know I wanted to get in some flight time, then buzzed the assistant to have her prepare my usual coffee and bagel. I wanted to respect Imogen and not have the assistant prep her food, but Imogen was also going to have to learn that in public, that is the way we did things. She would have to be taught to let others do for her. No one was going to believe this was Asher otherwise.
“Good morning, everyone,” I said, ducking into the cockpit.
“Well good morning to you, too,” Imogen said from the jump seat behind the pilot. “These gentlemen were kind enough to let me watch from up here. It’s so fascinating.”
“I’d go along with that assessment. Not sure you’re going to continue feeling that way when I take over flying, but good to know you’re not afraid.”
“I’m not afraid if these two aren’t afraid, but we have to leave this music on.” Imogen swayed in her seat. “I don’t wanna skite, but Keith Urban is from back home. My parents saw him play.”
“Have you ever seen him in concert?” I asked, sliding into the pilot’s spot. “I saw him once in New York. It was quite a show.”
“Nah, his tickets are exy. Someday I’m going to.” Imogen sang along to the songBlue Ain’t Your Color.
Imogen hung around in the cockpit singing, then getting the pilots to sing along as well, until the pilot announced we were an hour out.
“Time to get beautiful,” Imogen announced, unbuckling her seatbelt. “Asher, can we talk before landing?”