“In my purse,” I say before thinking about what else is in my bag. I point at the bag on the floor.
The top is a single snap button, and it’s already open. He digs his hand into the bag for the iPad.
“Clare, what’s this?” he asks. His fist is wrapped around the shaft of my vibrator. He’s lifted it, but not out of the bag, making it visible to me but no one else.
“What does it look like?” I smack his hand away and snag the tablet from my bag and shove it at him. “This is what you were looking for.”
The airplane is stifling, and the flight crew shuts the door to prepare for departure.
Levi takes his seat next to his daughter and glances over his shoulder at me. “You don’t have to be embarrassed.”
“You don’t have to ever bring it up. This conversation is done,” I say. I’d sooner die of embarrassment than discuss my vibrator with him.
I should have put it in my suitcase, out of sight, where he’d never find it.
After we take off, Amelia is watching a video on the tablet while Levi stands and stretches. We’re at cruising altitude, and we have several hours in the air.
I should feign sleeping.
“Do you want something to drink?” Levi asks, opening the mini fridge.
“Whatever’s strong,” I say.
He pulls out a half dozen options of mini bottles of alcohol and shows them to me. “What’ll it be?”
While I know that drinking won’t erase the last twenty minutes of my humiliation, at least I can get buzzed and try to forget about it.
I grab the rum and vodka, and keep reaching for the remainder of the bottles in his hands when he realizes that I want all of them.
“You’re not getting trashed, Clare. Pick one.”
“I’m not a child, and we have several hours until we land.”
“If you were a child, you’d have apple juice,” he says.
I open the bottle of rum first, and Levi snatches the vodka from me.
I tip the small bottle back and take the shot, downing it in seconds.
“You’re mean.” I unbuckle my seatbelt and stand, searching for a trashcan to toss the empty bottle.
“Where are you going? Joining the mile-high club by yourself? Usually it involves two people, sunshine.”
“Why are you being such a grump?” I mutter, brushing past him. I can’t get far enough away from him.
He grabs a juice box from the fridge for Amelia and watches me, blocking me from my seat. I could go hide in the bathroom, but what good would that do?
“You’re still on the clock,” Levi says.
“It’s not like I’m going anywhere, and she’s busy watching a movie.” I gesture toward Amelia. She’s facing the opposite direction and, thankfully, wearing a set of headphones and can’t hear us fight.
Levi grumbles, but I can’t hear what he says.
“God, you need to get laid,” I mutter loud enough for him to hear me.
“Excuse me?” He whips his head around to face me.
“You heard me. You’re such a grump. I’m guessing it’s because you’re used to bringing women home and haven’t for the past week. That’s it, isn’t it? You need to get laid, and since you can’t, you’re making it miserable for the rest of us.” He stares me down. I cover my mouth with my hand. I can’t believe I said that to his face.