My co-workers had no idea what had happened to me, and I wanted to keep it that way. I didn’t need their pity. Alexander was already looking at me differently, like I was injured or hurt. I knew he felt like it was his fault, but it wasn’t. The man that kidnapped me was looking for money. It wasn’t Alexander’s fault just because it happened to me. I couldn’t let him think that way. I wouldn’t let him do that. Working overtime would help me stay occupied while Alexander was away on business. Sharon handed me a clipboard of fifteen rooms. None of them were stayovers.Crap. This was going to take forever. My first couple of rooms weren’t so bad because nobody had stayed in them recently. I just tidied them up. As for the rest of them, it seemed like everyone had a party in the rooms. Spilled cans of alcohol were everywhere, and it just smelled awful. It was now ten hours later, and I still had three to go. I was exhausted. My back and legs hurt from bending over. I knocked out the last three rooms in about two hours and got the hell out of there. The first thing I did when I got home was take a nice warm bath. It always helped soothe my muscles.
The next couple of days went by fast. I did my normal routine: go to work, come home, take a bath, and pass out. Today was a little different because I received flowers and a messagefrom Alexander. The message said:These flowers are almost as beautiful as you.
Even though he had to go back to Baltimore for business, he was still thinking about me. He made sure not to just disappear on me again. The scare had made him scared to leave, but I couldn’t live in fear. I waved every night to the man that was getting paid to watch my house. We never exchanged a word, but I felt safe.
My phone buzzed.
Alexander: What are you doing today?
Me: IDK yet.
Alexander: Surprise! Go to this address, someone will be there waiting for you, pack a weekend bag.
A surprise. I hated surprises. I received a text telling me to go to the small airport for personal airplanes. Where was Alexander having them take me? When I arrived, there was a jet waiting for me.
“Are you Ella?”
“That I am.” He took my hand as he helped me up the stairs and into the plane. I look around, and it was beautiful. The seats were huge and luxurious. Although, what else would I expect from Alexander with the life that he lived? They closed the cabin door and instructed me to go ahead and buckle up so we could take off. My phone rang.
“Everything going okay?”
“I’m on the plane, but where am I going?”
“You’ll see. Have a safe flight.”
He was so sneaky. The flight attendant brought me an envelope.
“This is from Mr. Edwards.”
Dear Ella,
You had informed me that you had never been outside of NYC. I thought I could change that for you. You will be leaving the state and going somewhere completely new. Of course, I won’t tell you where. You will see when you land. Enjoy your flight.
Chapter Seventeen
ELLA
One thing I loved about Alexander was the fact he was spontaneous. I didn’t have a spontaneous bone in my body. I could never just fly on a whim because I wanted to. I couldn’t afford it. I reclined back in my seat. The view was spectacular. I saw the fluffy white clouds and the sun shining through. I could see the birds flying. I was thankful. Thankful for him being so thoughtful as to provide me with this opportunity. I wanted to take it all in. I started to feel sleepy, but there was no way I was falling asleep. Who knew if I would ever get on a plane again?
“This is your captain speaking. We will be arriving shortly. Please make sure you are buckled for the descent.”
Gosh, that was fast. It felt like we had only been in the air for half an hour. I wanted more time. If I flew here, then that would mean that I would be flying back. I had something to look forward to. I watched out the window as we drifted downward back to land. The touchdown was bumpy, but I made it.
“Ma’am, where are we?” I asked the flight attendant.
“Sorry, ma’am. I can’t tell you that. You will find out shortly,” she said as she opened the door.
I looked outside, and I didn’t recognize anything, but a limo was waiting for me.
“Is that for me?” I asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” she replied.
I walked over to the limo, and the driver opened the door for me. I slid in, and there he was sitting in the seat next to me. Alexander. I couldn’t contain myself.
“I wanted you to experience something. So, what did you think?” he asked me.
“The ride was beautiful. It was too short of a ride though. I could have enjoyed it a little bit longer.”