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They stepped up to the plane and were immediately greeted by a male and female who were dressed in uniforms and large smiles.
“Chelsea, this is my pilot, Derek, and my attendant, Tracy.”
Both in turn took her hand and shook it. Derek smiled broadly. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Chelsea. Please sit back and relax and we’ll be in Paris in no time.”
Chelsea smirked and chuckled slightly. “Well, it’s a bit of a flight. No time might be a slight exaggeration.”
Tracy stepped aside from the stairs to let them pass. “That’s okay, the plane is comfortable, and we’ll make sure that you don’t want for anything. The time will pass quickly.”
Marcus motioned to up the stairs and took her bag from her. “After you...”
Chelsea stopped in her tracks when she stepped into the cabin. Swallowing hard, she took in the plane around her.
Marcus pressed himself against her back and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Yes, I’m spoiled, and I know it. I love it and I take advantage of it.”
She had walked into an art deco paradise complete with a fireplace, a separate closed off bed at the back of the plane, and large desk with a stunning, large window off to the left side. This certainly wasn’t like any commercial flight she’d ever been on.
Marcus held out a hand from behind her. “Shall we find a seat?”
Chelsea silently placed a hand in his and let him lead her to the cream-colored leather sofa in front of the fireplace. As they buckled in, Marcus motioned to the bed.
“Once we are in the air, you are welcome to sleep if you are tired,” he offered.
“What about you? I’m sure you are just as tired.”
Marcus nodded to one of the leather chairs positioned toward the front of the cabin. “I can easily sleep in the chair. You can have the bed.”
“Oh no. I couldn’t take the bed from you,” Chelsea started.
Marcus put a finger to her lips. The motion sent shivers through Chelsea. Pulling away, she licked her lips; but she could still feel his finger there.
“I won't hear of it. You’ll take the bed, I’ll be fine in the chair,” he demanded. There would be no winning this argument for her.
“Mr. Teresi, we are set to taxi,” Derek came over the radio to say.
“Thank you, Derek.”
Marcus glanced over at Chelsea and laughed softly. “Paris, here we come!”
Once in the air, Tracy exited the galley with a cart filled with a tray of pastries, a bowl of fruit and various drinks. She arranged them neatly on the coffee table in front of the sofa.
“Would either of you care for a cocktail, or coffee or tea?” she asked politely.
When Marcus glanced over at Chelsea, he could see the drowsiness in her eyes. Looking back up at Tracy, he shook his head.
“I think we’re good for right now. Thank you, Tracy.”
Tracy nodded. “Just buzz if you need me, Sir.”
Without saying anything, Marcus reached over and flipped a switch on a console on the table in front of them. Soft music filtered through the cabin. Sighing sleepily, Chelsea pulled her feet up under herself on the sofa and stretched.
“Tired?” Marcus asked her quietly.
“A bit. I’m generally in bed by now,” she replied with droopy eyelids.
Marcus smiled. “After having had your beignets.”
Chelsea feigned indignation. “Hey, don’t make fun of my beignets. It’s the best habit I have.”
“Do you want to know a secret? I like my late-night beignets, too. The place we’re going is where I got my start. I couldn’t wait to taste the ones in New Orleans when I moved there,” he confessed.
By the time he had finished his sentence and glanced over at her, she was fast asleep on the sofa. Standing and grabbing a blanket, he gently placed it over her and dimmed the lights in the cabin before crossing to the desk and opening his laptop. As fun as a trip to Paris is, businesses don’t run themselves.
Diving into his work, he lost track of time until the sun began to show over the horizon out his window. When he glimpsed over his shoulder, Chelsea was staring out the window at the clouds and nursing an orange juice.
“You are so quiet. I didn’t even know you were awake,” he said as he crossed to the sofa.
“You seemed very wrapped up in your work. I didn’t want to bother you.”
Marcus sat next to her and slid the tray of pastries closer. “Tracy refreshed the fruit and pastries for us a couple of hours ago. Please, help yourself.”
Chelsea eyed him warily as she picked up a croissant and sat down her orange juice. She began to pick apart the flaky dough as she studied his face. He seemed so at peace up here.
“You love this, don’t you? Being up here in your plane.”
“It’s quiet and peaceful. I enjoy the view.” Pouring himself a cup of coffee, he sighed longingly. “I spend a lot of time flying back and forth.”
Chelsea softly smiled. “I detected a hint of an accent, but I can’t place it.”
“Greek. I’m from Delphi. My parents don’t exactly understand why I can’t stay in Greece. So, I fly home often to accommodate them,” he said with a roll of his eyes.
Chelsea snickered, but then her eyebrows knitted in concern. “Did you sleep?”
Marcus shook his head. “I’m fine. I tend to go until I crash. I’m very excited to show you my favorite donut shop. The one where I had my first beignet. I’ll sleep later.”
“I’m practically useless on less than eight hours,” she said as she glanced down at her watch. “I don’t know how I’ll function today.”
“Paris is an exciting city. You’ll be fine. And if you’d like, we can stay until dinner and then fly home.”
Blushing, she glanced toward the bedroom where her bag had been stored. “I didn’t bring the clothes for dinner in Paris. And...,” he could see that she was becoming more and more distressed as she thought about it.
He took her hand and held it lightly. “Chelsea, it was just a suggestion. Although, we can take care of the clothing issue easily. If you would rather have our beignets and then return to the plane, we can. I just think being in Paris for the first time and missing the city is a shame.”
“This just isn’t me. I don’t do things on the spur of the moment. For me, a trip to Paris is months and months of planning, maybe even years.”
The tension in her voice was evident. He was worried that perhaps he’d made a huge mistake. Hopefully, once they got to Paris, she would see how magical it could be to just fly off and enjoy someplace.