Love at First Flight (9 page)

He appreciated that she understood
completely. “Yes, it is. But it's my own fault. I've pushed aside doubts for a
long time because underneath it all, I was crazy about her. I proposed to her
when her parents were moving, hoping she'd stay in Maryland with me. She
accepted the proposal and moved anyway. That should've been a sign of where her
priorities were—or where they
weren't
.”

Juliana rested a comforting hand on his
arm.

The stewardess came by to offer drinks.

“This time it's on me,” Juliana
insisted, ordering him the same kind of beer he had gotten on the first flight
and a gin and tonic for herself. “Make it a double,” she added.

He laughed. “When in pain, drink.”

“That's my mother's philosophy of life.
Unfortunately for us, she's in constant pain.”

“Ouch,” he winced. “Sorry.”

She shrugged. “It is what it is.”

He lifted his beer can in to toast her. “Here's
to a disastrous weekend and new friends.”

“To new friends.”

***

The plane landed at Baltimore/Washington
International Airport just after nine. They walked through the terminal to
catch a shuttle bus to the parking lot.

“Which lot are you in?” he asked.

“Long-term A.”

He chuckled. “Me, too.”

“Of course you are,” she said with a
smile.

On the shuttle, Michael reached for his
wallet and dug out a business card, which he handed to Juliana. “Call me if you
need a friendly ear. My cell number is on there, too.”

“Thank you. Stop by the salon if you
decide to cut that mop of yours.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “You
think it needs it?”

“Uh, yeah. Now that you're back on the
market, the ladies will think you're hot without all that hair.”

Flustered, he said, “You think so?”

“Uh huh,” she said, making a scissor
gesture with her fingers.

“I just might take you up on that.”

“I hope you do. I really am sorry about
your fiancee.”

“Thanks. Things work out the way they're
supposed to, you know?”

“I guess I'll find out in three months.
Oh, this is where I get off.”

He looked up with a grin. “Me, too.”

As they were getting off the shuttle,
his cell phone rang. He was relieved to see it wasn't Paige calling again. He
had been ignoring her calls all day. “I've got to take this,” he said
reluctantly. “It's work.”

“Good luck with the trial. I'll be
pulling for you.”

He gave her a quick one-armed hug and
answered the phone. “Hey,” he said into the phone. “Hang on a sec.” Holding the
phone aside, he turned back to Juliana. “Take care of yourself.”

“You, too. Thanks. For listening and
everything.”

“My pleasure.”

Waving, she unlocked her battered Toyota
Tercel and tossed her bag into the backseat.

CHAPTER 9

ON THE WAY TO HIS CAR, MICHAEL TOOK THE
CALL. “What's up?”

“We've got a problem in the District.”
His co-worker and second chair George Samuels sounded aggravated.

Michael stopped walking. “What kind of
problem?”

“She's having ahissy fit. Wants to see
you and only you.”

“Oh, come on! Can't you guys settle her
down? What about her mother? Has she been there today?”

“From what I hear, the mother's being an
even bigger pain in the ass. You'd better get down there, Michael.”

“For Christ's sake, I just got back from
Florida.”

“She's been acting up since Friday, but
the boss told us to leave you alone this weekend.”

“Fine. I'll be there in an hour.” He
flipped his phone closed. “Damn it!” All he wanted was to go home, put his feet
up, and catch his breath after everything that had happened. Just then he heard
a clicking noise and turned to see where it was coming from.

Juliana's forehead rested against the
steering wheel of a car that wouldn't start.

Michael walked over to her open window. “This
day just gets better and better, huh?”

“You said it.”

“Can I give you a jump?”

“I don't think it'll help. I was supposed
to buy a new battery but never got around to it.”

“Then let me give you a lift.”

“Are you sure you don't mind?”

“Not at all, but I have to go into D.C.
before I go home. Will it screw you up to get home pretty late?”

She shook her head. “I don't have to
work tomorrow, so I'm in no rush. I came home tonight because Jeremy has to
work tomorrow. I guess I can deal with this in the morning,” she said with a
frustrated gesture at the old car. “Just another insult in an insulting day.”

Grinning, he said, “Grab your bag.”

After she locked her car, he led her to
his silver Audi TT coupe.

“
Oh
,
is that yours?” she asked with wide-eyed admiration.

“My one major splurge,” he confessed. “It's
gorgeous.”

“Thanks.” He tossed their bags into the
trunk and walked around to open the passenger door for her.

“Why do you have to go to D.C?”

He leaned against the open car door. “Well,
here's the thing: I'll tell you, but it's imperative you don't tell anyone you
went there with me, okay? Someone's life depends on it.”

“Of course. I won't tell anyone.”

Hesitating, he realized he was about to
take a woman he met on an airplane to see a witness in protective custody. But
his gut told him he could trust her, and he trusted his gut.

She looked up at him with those
captivating eyes. “I won't tell anyone, Michael. You have my word.”

He nodded, closed her door, and walked
around to get in.

“The witness to the Benedetti shootings
is fifteen years old and a handful,” he explained as they left the airport
parking lot and headed south. “We have her in protective custody in D.C. She's
giving our guys some trouble, and they need me to talk to her. She has, well,
how can I put this...”

Juliana laughed at his pained
expression. “She has a crush on you, does she?”

“She seems to have a soft spot for me.
That's all I'll admit to.”

“I love it,” she said with a giggle.

“I'm glad you're entertained. She's a
pain in my ass.” Exiting the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Michael cut down New
York Avenue on the way to Interstate 395.

“Why do you keep looking in the mirror?”
Juliana asked.

“We have to be careful we don't lead
anyone to her. There're people who we believe would harm her to keep her from
testifying.”

“Oh.” Juliana turned around to look
behind them. “I don't see anyone.”

“Yeah, it's late on a Sunday. I think
we're good. Besides, they think I'm out of town.”

“They watch
you?
” Juliana asked, horrified.

“I've sensed a presence lately, but I
haven't actually seen anyone.”

“God,” she sighed. “Your job is
dangerous. I never would've thought that.”

“It's not usually. This trial has gotten
a lot of attention, which has thrust me into the spotlight—against my will, I
might add. I hate all the media crap that goes along with this kind of case.
All I care about is keeping Rachelle safe.”

“What happens to her after the trial?”

“Witness protection. We've already put
her family in the wind. Since she's a minor, we've kept her mother close by
until the trial, but the rest of them are gone.”

“Wow. I just cut hair.”

He laughed. “Right about now, I think
that would be a wonderful profession.”

“I'll bet you do. What's she like?”

“Rachelle?”

Juliana nodded.

“She's a great kid who was in the wrong
place at the wrong time. Her aunt lives in the apartment complex where the
shootings went down. She was there visiting and ran out to her mother's car to
get something. She saw the whole thing.”

“And suddenly my troubles seem so
insignificant.”

“It does have that effect, doesn't it?”
He pulled into the parking lot of a 7-11. “I'll be right back. Do you need
anything?”

“No, I'm good. Thanks.”

He came back a few minutes later. “Blackmail,”
he said, handing her the bag so she could see that he had bought all the latest
gossip magazines, a
Glamour
, a
Cosmo
, four candy bars, two packs of
gum, and six scratch-off lottery tickets.

“That's quite a care package.”

“I spoil her. That's why she likes me.”

“If that's what you have to tell
yourself.”

“What does that mean?”

“She thinks you're
cute
,” Juliana said in a singsong voice. “Oh, shut up.”

She was still laughing when he pulled up
to the J.W. Marriott on the corner of Fourteenth Street and Pennsylvania
Avenue. “How close are we to the White House?” she asked.

“A few blocks that way.”

“I don't know why I never think to spend
a day here. It's only an hour from Baltimore.”

Michael showed the hotel security his
I.D. card, and they were waved in. “I loved living here when I was in law
school. It's my favorite city.”

A police officer stood guard in the
fifth-floor hallway.

“Hey, Michael.” The cop grimaced. “The
brat's on fire.”

“So I hear. I'll see what I can do to
settle her down.”

“We'd all appreciate it.” Using his key
card to open the door, the cop nodded at Juliana. “Who's she?”

“She's with me. It's cool.”

The hotel room looked like a teenager's
closet had exploded in it.

Michael groaned at the mess. “Rachelle!”

Through the door from the adjoining room
came a tall, gorgeous girl with coffee-colored skin and a wild mass of dark
curly hair. She wore skin-tight jeans and a hot pink T-shirt with sequins that
spelled “Queen Bee” across her small breasts. Her face lit up when she saw
Michael. “You're here! What'd you bring me?”

He kept the bag hidden behind his back. “Girls
who can't behave don't get presents. And from what I hear, that's a very
appropriate shirt for you, Queen Bee.”

Rachelle reached behind him to see what
he had for her. “Give it up!”

“Ah!” Michael held the bag out of reach.
“What are you going to do for me?”

“Who's she?” Rachelle asked with a
sullen glance at Juliana.

“My friend, Juliana. Be polite and shake
her hand.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Juliana said.

Rachelle did as she was told and shook
Juliana's hand. “Is she the
fiance
?”

Michael tweaked her nose. “No, busybody,
she's not.”

Rachelle gave him a saucy smile. “Does
the fiance
know you have
friends?
”

Michael sent Juliana an exasperated
glance, which cracked her up.

“Let's focus on your behavior, not mine,
okay?” Michael said.

“I'd rather talk about yours,” Rachelle
pouted.

“Why are you giving everyone such a hard
time?”

“I'm so bored! This place
sucks
! I'm sick of being here. I miss my
friends. I miss my family. I even miss school. It
sucks
.”

He put an arm around her and brought her
to sit with him on the bed. “I know. It totally sucks. But the trial starts in
one more week, and I'm going to get you in there just as soon as I can, okay?”

“I heard them talking today. It can take
weeks just to pick the jury.”

Michael swore under his breath. “They
aren't supposed to be talking about the trial where you can hear them.”

“I hear everything. I want to see my dad
and my brothers.”

“We've talked about that. As soon as you
testify, we'll reunite you all. I promise.”

She kicked at the carpet. “I wish you
came to visit more often.”

“I'll try to get down here again this
week if you promise to behave. You're not the only one who doesn't want to be
here, okay?”

She nodded. “I'm very sorry, and I
promise to behave. So what's in the bag?”

He chuckled and handed it to her. “That
was so sincere.”

Reacting with glee, she examined
everything he had brought her and then embarrassed him when she kissed his
cheek. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome. If you win anything on
the scratch-offs, I get half.”

“Bite me. A gift's a gift.”

He laughed and looked up at Juliana to
share the amusement.