His phone buzzed in his pocket and he smiled when he read his agent’s name on the screen. “How do ye always ken when I’m thinking of ye, lassie?” he asked as he answered the call. His Scottish brogue had lightened over the years of working abroad, but tended to show up when he was relaxed.
“Humph,” she snorted. “If that were true, we would never hang up. I bring the spice to your life.”
He laughed. Lately, she was the only one who could make him laugh, this woman he thought of as a big sister. “Aye, that’s likely true.” He pictured her sitting in her LA office, her doe-like brown eyes concentrating on her computer screen and her wavy dark hair tucked behind the ear where she held the phone. And behind her, her latest lover rubbing her shoulders. Addie was never without company, and Los Angeles was full of young, virile men eager to knock about with a powerful Hollywood agent.
“How was the VIP service? Still top-notch?”
“That’s exactly what I had on my mind. This is the best travel tip I’ve ever received. All those years wearing disguises and dashing in late to avoid the paparazzi… what a waste. I wish I’d found it earlier. And why don’t all airports have this kind of service?”
“Hmm… We’ve requested this service in your last two contracts. I’m going to add it as a standard perk going forward. I don’t know why we didn’t do that earlier.”
“Thanks, love. How’s your day going? How’s Los Angeles?”
“Oh, the usual… spoiled, whiny clients who need their egos stroked. I wish I could find more like you, low on the melodrama and never causing trouble. You got any more family members interested in acting?” She laughed at her own joke.
Fin snorted at the notion of his brother trying to act his way out of anything as he noticed the lounge butler motioning to him. “Looks like it’s time to go, lass. I’ll let you know when I land in Houston. Cheers, love.”
“Yep,” Addie said as he disconnected and stood.
“Mr. McAlister,” the man said, his name tag identifying him as George. He nodded to the buttoned-up woman standing next to him, “Helen will escort you to your flight. And thank you again for using our service.”
“Thankyou, George. Have a good one,” Fin replied as he followed the austere Helen down a corridor marked “Departures.” She led him outside, where a chauffeur loaded his belongings into a luxury sedan intended to take him straight to the plane.
Fin sighed, relieved that even this part of the journey through the airport protected him from being recognized and fawned over. The problem wasn’t the fans, he reflected again, but the relentless reporters and paparazzi who made him crazy. The fans he could handle. They were only interested in interacting with him, not invading his private life and turning things upside down.
After exiting the car, Helen led him up a stairwell and through a door near his flight’s gate. His step lightened at the upcoming vacation. All he had to do was survive the transatlantic flight and show up for a couple of meet-and-greets, then he was free to disappear. Hopefully, he’d be seated beside a Luddite who didn’t follow social media or have a clue who he was.
Alex settledin to her first-class seat, a perk provided by her company for long flights like this one. At five feet, nine inches tall, she needed every bit of leg room she could get. She was athletic and slim, but had broad shoulders for a woman. Planes became crowded when sitting next to men in the habit of taking up all the space. The wide, roomy seats in first class meant she wouldn’t have to explain proper etiquette to someone hogging the armrest or spreading his legs into her personal space.
Alex opened her laptop, eager to work on the proposal for the new PMO. Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she outlined the budget items she needed to pull together. She paused and reminded herself to appreciate this moment. Alex leaned back and closed her eyes, relishing that her dream project was finally getting some traction, and giving a nod of thanks to the universe for spacious seats on ten-hour flights.
“Excuse me, miss?” A deep, soft-spoken voice with a lovely Scottish accent caressed her ear. “That is my seat.”
Alex’s eyes sprang open as she replied, “Oh, I’m sorry… Am I in the wrong one?”
As she reached for her phone to double-check her ticket, he lifted his hand and responded, “No, you’re fine. I didnae want to startle you when I stepped into the window seat. You looked comfortable and… maybe asleep.”
Alex laughed as she swung her legs to the side, allowing the man room to move past her into the seat next to her. As he sat and made himself comfortable, she took in his fashionable attire. Her first impression had been that he fit the cliche of “tall, dark, and handsome,” but as Alex swept her gaze over him, absorbing more details, she realized she had missed something vital. He was famous. Very famous. Her traveling companion for the next ten hours was none other than Scottish actor and Hollywood’s latest A-list leading man, Finley McAlister.
Chapter2
Conversations on a Plane
As the flightattendants gave the safety review, Alex considered how she should handle sitting with someone so famous. Just ignore him? Start up a conversation? Should she acknowledge she recognized him? Deciding to approach it the way she did every time she traveled, she pulled out the safety card and followed along, leaving it to her fellow passenger to set the ground rules. If he wanted privacy, she would give it to him. As fascinated as she was sitting next to a celebrity, she did have an urgent proposal she needed to put together.
Once the plane left the ground, the flight attendant brought their drinks. Alex had given her order earlier, but hadn’t seen when the actor had done so. Possibly they already had his preferences on file. She was ignorant of all things related to celebrities.
As the woman reached across to hand Finley McAlister his drink, the plane hit a pocket of air and dipped. Alex whisked her laptop out of the way as he lunged forward and grabbed the cup. All three expressed sighs of relief at the averted disaster.
“Thanks,” Alex said, as she accepted the napkins from the flight attendant and dabbed at the few drops that landed on her slacks. She looked at her fellow passenger and offered him a smile. “Quick moves on your part,” she said.
He grinned back. “Aye, nothing like a drink-soaked laptop to get your trip off to a good start.” He wiped a spot on the armrest and one on the drink tray she’d missed.
“Thanks,” she said, nodding at the drink tray. “I’m actually ending my trip, but that still would have sucked. I’m headed home after a week of management meetings. And you? Business or pleasure?” She turned to face him.
He went motionless and stared into her eyes, as if trying to read her intent. Had she known what a brilliant blue his eyes were? He suddenly grinned and sat back in his seat.
“Both. A few days of work, then I’m on holiday for two weeks.”
