The Billionaire And The Waitress (gxg)

27 - a picture

MUSE kissed the top of Pegasus's fluffy white head. "It's just you and me now, buddy."

    For some reason, she had assumed she'd be flying economy on a regular airplane to Greece. Sandwiched between two other passengers for the nine-ish hours it would take. She had her earbuds and her movie ready―Dirty Dancing―and she'd even worn sweatpants with a cozy little fleece sweater. 

     She'd only been on an airplane once, back when her parents had taken her to Cairo, Egypt as a child. She barely remembered that trip: just the hot summer sun beating down on her face, the sandy streets and endless traffic, and how she'd clutched the white linen of her father's pants in an attempt to not get trampled on. There had been so many cousins, names and faces she couldn't remember now. The sound of Arabic had been foreign to her. She had missed New York City. 

    They'd planned to go back, the summer after her thirteenth birthday. 

    Muse tasted blood in her mouth and shook her head quickly. It didn't matter. Egypt was a distant memory to her now. And whatever family she'd had there . . . surely they'd forgotten about her. Without her parents, she'd lost that connection. Those roots.

     Doesn't matter anymore. She had to focus on today. The wedding that would take place in a matter of hours.

     However, this method of travel was not what Muse had pictured.

    "We're not at the airport," Muse said, as the car slowed to a stop.

    The chauffeur, with his corkscrew-blond hair and brown skin, glanced at Muse through the rearview mirror. Like she had lost her mind.

    Maybe he'd taken her to a remote location to kill her.

    Outside the window, Muse could see a long stretch of pavement and a building that looked more like a warehouse factory than the usual enormous, crowded airport gate. Morning sun glared down on the fields of grass surrounding the property. They were still in New York, just an hour outside of the city.

    Muse should have realized it wouldn't have taken this long to reach the airport. But she'd had her head on the glass, eyes closed, thinking of the expression on Adrien's face when she'd said loose ends. And the fact that Muse hadn't seen Adrien this morning, when they were supposed to fly together. Instead, all she'd gotten was a note: Meet my chauffeur outside at four a.m. He'll escort you to the plane. I'll meet you in Greece. See you soon, my love.

    Thinking of that note now gave Muse pause.

    Plane, Adrien had written in sleek, delicate ink. Not airport.

    "Adrien has her own private plane, doesn't she," Muse said flatly. Of course―she was a billionaire. Why on earth would she let her fiancee travel economy at the airport? 

    The chauffeur nodded once. 

    Naturally. 

    Muse stumbled out of the car, still drowsy with a lack of sleep, with her carry-on bag in tow. Pegasus growled from within. At least now that there were no flight restrictions concerning pets, Pegasus could be free of the little mesh bag and sit on her lap.

    "Um. Thank you for the ride," Muse said. The pavement felt like it was swaying beneath her. She felt particularly raw this morning. She missed Adrien. She hated that she missed Adrien. She didn't know how to say goodbye to this random man.

    The chauffeur squinted at her. He had her suitcase in one hand, bicep bulging beneath his suit. Muse wished she remembered his name.

    "I'll be accompanying you the whole way, ma'am."