Chapter 29
"What?" He nces at me. He looks quizzical in the half-light of the instruments.
"Flying," I reply.
"It requires control and concentration... how could I not love itThough, my favorite is soaring."
"Soaring?"
"Yes. Gliding to theyperson. Gliders and helicopters - I fly them both."
"Oh." Expensive hobbies. I remember him telling me during the interview. I like reading and
asionally going to the movies. I am out of my depth here.
"Charlie Tangoe in please, over." The disembodied voice of air traffic control interrupts my reverie.
Christian answers, sounding in control and confident.
Seattle is getting closer. We are on the very outskirts now. Wow! It looks absolutely stunning. Seattle at
night, from the sky...
"Looks good, doesn''t it?" Christian murmurs.
I nod enthusiastically. It looks otherworldly - unreal - and I feel like I''m on a giant film set, Jose''s favorite
film maybe, ''derunner.'' The memory of Jose''s attempted kiss haunts me. I''m beginning to feel a bit
cruel not calling him back. He can wait until tomorrow... surely.
"We''ll be there in a few minutes," Christian mutters, and suddenly my blood is pounding in my ears as
my heartbeat elerates and adrenaline spikes through my system. He starts talking to air traffic
control again, but I am no longer listening. Oh my... I think I''m going to faint. My fate is in his hands.
We are now flying amongst the buildings, and up ahead I can see a tall skyscraper with a helipad on
top. The word Esc is painted in white on top of the building. It''s getting nearer and nearer, bigger
and bigger... like my anxiety. God, I hope I don''t let him down.
He''ll find mecking in some way. I wish I''d listened to Kate and borrowed one of her dresses, but I like
my ck jeans, and I''m wearing a soft mint green shirt and Kate''s ck jacket. I look smart enough. I
grip the edge of my seat tighter and tighter. I can do this. I can do this. I chant this mantra as the
skyscraper looms below us.
The helicopter slows and hovers, and Christian sets it down on the helipad on top of the building. My
heart is in my mouth. I can''t decide if it''s from nervous anticipation, relief that we''ve arrived alive, or
fear that I will fail in some way. He switches the ignition off and the rotor des slow and quiet until all I
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hear is the sound of my own erratic breathing.
Christian takes his headphones off, and reaches across and pulls mine off too.
"We''re here," he says softly.
His look is so intense, half in shadow and half in the bright white light from thending lights. Dark
knight and white knight, it''s a fitting metaphor for Christian. He looks strained. His jaw is clenched and
his eyes are tight. He unfastens his seatbelt and reaches over to unbuckle mine. His face is inches
from mine.
"You don''t have to do anything you don''t want to do. You know that don''t you?" His tone is so earnest,
desperate even, his gray eyes impassioned. He takes me by surprise.
"I''d never do anything I didn''t want to do, Christian." And as I say the words, I don''t quite feel their
conviction because at this moment in time - I''d probably do anything for this man seated beside me.
But this does the trick. He''s mollified.
He eyes me warily for a moment and somehow, even though he''s so tall, he manages to ease his way
gracefully to the door of the helicopter and open it. He jumps out, waiting for me to follow, and takes my
hand as I mber down on to the helipad. It''s very windy on top of the building, and I''m nervous about
the fact that I''m standing at least thirty stories high in an unenclosed space. Christian wraps his arm
around my waist, pulling me tightly against him.
"Come," he shouts above the noise of the wind. He drags me over to an elevator shaft and, after
tapping a number into a keypad, the doors open. It''s warm inside and all mirrored ss. I can see
Christian to infinity everywhere I look, and the wonderful thing is, he''s holding me to infinity too.
Christian taps another code into the keypad, then the doors close and the elevator descends.
Momentster, we''re in an all-white foyer. In the middle is a round, dark wood table, and on it is an
unbelievably huge bunch of white flowers. On the walls there are paintings, everywhere. He opens two
double doors, and the white theme continues through the wide corridor and directly opposite where a
ptial room opens up. It''s the main living area, double height. Huge is too small a word for it. The far
wall is ss and leads on to a balcony that overlooks Seattle.
To the right is an imposing ''U'' shaped sofa that could sit ten adultsfortably. It faces a state-of-the-
art stainless steel - or maybe tinum for all I know - modern firece.
The fire is lit and ming gently. On the left beside us, by the entryway, is the kitchen area.
All white with dark wood worktops and arge breakfast bar which seats six.
Near the kitchen area, in front of the ss wall, is a dining table surrounded by sixteen chairs. And
tucked in the corner is a full size, shiny ck grand piano. Oh yes... he probably ys the piano too.
There is art of all shapes and sizes on all the walls. In fact, this apartment looks more like a gallery than
a ce to live.
"Can I take your jacket?" Christian asks. I shake my head. I''m still cold from the wind on the helipad.
"Would you like a drink?" he asks. I blink at him. Afterst night! Is he trying to be funny For one
second, I think about asking for a margarita - but I don''t have the nerve.
"I''m going to have a ss of white wine, would you like to join me?"
"Yes, please," I murmur.
I am standing in this enormous room feeling out of ce. I walk over to the ss wall, and I realize that
the lower half of the wall opens concertina-style on to the balcony. Seattle is lit up and lively in the
background. I walk back to the kitchen area - it takes a few seconds, it''s so far from the ss wall - and
Christian is opening a bottle of wine. He''s removed his jacket.
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