<b>’</b>
Samuel<b>,</b>lookingconfused,asked,<b>“</b><b>What</bmotion?”
Emelierepliedcalmly,<b>“</b>I’mnotsure.”
<b>“</b>Youbetter not,”Williamsaidashesetasidethenewspaper.<b>“</b>Whydidn’tyoupickupwhenIcalledyouafterthemeetingyesterday?<b>”</b>
Emeliecasuallypulledoutherphone,pretendingtobepuzzled.“Idon’tremember seeinganymissedcalls,Mr.Middleton.Whattimedidyoucall?Letmecheck.”
Shewantedtoseeifhehadthenervetosayhecalledat8:00pm.
Williamsimplylookedatherwithoutsayingaword.
Sensingthetension,Jaydentriedtolightenthemoodandchangedthesubject<b>.</b>“Finally,heresMs.May.”
“Hey,butIboughtyouguyssmoothies!”Patriciaprotested.“HaveyouheardaboutthatfamoussmoothiespotfromCapebattCityneartheairport?<b>I</b>spotteditwhilepassingbyandcouldn’tresistjoiningthequeue.”
ItwasclearthatPatriciahadathingforred.ShelookedstunninginherredknitteddresswithaV–neck,givingoffanairofsophisticationandallure.Despitethechillyweather,sheseemedfinewithjustabeigewoolcoatthrownoverit.
EmelieandSamuelmovedaside.
Patriciasetthesmoothiedownonthesmall tableandpassedcupstoeveryoneexceptWilliam,saying,“Iknowyou’renotafanofthis<b>,</b>Mr.Middleton<b>,</b>soIdidn’tgetyouone.”
Hertonewascasual.
Williamjustnoddedinresponse.
Jaydenchimedinwithasmile,“I’mnotafan,either.Yodiesenjoy.”HenoddedtowardAlexis,hissecretary.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.
Alexistookthe smoothiefromPatriciaandoffereda politethankyou.
PatriciathenhandedanothercuptoEmelie,saying,“Thisone’stheirspecialblend,Ms.Hoven.Giveitatry.”
Emeliethankedher.AsPatriciapassedherthedrink,shegaveEmelieaquickonce–over.
Emelie’smakeupwaslight.Buthernaturallyprettyface madeherlookgorgeousnomatterwhat.
Astheboardingannouncementremindedpassengerstogetonboard,theymadetheirway<b>onto</b>thene.
Theyhadallchosenbusiness–ssseats<b>,</b>withEmelieandSamuelseatedtogetherinonerow.
Assoonastheysettledintotheirseats,PatriciacameovertoSamundasked,“Mr.Swanson,couldyoudomeafavorandswitchseatswithme?I’dliketohavea
chatwithMs.Hoven.”
SamuelcheckedwithEmeliefirst.Withhernodofapproval,hegotuptoswitchseatswithPatricia.PatriciasettledintoSamuel’s seafortablyandfastenedher
seatbelt.
TurningtoEmelie,Patriciaasked,“Ms.Hoven,howdidyoudoyourhair?<b>It</b>looksreallynice.”
Emeliehadherhairtiedupinaloosebun,whichhadgottenabitmessyfromthehustleearlier.SincePatriciaasked,Emeliecasuallyuntieditandshowedherhow
shedidit.
“It’sactuallyquitesimple,”shesaid.“Justwatchafewtutorialsonline,andyou’llgetthehang<b>of</b>it.”
Patriciplimented,“Well,havinghairasfundsmoothasyours,Ms.Hoven,certainlyhelpswithstyling.”
Emeliepolitelyreplied,“Youlookstunningevenwithoutstylingyourhair,Ms.May.”
Patricialetoutasoftchuckle.“Idon’tbotherstylingmyhairbecausethemanIlikeprefershiswomenwiththeirhairdown.I’mjustamodatinghispreferences,youknow.Afterall,Istilldependonhimforaliving.”
Emeliesaidnothingtoherremarks.Shecouldn’thelpbutwonderifWilliamstillinsistedonhiswomenkeepingtheirhairdown.
NowonderDaphnealwayshadsleek,straighthair.
Themorepowerfman<b>,</b>themoreheseemedtoenjoymoldinghiswomenordingtohispreferences.
“Ms.Hoven,we’reonthesamesidehere,”Patriciasuddenlysaid.
<b>“</b>Thesameside?”
“Exactly.Mr. SamuelisMr.Bryan’sbrother,andIrepresentSwansonCorporation<b>.</b>So,aren’twe essentiallyonthesameside?Movingforward,weshouldsupporteachother.”
EmeliefoundthelogicinPatricia’swordsandnodded.“Absolutely,Ms.May.”
Astheneascendedandfounditssmoothflightpath,Emeliereachedforanketanddrapeditoverherknees.
<b>“</b><b>It’s</b><b>almost</b>closingtime<b>,</b>andthere’shardlyanyonearound.Ms.Hoven<b>,</b>why areyouhereste?”
Emeliestayedsilent<b>,</b>soDaphnepressedon,“Areyouworkingaroundherenow?Whichpany?”
Daphne’spersistentquestioningrevealedhersuspicionthatEmeliemighthaveulteriormotives,especiallywithCloudexCorporationnearby.ShefearedEmeliemightbetheretoseeWilliam.
Finally,Emeliefinishedherfoodandlooked atDaphnedirectly.“You’rehereforWilliam,right?Whywait?Youmightgettoseesomelivmotion.”
Daphneimmediatelyasked,“Whamotion?”
Onceagain,Emelie<b>stayed</b>silent.Shedrankfromherbottle<b>of</b>water.
Clutchingherskirttightly,Daphnecouldn’tshakeheruneasyfeeling.ShequicklylefttheconveniencestoreandheadedstraightforCloudexCorporation.
Emeliehadnnedthis.IfDaphneshowedup,shewoulefacetofacewithWilliam’sintimatemomentsinhisoffice.
PoorWilliammust’vehadaheadachedealingwithbothwomepetingforhisattention.
ConsideritEmelie’swayofgivinghimataste ofhisownmedicineformakingherwaitforovertwohours.
Withallthedramabetweenthethreeofthem,itwasonlyfairforher tosettleonescoreatatime.
Emeliefinishedherdrink,threwawaythetrash,andlefttheconveniencestore.
ShecalledSamueltogivehimaquickupdateonthemeetingwhilewalkingacrossthestreettohacab.
Asshewaitedforaride,shencedupandcaughtsightofWilliamrushingoutofCloudexCorporation.Thoughhewastoodistantforhertoreadhisexpression,itappearedhewassearchingforsomeone.
Emelie,notreally intoit,saidtoSamueloverthephone,“Shouldwejustmeetattheairporttomorrow?”
“Sinceyoudon’thaveacarandit’sinconvenienttohacabwhileluggingyourluggage,I’llswingbyyourcetomorrowtopickyouup,”Samuel offered.
“Okay,”Emelieagreed.
Afterhangingup,Emeliehailedacab.
Insteadofheadingstraighttoherapartment,Emeliedecidedtostopatthehospital.
Withabusinesstripnnedfortomorrow,shecouldn’tshakeherworriesabouthermom,Greta.
ButknowingthatGretawasingoodhandswiththemedicalteam and caregiverslikethenurseandEliana,Emeliefeltabitmorereassuredthateverythingwouldbeokay.
Shedecidedtoholdoffonmakinganydecisionsabouttheartificialheartuntfterherreturnfromthetrip.
Whethertogothroughwithitornot,sheknewshehadtomakeadecisionsoon.
Thenextmorning,Emeliewentdownstairswithhersuitcase,andshewassurprisedtoseeSamuel’scaralreadywaiting.
“<b>Wow</b>,thinkingImightkeepyouwaiting,Icamedown15minutesearly.Butyou’realreadyhere.You weren’twaitingforlong,wereyou?”Emelieasked,takenaback.
Samuelwaslookingquitehandsomewithhissilver–framedsses.Handingherbreakfast,hereplied,“<b>I</b>wasn’twaiting.It’sjustmyhabittobeearly.”
Gettingalongwith someonelike Samuelwas adelight.Hewascaringandattentive.InthetwomonthsEmeliehadbeenworkingwithhim<b>,</b>shehadn’tdiscoveredasinglew.
Heseemedalmost tooperfecttobereal.
Butasluckwouldhaveit,eventhoughtheyleftearly,theygotstuckintrafficduetoacaridentonthehighway.Theywaitedforthepolicetocleartheroadandbarelymadeittotheairportontime.
EmeliehurriedintotheVIPlounge,breathless,and tooka moment<b>to</b>catchherbreath.
Jaydenhandedherabottleofmineralwater.<b>“</b>Takeiteasy,Ms.Hoven<b>.</b>Don’tbenervous.”
“Thanks,Mr.Gleamfield,”Emeliereplied.“I’mnot.”
Williamloungedon<b>the</b>couchwithhislegscrossed,anewspaperrestingonhisknee.
“Ofcourse,you’renot<b>.</b>Youwerekindenoughtosuggestthatothersseethmotiostnight<b>,</b>Howcouldyoubenervous?”
Chapter157ChangingSeats