business that op erates out of London. The company i s interested in building an environmentally friendly conference center and hotel in our area and they are considering EcoSpace for the job.”
Mira s at up a straighter in her chair. “What does this have to do with me?” she asked cautiously.
“Despite all the negative publicity surrounding your previous employment , Mr. Williams ’ client is a big fan of your work. He was very impressed by your contributions to the Raintree Resort outside of San Francisco . The only t hing is he wants to meet both of us in person first. That will mean a trip to London. Are you interested?”
She had been working on nothing but small - scale projects since she got here. This would be her chance to sink her teeth into something very challenging and exciting. Of course, she would have to spend time alone with James, but even that , she mused, could be a good thing. Without the influence of Kim and away from the office, she might be able to uncover the James that she used to know, the one who had tenderly taken care o f a young girl’s skinned knees. “When do we leave?”
Chapter 11
The airport terminal was packed when Mira walked into it two days later . It was the height of the summer and it looked like, despite the economic problems, everybody was going somewhere. It would have been much easier if she could have do ne an express check-in at the curb, but new security measures had made that service obsolete. Besides, she didn’t even have her ticket yet. Mary had informed her that she hadn’t received it on time because James was insistent that she be seated next to him in business class and that section had been full already. Apparently, the airline had been working frantically to find a solution .
She would have been perfectly content, Mira thought as she dragged her suitcase around a group of loudly dressed tourists, to sit in coach , especially since the first leg of the trip would only take an hour or so. After several more labor intensive minutes she finally spotted the Delta ticket counter and groaned as she saw the line . It seemed to stretch on for miles . She glanced at her watch and sighed. It looked like she might be running to catch the plane and wouldn’t her boss be pleased with that.
Thankfully, the impossible happened and Delta added another agent so the line moved faster than she had anticipated. It meant that s he didn’t have to run across the airport, but it was a close thing and, by the time she reached the gate, they were already loading the standby passengers. One heavily pregnant lady appeared thrilled that she had been upg raded to a business class seat. With her size she looked like she would need the extra room.
“Excuse me,” Mira said as she tapped the harried employee on the shoulder. “I’m supposed to have a seat on this plane. I apologize if I’m running a bit late.” She dug in her shoulder bag and handed him the boarding pass.
After a quick glance at it , he turned t o look at the pregnant woman. “I’m very sorry, ma’am, ” he said, his voice apologetic, “ b ut you’ll have to move back to coach.”
The woman nodded her head. “That’s ok,” she said. “I’ll manage.”
From the disappointed look on her face and her clean, but inexpensive clothes, Mira realized that this had probably been a rare, but delightful opportunity for the lady. Despite the fact that it wasn’t her fault, she felt guilty for taking it away. “Wait a second,” she interrupted. “Am I to assume that you had given this woman my seat?”
“It’s standard procedure,” the employee replied . “There won’t be a problem though . You will have your seat.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Mira assured him. She glanced at the woman and grinned. “She looks like she needs the space more than me. I don’t have a problem with coach.”
“Are you sure?” t he attendant asked with a noticeably
Mira s at up a straighter in her chair. “What does this have to do with me?” she asked cautiously.
“Despite all the negative publicity surrounding your previous employment , Mr. Williams ’ client is a big fan of your work. He was very impressed by your contributions to the Raintree Resort outside of San Francisco . The only t hing is he wants to meet both of us in person first. That will mean a trip to London. Are you interested?”
She had been working on nothing but small - scale projects since she got here. This would be her chance to sink her teeth into something very challenging and exciting. Of course, she would have to spend time alone with James, but even that , she mused, could be a good thing. Without the influence of Kim and away from the office, she might be able to uncover the James that she used to know, the one who had tenderly taken care o f a young girl’s skinned knees. “When do we leave?”
Chapter 11
The airport terminal was packed when Mira walked into it two days later . It was the height of the summer and it looked like, despite the economic problems, everybody was going somewhere. It would have been much easier if she could have do ne an express check-in at the curb, but new security measures had made that service obsolete. Besides, she didn’t even have her ticket yet. Mary had informed her that she hadn’t received it on time because James was insistent that she be seated next to him in business class and that section had been full already. Apparently, the airline had been working frantically to find a solution .
She would have been perfectly content, Mira thought as she dragged her suitcase around a group of loudly dressed tourists, to sit in coach , especially since the first leg of the trip would only take an hour or so. After several more labor intensive minutes she finally spotted the Delta ticket counter and groaned as she saw the line . It seemed to stretch on for miles . She glanced at her watch and sighed. It looked like she might be running to catch the plane and wouldn’t her boss be pleased with that.
Thankfully, the impossible happened and Delta added another agent so the line moved faster than she had anticipated. It meant that s he didn’t have to run across the airport, but it was a close thing and, by the time she reached the gate, they were already loading the standby passengers. One heavily pregnant lady appeared thrilled that she had been upg raded to a business class seat. With her size she looked like she would need the extra room.
“Excuse me,” Mira said as she tapped the harried employee on the shoulder. “I’m supposed to have a seat on this plane. I apologize if I’m running a bit late.” She dug in her shoulder bag and handed him the boarding pass.
After a quick glance at it , he turned t o look at the pregnant woman. “I’m very sorry, ma’am, ” he said, his voice apologetic, “ b ut you’ll have to move back to coach.”
The woman nodded her head. “That’s ok,” she said. “I’ll manage.”
From the disappointed look on her face and her clean, but inexpensive clothes, Mira realized that this had probably been a rare, but delightful opportunity for the lady. Despite the fact that it wasn’t her fault, she felt guilty for taking it away. “Wait a second,” she interrupted. “Am I to assume that you had given this woman my seat?”
“It’s standard procedure,” the employee replied . “There won’t be a problem though . You will have your seat.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Mira assured him. She glanced at the woman and grinned. “She looks like she needs the space more than me. I don’t have a problem with coach.”
“Are you sure?” t he attendant asked with a noticeably
Similar Books
