are leaving the country anytime soon.” Rain beat against the windows, hiding the darkening sky from view.
“That’s all right. Thanks for trying.”
“Of course. Give me one moment to print out your new ticket.”
“Thank you.” The manners were automatic. Thankful was the last thing I felt. I needed to be in the air. Heading far away from Glasgow, Dex, and everything. But instead I’d be stuck in the airport with hundreds of other people trying to get away. I wondered if any of them were as miserable as me.
After getting my new ticket I trudged away from the desk, elbowing my way through crowds. What had recently been angry stranded travelers had taken a turn. People seemed to have accepted their fate and decided to make the best of it. I passed by groups sitting everywhere, drinking, eating, chatting, having a good time. I hated them all.
Finally I managed to find a relatively quiet spot in a corner. I was debating whether or not to collapse in a heap on the floor when I noticed the crowd parting, and a buzz of excitement running through the open space.
“Please, no,” I whispered to myself. “Let this be anyone else.”
It was possible. There could be a movie star or some famous athlete in the airport too. The fuss didn’t have to be for one of the members of Dream Defiled. The band I’d come to Europe to tour with. The job I’d left my whole life behind for, pointlessly.
But, of course, this was my life and my luck. And with a blotchy, red face and miserable expression full of dread, my gaze locked onto his.
Dex Winters, the band’s bassist, was striding over to me. And as much as I loathed him, I couldn’t deny how gorgeous he was. Tall and broad-shouldered with chiseled features and over-long, messy black hair, he was sex on legs, and I was speaking from experience. His mouth was set in a hard line, but I remembered the way his lips curled, the way they parted to kiss me everywhere.
I stood up straight and held out a hand to stop him from getting too close. “Don’t.”
“Where the fuck have you been? Do you have the slightest idea how bloody long I’ve been looking for you?” The anger in his voice heightened his British accent, something I’d once found charming and funny. “Liss is weeping, Joe will have probably bribed every guard in this building by now. I can’t believe you’ve run off like that.”
“Fuck off, Dex.”
He gaped at me for a second, and it seemed everyone in the vicinity shared his surprise. Which made sense. It wasn’t often a snotty, red-faced chubby girl told a notoriously sexy rock star to fuck off.
But while I was still reeling from the fact I’d said it out loud, Dex laughed. A full-throated, belly-shaking fit of hilarity. The bastard actually put his hand on my shoulder to steady himself as he tried – and failed – to contain his laughter.
I slapped at the hand and glared at him. “What are you doing?”
He gasped a few times and bent over, hands on his knees. “Christ, woman. You’re full of surprises. Here I come to save the day and you’re telling me off? Fucking brilliant.”
My head was throbbing and I was not in the mood. “What in the world are you talking about? Why are you even here?”
Dex straightened up and looked down at me, his face settling into a serious expression. “I’m here because I don’t trust this prat to do what he agreed to.”
“Huh?”
He turned around and waved someone over. I was too short to see over his shoulder, so I looked under his arm, and groaned.
“Dex, please. Ryan is the last person – second to last person – I want to see right now.”
“Trust me, love, you want to hear what he has to say this time.”
My former boss stomped over, frowning.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Ryan’s frown deepened before he spoke. “Ask your boyfriend here.”
I looked over at Dex, who was smiling. “Someone just tell me what the hell is happening so I can get away from you people once and for all.
“That’s all right. Thanks for trying.”
“Of course. Give me one moment to print out your new ticket.”
“Thank you.” The manners were automatic. Thankful was the last thing I felt. I needed to be in the air. Heading far away from Glasgow, Dex, and everything. But instead I’d be stuck in the airport with hundreds of other people trying to get away. I wondered if any of them were as miserable as me.
After getting my new ticket I trudged away from the desk, elbowing my way through crowds. What had recently been angry stranded travelers had taken a turn. People seemed to have accepted their fate and decided to make the best of it. I passed by groups sitting everywhere, drinking, eating, chatting, having a good time. I hated them all.
Finally I managed to find a relatively quiet spot in a corner. I was debating whether or not to collapse in a heap on the floor when I noticed the crowd parting, and a buzz of excitement running through the open space.
“Please, no,” I whispered to myself. “Let this be anyone else.”
It was possible. There could be a movie star or some famous athlete in the airport too. The fuss didn’t have to be for one of the members of Dream Defiled. The band I’d come to Europe to tour with. The job I’d left my whole life behind for, pointlessly.
But, of course, this was my life and my luck. And with a blotchy, red face and miserable expression full of dread, my gaze locked onto his.
Dex Winters, the band’s bassist, was striding over to me. And as much as I loathed him, I couldn’t deny how gorgeous he was. Tall and broad-shouldered with chiseled features and over-long, messy black hair, he was sex on legs, and I was speaking from experience. His mouth was set in a hard line, but I remembered the way his lips curled, the way they parted to kiss me everywhere.
I stood up straight and held out a hand to stop him from getting too close. “Don’t.”
“Where the fuck have you been? Do you have the slightest idea how bloody long I’ve been looking for you?” The anger in his voice heightened his British accent, something I’d once found charming and funny. “Liss is weeping, Joe will have probably bribed every guard in this building by now. I can’t believe you’ve run off like that.”
“Fuck off, Dex.”
He gaped at me for a second, and it seemed everyone in the vicinity shared his surprise. Which made sense. It wasn’t often a snotty, red-faced chubby girl told a notoriously sexy rock star to fuck off.
But while I was still reeling from the fact I’d said it out loud, Dex laughed. A full-throated, belly-shaking fit of hilarity. The bastard actually put his hand on my shoulder to steady himself as he tried – and failed – to contain his laughter.
I slapped at the hand and glared at him. “What are you doing?”
He gasped a few times and bent over, hands on his knees. “Christ, woman. You’re full of surprises. Here I come to save the day and you’re telling me off? Fucking brilliant.”
My head was throbbing and I was not in the mood. “What in the world are you talking about? Why are you even here?”
Dex straightened up and looked down at me, his face settling into a serious expression. “I’m here because I don’t trust this prat to do what he agreed to.”
“Huh?”
He turned around and waved someone over. I was too short to see over his shoulder, so I looked under his arm, and groaned.
“Dex, please. Ryan is the last person – second to last person – I want to see right now.”
“Trust me, love, you want to hear what he has to say this time.”
My former boss stomped over, frowning.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Ryan’s frown deepened before he spoke. “Ask your boyfriend here.”
I looked over at Dex, who was smiling. “Someone just tell me what the hell is happening so I can get away from you people once and for all.
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