Page 23 of Wife By Accident

“Yes, please.”

Leo went to the back and returned a few minutes later with a packaged sandwich, a selection of chocolate, chips, and pretzels in small bags, and a cup of steaming coffee.

“You’re a lifesaver.” Olivia wrapped her hands around the cup (which was a real porcelain mug, unlike the paper cups she would have received on a commercial airline).

“Do you want cream and sugar?” Leo asked.

“Please.”

He handed her two sachets of sugar, one white and one brown, and two little plastic cups of cream. Olivia poured everything into her coffee and took a long, happy sip. She needed the sugar as much as the caffeine if she was going to make it through the rest of the day without collapsing into exhaustion.

“Thank you.”

“Sure.” Leo raised his own mug in a toast. “Now, I sincerely apologize, but I have a big client meeting this afternoon. Do you mind if I work a little while we fly?”

“Of course not,” Olivia said. “Go right ahead.”

Leo took out his laptop, set it on a foldable table in front of his seat, and began working. Olivia looked around the cabin for something to entertain herself with, and settled on the romance novel she’d packed in her bag. She still had a few hundred pages left.

Olivia did her best to lose herself in a world of pirates and princesses, but she kept stealing glances at Leo. As fantastical as the book seemed, her own life at the moment was almost as difficult to believe. And that kiss had been more romantic than any described in the book.

Olivia had the feeling that her adventure was only beginning. What would happen next, she couldn’t predict — she could only hope that she’d get to know Leo better, and that things would work out in New York.

CHAPTER 11

OLIVIA

They landed a few hours later at another private airport outside the city. Olivia watched out the window as they circled the gleaming skyscrapers, passed over the ocean, then made their descent into a small private airport. The landing was smooth, with not even a hint of a bump, but Olivia still felt her stomach drop. Flying had been a small break from reality, but now, she was about to face the consequences of her choice to come to New York with Leo.

Leo and Olivia both thanked the pilot, Samantha, before deplaning. The air was warm, though not as hot as Las Vegas had been. This time, there was a car and driver waiting for them on the tarmac. The driver wore a suit, and the car was a limo with tinted windows.

“I haven’t been in one of these since prom,” Olivia said quietly as Leo opened her door for her.

“They’re a comfortable way to get around the city, although I admit that I usually prefer other modes of transportation,” Leo said. He climbed in beside her and flashed her another of his smiles. He seemed to be in a good mood, and Olivia wondered what he was thinking about and why he was feeling so cheery. Maybe he was happy she had agreed to come to New York with him.

“Like the subway?” Olivia teased, knowing Leo probably didn’t mean public transportation.

“Something like that.”

Out the window, Olivia could already see the towering skyscrapers of Manhattan. She could make out a few familiar buildings, like the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, and her heart raced a little. She’d never been to New York City before, and despite the strange circumstances, she couldn’t help feeling excited. It was the kind of city she’d dreamed of visiting after seeing numerous shows and movies set here, not to mention the books and songs.

The driver steered the car out of the airport and onto an expressway. The buildings drew closer and closer before the car dipped into a tunnel. When they emerged, they were in the center of Manhattan, surrounded by skyscrapers so tall that Olivia couldn’t see the tops out her window. She stared so hard at the yellow cabs, suited businessmen, souvenir shops and hot dog stands outside that she felt a little like a country bumpkin in the big city for the first time. Beside her, Leo was looking out the window, too, though he didn’t look quite as starstruck as she was.

After spending a while in traffic, surrounded by the honking of horns and the sounds of music and voices that Olivia associated with big cities, they stopped at the curb of a large building directly adjacent to Central Park. Both Leo and Olivia got out.

“Here we are,” Leo said, as he nodded to the doormen and gestured for Olivia to enter the gleaming lobby. They crossed to a bank of elevators, passing a receptionist at a desk, and rode up to the twenty-seventh floor. There, the elevator doors opened directly onto an entryway with sloped ceilings.

“Home sweet home,” Leo said, stepping into the apartment. He set his backpack down. “Again, I’m afraid to say this, but I’ll have to leave you for a few hours while I run to the office.”

“No problem,” Olivia murmured. She was still taking in the marble floors and vaulted ceiling. It made sense that Leo was leaving — he’d told her he had meetings that evening. Still, it was strange to think she was about to be alone in this enormous penthouse.

“I’ll show you your room,” Leo continued. He led her down a short hallway, past the open door of a bedroom where Olivia could see a slightly messy bed and a man’s suit hanging on the door. That must be Leo’s.

He opened the door of the next room onto a neat, if impersonal, guest room. The bed was large and neatly made with white sheets, and a door on the far side of the wall opened to an ensuite bathroom. There was an enormous window, almost floor to ceiling, that looked out over the trees and meadows of Central Park and more skyscrapers in the distance. A desk sat right in front of the window, as if to invite the occupant to admire the view while working.

“This is yours,” Leo said, setting her case on the box at the foot of the bed. “The kitchen is just down the hall — help yourself to anything you’d like to eat. There’s also a living room a few doors down and a balcony, if the weather holds up. And I have a home gym you’re welcome to use. The TV has most streaming services known to man, in case you’d like to watch something. Now, I’m afraid I have to run.”

“No problem,” Olivia said again. “Thanks for… everything.”