Page 3 of Boyfriend Material
“What the hell was I thinking?” Theo grumbled as he checked his watch for the third time while standing in the security line. Traveling on the busiest day of the year. I should have my head examined.”
The woman in front of him turned around and thinned her lips in annoyance. Her gaze went from his face to the child’s hand she held. It took Theo a minute to realize he’d cursed in front of the little boy and mouthed, “Sorry.”
The woman nodded and turned back around.
As the line limped along, Theo’s mood tanked. Patience wasn’t one of his virtues, and what little he had was slipping away as he was stuck in line. He couldn’t believe that the extra hour and half he’d planned for wouldn't be enough time, even in this little airport.
Theo was so inside his head that he startled when everyone started clapping. Someone had come to their senses, and opened two additional security lanes and they were finally making headway. It looked like he’d make his flight after all.
After being cleared, he jogged through the airport, thankful he’d only brought a backpack with him. He made it to the gate as the flight attendant was getting ready to close the doors.
“Wait. Please. I’m on this flight,” he said as he reached the podium.
The attendant checked his paperwork. “Mr. Larson? You have excellent timing. One more minute and you’d have been out of luck. We’d called for you a few times.”
“Sorry, I was stuck in the security line. It’s a good thing I made it, since I have a connecting flight in Atlanta.”
The man smiled as he scanned Theo’s boarding pass. “No worries, we’ve got you. It’s a full flight. You’re the last passenger. Seat F2.”
“Got it. Thank you. Have a happy Thanksgiving.”
“Thanks, you, too. Good luck.”
Theo breathed a sigh of relief as he made his way down the ramp to the plane. As he stepped through the door, the flight attendant greeted him.
“Welcome aboard. Please hurry and take your seat. We’ll be taxiing shortly.”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”
The gate agent wasn’t kidding about the full flight. As Theo looked down the length of the plane, all he could see was a sea of faces staring back at him. He thanked his earlier self again for only bringing the backpack. He’d be able to shove it under the seat since there’s no way there’d be any overhead space left.
Lucky for Theo, seat F2 was near the front of the plane. Even luckier, it was an aisle seat, and he wouldn’t need to squeeze past his seat partner. At aisle F, he leaned down and shoved his bag under the seat, then sat down. Breathing a sigh of relief, he buckled in. He’d made it. At a noise from the person next to him, he turned to see who he’d be sitting with the for the next couple of hours.
“Livie?” Theo didn’t even try to hide his surprise.
Live’s cheeks turned the deep peachy color he recognized well. It always made her cornflower blue eyes seem to glow. “Yeah, small world, right?”
Her voice soothed the last of his frayed nerves, like it did every time he heard it. Olivia Anderson had to be some kind of sorceress. He’d been under her spell from the moment he’d seen her at the Ready Room. Not that he’d let on about it. Instead, he’d avoided her as much as possible. He didn’t have time for a relationship, and she deserved that from whoever she dated.
“It sure is. Heading home for turkey day?” If he hadn’t been watching her closely, he’d have missed her wince.
“Afraid so. I mean, yes. My mother wouldn’t take no for an answer. How about you? Going home, too?”
“I am, but it’s a surprise. It was a last-minute thing, so I haven’t told them I’m coming.” Theo hadn’t been home in three years. Too long. Since he’d been home, his sister had given birth to twins, and he hadn’t even met his two-year-old nephew. Plus, his parents were getting up in years. This visit was years overdue.
“That’s wonderful,” Livie said as the flight attendant’s announcement cut her off.
After the pre-takeoff briefing, they taxied onto the runway. Theo did an internal fist pump. It might have been the first on time liftoff from Norfolk ever. It should mean he’d make his connecting flight to Duluth.
As the plane gathered speed, Livie’s hand squeezed his where it rested on the armrest. Then her grip tightened until her short nails dug into this skin.
“Livie, are you all right?” The peach hue that had been on her cheeks disappeared. Her face grew so pale her freckles stood out against her skin. Visible tremors wracked her body.
“Yup. Living the dream,” she muttered as she gritted her teeth.
Theo wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince. “Don’t like flying?”
“What? I love it, can’t you tell?” she asked as her knuckles turned white where she clutched his hand.
