Page 29 of Before You Say I Do
Mum put a hand to her mouth in response. “These, my dear, are Scottish heritage. An orange fizzy drink made of girders, and a chocolate biscuit. If you haven’t had breakfast, this is the perfect pick-me-up. So much sugar, you’ll be buzzing.”
Arielle didn’t look convinced.
Abby glanced around the plane, to the rest of their party holding onto Jordan’s thoughtful gift. “You’re good at this shit, you know that?” She leaned in as she spoke, breathing in Jordan’s scent. She remembered it from the dress fitting the other day.
Their gazes met, and Jordan stilled. “I’ve done my research. I want our story to be watertight. I thought this would be a good way to begin.”
Abby nodded. “It certainly is.”
Jordan dropped her gaze, then gestured to the locker. “Need anything putting up?”
Abby handed over her Louis Vuitton carry-on.
Jordan stowed it, before turning to Abby, her face puzzled. “Are you sitting next to me?”
“If that’s okay?” She’d decided to put Mum and Delta on the opposite side, so all four key players could be up front and centre.
“Whatever you want, it’s your weekend.”
And there it was again. Business Jordan. Not happy, smiling Jordan.
She shook herself. She was probably reading far too much into it.
“White leather. Very rock star, isn’t it?” Gloria stroked the seats with a grin. “And did you see the loos? They’re huge for plane toilets. Three times the size and so plush.”
“Whose plane is this?” That was Delta, still giving Jordan a bit of side-eye.
“Family friend of the Montgomerys. They’ve given us the plane, complete with Captain Michelle and Steward Gavin. There are definitely some plus points to marrying into money.” They weren’t going to be a full flight today, only taking up 10 of the possible 30 seats. However, Michelle had already told them she was picking up a party of 25 hens from Cannes today and bringing them back. That made Abby feel better about her carbon footprint.
“Are we getting champagne, too?”
Abby smiled. “You can have anything you want. You’re the mother of the bride.”
Gloria clapped her hands. “I’m so looking forward to this already.” She leaned forward, half hanging out of her seat. “Are you going to spend the flight fixing everything on that big spreadsheet of yours, Jordan? I saw it when we were having coffee. I’ve never seen a hen weekend look like a corporate trip abroad before.”
Jordan smiled. It was a little forced, but it was there.
“Abby loves a spreadsheet, too,” Mum added. “You’re a match made in heaven.”
She was never going to stop embarrassing her, was she?
“I’m just trying to make this trip the smoothest ever, Gloria,” Jordan replied. “But of course, don’t think your help in the run-up — or Delta’s — hasn’t had a huge impact on the plans.”
Abby bit down a smile. When Jordan went into charm offensive, she was one of the best Abby had ever witnessed. What was she like when she was going after a woman? Did she have a spreadsheet then? Or was it purely based on instinct and attraction?
Abby glanced at Jordan, her own attraction tapping her on the shoulder. She jumped up, going down the plane, making sure all the hens were fine.
Her cousin Taran was sat beside Abby’s old friend Nikita. They were followed by Marcus’s cousins, Arielle and Martha, plus Abby’s friends from university, Erin and Frankie. Ten in all. It wasn’t a big hen party. She’d been on a couple that had over 20 people, and Abby had vowed never to do that. A night out in London with a nice meal would have done her fine, but it was Marcus and Marjorie who’d insisted on this, coming up with the plane, the villa, the contacts. And, of course, Jordan.
She walked back to her seat and sat down.
“Okay?” Jordan said, as if noticing Abby for the first time that day.
Abby nodded, goose bumps breaking out across her skin. This was really inconvenient. Being around Marcus wasn’t this distracting. Being around anyone else wasn’t as distracting as Jordan.
“I will be, once we take off. I’m a bit of a nervous flier. It was one of the reasons Marcus arranged this flight, so I wouldn’t stress quite as much.”
“Is it working?”
