Page 8 of The Christmas Catch
“I thought it would be snow that might ground us. I hadn’t predicted a technical hitch.” Ali gave her a tight smile.
“The captain said it wouldn’t take long to fix. Hopefully, she was telling the truth.”
Morgan pulled out her phone, her wallet, a packet of tissues and three pens, one without a lid. She felt around inside her bag with her fingertips, then studied them. No ink. At least the pen hadn’t leaked. She wasn’t putting it back, though. Instead, she slotted the pen in the netting in front of her. Morgan pictured her headphones on her bedside table. Probably where they still were. She sighed, put her backpack on the floor, then waved to a nearby crew member.
“Excuse me.” She fluttered her eyelids. “I was just wondering if you had any spare headphones? I seem to have forgotten mine.”
The air steward flashed her straight white teeth at Morgan and shook her head. Her fringe looked like it was made of Lego. “I’m sorry, we don’t carry them for short flights.” She had a Spanish accent that made Morgan smile. She once had a fling with a Spanish woman. She only had fond memories.
Morgan nodded, then spotted the woman’s name badge. “No problem.” She got a box of Cadbury’s Heroes from her backpack and gave them to the steward. “These are for you, by the way. To share with your crew. Merry Christmas, Arianna.”
From being polite but reserved, Arianna visibly brightened. “That’s so kind, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Countless work trips had taught Morgan that a box of chocolates often made a flight that much more comfortable.
Sure enough, minutes later, Arianna returned with a packet of headphones. She leaned down, putting her mouth by Morgan’s ear. “I found these, but they’re the only pair, so keep it on the down-low.”
Morgan grinned up at her. “What a star. Thank you.”
Arianna left, and Morgan plugged the headphones into the phone.
“Wow, impressive. Does that always work?”
Morgan glanced over at Ali. “Not always, but who doesn’t love chocolates? If nothing else, I spread a little cheer. And sometimes, I get cheer back.” She raised her headphones.
“I can see why you’re a communications specialist.”
Morgan grinned. “Years of experience.”
CHAPTER4
Morgan. Fucking. Scott.
Okay, Ali really needed to keep her cool here. Not show how much a young Ali used to worship the ground Morgan walked on. It had irritated her sister beyond belief that Ali followed them around everywhere. Her parents thought it was sibling worship. And yes, there was an element of that. But there’d been more of an element of Morgan Scott worship.
Back then, Ali never put a label on it. She just knew that when she grew up, she wanted to be as funny as Morgan Scott. Plus, she’d always wanted to have a name as cool as hers, too. Alison Bradford was pedestrian in the face of Morgan Scott. The former sounded like a primary school teacher. The latter sounded like a film star with a row of blockbusters to her name.
And now, here she was, on the same plane.
Ali was doing everything she could to be calm, but it wasn’t easy.
Of course, she wasn’t 12 anymore. And Morgan Scott was not a film star or a DJ.
But seeing her threw Ali right back to that girl who’d always been in awe of Morgan.
It was only in later years Ali realised therealreason she’d followed her around like a lost puppy. Morgan Scott had been Ali’s first bona fide crush. Three years older, she’d lived in a world far more glamorous than Ali could ever hope to inhabit. Morgan had cool friends (apart from Nicole), she ran the school radio, and people looked up to her. They listened when she spoke. Ali listened to everything she said, right up until Morgan left school, aged 18, and went to university. Fifteen-year-old Ali had known it was coming, but it still left her bereft.
But now, Morgan was chatting to Ali like it was an everyday occurrence. It wasn’t. Ali might now be 35, but beside Morgan Scott, she’d forever be a stuttering, blushing 12-year-old.
Still, Morgan had plugged in her newly acquired headphones now, so the chat portion of their flight was over. That suited Ali fine. She needed time to regroup. Were her cheeks as red as she thought they were? She was glad she didn’t have a mirror to check.
She looked up to the front of the plane, where the crew were in deep conversation. There was also a lot of head shaking. Was this technical fault going to delay them for longer than the captain had said?
She glanced at Morgan, who’d somehow got her brand-new headphones in a twist and was trying to untangle them.
Ali leaned over. “Can I help? You might be good at solving relationship issues, but I’m very good at solving stuff like that.” She pointed at Morgan’s headphones.
Morgan hesitated, unplugged them and handed them over. “That would be great, thank you. I’m not sure how I tangled them so soon. It’s a special talent.”
