The plane slowly emptied and I stood up. The short blonde hair on my wig felt strange against my chin, but Rachel had promised me it looked natural. I kept wanting to tug at it, but I didn’t want anyone to recognize me. The stewardess smiled politely as I exited the plane, her eyes looking past me at the empty plane. I could tell she was already cleaning it in her mind so she could return to New York. I didn’t even try to smile back.
The small airport was empty and I said a silent, Thank you. I didn’t want to face the paparazzi reporters today, I didn’t have the energy. Rachel had found a small charter flight with a seat available. I had snuck through the airport and boarded quietly, hoping no one would notice me. No one did. I spent the flight staring out the window and trying not to annoy the passenger next to me with my sighs.
I had stayed two more nights in New York, hoping that Jack and I would make up. He chose to sleep at his office and wouldn’t answer my calls. It had been a long two days by myself. Rachel found me the second day sitting at the kitchen table in tears, surrounded by the dying roses he had sent me. They had all wilted and the similarity to our relationship had been too much.
“I’m going to call him up right now, and tell him exactly what I think,” Rachel had said when I finally stopped sniffling enough to tell her what happened. She seemed shocked. “The happiest I have seen him in years is with you, and then he goes and does this... ?”
Her anger at Jack eased the pain a little. It was like cool water on a sunburn—too little to stop the pain, but enough relief to make it better for a moment. She had picked up her cell phone and dialed him right then, full of righteous indignation.
“Jack, I’m with Emma, and—” she started out with strength, but suddenly paled as his voice carried through the phone. It was angry and full of the confidence of a businessman. She stepped away, speaking into the phone with far less forcefulness than she started with. In a matter of moments, she was replying with a meek ‘“Yes, Sir. No, I understand, Sir. I will see to it, Sir.”
She sat down, setting the phone with a quiet tap on the wooden table. She stared at it like it might turn and bite her at any moment.
“Thank you for trying,” I said quietly. I knew then that it was time for me to leave.
“I’m sorry Emma. I don’t like this at all.”
“We're from different worlds. I’m not Cinderella, and you aren’t a fairy godmother. Some things aren’t meant to be.” The words came out with a sad surety. I should have seen this coming. A billionaire and the broke girl from Small Town, Nowhere? That was never going to happen. It had been foolish to think it would. “Will you help me arrange things so I can go home? I’m tired and I want to go back to the way things are supposed to be.”
Rachel frowned and then looked up. She looked for a moment like she was going to try and persuade me otherwise, but she glanced at her phone again and sighed. She nodded and stood up slowly. “I’ll take care of everything. You go and pack.”
Everything had gone quickly from there. Rachel was the only one to see me off at the airport, dropping me off in a nondescript car. I had tried not to cry as she hugged me goodbye, but I was going to miss her can-do attitude and easy smile. I wondered as the car had pulled away if she was going to tell Jack I was gone. I still hadn’t heard from him since our fight, despite leaving him multiple messages.
“Miss Street? Miss Anna Street?” A light masculine voice cut through my memories. A tall older gentleman, with combed back brown hair sliced with gray and bright blue eyes was trying to catch my attention. I suddenly recognized Dean, though it took me a moment before I remembered that I was traveling as Anna Street to avoid alerting any of the press. I rushed over and hugged him, glad to have a familiar face when my world seemed so empty. He grinned and hugged me back before tucking the sign with my false name printed neatly across it under his arm and ushering me to a waiting black SUV.
“Looks like you made it here safe and sound. Rachel hired me to look out for you for the next few weeks. She thought it was best if it was someone you knew and trusted already.” I was so glad it was Dean who was going to look out for me. Just hearing his voice was soothing. It was like he was always smiling, even though his face was straight and professional. He reminded me so much of my father it was easy to trust him.
“I’m glad you’re here Dean. Where are we going?”
“Ms. Weber has arranged for you to stay at a local hotel.”
“A hotel? You mean I don’t get to go home?” I felt a push of despair. All I wanted was to curl up in my bed, in my house, with my special coffee mug and try to forget this whole thing had ever even happened.