Alice held her ticket out for the boarding agent to scan.
“Here you go Ms. Winter. Enjoy your time in San Francisco.”
Alice smiled and tucked the ticket into her sweater pocket
as she shuffled down the jetway, her spinner bag rattling along beside her.
“Welcome aboard, Ma’am.” The perky attendant motioned her to
economy class.
Alice muscled her suitcase through the narrow aisle, bumping
armrests and the heels of the man in front of her.
She searched the overhead compartments for a spot to stow
her bag as traffic backed up behind her.
The man she had rammed moments earlier
offered to help her. He swept the suitcase up in his strong arms and slid it
into the next compartment, a lock of curly silver hair falling over his
forehead in the process.
“Thank you so very much.” Alice sighed appreciatively as he
bent to tuck his briefcase beneath the seat, the fabric of his chinos hugging
his trim butt.
“You’re very welcome,” he replied, smiling up at her from
his seat.
Alice stood there in awkward silence.
“Is there something else I can help you with?”
“Ah, I’m in the window seat.”
She stepped back as he stood and squeezed past her to the
aisle. She slid by him, took her seat and deposited her purse under the seat in
front of her.
Mister handsome took his seat again.
“Hi. I’m Gary."
“Hi Gary, I’m Alice.”
“Nice to meet you, Alice. So what is waiting for you in San
Francisco?”
Alice thought for a moment. The death she had witnessed
yesterday in Milwaukee. The ache in her legs from climbing down the fire
escape. The wad of $100 dollar bills nestled in a plain envelope in her
handbag. And the print-fee silencer-equipped pistol tossed in the trash as she
left the scene of the crime.
She smiled sweetly at Gary.
“Business. Just business.”
