First Class to New York (4 page)

Her eyes travelled around the hotel room and came to rest on
a black blazer. It hung on the chair at the desk in front of the window. Janie
had walked into the hotel and all the way to the elevator before she realized
she was still wearing Matt’s jacket. She had gently taken it off her shoulders
and hung it on the back of the chair last night, resisting the urge to bury her
face in it and drink in his scent.

Sitting up, Janie continued to stare at the jacket, engulfed
in emotion and a single tear fell from her eye.
Robert, I’m sorry. I’m so
sorry.

The familiar music startled her and Janie fumbled for her
clutch on the bedside table. Adele’s smooth voice began to sing “Rumor has it
she ain’t got your love anymore” and Janie smiled knowing it was her ring tone
for Katy.

“What on earth are you doing calling this early?” Portland
was three hours behind New York, which put it………reading the clock next to her
it said 7:45, so……….4:45am!

“I’m on the early shift today.” Katy was an ER nurse. “How
was the flight? How is the hotel? How is your view? Having fun yet?”

Janie chuckled at the barrage of questions. Katy had been
her best friend since they began high school. They had gone to prom together on
a double date. They had gotten married within 6 months of each other and had
their babies just a few months apart. When Katy had divorced just a couple of
years later, Janie had been the shoulder to cry on; the supportive friend who
instantly despised Katy’s ex-husband, because that’s what best friends do. Their
boys had grown up more like cousins and Robert had become Katy’s go-to handyman.
And when Robert died, Katy had been the one there at her side, for days and
weeks on end, crying and laughing and lying in bed watching movies with her
because she couldn’t face the world yet. Katy had been the guardian angel, not
pushing, just comforting. Yes, they would be friends forever.

“Flight was, um, fine. Hotel is heavenly. View is
spectacular. And I haven’t been here long enough to be having fun yet.” Janie
couldn’t bring herself to tell Katy about Matt. She felt guilty of having this…this…
attraction to a man who wasn’t Robert, and if she didn’t say it out loud, then
maybe it wasn’t real.

“First class was
just
fine?” Katy’s voice was
disgusted. “You pay that much money and it was
just
fine?”

“No, it was nice,” Janie sputtered. “They served breakfast,
a proper breakfast, and the seats were way more comfortable. And I boarded the
plane very first.”

“Well that’s something.” Janie could hear the smile in
Katy’s voice. “Well, I have to start my shift but I wanted to make sure that
you made it okay.”

“Yes I made it okay. And I even remembered to text the boys
last night to let them know I was here safe and sound. So you can go to work
now.” Janie smiled at her friend. She really was the best.

They said their goodbyes and Janie returned her phone to the
bedside table, and threw her legs over the side of the bed. She stood,
stretching and feeling the sun through the window again. It was going to be a
lovely day and Central Park literally lay at her feet.

*****

Janie was all but dancing in the bathroom as her phone
blasted out Pitbull, her mood much lifted from earlier. A hot shower had always
been Janie’s answer to the world’s problems and this morning had been no
exception. She had finished her hair, blow dried and in a ponytail, and was
putting on her makeup when room service arrived with her breakfast. She
answered the door in her robe and the waiter wheeled in the cart. She signed
the slip and handed him a tip. Closing the door she turned to face the black
jacket again. She needed to somehow return it to Matt. She moved across the
room and lifted it from the back of the chair. Resisting the urge once again to
bury her nose in it, she felt through the pockets looking for clues to the
mysterious and gorgeous Mr. Lathem. Empty. Empty. Empty. Not empty. Janie felt
at the inside breast pocket and found the black Amex card and the receipt from
their dinner last night.

The card read Matthew E. Latham, MEL Holdings.
Coincidence?
thought Janie.
I’m guessing that the MEL must be Matt?

Janie replaced the card back into the pocket of Matt’s
jacket and went back to the bathroom and finished applying mascara. Looking at
herself in the mirror, she was still baffled why he had asked her to dinner.
She really was ‘plain Jane’, always had been. She and Robert had met their
junior year of high school. She was on student council, he played varsity
tennis. They had geometry and American Lit together, and she had helped him in
English and he had helped her in math. Their first date had been to Junior
Prom, with Katy and her date. And they had been together ever since. He was the
only man she had ever kissed, the only man who had ever seen her naked, and the
only man she had ever had sex with. They had both been virgins when they met.
Robert had told her she was attractive, and their sex life had been active
until shortly before he had been diagnosed. But Janie never felt beautiful,
sexy or desirable. So again her mind begged the question, why did Matt ask her
out?

Janie headed to the room service cart and lifted the lids
from the plates of Eggs Benedict and fresh fruit. The strawberries were
skillfully carved to look like roses, almost too pretty to eat. Janie grinned
and popped one in her mouth. She took her knife and broke the egg yolk and
watched it run down the sides of the muffin.
Perfectly poached
.

Taking the last bite she looked down at her clean plate and
recalled Matt’s words, “I like a woman who eats!”
That must be it
, she
scoffed
.

*****

Janie opened up the phone book she found in the desk drawer
and flipped through to the M’s.
MEL Holdings
, she mouthed as her eyes
scanned down the page and over to the next.
Here we go!

Grabbing her phone, she entered the phone number from the
book and waited. After the second ring, a woman’s voice answered, “MEL
Holdings. How may I direct your call?”

“Matt Lathem please.”

“Ma’am?”

“Mr. Matthew E. Lathem please?” Janie recited his name from
the Amex.

“One moment please.”

Soft classical sounds came through the phone and then another
woman’s voice came on the line. “MEL Holdings. How can I help you?”

“May I speak to Matt Lathem please?”

“And what might this be regarding?” came the reply.

“Well, um, I guess it’s personal,” Janie stuttered.
Geez!
I just want to return his jacket.

“If you’ll hold for a moment I’ll transfer you.” The
classical music returned.

“Mr Lathem’s office. How can I help you?” came a more
business-like female voice.

Try the sweet approach this time
, thought Janie.
“Good morning.” Janie tried to sound cheery. “I was hoping to speak to Mr.
Lathem, if he is available please?”

“And what is the nature of your call ma’am?”

So much for the third time being a charm!

“Well, I met Matt, er, Mr. Lathem yesterday, and, um…”

Startled, Janie all but dropped her phone as a confident
knock came at her door.

“I’m sorry,” Janie managed to say, as she stood and headed
for the door. “Can you hang on for just a sec?” Janie opened the door and her
mouth dropped open, her eyes widened and she managed to say, rather
breathlessly, “Never mind. He’s here.”

“Good Morning.” Matt smiled that beautiful smile, showing
his perfectly straight white teeth. His eyes twinkled and Janie’s breath caught
in her throat.

“I was, um, just trying to, um, call you,” Janie choked,
lowering the phone from her ear.

“You were calling me?” Matt grinned, seemingly very pleased.

“Well I didn’t give you your jacket back last night and I
didn’t know how to get a hold of you, so I looked through the pockets and I
found your Amex card and it had your name on it and I guess your company name,
so I got the phone book out and when through it and found the name on the card
in the book and so I called, but they kept transferring me and then you knocked
and so…” Janie was mortified, once again.

Matt continued to grin, disarmingly handsome and Janie
became increasingly uncomfortable. “Let me get it for you,” and Janie whipped
around and headed to the desk chair. Matt followed her into the hotel room and
closed the door behind him. Janie swung around at the clicking sound of the
door and subconsciously grabbed at her robe ties, pulling them tighter.
Oh
this is not good!
Janie warned inwardly.
Not good at all!

“It looks like you took very good care of it. Thank you.”
Matt picked up his jacket from the chair and laid it over his arm. Today he
wore a dark blue suit, with a crisp white shirt and a yellow and blue striped
tie. He looked every bit the successful businessman that Janie now assumed he
was.

“You’re welcome.” Janie chewed on the inside of her cheek.

“It is a beautiful spring day in New York and you are still
holed up here in your robe?” Matt questioned, eyebrows rising, still a slight
grin on his face.

“Well, I had to have a shower and have breakfast.” Janie
glanced towards the cart with the empty plates.

“I see that,” Matt looked at the plates and then back to
Janie.

“How did you know where to find me?” Janie tilted her head
curiously.

“I dropped you off here yesterday,” Matt grinned.

“How did you know what room I was in?” Janie inquired again.

“When Ray carried in your luggage he
overheard
your
room number,” he grinned again, obviously thinking himself very smart.

There was silence as Janie couldn’t think of a thing to say.
She was caught off guard, never expecting to have this man in her hotel room,
her bed still unmade, her leopard print shoes tossed on the floor. She was totally
unnerved. “Well, I’m sorry you had to come and get it.” Janie apologized,
nodding at his jacket.

“Oh, no problem at all.”  The words just rolled of his
tongue, like silk. His voice was deep and rich and sexy.

Janie was barely breathing, her cheeks felt warm and there
were butterflies in her stomach. But there was something else too. She felt her
breasts heaving, her nipples were responding to his voice, betraying her brain
that was screaming warnings of danger.

“You okay?” His voice was soft. He raised his hand and
placed it on her cheek. His eyes searched hers.

What is happening to me?
Janie screamed inwardly. She
held his gaze, entranced, unable to look away.

Matt leaned in and Janie licked her top lip, her
subconscious ready for what was about to happen. His head tilted and his lips
grazed hers. He pulled back slightly and dropped the jacket onto the bed, then placed
his hand on her other cheek and bent once more to taste her lips.

Janie was frozen, her arms still at her side. His kiss was
gentle, his soft lips warm and sweet. He tasted like coffee and she was once
again filled with his scent. She raised her right hand and placed it on his
arm, just above his elbow. It was strong and muscular, yet his hands felt so
gentle on her cheeks. She heard him groan and his lips pulled away from her.

DON’T STOP!
Janie’s thoughts surprised her. She was
disappointed at his retreat and quickly removed her hand from his arm, touching
her fingers to her traitor lips. She dropped her head feeling embarrassed. Matt
tilted her head up to him and smiled. “I am sure you have big plans today. I
won’t keep you from them any longer.”

Janie stepped backwards, away from his hands and nodded.
“Yes.” She couldn’t find any words.

Matt turned and took his jacket from the bed and turned
towards the door. “Enjoy yourself Janie. You only live once.” And in two
strides he was at the door, opening it, and disappearing as it closed behind
him.

*****

Janie stood looking out the window at the blue sky, the
green park that lay in front of her.
What the hell just happened?
Her
breath was shallow and those butterflies in her stomach had moved lower, her
body responding to Matt like nothing she had experienced before. And all he had
done was kissed her. Her fingers rubbed across her lips, closing her eyes she
could almost feel him again, soft, warm and wet. She opened her eyes and caught
her reflection in the window. She was still in the bathrobe and the
embarrassment snapped her back into the present.

Janie moved to the dresser and pulled out clothes for her
adventure in Central Park; jeans, a crisp pink linen shirt, with comfortable
flats and a light jacket. Dressing quickly, she shoved her phone and room key
into her back pocket, some cash and a credit card along with lip balm into her
front pocket and perched her sunglasses on top of her head, tucked behind her
ears. She made her way down to the lobby and headed out the front doors into
the bustling streets of New York.

She couldn’t help but grin, feeling like an idiot as she
crossed the street headed for one of the many entrances to the park. Every TV
show, every movie that she had seen that was set in New York, had become like a
video catalog of all she wanted to do and see while here, and Central Park
topped that list. Words could not capture the excitement she felt setting foot
into her very own wonderland.

*****

Matt strode out of the elevator and purposefully made his
way to the woman sitting behind the dark wood desk. “Angela, a woman called
here this morning asking for me. I need the phone number she was calling from.”

Angela looked confused but he continued speaking as he walked
to the large wooden double doors that held the plaque with his name on it. “She
was speaking to you and said ‘Never mind, he’s here’.”