Lia felt her body being pulled against the back of the chair. She watched intensely out the window as it lifted off the ground and into the sky. All the people, buildings and cars below began to look like tiny ants.
“This is sooo cool,” she exclaimed never looking back.
“I can’t believe you’ve never flown before,” Randle stated.
“I can’t believe I haven’t either seeing how you have your own private jet and all,” she threw back at him.
“Okay, I get the message.”
Then she turned in her seat to face him with so much excitement about her and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Hey Randle, can we fly to Paris, France when your done in Phoenix?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Randle let out a sigh as he reached down to pull up the lever that reclined back his chair and kicked up the foot rest then closed his eyes still with a big smile on his face.
“This is gonna be a long flight.”
The remainder of their nearly three hour flight was basically quiet. Randle had fallen asleep and Lia stayed stuck to the window practically the entire trip enjoying the view of the earth from above. The pilot finally announced they needed to put their seatbelts back on because he was preparing to land.
Lia finally pulled herself from the view of the window and reached over and began to shake him.
“Randle…wake up Randle we’re fixing to land.”
He finally awoke and looked at her bright face more full of excitement than he had ever seen.
“Is it over with yet?” He teased then kissed her right on the forehead.
“Almost, we didn’t crash and now we’re fixing to land so buckle up,” she ordered.
Lia returned to her window view and was awed now seeing this new city with its beautiful palm tree lined avenues and all the surrounding mountains as the plane descended and began to circle the airport below.
“Oh Randle, I think I’m gonna love it here.”
“It’s just a couple days Princess then back home,” he warned demandingly. “And you had better not leave my sight! I mean it!”
The plane came down smoothly and taxied its way to a private hanger where a man standing next to a black SUV with dark tinted windows was waiting for them.
Lia stood silently just outside the vehicle feeling the hot air as it blew through her hair and watching Randle chat with the man at a distance while the other two men they traveled with that she now knew as Mark and James were placing their luggage into the back of the SUV. Finally the man walked to the driver’s side of the vehicle at the same time Randle approached her and opened the back passenger door.
“Get in Princess we’re going to the hotel.”
She didn’t hesitate as she got in and scooted to the middle of the seat and Randle climbed in beside her.
“Is there a pool at the hotel?”
“I’m sure there is but you’re not getting in it.”
“Why not?”
“Here we go again,” he answered as he put his left arm around the back of her shoulders and squeezed her head against his chest with his right and gave a playful rub to the top of her head.
“Why do I love you so much Princess?” he asked teasingly.
“Can we at least stop to get something to eat?”
“No. We’re going straight to the hotel.”
“But I’m starving.”
“Look Princess,” he started as he brought her face up to look him in the eye with a deeply serious expression about his face.
“I’m not here on a pleasure trip. I told you it was urgent business. We’ll get something to eat as soon as we get settled into to our suite at the hotel and I make a couple of phone calls okay?”
Finally they reached their destination, a comfy three bedroom suite at the swankiest hotel in Phoenix. Lia quickly searched every room as the valet wheeled in their bags. Marc and James picked out their luggage from the valet’s cart then disappeared off to the two bedrooms on the opposite side of the room from the