The plane ride was quiet. Soon after we took off in the air, everyone began doing their own thing, in silence.

Just the way I like it.

Occasionally, the flight attendant would come around and offer drinks and snacks to me and the rest of the people on the flight, but that is pretty much it.

Except for the person across from me, Chopard. Of course he would be doing something stupid.

It's like everytime I'm around him, something has to happen, it feels like I can't ever relax around these guys. Well, of course I can't. It's Chopard for god sakes, I think everyone can tell why I'm suspicious of him.

After we settled in the air, I began to do some work on my computer. There were a lot of things I needed to do before we landed in New York. I can't just relax, not when there is an important event coming up.

That is the whole reason for this trip, is to network, and expand my company across the country as much as possible.

And the only way to do so is for me to stay on my A-game, and make sure that everything goes according to plan. I have to do this, there is a lot at stake if this doesn't go the way I want to.

Getting work done on the plane can keep me grounded for the events to come.

But I can't do that if someone from across from me keeps moving in his seat like a toddler.

Chopard is the definition of a toddler, he can't keep still, he's looking everywhere on every square inch of the plane, like he hasn't been on a plane before.

He keeps getting up and out of his seat to use the bathroom, and even though he returns to his seat, he starts moving around all over again.

Chopard even switches to looking inside the plane and outside the plane.

And it's pissing me the fuck off.

I don't mind if someone else were to do it, on a different plane, away from me. But if it's on my own jet, and if I'm clearly seeing it, then it is a problem.

As Chopard is currently tapping his foot against the floor and patting his hands against his lap, like he's nervous and–

"Have you ever been on a plane before, Chopard?" I blurted out.

I inhaled deeply, holding it in as I began to cuss myself out in my head.

Why would you even ask him that? That was pretty fucking idiotic of you, you have work to do and you're so focused on this guy. Remender the last time you engaged in a conversion that doesn't relate outside of work.

I closed my eyes, praying that Chopard didn't hear my question, but judging by the silence after I blurted out my question, that wasn't the case at all.

Chopard stopped moving for a while as he looked at me, then down to the floor, as if embarrassed of something or that I called out a question that made him feel embarrassed.

Even if I didn't mean to say it out loud.

Just thinking, many more hours of sitting on this plane, listening and watching a literal toddler squirm around in his seat.

Yeah, I rather not endure that.

Chopard raise his head up once more, looking at me straight in the eyes as he answers, "Sorry ma'am, I have motion sickness and I thought that moving around would keep me distracted until the end of the plane ride"

At his answer, I stop typing all together. I fully looked at him and he avoided my gaze, looking everywhere but my face.

I hope I don't show it, but I'm surprised. I'm surprised because of the inconsistency that I have been keeping track of.

Going back to his father, he was successful, and he still was when Chopard was born. And I don't think that his father was dumb enough not to try and expand his company like many did.

In fact, it would even be a dumb move to stay in one place for your business.

And the state we're in is pretty big, I mean, if you want to get from one side to the other by car, it would take at least a day, probably two.

Concluding this, his father would have to take a plane of some sort, and since Chopard said that he may want to become his own boss one day during that coffee break.

God I don't even want to think about the events following afterwards.

Anyways, if it was true that Chopard wants to become a CEO one day, then would he join his father for business trips whenever he was living with him? That had to be the case.

Maybe I'm just overthinking everything and he may have developed this motion sickness when he was young.

But something keeps repeating in my mind, "I thought that moving around would keep me distracted..."

That statement doesn't seem right, too forced, like he came up with that on the spot.

I thought? What does he mean 'I thought'? I might be overthinking everything entirely, but if Chopard did attend trips with his father, then would he know how to handle motion sickness?

I mean he must have. There would be no way that he would attend trips with his father, develop motion sickness, and still not know how to handle it, even if he stopped going on plane rides.

I rubbed my temple, this whole thing is giving me a huge headache.

Returning to look at Chopard eyes, I decide to dig deeper.

I mean, I didn't stop typing for nothing. But I didn't know what to say, surprisingly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I immediately closed my mouth after that question came out.

What is wrong with me and my mouth? Lastly, I have been asking, saying and doing things that are not my character at all. This isn't me. No. Maybe I am so focused on work that it's starting to drain me.

Starting to mess with my head and therefore, it is beginning to impact me as a person.

If that's the case, then I have to keep pushing, why deliver mediocre work anyways. I have standards that I must meet, probably higher than most.

Plus there is an oblivious answer to why I ask what I ask, it's because I don't like the appeal of someone throwing up on my plane, that I paid for. If someone is going to be throwing up, I would like to be prepared instead of thrown into the moment.

If I couldn't stand someone's tears on my office floor, why the hell would I be okay with someone's throw up?

Disgusting.

Chopard rubs the back of his neck, closing his eyes as he's doing so, "I didn't want you to worry Ms. Cantrell, I mean, you are the CEO, I'm sure you have a lot to do"

At the end of his sentence, his voice started to rise up, as in pitch, like he's scared to say something wrong.

Good.

"Well" I started, "If you have motion sickness or anything, you have to tell me, these are important things to know. Plus, I have to prepare for the worst, understand?"

He sinks in the chair as he nodded, "Yes ma'am". He looks down for a moment as he looks back up at me, now in a relaxed position.

Looking at him through his eyelashes, his body is in a position where I don't imagine myself to be in for myself. His back is hunched, so hunch that it will cause back problems in one or two years.

Since he's very tall, his legs are stretching across his area, and a little bit into mine, and the only way I could tell since we have a table between us is because I could feel the tiniest bit of his shoe touching mine.

But the touch is so tender, so tender that I don't think he could feel it himself.

He doesn't move it and neither do I.

Even if my mind is screaming at me to move it quickly, I don't listen.

The moment I decided to not listen to my mind, time stopped.

My eyes focus on Chopard's eye, the same green eyes I saw when he started walking into my office, the eyes I see almost every day, every minute.

Completely stopped focusing on my laptop, I began to feel everything all at the same time. My ginger hair resting on my chest, the feeling and the realization of us being the air. Our feet are still touching, neither of us are moving, but somehow, they are coming closer.

Focusing now on his whole face, his eyes soften and become somewhat dilated as he mouth opens slightly, and his eyebrows relaxing as well.

He remains in his position and so do I, our body stops, so do time and the whole world.

It feels like we stopped moving in the air, everyone in the plane disappeared, it's just us, and our own little thoughts.

Someone coughs and that's when everything returns, time continues.

So does my common sense.

I took a sharp breath in suddenly, as I tore my eyes away from him, even if my heart doesn't want to.

Quickly picking up where I left off on my laptop, I put myself back to work.

I don't know what's going on with me lately, but whatever this is, I hope it goes away. I don't need any distraction on this trip, that is the last thing I need right now.

Distractions equal destruction within myself. And I can't afford to be distracted.

Focus Hailey, I told myself.

As I fiercely typed on my laptop, not missing a beat, I could still feel Chopard's eyes on me. I don't know why he won't look somewhere else, but I don't bother to confront him about it. I have too much to do anyways.

A few minutes of this goes on and I feel my fingertips starting to sweat, badly. It's like I'm in front of a huge audience, watching me type.

Hopefully I can just ignore him.

                                           *     

"Welcome to New York, Ms. Cantrell" The person on the intercom said.

We finally arrived in New York. Since Chopard fell asleep hours ago, I was finally able to fully concrete on my work without someone looking at me for no reason.

Getting off the plane, I immediately felt the jet lap. Since we are traveling to different time zones, my body is not used to this, even though I traveled multiple times, I could never seem to train my body to get used to different zones of the world.

And adding to the environment changes as well.

Feeling a headache forming, I said, "We should get going, we have to check in to the hotel if we want to get prepared for the conference later"

All I want right now is to take a shower and get into a nice bed, plus I need to get as much sleep as possible, since it's hardly two in the morning and the conference meeting is at nine, I have to be fully prepared and ready.

So does Chopard.

And speaking of Chopard, I look back at him and he looks like he needs sleep as well, probably even more than me.

Since he did take a nap, his hair is all over the place, he has bags under his eyes and he looks as if he is about to fall asleep, standing up. I guess he's feeling the effects of jet lap as well.

As the men load up the car with our suitcases and luggage, that is already waiting for us, me and Chopard hop in the backseat.

Heading to the hotel, I rub my forehead, trying to soothe out the headache. So far, it's working but not fast enough. Anyways, there is a lot that needs to be done besides worrying about a small headache.

Turning to Chopard, I ask, "What's the schedule for today?"

This question quickly catches his attention, I guess he was zoning out whilst looking out the window–He scrambles to get his backpack as he pulls out the IPad, from there he opens it and begins to read.

"So um–Right now, we have to get check into the hotel, then, at eight, we have to check out the meeting rooms and see where we are going to have our meeting so we have prepared" He takes a breath, continuing once more, "Then the International business meeting we'll have begins at nine"

My only response is 'hmm', as I look out the window. After hearing that tight schedule, there were a lot more things I could have done.

An important meeting is barely seven hours away and we are now just arriving in New York. We should have left yesterday or the day before, that's my fault. I should have thought that through.

The hotel we're staying at is about twenty-five minutes away from the airport, so my guess is that we are going to arrive to check in half an hour till three.

That leaves me about an hour to shower and get ready for bed, which will result in less than five hours of sleep before I have to get ready to view the meeting rooms.

Shit. I totally did not think this through, I mean, another night of having less than seven hours of sleep.

In all the few years I have been doing this, I should be able to figure this out by now, and be able to know what I'm doing with my company.

Besides, mistakes are only for people that are now sure of themselves.

I should have done more, with my company, this trip, with my–

"So..." I hear in the dead silence of the car, the word dragging out of his mouth.

Forcing my tired body to turn away from the window, I turned towards Chopard with a confused look.

"So what?" I asked, not really in the good headspace to be playing trivia.

"Are we going to go sightseeing? I know you said that 'we'll see' on Friday, but considering our schedule for the days after the meeting, we should have time" He paused, taking a breath as he talked super fast, "Can we go?"

As he finished, he had the look of a toddler begging for candy in his eyes. He just had to remind me of Friday night, the toothbrush incident. I forced myself to not think about it longer than I needed to.

So I just wave my hand off in the air, saying, "If we have time for it, then sure" Nodding my head.

This seems to shut him up for now as he relaxed and rested against the seat of the car, staring out the window, having a sneaky smile on his face.

Not missing a second, I turned back towards the window as I leaned my head against the cold glass as my mind ran ramped with thoughts about this meeting.

Even if it's two in the morning, I still have to keep my mind sharp and steady.

Hailey's brain has been turning messy lately, wonder what that could mean.

-Summer Roe