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“We really want to make a splash with this, and the owners of Wicked Temptation nights are keen to see us succeed too. They might even look at opening a branch of their clubs over here in the future, and so everything has to be perfect.”
“That won’t be an issue, Mr Alpine, I can assure you. Both myself and Lycus have handled these types of accounts and events before. You’re in the safest hands with the two of us,” I lie smoothly.
I don’t know if Lycus knows his arse from his elbow with event management, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let his inexperience ruin this opportunity for me.
“Excellent. So it’s been agreed by all parties, myself, my business partners, the owners of the club, and your boss here, that the two of you will begin the campaign right away, by flying out to Arizona and experiencing one of their Wicked Temptation club nights, so that you know what you’ll be working on when you get back home.”
My heart starts to beat double time as I plaster a smile onto my face. I can’t go to Arizona. That would involve flying. It’s my biggest fear – aside from failure.
I certainly can’t go to Arizona withLycus.
“S–sure!” I beam, my voice sounding all wrong, even over the blood pounding in my ears. “No problem. When do we go?”
My palms are slick with sweat and I try to surreptitiously wipe them on my skirt.
“Well, tomorrow. If possible. The day after, at the very latest. It’s a long flight and we thought it would be best if you had a couple of days to settle in before the event. You know, with jet lag and all that.”
I nod stiffly wondering how the hell I’m going to manage this. Can I get to my doctor in time to get something to help me step foot on a plane?
I clear my throat, but it still takes several attempts to get the words out. “Thank you. That’s very considerate.”
“No, thank you both for agreeing to do this. We knew when we saw both of your ideas put forward that you were the right couple for the job.”
I blanch at his use of the word ‘couple’. Lycus and I have never been and never will be a couple. We’re barely even business associates. We’re workplace adversaries at best. I prefer the term ‘arch-nemesis’. I hate the guy. I can’t go on a business trip with him.
Mr Alpine and Mr Mortimer wrap up the meeting, promising to schedule another once we’re back from Arizona and I bolt for the safety of my office as soon as I am able to.
My heart pounds painfully as I close the door behind me, the weight of the news settling in. Am I having a heart attack? It certainly feels like it – like there’s an elephant sitting on my chest, crushing it. Or a jumbo jet.
Fuck.
I can’t fly.
The air in the room feels heavy, but I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm the rising anxiety.
It doesn’t work.
The walls are closing in, adding to the weight already on my chest, and my vision is tunnelling. The words echo in my mind – I’m flying abroad for work. My palms continue to shake and sweat, and an unbreakable knot forms in my stomach.
I glance around the room, as if seeking reassurance from familiar surroundings. The walls, the furniture, everything seems unchanged, but my world has just been rocked. I never imagined that my job would require me to face my biggest fear. The mere thought of being thousands of feet above the ground sends shivers down my spine.
I drop onto the nearest chair, the reality sinking in. Thoughts race through my mind – turbulence, cramped spaces, the loss of control. Having to hide my fear fromLycus.
How am I going to handle this?
I take another pained breath, trying to steady myself. Maybe it won’t be as bad as I imagine. Maybe I can find a way to cope with the fear, to turn this daunting challenge into an opportunity for growth.
Or maybe I can beg my doctor to prescribe me something to knock me out for…I don’t even know how long it takes to get to Arizona. I don’t even know where it is. Is it a state? A city? Fuck. My Geography has always been horrible, but as I never planned on leaving the country, I didn’t think it mattered all that much.
There’s a soft knock on my door and I groan, laying my head down on my desk.
“Go away,” I call.
Whoever is on the other side ignores me. I hear the door click open and softly close again, then muted footsteps across my office carpet. I don’t raise my head, can’t open my eyes, because I’m trapped in every possible flying horror story scenario my brain can conjure.
All the movies. All the news reports. Every horrific possibility playing out in 4k vivid technicolour in my mind.
When a warm hand lands on my shoulder, I jolt and a whimper escapes my lips. My face flames. Even more reason to keep my head down.
