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Sid motioned for the taxi to stop, which it did.
“Obsidian, wait…”
“You may call me Mr. Hayes.” Sid got out before he said things he would regret and slammed the door shut.
He crossed to the back of the taxi and yanked the bike from the rack. For a moment, he was tempted to make Emmaline take the bike instead.
But even when he was upset, Obsidian Hayes considered himself a gentleman. She could ride in the taxi. He still had a mountain of anger and frustration that needed to be burned away.
Chapter 36
“I can beat him up for you if you want,” Kalani said.
Rain poured from the dark predawn sky, mirroring the sadness in Jayna’s heart. They stood under the covered Manutai airport passenger drop as an airline porter checked in her luggage and mermaid tail.
Jayna gave him a weary smile and pulled him into another hug. She knew Kalani was joking but felt the need to restate her position anyway. “Promise me you won’t beat him up—or even confront him about this. We need Realms and Kingdom to be on good terms, at least until we can figure out how to salvage the employee buyout.”
As much as she loved her job at Realms of Neptune, she couldn’t bear to keep working for a company that was part of Hayes Corp. If she wanted to keep her job at Realms, an employee buy-out would be the best way. Unfortunately, given everything Sid had told her about the Cerulean Order’s obsession with image and reputation, she doubted they would approve their financing after the explosive end to her relationship with Sid.
“The Kingdom board has agreed to consider increasing the amount of our investment. We’re kinda strapped after all of the recent expansion, but it should help,” Kalani said. “We’ll figure something out.”
“Anything else?” the porter asked when he had finished checking Jayna’s gear.
“No, that’s it.” A concierge from the Whakapaipai had agreed to bring a few of Jayna’s essentials to the SAPP house. Most of the clothes in her room had been bought by Emmaline, and Jayna didn’t want anything that might remind her of Sid. She’d been half tempted to keep the shoes, but quickly dismissed the idea and sent them back, along with the gown and U-suit.
“Okay,” the porter said. “Have a nice flight.”
Kalani pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. It was the kind of brotherly affection he had always shown her, which made Sid’s accusations about them all the more absurd.
Jayna hugged him back. “Thanks for everything.”
“You take care of yourself.”
Jayna pried herself free and walked into the airport with heavy feet and a heavy heart.
The International Airport of Manutai was gorgeous, and Jayna wished she could have seen it in the daytime when the shops and restaurants were open. She would have enjoyed the beautiful public spaces much more had she been in a better place emotionally. But instead, she was heartbroken, humiliated, and significantly poorer at having purchased the last-minute commercial ticket home.
She had dressed in a simple floral top with khaki shorts and hidden her distinctive red hair under a Kingdom of Tangaroa cap. She had no interest in calling attention to herself, and the last thing she wanted was to be recognized. She hadn’t even checked her ranking or income lately. Never in her life had she been more desperate to disappear and become invisible.
Unfortunately, it was impossible to remain invisible and anonymous going through airport security. Several of the officers manning the security screening congratulated Jayna on her Merathlon victory, though it was clear from the furtive glances and hushed conversations that the win wasn’t the only reason they recognized her.
She reached the end of the scanners with a huge sense of relief. But just as she was ready to leave for her gate, the officer at the security exit held up his hand. “One moment, Miss.”
A cold chill ran through her. She hadn’t done anything wrong, but she worried Sid might somehow try to keep her from leaving Manutai. She tried to dismiss the thought but given the way his reputation score had tanked in the past twelve hours she wouldn’t put anything past him.
The officer who stopped her had the distant look of someone listening to an earpiece. After a moment, he nodded and then ushered Jayna towards a small room at the side of the security area. “Please step in here and take a seat. Someone will be with you in a moment.”
Jayna’s heart lurched. Her eyes welled with tears of frustration and concern, but she refused to let them fall.
The room was small, white, and sterile. The walls were completely blank. She sat in a plain plastic chair and did the mindfulness exercises she had learned when she was beginning to dive and needed to keep her heart from racing.
A few minutes passed before the door opened, and Emmaline walked through. Her hair was a plain, ordinary chestnut brown, and Jayna nearly didn’t recognize her. When the door closed and Sid didn’t follow Emmaline into the room, Jayna felt a pang of disappointment. And then she mentally kicked herself. Sid was the last person she wanted to see. And Emmaline was a close second.
Jayna folded her arms and tried to make her face as impassive as she could. “I don’t have the dress if that’s what you’re after. I sent it back with the hotel concierge, along with everything else you and your boss bought for me.”
Emmaline winced, and the regret that crossed her face almost made Jayna feel sorry for her. “I’m not here for the dress.” She let out a sigh. “And you should probably know that Obsidian is no longer my boss. I’ve made a terrible mess of things, and I owe you an apology.”
Jayna did her best not to let her surprise show. “What do you have to apologize for?”
