Page 85 of Miss Trust

Tory

We were at the airport by three o’clock. I didn’t know how it happened. All I had to say was no, I didn’t want to go to Vegas. But I hadn’t. Evidently, I was incapable of the word “no” where Chance Maxwell was concerned. This inability evidently extended to letting him give us a flight on a lavish private jet, a spa day, and even a new dress. I wasn’t sure when I’d lost my anxiety about accepting gifts from him. Perhaps this is what trust looked like.

As soon as we hit cruising altitude, Penelope went down for a nap, laying her head on my shoulder. Mona was in the back with Malik, the two of them chatting.

Chance came over to hand me a bottle of water.

“Thank you.”

“Welcome.” His eyes flicked to Penelope, and he smiled. “She was so excited.”

She had been over the moon. “She’s bound to think all airplane travel is this way. Heck, so will I.”

He cocked his head to the side. “This is your first time on a plane?”

“It is.” Thankfully, I’d been so caught up in Penny’s excitement, I hadn’t become a nervous flier.

“This is a short flight.”

My attention was briefly drawn to the back of the plane where Mona and Malik seemed deep in conversation. I noticed she touched his arm at something funny he must’ve said.

Chance followed my gaze over his shoulder. “What are you looking at?”

“I think it might be Mona flirting with Malik.”

His expression was a meld of horror and disbelief. “No.”

“Yep.” I spotted the way she giggled at something and took note of the way his eyes softened when he spoke to her. “Definitely flirting.”

“I don’t want to hear this. Matter of fact, I’m going to institute a no-fraternization policy, effective immediately.” There was no heat or seriousness to his words.

“No, you’re not. Especially when we have been doing plenty of fraternizing.”

He heaved an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. But if they go in the back bedroom together, I’m firing Malik.”

“No, you won’t.”

“No, I won’t. God, I’ve turned into a real—” He glanced at Penny’s sleeping form. “A real p-u-s-s-y.”

I giggled at the way he’d stopped himself. But the truth was I appreciated his modification for little ears, even though those ears were sleeping.

“You know what this means?”

His smirk made my stomach clench. “What does it mean?”

“It means I’ll have to go all a-l-p-h-a on you later to make up for it.”

I could hardly wait.

Three hours later, my toes were in a tub of water, my face slathered in some kind of mask, and my fingernails wet with polish. Penny sat next to me, squealing at the bright pink color the salon worker was putting on her nails. Mona, on the other side of her, had opted for a clear polish. Chance had gone into the office but had promised to be back in time to pick me up tonight.

After the mani, pedi, and facial, they worked on my makeup and hair. I’d never had either done professionally and was in awe with how well it turned out.

“Wow, Mommy, you look like a movie star,” Penny complimented as she came into the master bathroom where I sat at the vanity.

“Thanks, baby.” When Penny had first lost her hair, I’d told her I’d shave mine. Horrified, she’d made me promise not to because she loved it too much.

“Is this your dress?” She fingered the gown hung up by the wardrobe.