Page 37 of Falling for the Bosshole

“Tell me what’s bothering you,” she asked.

“We’ve both been working so hard that we rarely have time to spend together. You leave for the studio each morning as I go to the office. We both come home at night, tired and exhausted. Then it’s the same shit all over again,” he ranted. A few seconds passed before he added softly, “I miss you, Ana.”

Ana leaned against his chest and whispered back, “I miss you too, Lash, terribly. But I’ve only been busy because I wanted to make things work at the studio for you. I see how badly you want the studio to be known not only locally but also abroad. And this invitation is proof that you are slowly being recognized for all your hard work. I’m sure your mom is happy wherever she is,” Ana declared.

She heard him sigh deeply then said, “You’re right Ana. I should be grateful to you and Jonathan, but I do miss you. I am sorry for being angry about our missed lunch.”

“We’ll make it work, somehow,” Ana promised.

Ana was glad for the momentary impasse. But she didn’t know Lash the way she thought she did.

When she stepped into his apartment a few days later, she saw that he was dressed casually with a suitcase standing by the door. His eyes shone with hidden excitement.

“Are you going somewhere?” Ana asked anxiously. He never mentioned anything about spending time away from her.

Lash nodded animatedly. “You’re coming with me, so go pack your things.”

“What?”

“It’s all been arranged. You don’t have to worry about the studio. Jonathan knows. We spoke earlier today, and he fully supports me,” Lash declared.

Ana was in a daze. Leaving her duties on such short notice felt irresponsible, but if Jonathan knew, then she supposed it was all right.

“If you’re not ready in ten minutes, I swear I’ll leave you,” Lash threatened.

Ana made a mad dash for the bedroom to pack her things. A feeling of excitement filled her over this surprise. She was out again before her ten minutes were up.

Inside the Bentley, she asked, “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” he answered mysteriously.

Ana fell back on the seat, trying to contain her annoyance. Why did he have to be so enigmatic about it?

“We’re headed for the airport,” Ana exclaimed, seeing the familiar landmarks.

Lash shook his head, still with a teasing look on his face.

“Of course, we are,” Ana insisted.

He made a sudden turn onto a side road away from the airport. They passed a series of airplane hangars before coming to a stop in front of one of them. Lash drove straight to a gulf stream that was parked outside the hangar. He stepped out and tossed the keys of the Bentley to a mechanic. A man in a pilot’s uniform stood beside the stairs of the aircraft. They talked for a couple of seconds before Lash came to open the door. Ana stepped out of the car with a look of amazement on her face.

“This is your private plane, right?

Lash chuckled at the accusing tone in her voice.

“Yes,” he answered, “…and a helicopter will be waiting for us at the airport when we land to bring us to our final destination.”

She was still in the dark about his plans, even as the plane took off and was airborne for almost 7 hours. She decided just to enjoy the surprise as they whiled away the time talking and selecting treats from the menu the stewardess brought to them. Then she retrieved a magazine, positioned herself next to him, and decided just to read.

She glanced at him and saw that he had dozed off. She closed the magazine and burrowed comfortably in on his lap before falling asleep. She didn’t know how long she slept, but when she opened her eyes, she had a pillow on her head and a blanket wrapped around her. Lash was seated across from her watching her intently.

“…Morning, gorgeous.” He said.

“Was it morning already,” Ana wondered. And where exactly were they?

The pilot’s voice suddenly broke through the intercom.

“Please fasten your seatbelts. We are landing in El Prat in a few minutes.”