Tatiyana Washington was having the week from hell, and hoped for her family’s sake things didn’t get worse. The main breadwinner in her household, Tatiyana feared what would happen if she suffered another financial setback in August.
Speed walking through Los Angeles International Airport, Tatiyana considered her recent string of bad luck. On Monday, she’d lost her favorite pair of earrings, and her lucrative executive secretary position at the largest software company in the state. On Tuesday her Jeep had died on Hollywood Freeway, and that morning she’d overslept for her 9:00 a.m. flight to Tampa. It was a mad dash to get to the airport, and if not for her cousin Everly weaving her battered Passat in and out of traffic like an emergency vehicle with its lights blazing, she’d still be stuck on the I-105.
Spotting gate 55A at the rear of the terminal, Tatiyana picked up her pace, expertly dodging children and weary-looking travelers clutching coffee cups. Everything was riding on this four-day trip to The Sunshine State, and she couldn’t afford to miss the flight. Consulting the monitors, she noticed Flight 74 to Tampa was delayed and sighed in relief. Finally, something’s going my way! Tatiyana approached the airline desk with confidence, convinced she was doing the right thing even though it was a lie.
“Good morning,” greeted the customer service agent, glancing away from her computer screen, her hazel eyes bright with interest. “How may I help you?”
Tatiyana read the brunette’s name tag and smiled brightly. Surfing the internet last night had uncovered important information about Markos Morretti, and she wasn’t going to blow this opportunity. “I need a huge favor.” Tatiyana spoke in a hushed voice, as if she was about to spill her guts, instantly seizing the agent’s attention. “My boyfriend’s on the nine o’clock flight to Tampa, and I want to surprise him. Can you work your magic and seat us together?”
“I’ll see what I can do, Miss. What’s your boyfriend’s name?”
For effect, Tatiyana glanced around the waiting area, cupped her hands around her mouth and whispered, “Markos Morretti.”
“Markos Morretti?” she repeated, his name falling from her mouth in a breathless gush. “The divorce attorney with the bedroom eyes?”
“The one and only. That’s my baby, and I can’t wait to see him! Is he here?”
The attendant bobbed her head. “Mr. Morretti walked inside the Boeing 738 five minutes ago, and when he strode through the terminal, women whistled and waved. I don’t blame them. He’s so dreamy I almost fainted when he smiled at me—”
“I know the feeling,” Tatiyana interjected, hoping to win favor with the attendant by indulging in girl talk. She’d do anything to achieve her goal, including fabricating a story about a red-hot relationship with the celebrated attorney, and spoke in a girlish voice to prove she was head over heels in love. “I melt every time Markos kisses me.”
“I bet. He’s gorgeous, and he smells good, too...”
To speed up the process, Tatiyana slid her photo ID across the desk and inquired about the delayed flight. LAX was swarming with disgruntled employees and travelers so loud she couldn’t hear herself think. The sooner Tatiyana got to her first-class seat and made friends with Markos Morretti the better. She’d never met the divorce attorney, but after seeing his picture with Mayor Glover in the Los Angeles Times weeks earlier, Tatiyana made it her mission to not only meet him, but befriend him. Markos was going to help her, whether he liked it or not, because no one messed with her family and got away with it. Tatiyana was going to make sure Mayor Glover did the right thing—even if it meant tipping off the media about his one-night stand with her twenty-two-year-old sister.
“Why didn’t you board the flight together?”
Tatiyana snapped to attention. Good question. “We had a spat yesterday, and we haven’t spoken since. That’s why I’m here. To apologize for hurting his feelings. I didn’t mean to.”
“Sounds serious,” she said, leaning forward, her hands pressed flat against the desk.
Dabbing at the corners of her eyes with her fingertips, she played the role of the distraught girlfriend to the hilt. “We ran into my ex at a movie premiere, and Markos accused me of flirting with him. I still can’t believe it. Why would I want him when I have a loving, romantic man who treats me like gold?”
“Why, indeed,” she agreed, her tone filled with awe. “From what I’ve read in the tabloids, Markos Morretti is everything a woman could want. Handsome, successful, romantic, and—”
“Amazing in bed—” Feigning embarrassment, Tatiyana broke off speaking. “Oops, I’ve said too much. I better board the flight before my loose lips get me into trouble.”
Hearing her cell chime, Tatiyana opened her leather tote bag, retrieved her iPhone and typed in her password. She had a new message from her mom, and seeing the image of her niece warmed her heart. Tatiyana had been gone only a couple hours, but she already missed Allie. The nine-month-old was the center of her world, a bright, bubbly baby with curly hair and chubby cheeks. Cuddling with her niece was the best part of her day. But when she saw Jantel curled up in bed, staring off into space, her good mood always fizzled.
“You’re all set. You’re in seat 1C, next to your boyfriend.”
Resisting the urge to dance around the desk, Tatiyana cheered inwardly, grateful her plan had gone off without a hitch. “Thank you, Mercedes. You’re the best!”
“It was my pleasure.”
“I’m going to email the airline, and tell them what a great employee you are.”
“I appreciate that Ms. Washington.”
“No problem,” Tatiyana said with a wink. “We ladies need to stick together, right?”
“If you grab your things, I can escort you to the plane.”
Panic flooded her body, rooting her six-inch heels to the floor. What if the attendant said something to Markos? What if she was exposed as a liar and hauled off the plane by airport security? Swallowing hard, she ignored the butterflies swarming her stomach and dismissed the attendant’s offer with a flick of her hand. “I’m a frequent flyer. I know the way.”
“I insist.” The attendant took off at a breakneck speed, leaving Tatiyana no choice but to follow her. Inside the tunnel, she fluffed her short, fizzy hair and adjusted her uniform. “Markos has two younger brothers,” she said, checking her appearance in a tiny, handheld mirror. “I saw a picture of Romeo and Enrique Morretti in Hello magazine a few months ago, and they’re total hotties. I’d love to meet them. Have you?”
“No, not yet. We haven’t been dating long, so I’d appreciate if you didn’t say anything to Markos about our relationship. He’s a very private man, and I don’t want you to upset him.”
“I won’t say a word. I know how to act around celebrities. I’m an aspiring actress...”
Everyone