Chapter 10: LAYOVER: MAGGIE

During the short journey to the hotel, I began to recall all the dark experiences that had come my way in quick succession and wondered if they had been preparation for something like what I had found myself facing. If it was, it hadn't worked. Nothing could have prepared me for when Shona died. I was still brooding over that thought when the car pulled up at the sidewalk beside the hotel entrance.

My emotionally spent body was exhausted by the time I arrived at the hotel room door. It was all I could do to step into the shower quickly before I crawled onto the bed, still wet and with only a towel wrapped around me. I remember nothing after that until I woke in the darkness, feeling nauseous. I hadn't eaten much in the previous few days. With little to no appetite I had to force myself to eat and that day was no different.

Digging deep, I found the energy and made my way down to the lobby, opting to order a warm chicken sandwich and have a few cups of coffee there instead of dinner. After eating I felt slightly better.

Realizing it was almost 8:00 a.m. on the eastern seaboard, I took my laptop out of my oversized purse and Skype called briefly with Molly and Mrs. Richie. It was good to see them, and Molly was delighted to hear from me.

Once I reassured her I'd be home the next day, I closed the call out and I looked up in time to see an elevator door open and Noah step out directly in front of me. The mere sight of the man made me upset, so I stuffed my belongings into my purse and headed for the elevators. It had been difficult enough when I saw him on the plane. I couldn't do anything about that, but I knew I'd be damned if I shared the same air on a voluntary basis.

*** NOAH

My mind went back to the woman who'd caught my attention for most of the flight on the way to our hotel, and I wondered why she had been the first passenger to be allowed off the plane. I was surprised when the pilot asked us to remain seated and she was invited to leave by the cabin crew.

As she gathered up her belongings, she looked directly at me and saw that I was watching her. I gave her a warm smile when we made eye contact and hoped for the same in return; however, she appeared to look right through me and wore a look of disdain on her face.

I recognized that look. I'd seen it plenty of times before and her snotty attitude pissed me off. I wondered whether she treated most people like that, or, if she knew who I was, she'd judged me on the reputation the media had formed of me. It was a pity because I found her highly attractive, but her arrogance stank.

It annoyed me because I felt prejudged and deduced, I wasn't worth knowing simply because I sang in a band for a living. Luckily, I didn't have time to dwell on my thought because I was second in line to disembark.

I hated layovers, but I hated non-stop long haul more and was thankful for the quick transfer to the hotel in Dubai.

Less than an hour from leaving the aircraft I stood in the shower, thankful to have made it there in one piece. After I washed and felt a little better, I noticed the wet bar menu and scanned the room looking for the small cabinet that held it inside.

A slight tremor shook my hand as I swung open the door and found an assortment of sodas and ice teas. I sighed with both relief and a tinge of disappointment because true to form, Annalise had ensured all forbidden temptation had been removed from it. It wasn't her responsibility to keep alcohol out of my clutches; she was following orders from my manager to help keep me dry.

I pulled out a root beer and slammed the door shut, pulled the tab on the ring pull and slugged it down like it was all I really needed. Taking my drink with me I climbed onto the bed and lay naked under the colonial fan with my legs spread wide and my arms above my head. It wasn't long before the journey took its toll and I fell asleep.

***

Night had fallen by the time I woke and although I felt groggy, the pangs of hunger dragged me to my feet. I grabbed a fresh pair of jeans and pulled on a plain white t-shirt before texting Eamon; my bodyguard, to let him know I was on the move. I then sent another to George, one of my band mates, and Annalise; my PA, to meet me for dinner.

When I exited the elevator on the ground floor, I was stunned to see the same woman from the aircraft sitting directly in front of me when the doors opened. She glanced up and as she did I swear she winced in disapproval at my appearance before she went back to whatever she was doing on her laptop.

By then I was convinced she was stuck up and well connected. She'd been the first to leave the plane which was an obvious tell of her status. Usually, it was me who did that; the cabin crew normally gave me a head start on the passengers to ensure I arrived safely through immigration with the least amount of commotion to the other passengers. Again, I stared at her and considered what it was about her that I didn't know but all the airline staff did.

For a few seconds I considered ignoring her and heading straight to dinner, but I knew it would have bugged me if I never took the chance to change her mind about me. So, I decided to burst her bubble and show her what a gentleman I could be instead.

With time to kill and a challenge to keep me occupied, I figured no matter how I did it; I was determined to show her the kind of guy I really was and to change her bias view of me.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help noticing you were alone on the flight. As we have some time to kill, I wondered if you'd mind some company... if you're not expecting anyone of course?"

When she glanced up at me her face was contorted with an angry expression. She looked horrified and dismayed to see me standing in front of her.

"I do mind. I have nothing to say to you," she snapped and pulled all her shit together without looking up.

It had been years since I'd faced rejection by any woman in conversation and I figured I at least deserved an explanation for the hostility she appeared to harbor toward me.

"Have we met before? I'm sure if we had I would have remembered such a beautiful looking woman," I asked trying again to be civil.

"Are you fucking serious? Leave me alone," she demanded, and became more visibly distressed as she sprang to her feet and hurriedly shoved her ereader and cardigan into an oversized purse.

"Wait - "

"Stay away from me," she shrieked loudly as she hurriedly moved past me.

Without thinking I reached out and grabbed her forearm, "Hold on a minute, there's no need -"

Before I could finish, she swiftly tugged her arm free, gave me a terrified look, and rushed toward the elevator. I stood stunned and watched as she rapidly pressed at the call button like she was desperate to get away from me. Glancing around, I saw Eamon walking toward me, his head turned and watching her, then I glanced around the hotel lobby. I cringed when I saw her reaction had attracted attention.

I ran my hands through my hair and turned back to look at the elevators and I was surprised when I saw her exchange words with Annalise who was in the elevator. I was even more stunned when Annalise appeared to know her. My confusion was increased when the woman appeared to reach out and slumped distressed into my assistant's arms as the doors closed.

What in Hell's name is going on? I sank down into the seat vacated by the woman and waved the waiter for a drinks service. "Soda and lime," Eamon piped up as the waiter attempted to take my order. "You didn't wait for me before you left your room," he offered, stating the obvious when he'd gone there to find me. I ignored him and sat still watching the bank of elevators and waited for Annalise to come back.

"What the fuck was that about?" he asked.

Shaking my head, I shrugged and continued to watch the doors of the elevators until Annalise came back down to the lobby. My drink arrived seconds before the elevator carrying her did and she walked toward me with a deep frown creasing her brow.

"Care to tell me what the fuck that was about?" I snapped in an aggressive tone. Annalise wrung her hands and her expression told me I wouldn't like what she said.

"Please don't be mad with me. I had every intention of telling you, but Steve said it had to wait until we got home."

"Tell me what? What the fuck am I missing? I've never seen that woman before in my life. Whatever she's accusing me of, she's a liar."

"Calm down. She isn't accusing you of anything, Noah, and I'm sure she'll view you differently in a couple of months."

"View me differently? She doesn't even know me. What the fuck is she judging me for? I'm telling you I've never even met her before."

Annalise wrung her hands again like she always did when she was about to tell me something she knew would upset me.

"Her name is Maggie. Her sister worked as a styling assistant until recently."

"So, she got fired?"

"She died. Choked on her own vomit."

The air I had in my lungs, instantly wasn't enough. I inhaled sharply as the shock of the news stopped me short of breath.

"She did what? She was one of my crew and she... died? Died as in dead? What the fuck? And nobody thought I should know about this?" I rose from the chair and tried to keep my voice down. "When did this happen?"

"It happened a few days ago. And of course, I thought you should know. I argued that you had to be told, but Steve insisted it was a bad idea with the flight home n'all and ordered me to wait until you were back in the USA. He knows how you feel about flying and - "

"And because Steve knows better, you did what he told you instead of what was right? Damn, Annalise, I thought you could handle my needs. Maybe you should go work for Steve instead of me. I needed to know about this... not find out about it this way." I glanced at Eamon, "You knew as well? Maybe I need a new team that will have my back," I bit in an angry outburst.