Chapter 1
Maria trudged through the terminal, the pressure on her bladder providing a constant reminder. She finally neared her gate and glanced at the scrolling marquee. Shit, they’re boarding in ten minutes and I really need to pee…
She sighed and looked around for the restroom signs. Spotting them a fair distance down the corridor, her shoulders slumped. She didn’t care for the thought of slogging down there and squeezing into a stall with both her backpack and carry-on. Peeing in the tiny bathroom on the plane didn’t appeal to her either.
A calm, modulated voice sounded next to her. “I can watch your things if you need to go use the facilities.”
She whirled, her eyes narrowing. Maria was not prone to paranoia but she was sensibly cautious. She was curious how someone could guess her predicament with such accuracy.
A pair of warm brown eyes met her own. The man was dressed in a business-like button down and neat slacks, with a shock of slightly messy dark hair and beard, both neatly trimmed. He gave her a hint of a smile. “Go ahead, it’s not a problem at all.”
She resigned herself to accepting his offer. “That’s very kind of you.” Shrugging out of her backpack she added, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
He nodded and gripped the carry-on handle. Wheeling it next to him he slipped the backpack straps over the handle. “Take your time, I’ve got these.”
Maria did her business and considered herself in the mirror as she washed up. Several strands of hair had escaped her bun and she repaired that, then touched up her lip gloss. She pressed her damp hands to her cheeks. I can give him a fake number if he asks and I feel bad vibes. She straightened her shoulders and walked with restored poise back to the man. He was talking to the guy seated next to him, apparently a business colleague. She noted he still held the handle of her carry-on with one hand.
“Hi, I’m back.”
He smiled. “So I see.” He hefted the backpack from the handle and handed it to her. “Here you go.”
As Maria slipped it on an announcement came over the loudspeaker. “Oh, that’s my flight.” She took the carry-on handle and turned to go. Hold on, I’m being rude.
She stopped herself, looked back over her shoulder and flashed him a smile. “Thank you again for your kind help.”
He nodded, amusement twinkling in his amber eyes. “Any time. Safe travels.”
She looked at him for a long moment, then turned and walked to the gate.
The plane cruised along through the bright blue sky at 36,000 feet. Maria was scarcely conscious of the drone of the engines as she replayed the scene at the airport in her head.
Why didn’t he ask for my number? I was all primed for it. If he asked like an arrogant asshole I would blow him off. If he asked nicely, and I strongly suspect he would, I would have given it to him.
She sighed. Men are so hard to predict. But he figured out my situation at a glance and helped me without prompting. That counts for something anyway...
She opened her iPad and went over her notes from her last meeting. Get your head back in the game, Maria.
Maria returned from her successful trip to Chicago and hit up her bestie to catch up over coffee. Lily tossed her brown waves and sipped her coffee. “Tell me more about this mysterious guy you met at the airport.”
Maria shrugged. “There’s not much more to tell. He offered to watch my stuff while I used the bathroom and I took him up on it.”
“You didn’t ask him to watch it?”
“Nope. I hadn’t even made eye contact, my back was to him.”
Lily rested her chin on her hand. “Sounds like he’s pretty observant. He must have noticed you hopping from one leg to the other.”
“Bitch!” Maria burst into laughter. “Next time you’re schlepping bags in the airport and need to pee, I hope karma reaches out to slap you.”
“I don’t travel as much as you do.” Lily giggled. “But he didn’t ask for your number? That just seems weird. Why be so nice to a woman if you’re not interested in her?”
“I won’t concede that he wasn’t interested. My flight was called right after I came back and he maybe didn’t want to stress me out by delaying me.”
“That’s a possibility,” conceded Lily. “But if he had asked for it?”
“Then we would be here dissecting every word of a text chain instead of wondering ‘what if.’”
Lily grinned at her friend. “It sounds like you’d like to have another chance with him.”
“He was a fine looking man, pretty high up there on the hotness scale. I haven’t had real prospects of that caliber in a while. He didn’t leer at me, he seemed really nice. But what are the odds that I’ll ever see him again?” She grimaced.
“You never know.” Lily waved her fingers. “I’ll bet you lunch that you made a lasting impression on him, too.”
The next day was Monday and Maria made an effort to concentrate at her desk. Her director at Nexstone Financial held a meeting that morning to discuss strategies for managing what he called the “tariff somersaults,” and several good suggestions resulted from the brainstorming. She took them to heart and went to work.
Maria spent two hours adjusting the portfolios of some of her key clients, pleased that all the transactions were nearly a wash. She knew she would have to keep a close eye on things for the next several weeks. Her clients trusted her to keep them afloat in uncertain times.
Her phone buzzed and she glanced at the screen. It was Phil, her manager.
“Hey boss.”
He chuckled. He once told her that no one in his group dared to call him “boss,” and Maria made a point of using the term since then – only in one-on-one conversations, though. Phil, who hailed from Maine, often told her that she had “moxie” and she delighted in proving him right.
“Maria, I have a problem.”
“Don’t you always,” she responded, grinning. “It must run in your family. How can I help?”
“I can’t cover both the meeting in Orange tomorrow and the regional update. I need you to handle Orange. Pretty please?”
Her eyes scrunched up in dismay. “Ugh, Jersey again? All right, what time?”
“It’s at 12:30.”
“Dammit Phil! That’ll be an hour ride minimum, complete with surge pricing!”
“Hold on there, Missy. You can take the subway to the Hudson Yards heliport, grab the chopper to Newark and get a ride from there. Heading west from Newark may not even be surge.” He cleared his throat. “I already cleared the expenses and your chopper ticket is prepaid. Please, Maria? You’re the only one I can trust to handle this. They know you are a straight shooter and won’t dare try to sandbag you.”
There it was. Maria was acutely aware that she was still an Associate at Nexstone, but garnering more and more attention from the higher-ups. The request to cover this meeting solo was another clear sign that she was being treated in the context of moving up the ladder.
“All right, but this is gonna cost you. Can Lexi make her awesome chicken parm this weekend?”
Phil guffawed. “Who’s going to owe who here? I’ll check, but you know she loves to see you. If anything can get her to make it, your coming to the house should do it.”
Maria smiled. She would brave the hassle of Long Island Railroad to see Lexi, chicken parmesan or not. Phil’s wife was an amazing friend despite their age gap, and they’d had several evenings at his place in Lindenhurst that were filled with laughter and easy companionship. The only downside was Lexi fretting over her current lack of a boyfriend, and wondering aloud what she could do about it. Maybe that would change soon.
Maria opted for a practical shoulder bag for the meeting in Jersey. There was no sense wrinkling her suit with a backpack. She came out of the subway station and walked briskly toward the heliport in her flats. A pair of pumps was in her bag to change into for the meeting. At the home office she might not care, but for a client meeting adding a couple of inches to boost her petite 5’-4” frame couldn’t hurt.
As she neared the High Line, a former elevated railroad converted to a landscaped public path, Maria glanced with some envy at the people strolling above. At least Phil told her she needn’t come back to the office after the meeting. Maybe she could get in a stroll of her own later to unwind.
The attendant at the heliport departure lounge checked her ID and tagged her shoulder bag. “Here you are, Ms. Flores. We’ll board in ten minutes. Have a smooth trip.” Maria nodded with a smile as she took the proffered headset.
At the signal she boarded the ’copter, slipped into her seat and held her bag on her lap. The helicopter seats were comfortable but foot room was at a premium.
Adjusting her headset, Maria looked up at the other passengers. A flush pervaded her face and neck as she found herself staring at the man diagonally across from her seat - a tallish, broad-shouldered dude with slightly messy dark hair and trimmed beard. He glanced her way and his eyes lit up as his mouth twitched into a brief grin.
It can’t be… but it is! It’s him!
Her thumbs flew over her phone as she texted Lily.
‘I’m on the chopper to Newark and HE’S HERE’
‘WTF how cool is that! Did u talk to him?’
‘No. We have headsets so I don’t want to chat him up with everyone listening in. What should I do’
‘Take ur shot when u land, silly girl!’
Maria chuckled as she read the text. That was typical Lily, over-analysis wasn’t part of her makeup.
The chitchat among the passengers was restricted to admiring the view. Neither she nor the guy from the airport spoke. She barely had time to enjoy the panorama over the Hudson when the helicopter descended toward the pad at Newark Airport. The pilot landed smoothly and cut the engine. He spoke into his microphone. “Thanks for riding with us, and have a great day.”
Maria donned her shoulder bag, handed the attendant her headset, took a few steps toward the arrival lounge, then spun around to face the man. He stopped when he saw her.
Maria gave him a stern look. “So what exactly is going on here? Are you some kind of a stalker?”
Allen’s eyes crinkled as he looked down at her but he tried to keep a straight face. “Not at all, but I am a certified Coincidence Wizard.”
His dry, offbeat sense of humor caused flutters in her tummy. She folded her arms and played along. “You seem to have that down. What’s the next coincidence you have planned for us?”
He covered his eyes with one hand, intoning, “I see a flickering candle, a white linen tablecloth with matching napkins, and a menu… with large numbers.”
Her laughter rang out. “Can’t you be a little more specific?”
“Sure can. I’m Allen.”
“That’s a better name than Mr. Wizard I guess. Hello, Allen, I’m Maria.” She offered her hand and he grasped it. She sensed his strength even though his touch was gentle.
“Maria... I don’t suppose you would happen to have something like a phone number?”
That brought another chortle from her. This dude was just different. She couldn’t help smiling at him.
“I do have a phone number. Next you’ll be asking me if you can have it.”
“Well, the thought had crossed my mind.”
“So let’s skip the next four questions. Unlock your phone and hand it over.”
She reached to take his phone, still smiling as she typed ‘Maria’ and her number.
“There, see? Your wizardry has gained you access to my contact info.”
“But what about the the white tablecloth and candle?”
Her phone buzzed. “My ride is here, so we’ll have to discuss that possibility another time – Mr. Wizard.”
She flashed another smile as Allen took a good look at her: deep brown eyes, long dark hair tied back in a high ponytail, a crisp white blouse with a fitted gray jacket and matching skirt – the outfit, though professional, flattered her curves. She spoke and moved with poise and had a dazzling smile. Her smooth complexion had a natural bronze tone, in all likelihood a Latina.
Allen liked what he saw. He nodded at her. “Until that time. I hope your meeting goes well.”
Maria slid into the car and confirmed the address. Her thoughts flashed back to Allen as the driver pulled into traffic and headed toward Orange.
Now he figured out I’m going to a meeting. Maybe he is a wizard!
Her phone buzzed with a text from an unfamiliar number. She unlocked the screen.
‘Hi Maria, it’s Allen Davies. Can I have your full name so I can look you up on the internet?’
“Que huevos!” thought Maria, but couldn’t help chuckling as she saved his number. She considered texting Lily, then thought better of it.
Get over yourself babe. He’s just telling you that he’s dating with purpose. You know damn well you’re going to look him up too!
She tapped out a response.
‘Maria Delgado Flores’
‘that’s lovely – Colombian?’
‘got it in one Mr. Wizard’
‘lol guess I’m on a roll’
‘til u crash out’
‘ur a cheeky lady’
‘so I’ve been told’
Her cheeks felt warm at their exchange. A guy who could banter and slip in a compliment – that was rare in her dating history.
The ride to the office building in Orange was uneventful. Maria put a nice tip into the app and stepped from the car. She slipped her bag onto her shoulder, smoothed her skirt, checked her hair, and walked to the door. She headed directly to the reception desk.
“Maria Flores from Nexstone, I’m...”
“Oh yes, Ms. Flores, they’re expecting you. You’re right on time.” She handed Maria a pre-printed visitor badge and checked her monitor. “It’s conference room 304.”
“Third floor?”
“That’s right, the elevators are over there.” She pointed.
Maria smiled at her. “I’ll take the stairs, thanks anyway.”
The receptionist admired Maria’s undulating behind and shapely legs as she walked toward the stairway.
It wouldn’t hurt me to take the stairs once in a while, if it means I’d look like that.
