“I’ve flown commercial before.” Will frowned. The corners of his lips turned upside down in the cutest way. “I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth.”
As she took a step backward, Zoe folded her arms across her chest and cocked one questioning brow. Everything about him screamed one percent.
Will pressed his hand against his heart and bowed his head. “For the record, I’ve been on the company plane just a few times.”
“And today makes what? Your tenth time on your private plane?”
In response, Will nodded his dark head. “Every three commercial trips we get a bonus. We get to bring a guest with us. What do you say? Can I give you a lift?” The humorous tone matched the smirk on his face.
Uncrossing her arms, Zoe shook her head to the side. “What do I say to what?”
“A ride, you know, to wherever you’re going.”
It was as if he was asking her to share his cab with her or giving her a lift from the grocery store. So simple. So easy. So tempting. “You don’t even know where I’m going.”
At the most inconvenient time, a woman’s voice came over the intercom. “All passengers heading for Atlanta, we will begin boarding in ten minutes.”
“I’ll take a wild guess and say you’re headed to Atlanta.”
The idea of squeezing into a seat next to either one of those two men, Will or the man who’d been behind her, did not sit well with Zoe. On the other hand, flying with Will might give her the chance to show off her work. “You can’t be serious.”
“But I am.”
“I don’t want to take you out of your way,” Zoe said chewing on her bottom lip. So many images of having him her way entered her mind. “Where were you headed?”
“If I were to tell you, it wouldn’t even matter. Just know that I am headed in the direction of Atlanta and I don’t mind at all giving you a lift.”
In truth, this deal had been sealed when Will broached the subject. But when one of the kids across the hall screamed he was going to be sick and proceeded to do so, Zoe was sold.
“Well—” Zoe hesitated with another gnaw on her bottom lip “—you wouldn’t even have to take me all the way to Atlanta. My friend was going to pick me up and bring me down south.”
Will stepped aside and waved his arm in the direction of the terminal. “Where exactly are you headed?”
Elated to not have to fly on the crowded plane, Zoe stepped forward into the blue area. “A little town called Southwood,” she called over her shoulder. She walked a few more paces before she realized Will was not behind her. She turned around and found him standing in the same spot. “What’s wrong?”
“Are you attending this Glitz-something pageant?”
A slow smile spread across Zoe’s face. “What do you know about it?”
“My cousins, Joyce and Naomi, talked me into going. They said it would be good for business if I represented the company as a judge.”
“Smart move,” Zoe said with a slight nod of the head. Right now, hearing anything about the twins soured her thoughts. A month or two ago, Marcus had told her about the position at Ravens Cosmetics and got her hopes up. Zoe was supposed to have been a sure thing. Yet here she was, stuck at MIA, contemplating hitching a ride with the man who lacked the ability to see her talents. Zoe cleared her throat.
“I’ve got nothing but smart moves planned for the company,” Will said.
Zoe felt the corners of her eyes tighten with a smirk. Her body leaned forward. She expected Will to add something along the lines of “when you join the team.” All she received was a sneer. “What do you know about the beauty industry?” Zoe boldly asked.
“I know I’m not going to let my family’s legacy fail,” he retorted.
Without him having to say the words, Zoe knew Will was not impressed with her work. Seemed like this week was going to turn out perfect.
When Will flashed a smile, her knees went weak again. According to Lexi’s itinerary, they were going to be sequestered for almost a week. Zoe would be making over all of the contestants. One full week to prove to Will she’d be the perfect person for the CDD job.