They stopped when they reached the aircraft, the chilly wind whipping the tails of her coat around her legs. She was very glad for the silk stockings she’d added at the last minute; otherwise, her legs would be frozen.

“Ms. Montgomery,” said the driver. He got out of the driver’s seat, then assisted her.

“Thank you,” she said, grateful to him, as it wasn’t easy to stay balanced in her heels, especially since the wind had kicked up. She should have worn different shoes. Too late now; she’d just have to manage.

Sensing her imbalance, he steadied her with his hand on her elbow, leading her up the red-carpeted stairs. Lauren managed to walk with some dignity to the top, where she was met at the cabin by a beautiful woman, probably close to her age, who was wearing a white blouse and a navy pencil skirt with a matching blazer. Her dark hair was pulled away from her face, her lips shaded the same red as the carpets. “Good afternoon, Ms. Montgomery. I’m Felicia, your personal flight attendant. Anything you need, just ask, and I’ll do my best to make your flight pleasant.” She helped Lauren remove her coat, folding it across her arm.

For a second, Lauren was speechless, then her manners kicked in. “Thank you, Felicia.”

“If you’ll follow me. Mr. G said you were to be seated in the executive suite.”

“Yes, of course,” she said. Angela was proving her wrong once again. This airplane was elegant; the décor, at least what she’d observed so far, was tasteful without being overdone. Four creamy leather seats surrounded wood-grain tables, and each area had a flat-screen television. Felicia headed to the rear of the plane, and Lauren followed her. Obviously, she wasn’t going to sit in those first-class seats with a table and a TV, but she was fine with that. She was just an employee of sorts. Of course she wouldn’t be seated in first class. Maybe executive suite was another way of saying business class.

Felicia led her past several private pods, with what appeared to be reclining chairs. Built into the arm of the recliners were power sockets and USB ports. “Wow.” She couldn’t help herself. “This is amazing.” Any fear of flying was forgotten as she continued to trail behind Felicia.

“Isn’t this the bomb?” Felicia said. “I came out of retirement for this job.”

What?

Lauren didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing.

“Here you are,” Felicia said, opening a door, allowing her inside. “This is the executive suite. Mr. G’s personal accommodations. He said to make yourself at home.”