Chapter 2: Meeting Destiny?

Chapter 2: Meeting Destiny?

Bella walked up to the Virgin Atlantic First-Class ticket counter. "You should have a reservation for Bella Grant?" she asked.

"Ms. Grant. Yes, your tickets are not available at this time. I've been instructed to ask you to wait in the First-Class lounge. Your party is already there," replied the clerk.

"Thank you," she said. Approaching the door to the lounge, to herself, "Here we go…"

She walked in and glanced around. There were several men waiting alone. None was immediately apparent as a television photographer. "Crap…" whispered to herself. Then she heard a deep voice behind her.

"Bella?" She turned to see a man with deep brown eyes looking her way, his closely cropped salt and pepper hair matching his mustache and goatee. He was tanned as though he spent a great deal of time outdoors.

She smiled her best TV anchor smile and moved toward him with her right hand outstretched. "Hello! Bella. Isabella. Um, just Bella. Grant. And you are?" What the hell was that? You sound like an idiot! She felt herself blush slightly.

He stood to greet her and smiled, amusement sparkling in his eyes. "Luke McGillicutty. Pleased to meet you. Can I order you a drink while we wait?" he asked. He was tall, about six and a half feet. His voice was deep and sexy, his gaze intense, his handshake warm and strong.

Careful girlfriend. Take a breath. "Nice to meet you." She grinned. "Yes, a drink. I'll take a glass of sauvignon blanc. Thanks!" Luke ordered her wine as she took a seat at the table he'd chosen.

"So," she laughed lightly. "Should we share our resumes? Our curriculum vitae?" You still sound like Minnie Mouse on speed. Chill the hell out!

"If you like," he laughed as well. "I've been covering wars, murder, and mayhem ever since 9/11. I figured it was time to look on the lighter side of life."

"Wow. Ok. Well, I'm most recently from Akron. I was an anchor on the wake up show there. You know, Akron. The Bundt cake capital of the world," she laughed. "I started out as a reporter in Austin, then Anaheim, then Asheville, then Akron. And until now, I was completely unaware that every city I've ever worked in began with A."

Their drinks arrived, her wine and, she noticed, his Scotch. She wondered if she should be worried. After all it was two o'clock in the afternoon. Instead, she asked, "Do you have any idea where we're going?"

"Nope. Charlie was perfectly vague about that. The people at the ticket counter didn't tell me anything. Apparently, he's going to call us," Luke answered. He sipped his Scotch. "How did you get this job anyhow?"

"I applied after seeing an ad in a trade. You?" she wondered.

"Same," he replied, swirling his glass absently.

"Where is your luggage?" Bella asked. "I had the Skycaps put mine in storage. It's kind of a pain, not knowing when our flight is."

"This is my luggage," he answered, indicating a couple of beat-up duffels.

"No, seriously, the rest of your stuff," she laughed.

"This is it," Luke said. "This is all of it. I travel light. Something I learned from a buddy of mine, Bear Grylls." He sipped again.

"You know Bear Grylls? That sounds like a story. But really, this is all you have? For three months?" she asked, incredulously. "How can you possibly have everything you need?" He's going to die when he sees my luggage!

Luke went on to tell her about getting to know Bear Grylls back in their military days. She tried to listen to his story but found her thoughts being pulled in different directions.

For one thing, she couldn't help noticing that he was handsome in a rugged way, not typically her cup of tea, whatever that meant. Not like she was out on a date every night.

And for the next three months they would be partners. It would be up to them to find the story in the places they were assigned to cover. They needed to formulate a concept that would be the essence of the show. She had some ideas, of course. But now she had to collaborate with Luke. What were his thoughts as to the direction of the show?

She shook her head slightly and tried to bring her focus back to what he was saying.