Her Amazing Boss!. Barbara McMahon
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she asked, jumping up and trying to see more than flashes of lights at ground level.
“Probably.” Rafael went to the basket and retrieved the radio. In seconds he was in contact with the crew and turned on both flashlights to show them where they were. In less than twenty minutes the truck arrived, lurching over the rough terrain, illuminating everything with its powerful headlights.
Amalia was so glad they’d arrived. She needed a buffer between her and Rafael.
Camping had never been high on her list of things to do, but with accomplished veterans, it turned out to be fun. The meal was cooked and shared by all. The crew and Rafael checked out the balloon, exchanged the propane tanks and made everything ready for the morning flight.
Then air mattresses were inflated, sleeping bags doled out and in less time than she’d expected, Amalia was warm and sleepy. She watched the sky for a few minutes, then closed her eyes and went to sleep—to dream about Rafael’s amazing kisses.
Rafael lay in his bag, watching the sky, thinking of the earlier kiss. He’d done it as a lark; only, it had backfired. Amalia hadn’t seemed to enjoy it, while he’d enjoyed it far too much. Who would have thought Vicente’s PA could kiss like that? He wanted another taste, another kiss to see if what he’d felt had just been a rebound from Teresa or if there was a special spark there.
Unlikely, he thought sardonically. Amalia just didn’t approve of his lifestyle. And to top it off, she wanted marriage and children and memories.
He was making his own memories. Doing things most men only dreamed about.
He thought about the various things he’d tried over the past few years. Turned out this balloon race was the best of the lot, and it was all because of his reluctant passenger.
Rafael frowned. Amalia was no more special than any of the other women he’d seen over the past decade. She was pretty in a very nonpretentious way. Perhaps lacking the sophistication he was used to made her a novelty? Yet she was genuine. Like the woman his brother had married.
But that would change given half a chance. Amalia could be seduced by diamonds and couture clothing, embassy parties and luxurious cruises. He knew what women liked. It was all well and good to talk about family and memories. He’d like to see her dressed in a beautiful gown, jewels glowing around her neck, hair elaborately done. He could take her to a reception, or maybe a Christmas ball. Show her a different side of Barcelona than she knew.
And then what? Move on again? It was what he did.
They were airborne at first light. Amalia had been avoiding him while they prepared for liftoff. Yet she was friendly with the crew, joking and laughing. It was only with him she became distant. And Rafael knew the others had noticed.
The balloon filled and tugged at the land-tethered gondola.
“Turn us loose,” he said. In seconds the ropes had been released and they began to soar. He kept the burners going full blast to heat the air to the maximum in the shortest time possible, and the balloon rose swiftly.
She sat in the corner, gazing up at the balloon. Without standing, there wasn’t a lot to see.
The other balloon wasn’t in sight. Satisfied he’d made a leap ahead of Vicente, he wanted to keep that lead. The farther ahead he got, the better he would like it.
By midmorning Rafael was tired of the silence. Amalia had dozed for a short time, and when she wakened, he beckoned her over.
She rose and glanced around. He could tell she was easier each day with the height. He felt a moment of regret that he’d forced someone so afraid to come up, but he’d honored the conditions of the bet.
“Take over. I’m getting a drink,” he said.
She nodded and stepped in his place.
“Want something?”
“Sure,” she said. Then she opened the throttle and the jets roared. The balloon rose even higher. Rafael smiled. She was getting used to it in a big way. Looking at a spot on the horizon, he estimated their air speed. They were being pushed by a current at a faster rate than he expected. Since the balloon gave little indication of movement, it was hard to gauge the exact air speed.
He searched for the other balloon. Taking the binoculars, he trained them behind them until he located the other balloon. It was quite a distance behind them.
“We’re going to win this easier than I thought,” he murmured.
“Great, my boss will be a bear in the office if he loses.”
“Prepare yourself.”
He raised the binoculars again and frowned.
“What?” Amalia asked.
He lowered them and looked at her. “Storm clouds on the horizon. That bad weather front they talked about might be coming.”
Amalia held out her hand in silent request for the binoculars. When she lifted them to her eyes and trained them on the distant horizon, she could see clouds. They didn’t look particularly threatening and were right at the edge of the horizon. How long before they’d catch up? Wouldn’t the air current they were on keep them moving ahead of the storms?
She asked Rafael.
“They will to some extent, but it depends on if the storm front is moving faster than this current.”
Rafael contacted the ground crew. They had refilled the propane tanks and were heading in his direction. Rafael gave their GPS coordinates and told them to contact him when they were below him, which Manuel said should be soon.
“Now what?” she asked.
“Now we see where to land to exchange tanks. And if we can outrun the storm,” he said.
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