Chapter 268
Aria’s POV
I woke up to a call from Summer just after eight the next morning. My body was still adjusting to the time change, but I managed to drag myself into a sitting position and answer.
“I’m downstairs in the restaurant,” she said cheerfully. “What would you like me to bring up for you p>
I had to smile at her thoughtfulness. Summer really was the perfect assistant— always one step ahead of me.
“Just some hot milk and toast would be great,” I replied, stifling a yawn.
After breakfast, we headed out to do some shopping. Lillian had been begging me to pick up a couple of designer bags for her while I was in Paris. The luxury boutiques here were something else—all marble floors and attentive staff who looked like they belonged on magazine covers. I found the exact bags Lillian wanted and handed over my credit card without flinching at the price. The perks of a successful career, I suppose.
We returned to the hotel afterward, where I downloaded a few movies to my tablet and relaxed until five o’clock. Then Summer and I took the hotel’s private car service to the airport for our seven-ten flight.
“Flight mode,” I muttered to myself after sending Aiden a quick text. I settled into my first-class seat, grateful for the extra legroom.
I wasn’t tired for the return journey, having slept well at the hotel. I watched two movies before feeling even remotely sleepy. After dozing for a couple of hours, I woke up with still five hours to go.
To kill time, I opened the romance novel Lillian had sent me. Before I knew it, three hours had flown by, the story pulling me in completely. I only stopped reading when my eyes grew heavy again.
The next time I woke up, the flight attendant was announcing our descent. Twenty minutes to landing. I rubbed my face and picked up my phone to finish the last few chapters of the novel.
When we touched down in Beijing at midnight, the airport was mercifully quiet. Summer and I grabbed a taxi to our hotel. We had a connecting flight to catch at ten the next morning, so there was no point in doing anything but sleeping.
After a quick breakfast the next morning, we headed to the airport once more. I had just settled into my seat when a familiar male voice called my name.
“Aria p>
I turned, surprised. It seemed like I couldn’t take a trip without running into someone I knew.
The man standing beside me wore white casual pants, a plain white tee with a light blue jacket over it, and sported a cap and sunglasses. He looked so youthful that for a moment, I couldn’t place him.
“I’m sorry, do I know you?” I asked hesitantly.
He clicked his tongue in mild annoyance before removing his hat and sunglasses to reveal a face I definitely recognized. Julian.
“Oh, it’s you,” I said, feeling embarrassed. I honestly couldn’t have pictured Julian in such a youthful, casual outfit. He looked like a college student in his early twenties rather than the sophisticated musician I was familiar with.
“Seems like your memory isn’t the best, Ms. Jones,” he remarked, dropping into the seat next to mine and leaning back casually. He glanced at me with a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Competition performance p>
I breathed an internal sigh of relief that he’d changed the subject. “Just helping a friend with a performance p>
“Ah, making some extra cash on the side,” he nodded slightly, then paused before adding, “A friend of mine is looking for a piano accompanist. His budget is only ten thousand dollars though. Would you be interested p>
I considered it briefly. “Is it in New York p>
“If you’re interested, I can give you his contact info p>
I never turn down good opportunities, especially ones that don’t require much visibility. “Sure, why not?” A day’s work for ten thousand dollars in my own city-how could I refuse?
I hadn’t expected to land a gig while simply taking a flight home, but here we were. With Julian sitting beside me, I felt awkward about taking a nap after takeoff. Ever since
Summer had suggested Julian
might be interested in me
romantically, I’d felt slightly
uncomfortable around him.
Thankfully, after setting me up with the potential job, Julian pulled his cap down over
his eyes and promptly fell asleep. I breathed easier and returned to my novel.
The flight wasn’t long. I’d just finished my book when the captain announced our
descent. I put away my phone and sat quietly, waiting for landing.
Julian stirred beside me, lifting his cap. “Are we there?” he asked, his voice deeper than usual from sleep.
I nodded. “Yes, we’re landing now p>
“Hmm,” was all he said in response.
After the plane landed and the
seatbelt sign turned off, I grabbed my bag and followed the flight attendant’s gestures toward the exit. About fifteen feet from the plane, I stopped to wait for Summer.
Julian paused beside me. “Waiting for your assistant p>
I nodded. “What about you? Where’s your manager p>
“Behind us somewhere,” he said, glancing back toward the plane and adjusting his cap lower over his face.
The awkward silence that followed was mercifully broken by Summer’s arrival.
“Aria!” she called out, jogging toward me with her backpack bouncing.
I smiled with relief. “Over here p>
Summer reached my side, slightly out of breath, and eyed Julian curiously. “Who’s
this p>
I had to laugh internally at her
expression in all our years together,
she still got excited whenever I
interacted with attractive men. Even
with his face partially hidden Julian’s sharp jawline and tall lean physique clearly impressed her.
“Julian,” I answered simply.
Summer’s eyes widened. “What a coincidence, sir p>
Julian nodded politely before looking over his shoulder. “My manager’s here. I’ll be going now.” He raised a hand to signal to Christopher, who was walking briskly toward us.
Christopher approached, his expression shifting slightly when he recognized me. He recovered quickly, though, and offered a practiced smile. “What a coincidence, ladies p>