Love song

chapter four

Aurelia arrived at the Nice airport feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. She spotted Arthur almost immediately, standing by the departures board, scrolling through his phone. He looked effortlessly put together in jeans and a fitted black jacket, his dark hair slightly tousled.

"Hey!" Aurelia called, waving as she approached. Arthur looked up, his face breaking into a smile.

"Aurelia! There you are," he said, pulling her into a quick, warm hug. "You packed enough?"

She laughed, patting her suitcase. "Hey, I need options, alright? What if I suddenly decide I need an extra... I don't know, scarf or something?"

He chuckled. "Alright, alright. Fair enough." They started walking toward the gate, Arthur pushing her suitcase when she struggled with her carry-on and tote bag. She felt her cheeks warm; he was so natural, so easygoing. *Stay cool, Lia,* she reminded herself.

Once they boarded and settled into their seats — she'd managed to book them together, of course — she was already planning out her first "smooth" move.

"So, Arthur..." She leaned in a little closer, trying her best to give him what she imagined was a flirty smile. "Have you, uh, flown... before?"

Arthur turned to her, clearly amused. "Yeah, a few times, actually."

"Oh, right. Obviously," she said, mentally smacking herself. She cleared her throat, trying to recover. "I just meant, you know, long flights can be... long. And, um... yeah."

Arthur's eyes twinkled with amusement, but he simply nodded along. "Totally. Long flights are very... long."

Aurelia let out an awkward laugh, glancing around. *Okay, new tactic.* She reached into her tote bag and pulled out a pack of gum, trying to offer it with some mysterious flair.

"Gum?" she asked, holding it out with an arched eyebrow.

Arthur smirked. "You sure know how to spoil a guy, Aurelia."

She laughed too loud at that, quickly stifling it. "I mean, come on, nothing says 'getting to know someone' like minty fresh breath, right?"

"Of course. Essential." Arthur took a piece, his grin softening as he looked at her. "So, how did you convince my brother to let you out of his sight for this?"

"Oh, I didn't give him a choice." She smirked, leaning back in her seat. "Besides, he'll get over it. He thinks this whole bet thing is just me trying to mess with him."

"And it's not?" Arthur teased.

"No! Well... not *only*," she said with a laugh. "I actually kind of... maybe... like you?"

Arthur's eyebrows raised, but he just smiled, trying not to let on that he was enjoying her flustered state. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. And not just because of the bet." She fiddled with the strap of her tote, trying to sound confident. "You're... um, really cool. And... handsome."

She wanted to cringe as soon as the words left her mouth, but Arthur just chuckled, a light blush on his own cheeks. "Thank you, Lia. I think you're... well, pretty great, too."

They chatted about the upcoming trip, her racing stories, and his experiences with his own racing career, and as they got deeper into conversation, she felt herself relaxing. Despite the cringe-worthy start, there was a natural rhythm between them.

A few hours into the flight, Aurelia leaned her head back, pretending to stretch, but really just giving herself a pep talk. *Just ask him to hold your hand or something! Be bold!* She glanced at him, wondering how she could make her move.

"Arthur?"

"Yeah?"

She cleared her throat, giving him what she hoped was a coy look. "So, um... I read that holding hands during turbulence can, like, help reduce, uh, stress. If it happens."

Arthur glanced around at the steady, calm cabin and then looked back at her, one brow raised. "You think we're going to hit turbulence?"

"Maybe," she said quickly. "And it's better to be prepared, right?"

He chuckled, then reached over, slipping his hand over hers in a gentle squeeze. Her heart skipped a beat as he gave her fingers a playful squeeze.

"Feel safer already?" he asked, smirking.

"Definitely," she replied, smiling like a fool. And maybe, just maybe, she thought she could actually pull this whole thing off after all.