Chapter 161 Matilda Goes to Majestic City
Matilda received word that her department had another training opportunity this year—this time in Majestic City. Only one spot available.
For some reason, she really wanted it.
And when Matilda wanted something, she went after it.
Several people in the department were interested, including Irene and Tim, but with Matilda in the running, the spot naturally went to her.
Irene had been mediocre these past two years—she did her job but hadn't achieved anything remarkable. Unlike Matilda, who'd made real contributions to the hospital. Plus, Matilda had tons of patients. Whenever she was on duty, her appointments filled up instantly. Her performance numbers were exceptional.
So when she applied, the spot was hers.
This led to Irene griping over lunch again. "Matilda only gets so many patients because she's pretty. Goes to show—work ability doesn't matter. What matters is having a face like some seductress..."
No one paid her any attention.
...
The flight to Majestic City was in the evening.
Hospital policy only reimbursed economy or high-speed rail tickets for work travel. First class wasn't covered. And Matilda had always been frugal, so even though she had plenty of money now, she still habitually booked economy.
While waiting at the gate, she felt someone watching her, but when she looked around, she didn't spot anyone suspicious.
Then came boarding. She'd barely settled into her seat when a flight attendant approached. "Excuse me, are you Ms. Matilda? Congratulations! Since this flight isn't fully booked, you've been upgraded to business class."
Matilda was mildly surprised. But she'd heard colleagues mention that when flights weren't full, economy passengers sometimes got upgraded to business class. Just a matter of luck.
"Ma'am, may I help you with your luggage?" the attendant asked.
"Yes, thank you."
She only had a small carry-on. The attendant took it up front, then gestured to her seat. "Ma'am, you're right here."
Business class had wider two-person rows. Her seat was on the aisle. By the window, a man reclined with a magazine covering his face.
Matilda just registered that he was well-dressed with a decent build. Nothing more.
She sat down.
Soon the plane took off.
During the ascent, the pressure in her chest intensified, and her ears rang. She put on noise-canceling headphones and closed her eyes.
Finally, the plane leveled out.
The overhead lights came on. The captain announced they'd reached cruising altitude and passengers could recline their seats and use their tray tables.
Matilda opened her eyes, wanting to glance out the window even though she knew she'd see nothing but darkness.
At that exact moment, the man beside her removed the magazine from his face.
Matilda got a clear look at him.
A face with a hint of mischief and rebelliousness, but undeniably handsome.
Nason!
Nason looked like he'd just woken from a nap. He grinned at Matilda. "What a coincidence, Dr. Spencer."
"Of all people!" Matilda suddenly understood.
Nason smiled—his mouth tilted slightly when he did. "Yep, it's me. Being on the same flight means we're destined to meet."
Matilda gave him a faint smile. "You're the one who upgraded me to business class, aren't you?"
No wonder she'd felt eyes on her at the gate.
"Guilty," Nason said with that crooked smile. "I saw you were on my flight and figured you might refuse if I asked outright, so I didn't mention it beforehand. But since you're already here, don't switch back. Look, they're about to serve dinner. You can try the business class wine."
"You went through all this trouble just to have a drink with me? Sorry, I don't drink."
"But you can hold your liquor pretty well, can't you?"
"Even so, I prefer drinking alone."
Just then, the flight attendant came by to take her drink order. She chose a Coke without hesitation.
Evening flights offered bread and sandwiches. Business class also had steak. She had no appetite and just left it on her tray table.
Nason beside her was eating with gusto. When Matilda glanced at him, he explained, "I usually don't eat airplane food, but running into an old friend has really worked up my appetite."
Who was he calling an old friend?!
Matilda thought back to how she'd met Nason. The guy had this rebellious edge, acted boldly. His goal was obvious—compete with Wentworth for everything, including her.
But after she'd made her feelings for Wentworth crystal clear, he'd stopped being inappropriate. So he was shameless, sure, but not actually a bad guy.
Or maybe he was planning a different approach—win her over emotionally, then dump her after. Guys like that—if you kept avoiding and retreating, they'd think you were easy to bully. Better to meet them head-on.
So she didn't switch back to economy. One, it would be a hassle—her luggage was already up here. Two, she wanted to see what he was up to.
Each seat had a tablet screen. Matilda started a movie.
"There's only an hour left until we land in Majestic City. You won't finish a whole movie. Why not chat instead?" Nason said.
Matilda smiled. She paused the movie and looked at him. "Fine, we can chat. You go first."
"Isn't conversation supposed to be mutual?"
"I don't feel like talking. I want to listen to you." She smiled. "If you don't talk, I'm going back to my movie."