The Layover by Lacie Waldon (English) Paperback Book

Description: The Layover by Lacie Waldon "An unexpected tropical layover with her nemesis turns a flight attendants life upside down in this ... debut romantic comedy about life--and love--30,000 feet above the ground"-- FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description An unexpected tropical layover with her nemesis turns a flight attendants life upside down in this witty, breezy debut romantic comedy about life--and love--30,000 feet above the ground.After ten years as a flight attendant, Ava Greene is poised to hang up her wings and finally put down roots. Shes got one trip left before she bids her old life farewell, and she plans to enjoy every second of it. But then she discovers that former pilot Jack Stone--the absurdly gorgeous, ridiculously cocky man shes held a secret grudge against for years--is on her flight. And he has the nerve to flirt with her, as if he doesnt remember the role he played in the most humiliating night of her life. Good thing she never has to see him again after they land....But when their plane encounters mechanical problems, what should have been a quick stop at the Belize airport suddenly becomes a weekend layover. Getting stuck on a three-hour flight with her nemesis was bad enough. Being stranded with him at a luxury resort in paradise? Even with the sultry breeze and white sand to distract her, it will take all the rum punch in the country to drown out his larger-than-life presence.Yet the more time Ava spends with him under the hot Caribbean sun, the more she begins to second-guess everything she thought she knew about him...and everything she thought she wanted from her life. And all too soon, she might have to choose between keeping her feet on the ground and her head in the clouds.... Author Biography Lacie Waldon is a writer with her head in the clouds--literally. A flight attendant based in Washington, D.C., Waldon spends her days writing from the jump seat and searching the world for new stories. The Layover is her debut novel. Review "[A] breezy enemies-to-lovers romp with just enough heart to keep it grounded. . . The couples sparkling chemistry and flirtatious fighting make this sing. Readers craving an armchair getaway need look no further."—Publishers Weekly"[A] tale of learning to let go of the past to be open to whatevers ahead."—Library Journal"[A] tropical, fun and flirty summer read ideal for a beach day."—USA Today"Once I started The Layover, I couldnt put it down! Lacie Waldon has written a super fun, witty, and romantic enemies-to-lovers rom-com that had me flying through the pages. And as a bonus, I loved the peek behind the curtain into the lives of flight attendants. This is a lovely escape full of sun, swoons, and sexual tension."—Kerry Winfrey, author of Waiting for Tom Hanks"A highly recommended read for fans of enemies-to-lovers and anyone who feels the pull of wanderlust."—Sarah Hogle, author of You Deserve Each Other"A stand-out debut! Witty banter, sizzling chemistry, and perfect pacing had me flying through The Layover. A must read for rom-com fans!"—Samantha Young, author of Fight or Flight "The Layover is an ideal escape—from the intriguing insiders view of air travel to the picturesque setting on the shores of Belize, I was swept away on Avas journey as she spars with Jack, wrestles her feelings, and learns to trust her own heart. A fun and irresistible romance that soars."—Libby Hubscher, author of Meet Me in Paradise"A sexy, dazzling debut, The Layover is a jet fuel-powered rom-com that had me dreaming of sun-soaked beaches and a view from 35,000 feet. Plus the delicious, slow-burning romance, sizzling banter, and crackling chemistry? Swoon. If youre an enemies-to-lovers fan—or have even a speck of wanderlust in your heart—The Layover is the romantic escape for you!"—Angie Hockman, author of Shipped"A breath of fresh air! Lacie Waldons exceptional debut combines sharp, clever writing with crackling sexual tension for pure enemies-to-lovers gold. The Layover is the ultimate summer beach read and a new favorite. Waldon is one to watch."—Devon Daniels, author of Meet You in the Middle"The Layover is the perfect escape - a hilarious, compulsive, swoony rom-com from an exciting new voice in contemporary romance. Lacie Waldons witty banter and laugh out loud fresh take on enemies to lovers stuck together on a twenty-four hour layover in Belize are sure to satisfy readers and keep them smiling to the very last page. I absolutely loved it."—Robin Reul, author of My Kind of Crazy and Where the Road Leads Us Review Quote "Once I started The Layover , I couldnt put it down! Lacie Waldon has written a super fun, witty, and romantic enemies-to-lovers rom-com that had me flying through the pages. And as a bonus, I loved the peek behind the curtain into the lives of flight attendants. This is a lovely escape full of sun, swoons, and sexual tension."--Kerry Winfrey, author of Waiting for Tom Hanks "A sexy, dazzling debut, The Layover is a jet fuel-powered rom-com that had me dreaming of sun-soaked beaches and a view from 35,000 feet. Plus the delicious, slow-burning romance, sizzling banter, and crackling chemistry? Swoon . If youre an enemies-to-lovers fan--or have even a speck of wanderlust in your heart-- The Layover is the romantic escape for you!"--Angie Hockman, author of Shipped Excerpt from Book Chapter 1 I dont know what city Im in. The alarm on my phone is blaring the Rocky song, lighting up the room just enough for me to see the shadowed outlines of walls and corners. I blink, trying to orient myself. Theres no strip of hallway light coming from under the door. The sheets are silky, not worn-down cotton slept on by millions of bodies. Theyre probably not even white. This cant be a hotel. Someone groans beside me, and my stomach sinks with realization. Im at home, where I promised not to use my Rocky alarm anymore. Alexander says it gets into his dreams. I grab for the phone, but its 3:30 in the morning--too early for coordination. It crashes to the floor, an electronic trumpet encouraging me to jab at the air with curled fists. Staying beneath the covers, I dip my head over the side of the bed and silence the noise before easing myself back up. I should go, but instead I peek across the king-sized bed toward Alexander. I just want to see his face, to make sure I havent managed to annoy him before I leave for three days. But the blackout curtains make it impossible. I cant even spot his outline through the darkness. With a sigh, I slip my legs toward the edge of the bed. The chilled air outside the duvet hits one foot, and I steel myself for full-body contact with the icy conditions Alexander requires to sleep. An arm shoots around my waist, dragging me into a cocoon of hot skin and muscles. I exhale my relief and melt into him. "Im sorry about Rocky ," I whisper. "Its okay." Alexanders voice is husky with sleep. He presses a kiss against my bare shoulder. "In my dream, I ducked at exactly the right moment. Then I came back up with a right hook that sent the other guy flying. Knocked him clean out." "Of course you did." A smile tugs at my mouth. Even in his dreams, Alexander triumphs. Some people might call this arrogance, but I recognize it as the confidence it is. Theres a reason the other lawyers at his firm refer to him as the go-to guy. Alexander is reliable. Hes unflappable. These are the qualities I appreciate most about him. "I wouldnt have expected anything less." "His face was blurry," he says, "but Im hoping it was a predictive dream about McMurphy. Im up against him in court today, and to say I despise that man would be an understatement." "It was definitely him. Id recognize that stupid face anywhere." "You were in my dream?" "Oh, yes." I wriggle deeper into his embrace. "Right there on the sidelines, cheering you on." "Youre such an odd little duckling." Alexander laughs softly against the back of my head. His voice turns serious. "But he really does have a stupid face, doesnt he?" "The stupidest." He sighs and presses another kiss against the back of my neck. "Ill miss you while youre gone." "Its only a few days." The reminder of work makes my leg twitch. Its probably been three minutes since my alarm went off. Maybe even four. "Still." "I know." I get it. I do. Nobody likes being left behind. Its only a few days, but its the dinners well eat separately. The nights well go to bed without each other. Large bodies of water will separate us. "Ill miss you, too." "Its the last time, though." Theres no question in his words. Its a fact thats been decided, was agreed to this weekend, the moment I accepted his proposal. "We should celebrate when you get back. An engagement dinner. You land late on Thursday, right? Lets do it Friday. We can toast to the end of one chapter and the beginning of another." "Yes." Its a lovely idea. Perfect, actually. What better thing to toast to than the ending of a nine-year career and the start of a marriage destined to last much longer? "Lets do it." "Ill make a reservation," Alexander says, loosening his hold. "And youd better go. Youre way behind on the schedule." I smile at his words. Of course Alexander would realize the value of the moments Ive lost. He runs his entire life with the precision I reserve for work mornings. Its one of the things that most attracted me to him in the beginning. That and the set of his shoulders, so firm and self-assured. I cant believe hes going to be my husband. I, Ava Greene, am getting married. Its hands down the most permanent thing Ive ever committed to. "I love you." I press a kiss to his forearm and scramble out of the bed. "See you soon!" I grab my phone and check it as I ease the door shut behind me: 3:34. Sure enough, Ive already used four of my twenty-five minutes allotted to getting out of the house. On tiptoe, I sprint down the moonlit hallway. Chicagos December wind howls against the windowed walls of the tenth-story condo, making me feel like Im at risk of being swept away. Its the perfect start to a trip, like Ive already taken off and am coasting through the clouds. Security lights outside provide the kitchen with enough light that I dont have to flip the switch on the wall. I beeline it toward the kettle I brought with me when I moved in. It looks ridiculously out of place next to Alexanders restaurant-grade espresso machine. No more so than me, though, racing past the black marble countertops in my bra and panties. Alexander would be appalled if he could see me flitting around like a half-naked pixie in the moonlight. Hes chastised me more than once about my tendency to go in search of coffee before putting on clothes. He has such concern about these nameless neighbors and their ability to spy on us. As if, out of all the people in our city, we are the show they want to see. Theres very little chance of being caught by him now, though. Even if he cant get back to sleep, I know hell stay in bed and try. Alexander gets into bed at 10:30 and rises at 5:30, because Alexander believes in consistency. Hes never said it aloud, but I know my moving in has been much harder on him than he expected. Its difficult to adapt to someones presence when every time you start to get used to them, they disappear. With a flick of my finger, I start the kettle. I filled it with water last night to save precious seconds this morning. My other hand reaches for my food bag. The movements happen without thought; this is a routine Ive performed a thousand times. The fridge is perfectly organized except for the little piles of food Ive left. I set them up yesterday, balancing the baggies of cherries and grapes on rolling string cheeses in a way that would inform even the most casual of observers Im not destined to be an architect. Theres another pile of individually bagged meals in the freezer that I lay across the top of the bag. Since theyre frozen, they can function as ice packs until I eat enough food to make room for a bag of ice from the plane. I zip up my large black mesh adult lunch box, grab the coffee, pour too much of it into the French press, and race to the guest bathroom. Its the one place in this condo Ive taken over as my own. The official reason is I dont want to wake Alexander up on mornings like today. Secretly, though, I like having a spot where I can leave things on the counter and dont have to worry about the hand towels hanging at exactly the same length. Its not that I dont appreciate Alexanders neatness. I do. In fact, I love how organized he is. His home--our home--is exactly the kind of perfectly ordered place Ive spent my whole life dreaming of living in. Yet for some reason, since being here, I seem to have discovered some tiny, deviant side of me that relishes this small area of relief from all the perfection. Its a disconcerting blip, contrary to who I want to be, and it embarrasses me enough that Ive made every effort to hide it from Alexander. "Whatever you do," I told him early on, "dont open this door. I keep all my lady tools in there. You dont want to see how the sausage is made, do you?" He cringed and has left a wide berth since. The bathroom fills with light, and my gaze is drawn to the sparkle of my new engagement ring. For a moment, I allow myself a break in routine to study this thing that is suddenly mine. Its massive, likely several carats. When Alexander got down on one knee Saturday night and opened the small velvet box, I had a terrible temptation to laugh at the glittering disco ball inside; its such a departure from the small turquoise stone I asked for. Now that Ive had a few days to get used to it, though, I can see that its right. Its exactly what I need: a sharp, heavy rock to weigh me to the ground. After a lifetime of floating, Im grateful to have found an anchor. Alexander has always been clear about the fact that he didnt want his future partner to travel for a living, just like Ive told him from the beginning Im ready to move on from flying. Everyone knows you dont confess to a man youve just met--an attractive man whose lips you cant stop staring at, no less--that you want to get married, but I did. I broke all the rules, gazing up at him and earnestly confessing my desire to settle down. Life on the road was what I grew up with, my parents ideal. My dream has always been to stay still. In the corner of one of the drawers Alexander allotted me, I have a list I wrote when I was thirteen. Written across the top are the words Avas Adult Aspirations (the latter word triumphantly discovered through a thesaurus search of goals ). Its only two things, and Ive long since memorized it, but I still pull it out sometimes to read it aloud, just to remind myself. It says: 1) Stay in one place. 2) Have real friends. Friends who dont travel. (They wont give up on you if you dont give them a reason to. Just show up to the things that are importa Details ISBN0593328256 Author Lacie Waldon Pages 320 Language English Year 2021 ISBN-10 0593328256 ISBN-13 9780593328255 Format Paperback Publication Date 2021-06-15 UK Release Date 2021-06-22 AU Release Date 2021-06-22 NZ Release Date 2021-06-22 Publisher Penguin Putnam Inc Imprint Penguin Putnam Inc Place of Publication New York, NY Country of Publication United States DEWEY 813.6 Audience General US Release Date 2021-06-15 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:141712160;

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