Everything But Perfect Read Online Free Page A

on this plane for business…not for pleasure, as you are.”
    If he hadn’t said this in a
sneering way, or ran the gauntlet of her body with his eyes, she might have
believed him. Dammit! She was not flying around the world for personal
amusement. Hard at work, and recently summoned home, what right did he have to
judge her life?
    “My god, you are quite the
arrogant bastard, aren’t you? I can’t say it was a pleasure ever to meet you.”
    Flinching for the briefest of
moment, he took two steps from her obvious disapproval of his nearness. “Nor
can I say our meeting twice as all that pleasurable. Sadly, your type does seem
to swarm men like me.”
    “My type ?”
    She expected a frown. What she
got was a toothy grin.
    “Yes. Spoilt little rich girl
trapped among the wolves. Did you have a nice shopping trip in Paris,
sweetheart? Daddy footing the bill for you?”
    She wanted to mouth ‘Fuck You’
but held her tongue. She was not about to get in a row with a man just met,
even if he was goading her into it. He would get his comeuppance eventually.
She, however, was not going to be the one to do it on an airplane surrounded by
strangers.

 
     
     
    Chapter Three
     
     
     
    One hour wasted circling the
airport, a minor mishap with another airline, and a half hour sitting in
customs, Cheyanne just wanted to go home. This thought she checked at the door just
as soon as it entered her head.
    With baited breath, a round of
emotions formed in the pit of her stomach. Why had her father sent such a
strange letter, barely stating any facts, other than she was to return, no
questions asked. Why would he hint that if she defied him, she would be
personally responsible for the dig site shutting down?
    Her father was not the type of
man to beat around the bush. When Joe Ribbons wanted a victim for a reason, he
usually told that victim outright. There was never any misunderstanding. He was
the boss, and everyone beneath him was to bow to his demands. Of course, a
billion dollar company like Ribbons Corporation was pushing his success in
everyone’s face.
    Her father also headed the
Geology department at State University, unfortunately, where her archeological
career stemmed. Her older brother, Jessup, ran the Ribbons empire, making up the
Ribbons Corporation. Jessup was the one who dealt in the stocks, mortgage
buyouts, and engineering aspect of the company. Her mother’s money was the
backing footing the bills. Joe’s name was only on the neon signs.
    Her sister, Mary Kate was a
registered nurse. Martha and Sara, the twins, were each happily married to
wealthy lawyers, each with two kids.
    Cheyanne was the black sheep of
the family. Her enjoyment came from spending her life with dirt under her fingernails.
She never spoke about what was really on her mind, concerning family, and
perhaps she should have. Although, what good would it have done her? No one
ever listened to what she had to say, concerning other Ribbons.
    She would now be stepping foot in
hostile territory, a place she never meant to go back to until dead.
    Shaking off the melancholy, she
looked for an available cab while waiting under the airport canopy. She craned
her neck over the crowds, and unfortunately found a familiar face. A face she
wanted to avoid—at all costs.
    Mitch, only his profile turned to
her, was using his cellphone as a weapon of mass destruction, people avoiding
him like the plague. There was no mistaking his anger at whomever he was
talking with.
    “I don’t care. I wanted it
completed yesterday. No, scratch that. It should have been done last week.” He
was now yelling and folks were looking at him strangely, giving him ample space.
    “And why isn’t that damn car
here?” He seemed on a rampage—the best kind to avoid.
    Cheyanne gathered in a deep
breath, praying he would not notice her. If he dared turn his head, he would
see her, and in her present state of mind, she might haul off and hit him.
    A taxi pulled to the curb and