Chasing Clouds

by Annabelle Knight

  “What about security?” she asked Gareth, almost alarmed.

  “You’ve already been through it,” Gareth said smugly. “We have discreet full- body scanners and a team of security professionals analysing them behind the scenes. If you were carrying anything so much as a pair of tweezers you’d have been stopped, searched and had them confiscated. If you had been a passenger, then you would have relieved of your bags, which would have gone through security separately, loaded on to the plane and put back into your care upon landing at whatever location the plane has been chartered to go to.”

  “Wow, that’s amazing, I mean it’s crazy but absolutely brilliant. They should have them all over.” Gareth nodded his agreement and pushed the door open: Elodie was in. If she had been impressed with the reception area then she was quite frankly gobsmacked by the lounge. It looked like something out of a film: the floor was now a plush cream carpet, which felt positively heavenly underfoot and the lighting, almost overly bright in the reception and hall, was now much softer and far more welcoming. The décor adhered to the same theme: the colours white and copper had been accessorised with hints of boysenberry, which enhanced the opulence even further. At the far end was a heavily- set wooden bar; behind it stood an array of expensive- looking bottles, crystal- cut glassware and, hung on the wall behind it all, an enormous mercury flecked mirror that served to make the room appear to double in size. Elodie positively loved it. She had never been anywhere quite so lavish; even the extravagance of the Grosvenor Suite paled in comparison to this. She let out a low whistle and tried to take it all in.

  “I know, right,” Gareth said, clearly pleased with how impressed Elodie was. “OK, so we’re quiet today as we’re grounded on Thursdays, unless something, or someone extra special, comes up. It gives us a chance to stay on top of everything. You’d be amazed at how much paperwork I have to do, it’s not all glitz and glamour for me.”

  Elodie smiled. It was good to see the Gareth she knew starting to surface; she didn’t much care for the prim and proper one she’d been met with at reception.

  “So what’s first?” Elodie asked eagerly. Gareth paced over to a small clerk’s desk in the back corner of the room; up until that moment, Elodie hadn’t even noticed it was there. “So you’ll be stationed here while the plane is grounded, your duties are both on and off the plane; everything you did in your previous job, plus a few added extras in terms of making sure our clientele have every wish catered for. We’ve had some pretty outrageous demands over the years; obviously, everything that happens inside these walls stays inside these walls.”

  “What’s the craziest thing that’s happened?” Elodie asked, in spite of herself and Mr Bosford’s warning.

  “I couldn’t possibly name names, Elodie, but let’s just say that a certain pop star threw every single toy out of his pram when we said no to his pet leopard travelling in the cabin with him. The idiot even demanded it sleep on his bed. We said no, of course. But usually, whatever they want, they get. They pay megabucks and expect the very best,” Gareth replied. He handed Elodie a wad of paper, which she was dismayed to see were questionnaire- type forms. “Fill these in and then give me a shout when you’re done. I’m on channel seven,” he said, handing her a small walkie- talkie and setting off through a door on the far side of the room.

  Elodie sat there for what seemed like hours filling in the forms. They really did leave no stone unturned. When she was done, Gareth showed her around the rest of the building. She saw that through the door Gareth had disappeared through were the boarding gates, three of them. There were also toilets, where the extravagance continued, and a compact treatment room, complete with beauty therapist, should any of the guests wish for some pampering. Gareth had told her that up the stairs lay the staffroom, a changing area and also a kitchen where Michelin- starred food was prepared and sent down for the guests. “Everything comes down through a dumb waiter behind the bar, all you need to do is remember who ordered what.” Elodie smiled; she could do that in her sleep. ‘This is going to be a piece of cake,’ she thought to herself confidently, until a thought struck her: she’d never worked behind a bar before and she had absolutely no idea how to make the fancy cocktails she was certain the high flying clients of Alpha Whiskey Air would want.

  “I’ve never worked behind a bar before,” she said, her confidence waning.

  “You don’t need to worry about that, we have professional and qualified mixologists to do the drinks. Don’t worry, we won’t stretch you that far.” Gareth said. “So I think that about wraps it up on the ground, now for the main attraction. Let’s have a look inside the jet, shall we? They’re all the same, so I’m afraid it’s a case of once you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all.”

  Gareth led Elodie through gate number one; she stared out of the window at the three business jets on the tarmac beneath. The cleaning team were leaving the farthest plane, their luminous tabards shining brightly in the summer sun. Gareth extended an arm, indicating that she should go first. Elodie obliged and led the way down an external covered walkway and onto the plane.

  “Jesus,” Elodie said, unable to help herself. This wasn’t a plane at all, more like a hotel suite with wings. There was everything anyone could possibly want on board, and more besides. Elodie was utterly gobsmacked. She had seen the planes through the boarding gate windows; from the outside, they looked like regular jets but on the inside, they were a completely different world.

  “Here we are, one thousand square feet of pure, unadulterated luxury,” Gareth said, extending a hand as if he were showcasing the star prize on a game show “We have secure seating just here.” He pointed to six comfy- looking armchair- type chairs that were the closest thing on the aircraft to what you would usually find on a plane. “We also have a dining area, two bedrooms, a lounge area and of course, a bathroom with walk- in shower and his ’n’ hers sinks. Well, that’s everything for the passengers, for us there’s a small room at the back for a little rest and recuperation and of course a kitchenette for preparing meals. There’s an extensive menu for both food and drink, but don’t worry, everything is pre- made or mixed, all we have to do is serve.”

  Elodie could barely take it in. She had searched for private jets online and had seen some pretty spectacular sights, but nothing compared to this.

  “It’s just, incredible,” she said, awestruck. “I can’t believe there are people who can afford this… It must cost an absolute fortune.”

  “It most certainly does, our guests are extremely lucky. But then again, so are we. There are definitely perks to the job. Paid- for accommodation on layovers in the best hotels, round the globe travel – and the luckiest of us get tickets to the Autumn Gala, courtesy of Mr Walker, but I wouldn’t hold out much hope. He reserves that honour for only one or two staff. I’m yet to get an invite, but I just know that this is my year,” Gareth said hopefully. “Now, let’s get you acquainted with the team.”

  He turned on his heel and Elodie followed in hot pursuit back towards the terminal. She was excited to meet her colleagues and hear their stories. Gareth took Elodie to the staff room, a small area at the back of the building. The room was a stark contrast in comparison to the rest of the airport. It was far simpler in design and, other than a small office- type kitchen, a couple of tables and a smattering of chairs, there really wasn’t much to write home about. Sat at the table, amiably chatting and enjoying steaming mugs of coffee, were two women. They stood up when she and Gareth walked through the door. Elodie was surprised and a little proud to see that one of the women wore pilot’s wings on the breast panel of her deep- purple coloured blazer.

  “Elodie, this is Amelia Coleman.” Gareth gestured to the woman with the winged badge attached to her lapel. Amelia stuck out her hand and shook Elodie’s in a firm, yet friendly fashion.

  “Pleasure to have you joining us,” she smiled warmly. “I trust Gareth’s given you the guided tour?” />
  Elodie nodded, unable to find any words. Amelia was a tall, almost Amazonian woman with dark skin and deep, penetrating eyes framed by long eyelashes. Elodie liked her at once; she exuded a warmth that reminded Elodie of Betty, although the two women couldn’t be at further ends of the spectrum when it came to appearances. Elodie’s attention was directed to her other colleague now, and she turned to her with her hand outstretched. After an uncomfortable pause, the woman took Elodie’s hand and rang it just once.

  “Grace Stone. Happy to have you with us,” she said, although her tone seemed anything but happy. “I’m cabin crew too.”

  “Brilliant, just like me,” Elodie said trying to thaw Grace’s icy exterior with her enthusiasm.

  “Not quite,” Grace interjected. Elodie felt her heart sink.

  Grace was to be working directly with her. She was far less pleasant than Amelia and, as Elodie had been reminded of Betty earlier, she was now reminded of Vanessa.

  “Err, well I’m Elodie,” she replied, then with not much more to offer added, “I’m very excited about working here, it’s going to be so much fun.”

  “It’s going to be work. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have a few jobs to do.” Grace set her coffee cup down on the table behind her and gave the room a small nod before striding out, the door shut behind her and Elodie felt the first flush of embarrassment caress her cheeks.

  “Don’t worry about Grace,” Amelia said. “She’s lovely when you get to know her, and she’s got a lot on her plate at the moment. Gareth, can I go through a couple of things with you before tomorrow?” Amelia pulled a small notepad from her breast pocket and flipped it open.

  “Elodie, why don’t you go back through to the lounge? It’s far more comfortable in there. I’ll be through in a minute.” Gareth smiled at Elodie, who was savvy enough to know when private business was afoot, so left them to it.

  “It was nice to meet you,” she called to Amelia as she made her way back to the lounge.

  Elodie struggled at first to remember where to go. There wasn’t an awful lot of signage; it would seem that the richer you were the less you had to rely on getting from A to B on your own. Eventually, she found her way back to the lounge. She pushed the door open and stopped dead in her tracks; the door swung back and almost hit her square in the face.

  “Chase?” she stammered. “What, what are you doing here?”

  Chase whirled round, he had been stood at the bar with his back facing her, but she had known instantly that it was him, from the way he stood, to the way he swirled the contents of his glass before raising it to his lips.

  “Elodie,” he said. “I was wondering when I was going to bump into you.”

  “You knew I’d be here?” she asked with a disconcerted edge to her voice.

  “Of course, Gareth told me. Wait, you mean you didn’t know I would be here?” Chase asked slowly, taking another sip of his nectar- coloured drink that Elodie was now almost certain was whisky.

  Their eyes met and Elodie saw that he surveyed her with a look of mild amusement, as though she were a curio he had just stumbled upon. He placed his glass down and walked over to her, slowly. Elodie felt as though an eternity had passed before he finally drew up to her. She felt her heartbeat quicken, he was almost too close to her. She could smell the intense aroma of his aftershave: a heady mix of musk and masculinity that seemed to engulf her senses.

  “How are you finding it so far?” he asked.

  Elodie gave herself a little mental shake: what on earth was she doing? Whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t professional. Her thoughts had wandered back to the recesses of her mind, where the memory of her dream had been kept. It had been so real, so visceral that for a second Elodie felt as if it were happening all over again.

  “It’s good, thanks,” she said, casting her eyes to the bar where Chase had first been stood.

  “Are you drinking whisky?” she asked. It was mid- afternoon and despite the airline being grounded for the day didn’t deter from the fact that as far as boozing went, it was still pretty early.

  “Want one?” Chase asked, making his way back over to the bar.

  “No thanks, it’s a bit early for me,” Elodie said, feeling awkward.

  ‘So much for professionalism being Alpha Whiskey’s modus operandi,’ she thought. Chase responded by dropping two cubes of ice into a glass, which tinkled as they hit the base and then poured a small measure of whisky from a small decanter. He handed the glass to her and against her better judgement she took it. Elodie was not a big spirits drinker; in fact, she couldn’t remember ever having had whisky before. She took a sip; surely if Chase, the pilot, said it was OK then it would be fine. Elodie coughed and sputtered, amazed: how could something so cold taste like fire?

  “You OK?” Chase said, barely able to hide his amusement. “Not a fan?” Elodie shook her head and handed the glass back to him.

  “I think I’ll stick to wine,” she said, handing the glass back to Chase and wiping the corner of her mouth with the back of her sleeve. “Whisky is officially gross.” Chase laughed and set her glass down on the bar.

  “I like it, there’s something far more satisfying about enjoying something you have to take your time over.”

  “Is that why you had it the other night?” Elodie asked, the words out of her mouth before she had the chance to stop them. Chase raised an eyebrow, “I, erm, we walked past you guys on our way home, I saw you,” she finished, casting her eyes downwards in order to avoid his gaze.

  “I see,” Chase said measuredly. Elodie couldn’t help herself, she suddenly needed to know why he had almost invited her to join him. It had been playing on her mind and now felt like a good time to find out the truth.

  “When you spoke to me outside The Clifton, you seemed as though you were going to ask me to go with you, but you were on a date, and I…” she trailed off.

  Chase had turned to her and fixed her with a look so intense it drew the breath from Elodie’s mouth.

  “I wasn’t on a date, Elodie, I was actually going there on my own. I wasn’t meeting a friend. I just said that, I don’t know why. I guess I didn’t want to look like a sad old man. The woman is just someone I know, who happened to be there. She’s very strong- willed and I didn’t have the heart, or the capacity, to turn her away.”

  Elodie stood there stunned. She hadn’t expected such a blunt answer from Chase; his honesty was as refreshing as it was unusual.

  “Oh,” she managed, “I, errr, I didn’t mean to overstep the mark.”

  There was a pause in the conversation, a moment of reflection. Chase turned away from her and ran a hand through his dark hair.

  “So what do you think to it all so far?” he asked, turning back round to Elodie as though the last few minutes had never happened.

  Elodie swallowed hard, and with trepidation began to tell him what she thought of the place. It didn’t take long for her to warm back to him. She told him that so far she loved it, that she was excited to travel, that the prospect of working for such an airline was utterly incredible and that she felt extremely lucky to have bumped into Gareth after her unsuccessful interview with Wing Star. Chase listened intently and when she was finished gave a kind smile. It was the sort of smile that Elodie had never seen on his face before. It softened him, made him seem more human, somehow, more attractive.

  “Well, I hope it’s everything you’re hoping for.”

  It was Elodie’s turn to smile now.

  “Me too,” she agreed, “although I think getting Grace onside might be easier said than done, she’s not very welcoming, is she?”

  “Grace? Ah, don’t worry about her; she’s an absolute kitten when you get to know her. She’s probably just in a bit of a mood. She’s been having a few guy problems recently, last I heard. I dunno, it’s all just gossip to me. But that may be why she doesn’t like you. I wouldn�
��t pay it any attention, just give her a wide berth.”

  “Yeh, I think I’m going to have to,” Elodie said in a matter- of- fact way.

  “Atta girl,” Chase said encouragingly. “You’ll be fine. Now I’d love to stand around and chat all day, but I’ve got to get off.”

  He gave Elodie a playful look, again something Elodie had never seen from Chase. He seemed different somehow, as though being in his own environment had encouraged him out of his shell. He was far more likeable inside the walls of Alpha Whiskey. Chase gave her shoulder a little squeeze, his broad fingers resting there for just a second too long. He drew his hand back sharply as if surprised by this bold action and looked almost awkward. He mumbled something that Elodie didn’t quite catch and before she knew it, he had left the lounge, replaced by Gareth as the two passed each other in the doorway. Gareth held a tape measure in one hand and a tablet in the other.

  “Right, let’s get you measured for your uniform,” he said happily.

  “Uniform? So I’ve got the job?” Gareth laughed at her,

  “Of course you’ve got the job, you’re exactly what we need. Young, keen and eager.” Elodie grinned: this was turning out to be a very good day indeed.

  After being weighed and measured, prodded and poked, Elodie was all done. Gareth informed her that they each were given two sets of uniforms and it was up to them to ensure they were spotless, pressed and most of all that they fitted. Elodie nodded her understanding; she realised at that point that she didn’t actually know what the uniforms looked like. Grace had not been wearing hers and she would bet her life savings, non- existent as they were, that her uniform would not be the same as the pilot’s one that Amelia had worn.