“It’s a shame I left my ball gown and tiara at home.” She sighed. “We’ll have to miss the fun. But what else do you see?”
“Well. . .” He stretched his imagination. “I think we’re coming into a city. Oh, it’s London. Look there. It’s Big Ben. Want a closer look?”
“Sure!”
He let out a whooshing sound. “Whew. Barely missed it. But it’s seven forty-five London time, in case you missed that.”
“No, I saw it.” She laughed. “You’re really good at this.”
I wouldn’t be caught dead doing it in front of any of the guys I know, but thanks.
Deciding to play along, Darren turned the question on her. “So, your turn. Where do you want to go?”
“Hmm. Well, I’ve always wanted to fly way out over the ocean,” she said. “We didn’t see a lot of water in Arizona.”
“So, where are you taking me?” He smiled as soon as the words were spoken. Darren knew where Candy Carini was taking him, of course. Right over the edge. Into the vast unknown. Into uncharted territory, places his heart had never visited. Not that he minded. He’d play along, if it meant being with her. And besides, he was rather enjoying this.
“I think I’ll fly us over the Hawaiian Islands,” she said, her voice taking on a dreamy sound. “We’ll start with the big island, okay?”
“Sure.”
“Oh, do you see that?”
“See what?” He opened one eye again, half expecting to really see something.
“That volcano. It’s erupting off in the distance. Made the plane shake. Oh, man. I’ve got to get us out of here. Look at that ash.” Her tone grew more soothing. “But don’t worry about that now. We’re back out over the water. It’s gorgeous. Have you ever in your life seen water like that before? I’ve never seen that color. Would you call that teal or cerulean?”
“Cerulean?” His eyes opened instinctively. “What in the world is cerulean?”
“A shade of blue. How can anyone not believe in God when they see a color like that? Close your eyes, now. No peeking.”
Her eyes were closed tight. How in the world could she. . . ?
“Oh, hold on!” she called out. “We’re about to fly over a really nice hotel with a beautiful white sand beach. I want to see if I recognize any movie stars. Oh, look right there. I’m pretty sure that’s. . .aw, never mind. It’s not her. Tell the paparazzi to put their cameras away. They’re always such a nuisance, don’t you think? Popping up behind trees and bushes just to snag a photograph.”
Darren opened his eyes and sat straight up in his seat. “Candy, can I ask you a question?”
Her eyes popped open and she looked at him, seemingly confused. “What?”
“Did you play games like this when you were a kid?”
She gave him a sheepish look. “M–maybe.”
“Mm-hmm.” He paused a moment. “So, all that stuff about you having your head in the clouds came from games like this.”
“I suppose.” She shrugged. “How come?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” An uneasy feeling came over him as a new revelation surfaced. “You’re a daydreamer, but in a really nice sort of way. Me. . .” He paused, wondering if she would be bothered by his next words. “When I was a kid, there wasn’t a lot of time for daydreams. My mom was a taskmaster. Always after me to get things done. I hardly remember any free time. Certainly no time to allow my mind to wander like this.”
“Ah.” She gave him a sympathetic look. “My parents were. . . are both hard workers. But they certainly gave us kids room to dream. My mom always said I was like Joseph from the Old Testament. . .dreaming the day away. Talking about things that seemed improbable. Oh, but you should meet my dad. He’s the biggest dreamer of them all.”
“I wish I could say the same.” Darren exhaled. . .a little too loud. “But anyway, I stopped dreaming a long time ago. Maybe that’s what wrong with me.”
“What’s wrong with you?” She gave him a curious look. “Who says there’s anything wrong with you?”
He pondered that a moment. Yeah. Who said there was anything wrong with him?
Candy gave him a look so sweet he felt the grip around his heart give way at once. “Darren, you can’t let whatever happened to you as a child keep you from being all God wants you to be. And it’s not too late to dream. There’s still plenty of time. . .for both of us.”
Yes, there is. Staring into her eyes, he truly believed it.
“C’mon, there’s one more place I want to take you. Close your eyes.”
Darren suppressed a laugh as he jumped into the game once again.
“I’ve always wanted to see Tuscany.” Candy sighed. “Oh, but Darren, look. It’s so much prettier than I thought it would be. Do you see those colors? This is the prettiest landscape I’ve ever seen. Would you like to go to Rome next, or Venice?”
“Venice. I’ve always wanted to see the canals.”
“Me, too. My grandfather was from Italy, you know.”
“Really?” He opened his eyes and stared at her, surprised. “I didn’t realize that.”
“Yes. He came to America in the ’30s, just before the Second World War. His family was originally from a small village in central Italy. So when I say I want to go there someday, I really mean it. It’s where my people are from. Only, I’ve never seen it. Kind of sad, really.”
Well, I’ll see that you do see it. Someday. Somehow.
After a bit more daydreaming, Darren suggested they eat their lunch. He climbed out of the plane first, then reached up to take Candy’s hand as she stepped down. Her foot slipped on the top step, and she let out a small holler as she tumbled forward. . .directly into his arms. Talk about a happy disaster. They ended up face-to-face, just inches apart.
Who’s dreaming now?
As he loosened her hold enough to let her feet touch down, she gasped. “I. . .I’m so sorry.”
“I’m not.” He kept his arms around her, enjoying the moment.
She looked up into his eyes. “I’m fine now, I promise. Thanks for catching me.”
“My pleasure.” He eventually released his hold completely but, after just a second apart, took her hands in his.
“Scared to let me go?” Candy gave him a sheepish look. “Afraid I’ll fall again?”
“Something like that.” Darren drew near. . .so near he could feel her breath on his cheek. He took a fingertip and traced her cheekbone. He could read the startled expression in her eyes at first, but it was soon replaced with a look of anticipation.
As he pulled her close, his heart rate seemed to pick up. He gave her a gentle kiss, first on one cheek, then the other. He paused to gaze into those gorgeous brown eyes.
Ironically, they now glistened with tears. “Are you all right?” he whispered.
“Yes, I. . .” She leaned her head against his chest. “Embarrassed, but. . .I’m very all right, actually.” After a moment, she lifted her head and looked up at him, providing the perfect opportunity to kiss her. Never mind the fact that Jimmy’s voice now rang out from behind him. Never mind that they stood in open view of half the airport. No, the only thing that mattered right now was the woman in his arms.
❧
Candy closed her eyes and enjoyed the unexpected kiss. It had come from out of the blue. She certainly hadn’t planned to fall, let alone into Darren’s arms. But being in his arms felt so right, so safe, she had to wonder why she hadn’t fallen sooner.
Or maybe she had. Maybe she’d fallen some time ago and just not admitted it to herself. Surely he’d fallen, too, or his lips wouldn’t be firmly locked onto hers. Hmm. In spite of her silliness in the plane, he obviously still found her grown-up enough to kiss.
And kiss again.
Her thoughts shifted in a dozen different directions at once, but she stopped them immediately. No point in thinking when one was kissing, right? And who cared that they were standing in a public place with people looking on?
After the second sweet kiss,
Darren released her and the tips of his ears turned red. I hear ya, mister. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire.
“I don’t know if I should apologize or throw a party.” Darren gave her a sheepish look. “Did I. . .did I embarrass you?”
“Embarrass me?” She laughed. “I’m pretty good at doing that on my own, thank you very much.”
He gave her an admiring look. Oh, how she wished she could read between the lines, to get into his head and figure out what he was thinking right now.
“You’re good at a lot of things,” Darren said.
“Like. . . ?”
“Like, bringing me out of my shell, for instance. And flying planes. And taking me places I’ve never been before. Places I didn’t even know I wanted to see.”
“It’s just a little game I like to play.”
She closed her eyes again and he whispered, “Tell me what you see now, Candy.”
“I see. . .” She couldn’t help but smile. “I see you.”
He responded with a kiss that sent her heart soaring to the clouds.
TWELVE
The next few weeks raced by. Before long, Candy found herself completely comfortable in the cockpit. She also found herself comfortable in Darren’s arms. Their date in the Cessna 400 had been the perfect catalyst. Tumbling into his embrace might’ve been an accident, but it was the happiest one of her life. And talk about a great story! Who else could say their first kiss had happened while falling out of a plane? She couldn’t have dreamed up such a happy tale.
Thankfully, Candy and Darren had plenty of time to explore their new relationship. Attending the same church helped. . .a lot. It gave them the perfect place to meet in a group setting. And, of course, they spent several off-duty hours hanging out with her roomies and Jason, too. Neither of them knew much about the Newark area, so they went from place to place, acting like silly tourists.
Before long, they settled into a comfortable routine. In fact, she could scarcely remember what life was like before Darren. Did she have a life before Darren? Funny, she couldn’t picture it now.
More than anything, she looked forward to introducing him to her family. That dream would become a reality on August 19. . .the Saturday Jason and Brooke had chosen for the singles group outing to the boardwalk in Atlantic City. Till then, she would just have to be content sending pictures of Darren by e-mail and singing his praises to her sisters, who took the news with great zeal.
Unfortunately, not everything in Candy’s life seemed to be moving in the same positive direction. As the days ticked by, tensions at Eastway grew, especially when another female pilot—Anna—was hired just three days after Darren’s friend Gary received a second written warning.
By the second week in August, talks of union involvement had become more than a rumor. Even Darren, who rarely got worked up about anything, looked nervous. He occasionally shared his thoughts with Candy, but more often than not just shook his head whenever she asked him what the men were thinking of doing. Surely this would blow over in time.
In the midst of this turmoil, an idea occurred to Candy, one she couldn’t seem to shake. She approached several of Eastway’s female employees, hoping for their support. After a bit of corralling, a group of them met at DiMarco’s on a Tuesday evening to implement a plan, one she’d dreamed up after some serious prayer on the matter.
After they had ordered their food, Candy broached the subject at hand. “So, here’s what I’m thinking. Women have worked for the airlines for decades. Females in the industry. . . that’s not a new thing. Not even close to new.”
“Yeah, but our roles have sure changed,” Shawneda said. She placed her glass back down on the table and gave Candy a pensive look. “It’s not the coffee, tea, and me thing anymore. Flight attendants are taken more seriously. And most of the stereotypes are gone.”
“Praise God for that.” Brooke nibbled on a piece of garlic bread.
“A lot has changed. . .for sure,” Candy said. “But the more I thought about this, the more I realized just how blessed we are that so many women walked this road ahead of us. They paved the way. You know?”
“I know I wouldn’t be flying today if other women hadn’t opened the doors for me.” Anna nodded. “It’s hard for us, but can you imagine how difficult it was for most of them? Back in the ’30s and the ’40s, when the industry was completely run by men?” She gestured for Brooke to hand over the loaf of garlic bread, which she did with a look of mock protest.
“We’ve come a long way,” Candy agreed. “Especially in the last twenty years. And we have a lot to be thankful for.” She took a sip of her diet soda and leaned back in her chair.
“Go on.” Lilly gave her a curious look. “I have a feeling you’re up to something.”
“I am.” Candy exhaled, working up the courage to continue. “This is what I’m thinking. What if we hosted a banquet honoring women who’ve made a real difference in aviation history? We could ask one of the women from the Ninety- Nines to come and speak. An older woman. Someone who’s flown for years and has gained some notoriety for her achievements.”
“Whoa.” Brooke gave her an admiring look. “Do you really think we could pull that off? Get someone famous to come?”
“We could ask. And there are so many other women who were true pioneers in this industry. Some of the established members of Women in Aviation, for instance. What if we invited them to attend and honored them in some way? Then the men would see that women have a long-standing history in the aviation industry. And we could turn this whole thing into a fundraiser for scholarships.”
“You don’t think this would worsen the problems with the guys?” Lilly’s wrinkled brow let Candy know how she felt about the idea. “I mean, they could just take this banquet as a sign we’re trying to prove a point.”
“Well, in some ways we are. But we’re not trying to prove that women are better than men. Not at all.” Candy grew more passionate about her subject matter as she continued. “I think we would be wrong to even attempt that. We’re simply trying to prove that nothing has changed. We’ve been around in the industry for years. We’re part of the past. . .and part of the future.”
“So, how do we sell the guys on this idea?” Shawneda looked her way with a doubtful look in her eye.
“Why don’t we enlist Darren?” Brooke suggested. “He’s the perfect one to win over the other guys. He’s more open-minded than most and he’s a great communicator. Everyone respects him, too, and that’s so important.”
“I think that’s a terrific idea.” Lilly nodded. “He’s so good at keeping people calm, and you’re right. . .he’s won the respect of both the men and the women.”
“He’s the perfect candidate, then.” Brooke nodded. “And I’m pretty sure he’s at the Eastway offices right now. Something about a meeting, I think. This would be the perfect time to catch him and get his opinion.”
“So, am I elected?” Candy looked at her friends.
“You’re the best one to ask,” Brooke assured her.
The food arrived and over steaming plates of lasagna and fettuccine, along with chilled Caesar salad, the women discussed ideas for the best possible banquet. By the time they finished, Candy had filled three tablet pages with notes. She could hardly wait to track down Darren to get his thoughts.
As soon as she ended her meal, Candy went up to the Eastway offices to find him. She ran into Marcella, one of the flight attendants, in the hallway. “Hey, I heard Darren was here in a meeting of some sort.”
“Yeah, he’s in a meeting of some sort.” Marcella rolled her eyes. “With all the guys. But they wouldn’t dare meet here. They’re over in the small conference room at the Marriott.”
“Oh?” Candy shrugged. “What kind of meeting?”
A strange look came over Marcella’s face. “Candy, look. . . you’re a great pilot and a wonderful girl. I don’t like to be the one to tell you this, but the guys are all putting their heads together in preparation for Gary’s meet
ing with union leaders tomorrow. Darren’s right there with the other guys. . . in the thick of it.”
“Oh, but he wouldn’t—” Marcella put her hands up in the air. “I can’t read his mind, that’s for sure. But he’s in that meeting—not that you could call it a meeting, really. It’s just a bunch of hot-headed guys blowing off steam. But if you don’t believe me, go on over there and see for yourself.”
“Okay.” Candy wrestled with her thoughts, determined to give Darren the benefit of the doubt. “I’ll go. But I know you’re wrong. There’s no way he would do that to me.”
With determination settling in, she turned on her heels and headed for the Marriott.
❧
Darren sat in on the meeting in the familiar conference room, doing his best not to get involved. He’d come—not to link arms with Gary and the others, who’d simmered to the boiling point over the past few weeks—but to be a calming force. Unfortunately, he hadn’t had a chance to get a word in edgewise, at least not yet.
Gary’s face grew red as he spoke. “Eastway needs to be hiring based on skill and time in the air, not how pretty a pilot looks in her uniform.”
Darren had to respond to that one. “Look, Gary, I think you’re taking this a bit far. It’s not a matter of getting more pretty faces onboard. These women are skilled pilots. I’ve flown with them and—”
“That’s not all you’ve done with them.” A snicker went up from the crowd after Gary’s shocking statement. Darren felt his blood begin to boil. How dare they insinuate such a thing?
“For your information, my personal relationships are just that. . .personal. And I would never. . .” He wanted to finish the statement. Wanted to tell them he’d never cross lines of propriety with Candy in the way they had suggested. Wanted to tell them that a man of God guarded himself and the woman he cared for. Wanted to give them a piece of his mind. Instead, he drew in a deep breath and counted to ten, which opened the floor to one of the other disgruntled employees.
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