by Liz Peters
“Then give her a call! You should set up a date and at least see how she feels outside of that damn classroom.”
“Yeah, Jer, I think I’ll do that. This belly full of carbs and evening spent with great friends has definitely got me feeling relaxed and much less uptight than I normally am. Where’s my damn phone?”
Before he lost his nerve, he brought up Ali’s name and texted her:
Hey beautiful, what are you up to?
Ali must have had her phone on her because she immediately answered back:
Hi Handsome! Nothing much. Just hanging out around the house. You?
Just finished a great meal with Jeremy and Cami. Now they’re tired and are punking out. Wondered if you’d like to head out to the boardwalk and get some ice cream?
Love to. Meet you downstairs in 20 mins.
Ben sent her a quick thumbs up. Then immediately second-guessed his decision about running out after such a great meal. His friends assured him they could manage to clear their dinner dishes and seemed pretty excited that he was going out for a bit. Their encouragement and support was just the kick in the ass that he needed to push ahead and see where this thing was going.
BEN FOUND ALI DOWNSTAIRS looking as hot as ever in a pair of jean shorts and a lacy crop top. Her hair was down, and she wasn’t wearing nearly as much makeup as she had in class. Damn if it didn’t take his breath away every time he saw her out of that stuffy uniform.
She greeted him with a warm hug, clearly happy to see him. “Hey, you. To what do I owe this spontaneous invitation to?” Her tone was always a little teasing; a little sexy.
It emboldened him and pushed him to step outside of his usual formal, stuffy self. “Just thinking about you and remembering our awesome night together. I really had a good time, Alicia, and I’d like to get to know you better.”
“Over ice cream? Sounds yummy to me!” The boardwalk was almost empty this evening so they had the place basically to themselves. They walked toward an ice cream vendor and Ali ordered a double chocolate sea salt caramel cone with sprinkles on top. Ben had the predictable vanilla and they ate while they talked.
Ali brushed her hair out of her eyes in that sexy way of hers and said “Seriously, I had a really good time Saturday night. I wasn’t sure how much of it you’d remember, though.” She laughed when she said it, but Ben could detect the slightly anxious tone in her voice. She looked up at him with those innocent eyes of hers while she ran her tongue over the dripping ice cream.
It was all Ben could do to keep his mind on the conversation and he struggled to stay focused.
Although he didn’t have much experience with one night stands himself, he had heard plenty of stories of pilots and their legendary exploits. There were always heated hookups that happened in their career and it was just human nature to be a little insecure afterward not knowing what it all meant. He decided that with Ali, he would take the step to clear that up once and for all.
“I definitely remember most of it, Ali. I don’t usually do that sort of thing. In fact, it’s rare for me to even get that drunk in the first place. I like you. I like you a lot. But our career choice isn’t going to make spending time together very easy for either of us.”
Ali visibly relaxed when he said how much he liked her. She seemed to be totally open to his honesty and it felt like they were on the right track, regardless of where this relationship was going.
“Yeah, I feel the same way. I’m not a big fan of risking everything we’ve both worked so hard for either. There must be some way we can keep this thing private while we focus on our classes together.” She gave him the slightest little pout, something she probably didn’t even realize she was doing and Ben took the moment to lean in for a tender kiss.
As soon as it started, they both snapped out of it, realizing they were out in public and that this was exactly the kind of thing that would undo them.
They pulled apart and Ben cleared his throat. “So, you certainly got an earful about my past the other night in the restaurant. What about you? What’s your backstory?” It seemed like a genuinely innocent question, but he noticed Ali hesitating a bit as if she wasn’t sure how much she wanted to reveal.
Ali thought about answering in generalities, then decided what the hell? She might as well be open with the guy. He certainly had been with her. “Sabrina has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. We had childish dreams of escaping the small town we grew up in together. After high school, my life took a turn toward crazy-town and she helped me stay sane. Our timeline got moved up and together we headed out of dodge. We got the apartment here and started a new life from scratch. She has been my ally and strongest supporter for most of my life.”
Ben had to admit he was surprised. Most of the kids that took his class came from families that set them up then supported them all through their training and usually beyond until they were established. He’d never heard of anyone “starting from scratch” and heading out on their own before. He definitely wanted to know more about this friend Sabrina and the life that they had left behind.
“Wow, I’m totally impressed. I have to admit, it surprised me to see you working when I walked into that bar last weekend. Supporting yourself and holding down good grades in class takes a lot of dedication. I really think you’ve got what it takes to make it in this job.”
Ali felt herself shining at Ben’s praise. Occasionally she would imagine what life might’ve been like had she accepted Tyler’s proposal so long ago. She felt certain that having praise and support for her accomplishments would’ve been non-existent. She was feeling herself falling harder for Ben by the minute.
Ben couldn’t help but notice the dreamy look that came over Ali. He certainly didn’t know what that was about, but he liked it. It seemed to be the green light he needed to ask her more about her past. He rolled with his instincts, asking her for more without prying. It paid off well, and they spent the next couple of hours learning about each other’s history.
They talked about her dramatic breakup with Tyler and disappointing her entire family. He shared details of his childhood growing up without a mom. Soon it was getting dark and the moon was shining down on them.
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a big day tomorrow.” Ali was kidding, but she had a point.
“You’re right. I do too. I guess we should call it a night.” This time Ben looked around to be sure they were alone, then leaned in for a better and longer kiss than before.
Ali kissed him back and their tenderness almost took her breath away. This was nothing like the steamy, reckless heat that had engulfed them before. This was the reward for two people taking the time to risk being vulnerable and getting to know each other.
They were completely alone as they both reached for each other’s hand and walked back home together in the moonlight.
THE NEXT AFTERNOON, Ben was sitting at his desk working on some paperwork that needed to be completed before the start of the next class session. It wasn’t weird for him to be there late, but he was usually the only one there. The sound of a knock on his office door was more than a small shock when he’d thought he was the only person in the entire building.
“Come in?” Ben’s voice was a little hesitant, but he recognized the face of the person who walked through the door immediately.
William Varley had been the Vice President of human resources for the airline longer than Ben had been employed there. They had worked together closely on ensuring that the flight attendant training program was up to the industry standard and beyond. He wasn’t certain what his direct supervisor was doing here, but it was certainly an odd visit.
“Will, is there something I can do for you?”
William came into the office, sitting down in the chair on the opposite side of Ben’s desk. He folded his hands in front of him and cleared his throat nervously as he leaned forward on the desk.
“There certainly is, and it’s something you can do for yourself as
well.” Will wasn’t one to mince words. He usually said exactly what he was thinking and didn’t beat around the bush. The tone of his voice and the look on his face had Ben’s heart sinking into the pit of his stomach.
“You’re going to have to be a little bit more clear about that, Mr. Varley.” Ben immediately switched over to using the formal version of his boss’s name when he realized that this was a lot more serious than just a friendly social call.
“Well, I imagine you’re going to know what I’m talking about as soon as I begin speaking, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll nip it in the bud right now before I have to take matters into my own hands. I’ve had some, let’s call them complaints, about your behavior with one of the trainees in this class. Some of the other students feel that perhaps you might be showing her a little favoritism. As you know, fraternization is entirely against the rules in this program, and for good reason.
The look on Will’s face was entirely serious, and Ben could feel his stomach immediately twist into a knot that he wasn’t certain was ever going to straighten out. Obviously, he and Ali hadn’t done as good of a job at covering things up as they’d thought since someone had gone to human resources with a complaint.
“I assure you, Mr. Varley. There’s nothing going on between us, and I’m certainly not showing her more favor than any of the other students. Though, I’d be happy to put her evaluations under one of the assistant instructors so that I can’t have any real effect on her assessments.” The first sentence was a lie, and Ben didn’t like the way it tasted in his mouth. However, there was nothing he could do about it at the moment. Telling the truth meant that both of them were out of a job.
“I see, and you do realize that I haven’t given you the name of anyone yet, don’t you Ben?”
Ben realized his mistake immediately, though there was nothing to do about it now. All he could try to do was to save face.
“No, you haven’t, but I’m aware there is one student who has been quite a bit more friendly than is warranted for a student-teacher relationship. So I can only imagine that’s who the complaint is about.”
Will nodded, knitting his brows together as he studied the man in front of him.
“Make sure it’s not an issue anymore. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of the damage a scandal like that could bring to the school. That’s the reason we have such a strict policy in place. It’s written clearly in the contract that both teachers and students sign. I’m sure I can count on you to take care of the situation immediately.”
William stood up without another word as he turned to exit Ben’s office, leaving Ben behind in a quandary about what the heck he was supposed to do about the predicament he was in. Somehow, he needed to figure out how to save not only his job, but Alicia’s as well, and quickly.
BEN HAD NO IDEA WHEN would be a good time to talk to Ali, but he was going to have to do it soon, as the situation was quickly getting out of their control. On his way home from work, he’d decided that a complete break was the best idea for both of them. They might not be able to avoid each other in the apartment complex, but they’d managed for the last couple of years to somehow not run into each other. Now that they had the same schedule, things might be harder, but they were both adults. They were just going to have to go back to being completely professional.
The thought was like a kick in his gut and Ben totally dreaded having to tell Ali. He had no idea how she would handle it, but all he could do was hope for the best.
Once Ben pulled into the parking lot, he glanced up at the apartment he now knew belonged to Alicia with a sigh. There wasn’t really any other way to get around things. Ben was just going to have to head up there and take the bull by the horns. He walked up the stairs to the second floor, knocking on the door only to have it answered by a young woman he didn’t recognize.
“Hi, umm... Is Alicia here?” Ben knit his brows together, taking in the dark-skinned twenty-something in front of him uncertainly.
“Oh, you’ve got to be Ben. Yeah, I’ll go get her. Come on in.”
Ben let her show him into the living room before she walked out into the next room. He stood there awkwardly while he waited for someone to come back in, glancing around him. It was a pretty typical apartment, and it was clear that Alicia didn’t live here alone. The girl he’d met at the front door must have been her roommate.
“Ben?” He wheeled around to see Ali walking into the room with a concerned look on her face as she closed the distance between them. “Is everything ok?”
Ali moved to rest her hand on his chest, and Ben took a stuttering step backward, putting more space between them. Ali’s face sank as she pulled her lower lip between her teeth. What he really wanted to do was pull her into his arms and kiss her, to figure out some kind of way that they could be together, but he couldn’t see how they could accomplish that without losing everything they’d both worked so hard for.
“Not really. I had a visit from my boss at human resources this afternoon...” Ben trailed off, glancing down at his feet.
“Oh fuck me.” Ali let out a long sigh, collapsing onto the couch. “Any idea who went to them and ratted us out?”
Ben shook his head, letting Ali sit on the couch alone while he remained standing.
“No, and they don’t have anything solid, or I’m sure I would have been fired on the spot. There’s someone that filed a complaint, maybe a couple of someones. So, I’m going to have to transfer all of your assessments to one of my assistants, but there’s more than that.”
Ali looked up at him from the couch with a frown as she folded her arms across her chest.
“We’re going to have to stay away from each other, aren’t we?” She took the sentence away from him before he could even get it out of his mouth.
“Yeah. We are.” He nodded, letting out a long sigh. “I can’t stay long. I still have guests at my place, but I needed to let you know. Things have to change between the two of us and quickly before something more serious happens.”
Ali nodded, turning her focus down to where she moved to let her hands rest in her lap for a moment before twisting some of her fingers together.
“I’m sorry you got in trouble over me.” Her voice was small, like a kid who’d been caught doing something wrong.
“Listen, I’m a grown-up, and I did what I did on my own. I just know that we can’t keep going on like this.” Ben wanted to move forward and comfort her. He hated the fact that he was the one who made her feel this way, but there really wasn’t anything that he could do about that. It was a shitty situation and now they were just going to have to deal with it.
“There must be something we can do. Can’t we just keep the heat down between us and stay under the radar until the training comes to an end?”
“I thought of that already Ali. But I’ve seen people’s career destroyed over this before. Anyone in class who’s going to be good at this job is also going to be very skilled at reading people. It’s just what we do. Besides, I can’t see any way that I can focus on teaching the class and simultaneously resist my own natural response to you, even for just the remainder of the training. I’m not that good of a liar. I’m really sorry, but I think we just need to call it now before we lose everything we’ve worked for.”
“Yeah. You’re right. Listen, I know you’ve got to go. I’ll be good in class from now on out, so you don’t have to worry about me.”
Ben didn’t know how to respond to that. Everything in him wanted to touch her, but there was no way he was going to be able to do that and keep his urges under control. Maybe a clean break was the best thing for both of them. He didn’t even have it in him to say goodbye. Instead, he just turned and walked out of the apartment with his heart in his throat before he said something that they were both going to regret.
THE next day in class, the energy between Ben and Ali was completely different. The only greeting that he’d given was a simple nod and a “good morning” — the same thing h
e did with each of his students every morning— and that was the last interaction they had for the day.
True to his word, Ben had assigned the evaluation of Alicia to one of his assistant instructors. Then to cover up the fact that he was having to let go of her oversight specifically, he held a meeting where he told them that he’d decided to delegate some of the responsibilities of the class to his staff. He had split the group into five smaller groups and assigned one to each of his four assistants, keeping one for himself.
It made sense, and it was something he probably should have done a long time ago. As the director for the training center, the day to day operations was left entirely up to his discretion. This was easily a decision he could make without consulting anyone, and it took the pressure off of both he and Ali for the rest of the class. At least, that’s what he had been telling himself.
Today’s task was for the students to learn to stock one of the drink and snack carts that were found in each airliner and even small commuter planes. Different sized planes required differing numbers of items, but overall, the process for each one was similar. It was the kind of thing that was best learned in small groups and hands-on, so he’d already split them up and spread them out around the space to work with their instructors.
His group was composed of some of the members of the class that Ben didn’t expect to make it through the entire course successfully. He wanted to give them each some individual attention and make sure that his hunch about them was correct before he let them go, but that meant that he was going to have to put all of his focus on them as well. It was only fair. It also had the advantage of keeping him from being distracted by the fact that Ali was still in the same room as he was.