by Karen Deen
Picturing her dark hair fanned out on the crisp white linen.
I’m thinking things I shouldn’t be.
Especially about the woman who’s my boss.
Does she sleep here naked? Her flawless tits peeking out of the sheets. What’s she thinking as her skin touches the cold sheets? Is she thinking about me flying up front and keeping her safe while she rests her weary body?
Shit! I need to get out of here.
I’m sounding like some dirty pervert or a stalker. I’m neither, but I need to stop these thoughts in her bedroom while she’s not even here. That’s just sleezy.
Doing some checks on the plane sounds like a far better option to blow off steam. Kicking the tires a few times I’ll feel better. Well, Aaron might appreciate it anyway, because at least I’m not kicking the crap out of him.
Standing at the rear of the jet, I hear steps behind me. I know by the sound of the heels it’s Holly.
“You okay, Mason?” Her sweet voice makes me take a deep breath before I answer. She doesn’t deserve my gruffness. She’s only in her mid-twenties and has been working on planes for two years. She’s lucky enough to be working a private jet this early in her career. Right time at the right place when one of the hostesses quit over an argument with a client. She was outfitted and thrown into the job with a ten-minute induction, straight out of her interview. Luckily it was only a short flight, and the client just wanted alcohol and lots of it. He was half drunk by the time we landed, and we didn’t have any passengers on the return trip. She’s been part of my crew ever since.
“Hey, Holly. Yeah, thanks. Just not enough sleep last night. Aaron’s pushing my buttons by thinking with his dick instead of his brain.”
She starts laughing. “When is he ever going to think with his brain before his dick? In case you haven’t noticed, the guy is led around by his head and it’s not the one that contains the brain. Not going to change anytime soon. Now, can I get you something to eat? I’m heading into the terminal to get some snacks. You know company policy, can’t eat the stock on the plane.” She rolls her eyes because we both know that no one sticks to that.
“On a chocolate binge again?” Placing my arm around her shoulder, I start walking with her towards the terminal doors. “Grab me a decent coffee, plus one for the testosterone boy on the plane, please.”
“You trying to tell me I make crappy coffee?” Pretending to be offended, she jabs me in the side with her elbow.
“Nope, they just make it better. My treat.” Passing her money, I’m heading back to apologize to Aaron. He might need to pull his head in a little, but he also didn’t deserve the way I spoke to him.
~
After good coffee and chocolate have soothed our souls, we’re watching an Avengers movie. Aaron won the rock-paper-scissors contest, so we’re suffering through his choice. Although it’s better than what Holly would choose. I don’t know how many love stories she’s tried to tell me are comedies.
I thought I would have heard from Paige by now. She told me several times that she was keeping this meeting to a minimum so she could get back home. Wanting to check on her, especially since she’s on her own, isn’t worth the grilling when she returns. Doubt my message would be appreciated the way it’s intended. Instead, I head into the cockpit to check on the current weather conditions for the flight home. The grey skies here aren’t looking fantastic. I want to make sure there are no delays.
The weather is starting to close in around Washington. A thunderstorm is predicted. I start to prepare my flight path, trying to avoid flying through it. My phone finally chimes with a message.
Paige: Meeting finished. In the car on the way to the airport. Please be prepared for takeoff as soon as I arrive.
Mason: Thank you. We are ready and waiting. Hope the meeting went well.
I wait to see the dots replying. Nothing appears. After a few minutes, I give up waiting and get back to work. Her message is all business, so I need to be the same.
“Okay, time to move. Boss is on her way back and wants to take off as soon as she arrives. To be honest, so do I, weather isn’t going to be much fun. Holly, can you make sure she eats something once we’re in the air? I know she will have skipped lunch. Aaron, I’m doing the preflight checks. Can you radio the tower and file our flight plan, please? I’ve made some notes on the screen about the storm cell we’re trying to fly around. Our time for takeoff is in approximately thirty minutes. Get a booking for a runway. Back shortly.”
“Yes, Captain,” they both echo behind me as I head outside to talk to the ground staff and do my checks. The time for lying around and relaxing is over, it’s work time now. I know that as much as we joke around, we’re a tight crew, and when I say it’s time, they never hesitate to switch on straight away.
I’m in my position at the bottom of the stairs waiting when her car pulls up, just as the rain starts. The driver steps out, but I’ve beaten him to the side of the car with an umbrella. I reach my hand to her as he opens the door to help her out. She grabs her bag and quickly stands with me, trying to hide from the rain.
Her closeness is intoxicating.
Her perfume is a soft sweet fragrance. Her hand’s trembling a little in mine. I’d like to think it’s from my touch, but I can tell by her face it’s not. Something isn’t right. This woman’s life is like a roller coaster.
I lean in to whisper in her ear, and she gasps as I get closer. “Are you alright?” My lips are so close to her ear, I want to take it and bite down. Fuck, how I want to but can’t.
A breathy, “Mmm,” is all I get from her. Remembering where we are, I back away and concentrate on getting her out of the rain. Then I need to get the jet in the air and head home before this storm really breaks. Perhaps then I can find out what’s going on.
“Thank you, Mason.” Paige steps out from the umbrella into the cabin, and Holly pulls the cabin door closed behind me, securing it.
“All part of the service. Now let’s get you home to your father and sunny Chicago.” This brings a faint smile to her face which is enough for the moment.
Securing my harness and radioing the tower, we start taxiing out to the runway.
“Thank goodness the boss made it back when she did. This storm cell on the radar looks like it’s going to get nasty in the next hour. I’ll be happy to be well out of it by then. Let’s get Meredith up in the air, Captain.”
“That’s the plan,” I reply to Aaron as I push forward on the throttle and we start the adrenaline rush of takeoff for the second time today. The first twenty minutes of the flight are a little hairy with the storm. Nothing I’m not used to, though. I’ve flown in far worse conditions. As we’re sitting at cruising altitude now and with clear sky in front of us, I want to check on Paige.
“Can you take control for five minutes? I just want to check on the boss. Something wasn’t right when she came on board.”
Aaron gives me a smug look. “Sure, Captain. Take as long as you need. I’ve got this.” He switches control to himself.
“You can wipe that look off your face too,” I comment as I unharness.
“What look? The one that says you have a thing for the boss lady?” He laughs as I glare at him.
“Yeah, that bullshit look. I’m just doing my job and checking on my passenger. Not everything is about sex, like in your world.” I’m not good at lying so I exit the cabin so he can’t see my face.
Holly is just coming back from the cabin with an empty plate. That makes me happy. At least she’s eaten something. Probably not much, but I’m not going to push it. Entering the cabin, I see Paige with a glass of wine in her hand just staring out the window. She’s zoned out which is not like her. Normally, no matter what, she’s working while we fly, unless she’s sleeping. So I don’t startle her again, I clear my throat as I walk to gain her attention.
“Hope the turbulence wasn’t too bad. We tried to fly around the storm but were just on the edge of it.” I take a seat opposite her.
“Thank you, it wasn’t too bad. I’ve had worse. It happens when you fly so often.” Her finger is doing circles around the rim of the glass.
“Paige.”
She looks up from where she was concentrating on her wine glass. “Hmm.” Her response is very vague.
“Are you okay? Did something happen at your meeting or is it your father?” Her face turns to look out the window again before she takes a deep breath.
“Thank you for asking. I’m fine. There are just some things I was told in the meeting that I wasn’t expecting. To be honest, I was totally blindsided, which doesn’t happen often. Just means I’ve got some serious work to sort it out. Nothing I can’t handle. That’s what I do, I handle it all.” Although she usually manages to keep her expression stone-faced without giving away her emotions, this last week I’ve seen her struggling to hold her composure. Not the same Paige I’ve worked for over the last six months.
“Can I help in any way?” I place my hand over her free one on the armrest. This time she doesn’t pull away. She sits silently. This is how I know something big has happened.
“Not unless you’re a super spy,” she mumbles before taking a sip of wine.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you in danger, Paige?” I start to sit up straighter and my voice gets more serious.
“No, no. I was just being silly. Ignore me. It’s just been a long week. I might just take a nap before we reach Chicago.” She places her glass on the table and pulls her hand away from me, reclining her chair a little. It’s my cue to leave her alone. I’m not convinced everything’s fine.
The word fine is such an ambiguous word. It’s the word people use when they’re trying to convince you that everything’s okay, yet they don’t have the energy or emotional strength to find the word, such as great or perfect. Or when they’re afraid to say how bad they feel in case it opens up the emotions that they’re trying to hold together. Instead, to the world they are just… fine.
Well, I know one thing. I’m not letting Paige be just fine on her own. Whatever’s worrying her, I’ll be helping to make it right.
“That’s a good idea. A nap will help you feel better and clear your mind.” I reach into one of the cupboards to retrieve a blanket and lay it over her.
“Wow, the captain of the plane and the hostess with the most-est. You really can multitask. Impressive.”
“You would be surprised at all the things I excel at with my multitasking skills. Now rest and I’ll make sure Holly doesn’t disturb your beauty sleep until we’re ready to land. Not that you need beauty sleep.” I wink at her and return to the cockpit.
Ignoring Aaron’s smartass comments as I’m returning, we continue the flight without any more problems and land perfectly back in Chicago. Paige has a habit of taking off before I finish in the cockpit. I plan on calling her later to check everything’s okay. She’s probably lucky I don’t know where she lives, otherwise, I’d be turning up on her doorstop.
I need a drink, and it better be strong. Before I jump into my Jeep Cherokee to head home, I put out the message to the boys, our group message aptly named “crazy fam.”
Mason: Drinks/dinner -Timothy O’Toole’s Pub - 7 pm.
Be there - No excuses!
Putting my phone in the tray ready to ignore it, I crank up the music to take my mind off the shit day it’s been. “Ride it” by Regard starts radiating through the speakers.
Time to belt out a karaoke session. It’s the only place I’ll sing, on my own in the car or the shower. Except for that one time when the boys and I all went out to celebrate me arriving home from deployment in Afghanistan. We were that drunk, we ended up in some bar downtown, singing karaoke at three am. I don’t remember one part of that night, but the video evidence on Tate’s phone can’t be denied. As usual he was the ringleader, and it involved a few females too. You can hear him on the video on a microphone telling the single girls in the bar, I’m a returned soldier who’s needing some sex to make me forget the bad memories. I cringed so hard when I heard it. No amount of sex can wipe away images of war. Thank goodness Gray drunk dialed his dad. He turned up, herded us all into a taxi. Took us back to Gray’s apartment and dumped us on a bed fully clothed. The next day was ugly, I remember that headache. That memory won’t leave me in a hurry either.
Pulling into my underground carpark, I’m checking out every corner of the space. My training is still there. Always be aware of my surroundings. Keep your wits about you at all times. It’s part of my problem. My brain won’t switch off. It’s too busy processing information. My counselor tells me I need to remember I’m no longer in the army or in a combat role.
Yeah, easier said than done!
Once you train your senses to be on alert twenty-four seven, it’s hard to come back from that. I think that’s why I’ve become an adrenaline junkie. It fuels my brain that’s already living on the peak of activity every day.
Bingo! Three replies from Tate, Lex, and Gray. Just what the doctor ordered. Well, at least two of them are doctors. Lex is just the painfully cautious lawyer who continually worries about the stupid shit we do.
Grayson and Tate both work out of Mercy Hospital. Gray is an Obstetrics/Gynecologist and Tate’s a neurosurgeon. Which is scary that they let that man touch people’s brains. The guy I know is the biggest idiot, treats life like one big party. Yet they tell me in surgery he’s the best there is in the city. He’s pretty impressive, not that I ever tell him that. When we were all at Brother Rice High School for boys, I always knew Gray wanted to be a Gyno, looking after women to honor his mom, but Tate surprised us all. Even his parents, who assumed he would be a trust fund baby and living off them for the rest of his playboy life. He proved us all wrong. For the thousands of lives he’s saved, I’m sure they’re happy he proved the world wrong.
After a shower and some internet surfing, I’m waiting for Gray to pick me up. He’s on call, so he’s the designated driver tonight. The only issue being if he gets called to the hospital, we’re on our own. That’s always a dangerous thing, to be left with Tate and no exit plan. Thank god for Uber, otherwise tonight could be a messy one. That’s not guaranteeing it won’t be anyway.
The ride to the pub is silent because Gray’s on the phone to the hospital, discussing a patient that has gone into labor. Looks like he’ll be with us for only a short while tonight. Long enough for dinner, then we’ll be waving him goodbye. Nothing unusual for us. He’s still on the phone as we pull up. I leave him to it and head in to get a drink. Spotting Tate and Lex already at the bar, I head straight to them, and the moment my ass hits the seat I signal the waiter, Johnny, for my usual beer. Gray won’t be drinking so he can order his own when he finally gets in here.
“Where’s lover boy?” Tate laughs as he wipes the beer froth of his lips with his tongue.
“On the phone, talking about some woman’s body parts I have no interest in ever knowing about. If I didn’t need a beer before the drive here, I certainly do now. No one should know that much about a woman’s pussy unless he is fucking it,” I grumble as Tate and Lex both spit their beer out on the bar.
“For fuck’s sake, you three. Can you drink the beer and not spit it all over my bar like camels?” Johnny starts wiping down the bar in front of us.
“Oh, come on, Johnny, then you wouldn’t have a reason to wipe the bar. Isn’t that what bartenders do all night, just constantly wipe down the bar with some rag just so they look busy?” Lex is not the joker in the group, but when he comes out with them, they’re usually gold. This one earns him a flick in the chest with said rag, which has him squealing like a pig and Johnny getting the last laugh. This is just what I need tonight. My boys, beers, food, and good laughs. Life’s little pleasures.
“Sorry, man. Couldn’t ignore that call. A high-risk pregnancy, so need to be ready to go shortly. Lex, Tate.” Gray slaps me on the back of the shoulder and gives the man-nod to acknowledge the others.
“We should order food then.
I’m starving anyway.” Tate grabs the menu. I’m not sure what for. He orders the same thing every time.
“When are you not hungry, Tate?” Gray teases. “You must have one hell of a workout every day, so you don’t look the size of a house.”
He sniggers at Gray. “Maybe not every day, but I certainly enjoy one hell of a workout. I make sure of it,” Tate boasts.
Johnny stands in front of us, ensuring we don’t dirty his bar again.
“Such a cocky bastard. Not sure why you need to give your hand a daily workout. Good luck to you, with those blisters. You should see a doctor. Let’s get food so it shuts him up for a while. Four rib baskets, thanks Johnny. Not sure why you even bother giving us menus.” I laugh handing the menus back. From the look on the boys’ faces, everyone’s happy and settling in while we wait for the food.
“How’s your court case going, Lex. You seem stressed the last few weeks. Still battling that chick who gives you grief in the court room?”
He groans and runs his hand through his hair. “Jacinta Nordick is going to be the death of me. I just wish we could be on the same team some days. She is the best fucking attorney I’ve come up against, so this is like battling myself. Have you ever tried to play with yourself?” We all roar at that comment. That’s not something you say in front of a group of guys.
“Well, apparently Tate does almost every day,” Gray pipes up and high-fives me.
“Oh, you are all so fucking funny. I can tell you, the last time I had to jerk myself off wasn’t even in this decade,” Tate replies.
“Tate, you are so full of shit you should’ve been a lawyer. Anyway, back to the bane of my existence this week in the court room. Being opposing council against Jacinta is the worst challenge. I keep analyzing the facts and thinking about how I would fight the case with her evidence. Then counter her arguments with my own. The jury’s gone into recess, and it could be a few days before they come up with the verdict. I’m just sitting back now and waiting for the result. So frigging annoying.”