Cliché

by Ryleigh Sloan

  The bowser was driving off and Jade was packing the catering on board the aircraft—a Kingair 1900. All on track. Twenty frikkin minutes and they’d all be in the air on the way to wherever it was the insanely rich spent a week away to chill. If Kim had just kept her yap shut for another goddamn twenty minutes we’d be making money on this flight instead of pissing it away on people who probably spent more than what we were making off this deal on a pair of shoes. I looked around to see if I could spot Devon but he wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

  A giggle followed by soft murmuring had me walking towards the alley between the hangars. I could not frikkin believe my eyes. Mr. Croxley’s daughter was leaned against the hangar, Devon’s hands resting on the walls at either side of her head. He was whispering something in her ear that made her blush and bite her lip. How in the hell had she gotten out here in the first place? And Devon…Devon was…I pinched my nose and stepped out of sight. Anything that came out of my mouth in that moment would not have been very professional, and while I doubt business etiquette was going through the girl’s mind, I still had a level of decorum to maintain. I’d deal with Devon later.

  My phone buzzed, likely saving me from kicking at the tires of the 1900 in a spectacularly childish display of temper.

  I exhaled a breath and answered. “Hey, Kev. How do you always know when to call?”

  “Bad day?”

  “You have no idea! Another early start?”

  “Yeah, we start shooting in an hour. I’ve just come from make-up but listen, I couldn’t wait for later. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

  I stifled a groan. Kevin knew I hated surprises but he sounded so excited I decided to hear him out.

  “I’ve spoken to your dad already and he said it’s all good for you to take time off work. So don’t lose it.”

  Oh, hell!

  “I booked you a ticket to come over for the Oscars!”

  “What?” Please tell me he wasn’t serious.

  “Yeah, I wanted to tell you about it this morning but we got uh…distracted.”

  Not even thinking about our phone sexcapades could distract me right now. “But that’s in February, right?”

  The line went quiet while I waited for him to confirm the date. When he spoke, his voice had lost some of the eagerness from moments ago. “Yeah, the 26th but don’t worry about it, your dad said Kim could fill in.”

  I closed my eyes and breathed deep, surely to God, Kevin couldn’t be ambushing me with this.

  “Uh…”

  “Kev, February is our busiest month. We have the annual Barker’s Golf Challenge and do up to three charters a day for ten days. You know this; I can’t go away in February.”

  “The business isn’t going to cave if you’re not there for a couple of weeks.”

  “Are you kidding me right now? How can you do that without talking to me first?” The stress of today detonated in me.

  “I spoke to your dad and he said it was fine for you to take a couple of weeks off work.”

  “Oh well, as long as you spoke to my dad, I guess it’s all okay.” I was being sarcastic. Jade was giving me concerned looks from the steps to the aircraft but I was too riled up to do anything other than pace.

  “I just thought if I spoke to your dad first I could…your dad said Kim could cover for you.”

  I felt my stress levels skyrocket. “Do you know what that’s gonna cost me? I’m gonna have to give her my kidney for this. Not to mention the fact that she’ll likely bankrupt us within the first three days!”

  He was deathly quiet on the other side of the line and when he spoke, all the enthusiasm from before was gone. “I need you there, Claire. This means a lot to me. Will you at least consider it?”

  I deflated like a punctured parade float. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be a bitch. Of course I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  “Really?” His tone was careful, like he wasn’t quite sure if he should get his hopes up.

  “Yeah, really. You’re buying the dress.”

  “I can’t wait to see you in it.”

  Jade gave me the look-over-your-shoulder eyes and I turned around. Alison was leading the passengers towards us and if Mr. Croxley found his daughter pinned against the hangar wall, regardless of her compliance, being away from work for two weeks during the busiest time of year was going to be the least of my worries.

  “I’ve gotta go, Kev. Thanks for the ticket. I’m looking forward to it.” Despite the fact that his timing sucked, now that I’d calmed down I appreciated that being with Kevin during one of the most important times of his career was going to be incredible. One that I didn’t want to miss.

  We said a quick goodbye and the gods must have been smiling on us because Mr. Croxley’s daughter slipped out from between the hangar and joined her party, who were all so busy with their phones and whatever else they were up to they didn’t even notice. Devon appeared moments later with a smirk that I had an overwhelming urge to knock off his face. I walked over to him, careful to keep my stride casual.

  Shooting my best ops-normal smile, I leaned in. “You just made a serious career-limiting move. You’ll second chair this shift but the minute the aircraft lands in Cape Town, you’re done. I’ll send down a replacement pilot and you can book a flight back on Kulula.”

  His smug smile didn’t just slip, it fell clear off his face. In fact, he looked damn near close to tears. I won’t lie, I felt more than a little bad for him, but I couldn’t have him being blatantly irresponsible under our company name. Pushing everything aside, I turned and smiled at the passengers, ushering them into the aircraft and settling them in for their flight.

  I was so rewarding myself with something sugar-loaded and deep fried after this.

  Chapter Ten

  Regardless of how many family lunches and special occasions took place at my sister Kim’s home, I never could get used to how sterile and drab everything was. It was as though Kim thought the very idea of colour in her home was profane. I sat on the edge of the suede couch, too scared to touch anything for fear of making the place look untidy.

  I took a sip of my tea and placed it back on the coaster, mindful of Kim’s eyes tracking my every movement. There was something about the way Kim sat ramrod straight next to Adam that made me edgy. The way she fidgeted with the tissue in her hands made nerves dance in my belly.

  “Is everything okay?” I was unable to take the silence anymore. The way they both kept flicking glances at each other and then at me was making me nervous. Adam’s hand rested on Kim’s knee and gave a reassuring squeeze.

  “You know we’ve been trying to have a baby for some time now,” Kim began.

  I nodded, feeling the excitement bubble in my belly. Had they called me to tell me I was going to be an aunt? My mind ran away with me and I started wondering if I’d have a niece or a nephew. I looked at them expectantly, waiting for the announcement but something about the way she seemed to steel herself replaced the excitement with trepidation.

  Kim drew in a breath. “I don’t know how to start so I’ll just…start. We’ve been trying for a baby for over three years now with no luck. Finally, we decided to consult a specialist gynaecologist. He ran some tests and discovered I had fibroids growing in my uterus.” She paused and Adam’s hand on her knee moved to around her shoulders and she moved closer to him. I could never understand how warm she could be with Adam and yet how cold she was with her own blood. “Dr. Baker advised me to have surgery to remove the fibroids.” I tried not to look shocked, this had to be hard enough on her without adding my emotions to the mix. “While I was having the surgery, they couldn’t stop the bleeding. They gave me blood and tried everything…” Her voice hitched on the words and I found myself holding my breath. “They had to perform an emergency hysterectomy.”

  The air left me in a rush. My hand flew to my mouth and my heart broke as I realised what my sister was telling me. She started crying, burying her head into Adam’s chest
as giant wracking sobs shook her body. I crossed the room in three strides and sat next to her. My hand rubbed what I hoped to be soothing circles on her back. I felt her stiffen beneath my touch and she curled closer into Adam who pulled her tight against him, murmuring words of comfort that only she could hear. I removed my hand and stood, feeling the fleeting sting of rejection before I realised this wasn’t about me. It was about what she needed in this moment.

  I walked back to my seat and picked up my tea, taking a small sip to ease my dry mouth but unable to swallow past the lump in my throat. Tears stung for my sister and the devastating loss she was enduring. “What can I do?”

  I wasn’t sure she’d heard me because to be fair my voice was barely a whisper, but she sat up straight and wiped at her swollen eyes with the now mangled tissue. She looked up at Adam who gave her an encouraging nod.

  “Well there is something you can do for us.”

  “Sure, anything,” I said without hesitation.

  Kim visibly brightened and it made me feel good to know I might be able to do something to help. “Dr. Baker warned us of the risks before the procedure and advised us to freeze my eggs.” She started ripping the soggy tissue to shreds and I couldn’t tear my eyes from the tiny pieces of yellow tissue falling to the laminate flooring. “We did the egg extraction and got eighteen eggs. Of the eighteen, seven were viable and we got four embryos.” I was trying to concentrate on what she was saying but all I could think of was that at any moment she would look down and see the yellow scatterings and completely flip out. My sister was the poster child for OCD, something as small as a water ring on a glass table could set her off for hours. Her next words had me paying more attention.

  “So, I guess what we’re trying to ask is, will you be our gestational surrogate?”

  All the blinking I was doing must have given the impression that I needed clarification because Kim launched into an explanation a mile a minute on what would be required of me. “Of course, you’ll have to get checked out by Dr. Baker to make sure your uterus is healthy.” She waved her hand as if she was sure that would be a non-issue. “And you’ll have to be tested for y’know… STDs.” This was punctuated with the crinkling of her nose. “God knows where Kevin has dipped his wick.” Kim had been taking potshots since she’d seen the photos of Kevin and I kissing at the track.

  “Sorry? What?” Did she really just say dipped his wick? Did she really just imply I had STDs?

  Adam cleared his throat. “What Kim is trying to say, or ask rather, is that we know it’s a lot to ask but we’d be eternally grateful if you’d carry our child for us.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I was reeling from Kim’s audacity, not for asking me to carry their baby, but for taking for granted that I would and worse treating me like a human incubator to be used at her disposal while she so blatantly insulted me. I think what hurt the most wasn’t her words but the fact that she didn’t seem to find what she said offensive. It was so typical of her, she was so self-absorbed that she couldn’t see that what she was asking was huge.

  I stood and reached for my bag. “Uh, I’ve got to think about this.”

  Kim’s eyes widened and she looked at me like the idea of me ever turning her down hadn’t crossed her mind. “What’s to think about? This is our chance to have a family.”

  “Kimberly,” Adam warned.

  “No, Adam, no. This is our chance for a baby. She said anything.” She looked at me accusingly. “You said you’d do anything. How can you be so selfish?”

  I was selfish? She was asking to use my uterus for God’s sake, and doing so with the least amount of respect she could muster and I was selfish? The desperation in her voice was the only thing stopping me from telling her just that.

  I clutched my bag to keep my hands from shaking. “This isn’t just anything, Kim. I need some time to think about this.” Why did my voice have to shake?

  “Of course,” Adam said. “Take all the time you need.”

  Kim’s violent sobs grew louder the closer I got to the door. Guilt weighed down on me with every step I took and every word of comfort I heard from Adam’s mouth.

  I walked out of the room and straight to my car where I sat motionless for the longest time, feeling guilty that my answer wasn’t a straightforward yes.

  I mean what was there to think about? I could give my sister this incredible gift. But this was big. I owed it to myself to think about it. But right now I couldn’t think straight. I drove back to the office and when I pulled into the parking lot I had no idea if I’d run the last traffic light or if it was green.

  I reached for my phone in my bag and started typing out a text.

  Me: It’s not a no, okay? Just give me a few days.

  I wasn’t surprised by Kim’s lack of response. I tossed my phone back in my bag and headed into the office.

  “Whoa! You look like shit.”

  Alison was one of those people you could always rely on to be honest but never tactful. I actually appreciated that about her. I walked into my office, dumping my bag on the navy-blue couch, then sat in front of my computer. Out of habit, I moved the mouse to activate my screen but when the screen brightened I just stared without seeing anything.

  “I’m not going to ask you what’s up because clearly you have a lot going on right now.” Alison’s concerned eyes met mine. “But I am going to make you a cup of tea and sit here until you drink it. You’re as pale as a sheet.”

  Moments later, she appeared with a cup of tea and true to her word, she took up residence in one of my guest chairs. She fixed me with a no-nonsense stare until I took a tentative sip of the hot tea, then pulled one of the Airnews magazines off the display stand at the edge of my desk and started flipping through the glossy pages, making a big show of “reading” the articles. I knew for a fact she wasn’t reading it. Alison was a gardening magazine kind of girl and the Airnews was full of boring articles about which company surpassed the one billion frank mark, air shows, or production milestones.

  I knew she wasn’t “camping out” in the hopes of some juicy gossip. She was simply being there for me, and I was grateful for the support, but I needed to be alone right now. The sound of an incoming email alert gave me the excuse I needed to get back to it. Reaching for my glasses, I opened my emails and noted I had 57 unread mails. I’d just cleared my mails this morning.

  “Ally, I...”

  She looked over at me and placed the magazine back on the stand then stood and walked around my desk. Bending down, she gave me a hug. “Shout if you need anything, okay?”

  I nodded my head. “Thanks.”

  She gathered up my empty cup and walked out of my office. I threw myself into my work with the diligence only someone avoiding their problems could. When my office door opened a while later and Alison told me she was heading home, I was surprised to see that it was a quarter past eight.

  “Are you going to be here much longer?”

  I rubbed at the tight muscles in my neck. “No, I’m gonna head off soon.”

  “Want me to stay and lock up with you?”

  I smiled tiredly. “Thanks, but I’m good. Have a great evening. You meeting up with Brandon?” Alison’s plan to have an orgasm that wasn’t self-induced had turned into more than a one-night stand. I hoped Brandon wouldn’t flake on Alison if things got more serious.

  She smiled and I could swear she sighed. “Not tonight. I need to catch up on my sleep if you know what I mean.”

  I laughed. “Ah, gotcha. Well, good night. Enjoy your day off tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, see you Friday.”

  It looked like she was deciding whether to say more but after a few moments she said good night and left.

  I answered a couple more emails and my phone buzzed with an incoming message from Kevin.

  Kev: Hey, Claire-Bear. How was your day?

  I stared at the screen for a while. I was exhausted and wasn’t sure what to say. I decided to tell him the truth, well, some of it anywa
y.

  Me: Hey, you. Stressful. About to head home for a warm soak and a glass of wine. How was yours?

  Kev: You still at the office? I hope you’re not alone.

  Me: You’re adorable when you go all caveman. No, I’m not alone. Max is here.

  Max was the company security guard and had been with us since I was a kid. He lived in a Wendy House at the back of the hangar. When he realised I was working crazy hours, he had my dad set up a computer in his room which alerted him when the alarm was set. It didn’t matter what time of night I left, he was always there to walk me to my car.

  Kev: Say hey from me.

  Before I got a chance to respond that I would, another text came through.

  Kev: I want to hear about your day. Call or text?

  Me: Call, definitely call.

  Moments later my phone rang. “Hey. What happened today?”

  “Hi.” Just the sound of his voice made me feel a little better. “Can we not talk about my crappy day and focus on your day instead?”

  He chuckled. “Sure, I’ve actually got a hilarious story. Wanna hear it?”

  “Oh, absolutely.” I relaxed into my seat.

  “If you were here you’d have hurt yourself laughing. I wanted to film it for you but there’s a no-phones-on-set rule.”

  “What, even for the famous Mr. Kevin Peyton?”

  “Especially for me. Last week we were right in the middle of a really important scene and my phone rang.”

  “Oops, I bet that made you popular.”

  “Yeah, especially since everyone was rushing ’cause we were losing light.”

  “Bad Kevin.” I grinned.

  “Well I’m not on the shit list anymore after what happened today. That’s all on Frank, the set engineer I keep telling you about.”

  I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. Kevin had told me numerous stories about Frank and none of them were flattering. He was the dictionary definition of a creeper. I took my glasses off and put them in their case. “This is gonna be good, I can tell.”