Page 103 of Come Fly with Me

“You’re going to piss off your coworkers,” he announces as I turn my back and walk toward the door.

The laugh that falls from my mouth is far from comical and I have to bite my tongue for a split second. “You don’t know me at all,” I shoot back. “And I’m pretty confident that more of my coworkers support me than don’t.”

“Your boyfriend’s made his rounds too,” he says, an annoyance in his voice as if he’s been inconvenienced enough for one day.

“My boyfriend?” I ask, trying to play it like my heart isn’t hammering in my chest as I wonder exactly what he’s getting at. I’m sure he’s talking about Jake, but given our relationship status is currently non-existent, I have no idea why he would be involved in any of this. I can’t let Jeff know that I’m shaken, leaving my question to linger in the room rather than give myself away.

“Yeah, Jake Campbell. Obviously, you got him to fight for you, too.” I watch as he flips open the file I tossed on his desk. “And Dean Clynes too, huh?”

“Whatever gets your attention.”

“I think it’s more like whatever gets your attention,” he says, knowing I’m questioning what Jake actually did.

He holds up a file folder with at least fifty sheets of paper slipped inside, thick and attention-grabbing.

“He’s done his legwork, and it looks like you’ve got more people on your side than anything,” Jeff says, and now it’s him who seems to be struggling. “But don’t let that convince you that it’ll get any further than my desk.”

His last comment is a jab, and he knows it. It’s his attempt to shut me up, to make me believe that my voice doesn’t matter. But at this point, it’s not just my voice, it’s everyone who Jake has found, everyone Dean has added, and it’s no longer just a single woman complaining.

And as I walk out of Jeff’s office, looking back one last time, I see the cracks in his façade. I can see the worry in his eyes, the concern that what has been started here will make changes that he’s not ready for. It’s obviously bigger than I even thought because somehow Jake is involved now.

Just hearing his name makes my heart ache. It makes me want to call him and tell him what I just did. It also makes me want to thank him because he’s obviously done something pretty big too.

I’m in my car, heading back to my house, my thoughts bouncing all over the place as my phone rings.

“Hello.”

“Is this Taylor Patterson?”

“It is.”

“Hi, my name is Nicholas Sutter, and I’m the vice president of Crescent Airways.”

Holy shit.

“Yes, hi,” I respond, totally caught off guard that it’s gone this far this quickly. “Can I help you with something?”

“I wanted to share with you that we are now investigating the distribution of profit-sharing among our pilot supervisors.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” I sound reserved, but inside, I’m screaming.

“At Crescent Airways, we want to be known for supporting our pilots and we’re currently working toward pay parity. The only way to make changes is to hear from our employees, so I’m also reaching out to tell you that we’re taking everyone’s opinions into consideration, but know that based on what we’ve seen, changes will be made. Changes that will have a positive effect on all employees.”

“Thank you. I appreciate you contacting me, and I look forward to seeing the company move in the right direction.”

“Thank you for your voice and for not being afraid to shake things up,” he says in closing, hanging up before I can answer. There’s a smile on my face so wide that my cheeks begin to hurt and I can’t wait to let Dean know that his help was invaluable.

But there’s another person I know I need to thank and that’s Jake.

I’m a humble enough person to know that I need to reach out to Jake, but a part of me is scared to see him, scared of how my body will react. I’ve missed him and as much as I hate to admit it, I’ve been lonely. I’ve never been that girl, and maybe that says something about him. Maybe it says that he’s the person I’m supposed to be with, that he makes me a better person.

Dean’s words return to me about me being dangerous because I don’t need anyone, but in this case, needing Jake isn’t a weakness.

We’re stronger together.

So instead of going home, I head to Jake’s house with hopes that he’s home and that he’ll see me. I’ve been cold to him, even after finding out the truth, but just like everything, I have to learn to forgive, learn to forget, but not ever forget that my feelings are valid and who I am as a person doesn’t have to change. But I can use all my pain, all the things that have happened in the past, to become stronger. I can work toward harnessing the things I’m passionate about and using them for good.

When I reach Jake’s house, I park my car on the street and walk up to his front door, but as I stand there, I’m hit with all the memories of the first time I was here. Seeing Maggie sitting in his kitchen. Hearing her call herself his wife. The look on Jake’s face when he realized he was caught in a lie.

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