Page 32 of Come Fly with Me

The other flight attendant, Ali apparently, laughs. “Shit, yes,” she cries, getting the attention of the rest of the table. “Totally lost it at Theo, wasn’t it? The co-pilot of the Dallas-Sydney flight?”

“Yeah,” one of the other crew members chimes in. “So weird because normally she’d be all over him and totally up for anything.”

“God, normally she’d be shit faced drunk in the bar with the rest of us,” the flight attendant sitting next to me says.

They all break into laughter as someone chimes out with, “Taylor Patterson, the pilot who puts the friendly in flying the friendly skies.”

I feel my blood start to boil as they all dissolve into hysterics. Pushing my chair back, I stand, slamming my hands down on the table to get their attention as I lean forward.

“You lot are a fucking disgrace,” I say through gritted teeth.

“Oh come on, Hunter,” the flight attendant next to me says, once again sliding her hand onto my arm. “Don’t be like that. We all know what she’s like.”

I pull my arm away from her. “What she’s like or isn’t like is none of your fucking business,” I say, my jaw tight. “What’s important is who she is. Your fucking captain and the woman responsible for safely getting you all back home to your insipid lives.”

My heart is pounding in my chest, my breathing heavy when I pause to take a breath. I know I’ve probably overreacted as well as revealed my true feelings toward Taylor, but I don’t give a fuck. I cannot sit here and listen to them talk about her the way they just did, as though she’s some object or toy to them and not an accomplished pilot who’s achieved a hell of a lot in her career.

The entire crew is now staring at me, their eyes wide as they take in my words, my reaction to their comments. I look around the table, knowing what they’re all now thinking but not giving a shit.

“Grow the fuck up,” I murmur before standing and walking away.

I feel everyone’s eyes on my back as I walk over to the buffet, catching Taylor before she has a chance to join them.

“Hey,” she says, smiling at me.

I force a smile onto my face as I catch her elbow. “Morning, gorgeous,” I reply, steering her toward the patio. “Let’s sit outside, soak up the last of the Aussie sun while we can.”

I see Taylor’s gaze flick to the table with the rest of the crew, but I don’t give her a chance to ask any questions as I gently lead her outside and away from them.

After breakfast, we check out and wait for the crew bus. Taylor and I stand alone, separate from the rest of the crew and there’s a distinct feeling of tension in the air.

“You wanna tell me what’s going on?” Taylor asks quietly, subtly nodding in their direction.

I smile, shaking my head a little as I say, “It’s nothing, seriously.”

A strand of loose hair blows across her face and without thinking, I reach over and tuck it behind her ear. The rest of her hair is pulled back in the same tight bun she had when we first flew over. She looks different to the carefree woman I’ve spent the last two days with, but no less beautiful.

She smiles at me, even as a slight blush colors her cheeks. “There’s something you’re not telling me,” she whispers, her eyes locked onto mine.

I swallow hard, not wanting to lie to her but not wanting to admit what happened this morning either. “It’s not important,” I say. “But can I tell you later?”

Taylor stares at me, her eyes searching my face. “Okay,” she finally says, sadness washing over her.

I reach out and take her hand in mine, her body hiding the connection from the rest of the crew. Squeezing her fingers, I whisper, “Trust me, Taylor, please.”

She pulls her bottom lip into her mouth, watching me for what feels like forever before she squeezes my hand and says, “Okay.”

And even though it’s a small thing and there’s still the issue of me having to explain what those arseholes were saying about her this morning, this still feels like a small win.

The flight back across the Pacific is uneventful. Once again, Taylor lets me do the takeoff, and after a quick chat and the usual run-through of our checklist, I let her take the first sleep break.

With the autopilot on and little to do, I spend the next few hours staring out at the blue sky, wondering what happens when we get back to the States. Was this connection we shared in Sydney just a one-off, or are we going to keep talking, keep hanging out, and see where this thing we both know is between us can go?

Almost as soon as I think that, though, I remember what’s waiting for me back in the US and the shitfight it’s turned into. I know none of it’s going to be sorted anytime soon, and while I’m not necessarily hiding it from Taylor, I’m also not sure how to bring it up either.

The lock sounds on the cockpit door, and I look up just as Taylor walks in carrying a Diet Coke.

“Sleep okay?” I ask.

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