Page 5 of Come Fly with Me

“I don’t drink that shit,” she says, a look of disgust on her face. “Do you know how disgusting the tea and coffee is onboard an airplane?”

I glance down at the two cups in my hand, mentally tallying the number I’ve already had. “Well, shit, you could’ve told me that earlier,” I say, immediately dumping them in the small trash chute we have.

She raises an eyebrow, a small smile on her face as she indicates the can of Diet Coke she has. I roll my eyes and head back to the galley at the front of the plane to grab my own Coke.

One of the flight attendants stops me as I do, her hand sliding onto my arm as she leans in and whispers, “You fancy some company when we get in tonight?”

She blinks, her heavily made-up eyes and face making it almost impossible to see what she looks like underneath. It’s not that I’m so shallow that I only fuck attractive women, but I’d at least like to know who it is I’ll be rolling over and facing the next morning.

I grin down at her. “Maybe,” I say, even though I’ve got no inclination to sleep with this woman. “Guessing we’ll all be heading out, so who knows what might happen,” I add, winking as I turn and head back into the cockpit before she can say anything more.

I slide into my seat, re-doing my seat belt as I crack my can of Coke and take a long sip. We’ve probably got thirty minutes before we have to start our pre-landing checklist.

I turn to Taylor. “So, first time to Sydney?” I ask.

She shakes her head, not looking at me as she continues to read what looks to be a crime novel.

“I’m from Sydney,” I add. “Be great to go back home for a bit.”

Taylor nods now but still says nothing.

Frustrated, I take another sip of Coke before saying, “Maybe I could show you around while we’re here. All the non-touristy places?”

Taylor finally lifts her head and fixes me with a pointed stare. “What, like the ceiling of your hotel room?”

I grin. “The ceiling, the floor, the bathroom,” I say. “There’ll be plenty of interesting sights, I can guarantee you that.”

She rolls her eyes before turning back to her book. “All riveting, I’m sure,” she says sarcastically. “But I think I’ll pass.”

“Come on,” I say, driven by a sudden urge to find out what this woman could be like without the confines of her job and the pressures that come with having nearly three hundred lives in your hands. Would she still be this serious and uptight, or is there something else hidden underneath? A wild woman just waiting to be let out?

“I promise I’ll make it worth your while,” I add, maybe a little too eagerly.

She looks up at me again, her eyes meeting mine. Her face is unreadable, her stare never wavering, and for just a second, I almost think she might say yes. But then she smiles, a tight smile that doesn’t reach her eyes as she says, “I don’t think so.”

I exhale, a strange feeling of disappointment washing over me. How weird to think just seconds ago I was ignoring the easy offer of no-strings-attached sex from a potentially beautiful young flight attendant, yet now, I’m practically begging my uninterested but very attractive boss to spend time with me.

I shrug, even though she isn’t looking at me. “Okay, well, the offer’s there,” I say. “And trust me when I say I know some great spots to take you.”

Eventually we go back to being all business, Taylor taking care of the landing, while I run through the checklist and radio the control tower. As we circle over Sydney Harbour on our approach, I can’t stop myself from looking out the window at the place I once called home.

It’s bittersweet in some ways, coming back to the city that holds so many good memories but which I said goodbye to so long ago.

The landing is smooth and when the plane slows at the end of the runway, I make a final call to the radio tower as Taylor steers us to our gate. Then I pick up the mic.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Sydney. The weather outside is a perfect thirty-five degrees Celsius, with clear blue skies and plenty of sunshine. For all the Aussies on board, welcome home and to everyone else, welcome to my beautiful home city. Captain Patterson and I have very much enjoyed our ride up here,” I pause momentarily, grinning as Taylor shoots me a quick glance before adding, “with you all and we hope to see you on board with us again soon. If you could please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened until we come to a complete stop, that would be appreciated.”

I hang the mic back on the console and finish the landing checklist, chuckling to myself as I catch Taylor shaking her head at me from the corner of my eye.

We run through the post-landing debrief quickly before handing it over to the engineers on the ground. Afterward, Taylor and I both stand and gather our things, putting on our hats and jackets before heading out of the cockpit and off the plane.

The heat of a Sydney summer hits us as soon as we step onto the jet bridge, and I feel a strong sense of calm wash over me. Inside the terminal, the air-con is refreshing, and Taylor and I join the rest of the crew as we all power walk toward the VIP and airline crew customs and immigration line that will clear us through.

None of us have any checked luggage; we’re only here for three days and the expedited clearance through security is one of the many bonuses of working for an airline. Fuck knows how I’d ever go back to flying cattle class and joining the other stinky passengers, with their crying babies as they attempt to sweet-talk a customs officer that’s probably been working since midnight.

As we head out toward the crew bus that will take us to the hotel we’re all staying in, I hear a voice call out.

“Taylor!”

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