Page 61 of Come Fly with Me

A part of me wishes I could see her face as she reads my message, see her response to me telling her something so honest and true. I have a feeling it might scare the shit out of her actually, which is why I add the second part.

Despite our earlier conversation about what this thing between us is, I get the feeling she is still afraid. Either of the relationship itself or people knowing about us. Maybe both.

I know I need to convince her that none of it bothers me. Not her past or people knowing we are seeing each other, or that she is my boss. I’m pretty sure we are getting there; I just hope this time apart doesn’t change things.

Eventually, I grow bored and restless. All of my friends are at work and I don’t feel like hanging out at home or the beach like I’d normally do on a day off. As I sit staring out the kitchen window though, I see a plane cut across the sky and it gives me an idea.

Forty minutes later, I’m walking into the hangar at Santa Monica airport, not exactly sure there’ll be anything for me to do but figuring it’s worth a shot anyway.

“Hey,” I say, as I walk into the office.

Carrie and Charlie both look up at the same time. “Hi,” Charlie replies as Carrie narrows her brows at me.

I grin at both of them. “So, I have a day off,” I start, trying for casual. “Thought I’d drop by and see if there was anything I could do to help?”

Carrie glances at her husband before turning back to me. “Taylor’s not here,” she says as Charlie chuckles to himself.

“I know,” I reply. “She left this morning.”

“So…” Carrie starts, a confused look on her face.

Charlie stands, kissing the top of his wife’s head as he says, “He’s trying to impress her, babe.” He holds out a hand to me and we shake. “Come on,” he says. “We have a group coming in for a session on maintenance in about an hour, you can give us a hand,” he adds.

I grin, winking at Carrie as I reply. “Cool, thanks.”

Charlie and I walk out of the office and over toward the hangar that houses the small planes Taylor uses to teach her students how to fly. The place is empty and quiet as we walk inside.

“We have a class that starts after they finish school,” Charlie explains as we walk over to the planes. “No flying in this one, we just take them through the mechanics of a plane, the importance of pre-flight checks, yadda yadda yadda.”

I nod. “Sounds good. You cool if I tag along and help out?”

Charlie turns to face me, arms crossed over his chest. “You can do the whole class if you want,” he says, smiling.

“Okay, sure,” I reply, shrugging.

He chuckles. “Working hard to impress her, huh?”

I grin. “Who says I haven’t already impressed her?”

Charlie lets out a loud laugh. “Cocky bastard. She said you were like that.”

I raise a brow. “Oh, so she’s talked about me now, has she?”

Charlie shakes his head, even though he’s still laughing. “There may have been some correspondence with my wife,” he says, holding his hands up. “Not that I’m privy to that information, of course.”

Now it’s me laughing. “Right, but if you were, you’d tell me now, wouldn’t you?”

Charlie grins, a wicked look on his face. “Maybe,” he says. “Or maybe I’ll just sit back and enjoy watching you try to win her over.”

I chuckle. “Whatever,” I say, jokingly dismissing him. “I’m pretty confident I’m already winning her over,” I add, running a hand along one of the propeller blades. “Pretty certain she’s unable to resist me, actually.”

Charlie leans against the nose of the plane, his arms crossed over his chest as he watches me, smile gone now. “Just don’t break her heart,” he says, his words quiet.

I stop and look over at him, our gazes meeting. “I won’t,” I tell him. “If anything, I fear she could break mine.”

Charlie shakes his head at me. “She’s guarded,” he says. “Tough and stubborn about letting people get too close to her. But when she does,” he adds, pausing as if to consider whether he should tell me this much.

I cock a brow in question but say nothing.

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