Page 111 of That First Flight

“I can’t do that. That’s so impersonal.”

“Just do it,” he groans. “See what she says and you can finish talking about it when you get home. And then bang it out together.”

“That's… no.” I shake my head before pulling out my phone.

I start typing in my open text thread to her and show it to them before I hit send.

“What are we in, high school?” Thomas laughs. “You need someone else to analyze a text to your crush before sending it?”

“Just fucking send it.” Logan rolls his eyes.

Hey. You think you can get next weekend off?

“Smooth,” Logan deadpans.

I sit back in my chair with a huff. “This is too much for me.”

“Oh, stop. You’re fine.” Thomas rolls his eyes.

“While I wait for a response from her. I wanted to ask both of you where you get your tattoos done here in the city.”

“Are you finally getting one?” Logan raises a brow.

“No, it’s for Macey.”

“I’ll text you my guy’s contact information,” Thomas says as he pulls out his phone to swipe through his contacts. “He’s the best. Logan uses him too.”

I nod. “Awesome, thank you.”

My phone dings on the table, cutting off that conversation as quickly as it started. I think it’s Thomas sending me the contact info, but when I look, it’s from Macey.

Macey

I’m already off actually. I’m working a few lunch shifts during the week to help cover for someone. So they gave me that weekend off.

Why, what’s up?

Butterflies dance wildly around my stomach as I read her reply. There’s nothing I want more than to whisk her and Mackenzie away for a weekend. There’s nothing I want more than to give Macey everything she’s ever wanted in life. She’s got the job of her dreams, and now she deserves a little getaway to celebrate.

I nervously type out my response and hit send before I second guess myself.

I was wondering if you and Mackenzie wanted to take a weekend trip with me.

Oliver

I was wondering if you and Mackenzie wanted to take a weekend trip with me.

My stomach drops and my heart gallops in my chest as I stare down at the phone in my hands reading the text that just came through from Oliver. He wants to take me on a trip. With him. With my daughter.

“You look like you just saw a ghost.” Peyton laughs beside me.

Peyton and Kali are here for the night to have an impromptu girls’ night at the apartment while Oliver has a guys’ night.

I was reluctant to have them over at first because this isn’t really my place. It feels weird to have people over when Oliver isn’t here. However, he insisted they come over. These girls remind me time and time again that they aren’t just friends anymore.

They are family welcoming Mackenzie and me with open arms.

Mackenzie is sucked into aHarry Pottermarathon on TV in her room and can’t seem to bring herself away from it because “it’s just getting good,” she says.

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