Page 12 of Finding Love in the Clouds

Fernando popped his head in his walk-in closet, half expecting it to be trashed, but everything appeared to be in its place. By the time he followed Tom downstairs, he was gone. Sitting on the entry table was a blank business card with a handwritten number. He pocketed the card and made his way upstairs to shower, then call his brothers. He had a feeling he had gotten in way over his head, but he had already churned the water, so he might as well see if he could seal the deal and get Sarah on his team. Now, what would be a good code name for her?

Chapter Twelve

May arrived before Fernando knew it and was ready, but Sophie’s excitement over the trip was infectious, so Fernando couldn’t help but feel a modicum of excitement, too.

Having never flown before, he wasn’t prepared for the outrageously long lines. He found having to remove his shoes at the security check unnerving, imagining all the germs attaching themselves to his socks. Sophie had insisted he not wear a belt, which annoyed him. But when he saw the poor man ten ahead of them in line trying to redress while hurrying down the walk towards his departing plane, the belt between his teeth, shoelaces untied, pockets bulging with quickly stuffed loose items, he appreciated her foresight.

As they sat in the crowded area outside their gate, he wondered how different Gabe, Anthony, and Enrique’s flying experiences were, seeing as how they often used Gabe’s private jet and went to a separate section of the airport to board. One thing was certain: They didn’t have their toes run over multiple times by carry-on bags or have tolisten to screaming babies and whining children for almost two hours while they waited to board.

“Here, take this,” Sophie whispered, handing him a small pill and an opened bottle of water.

“What is it? I don’t take drugs,” he whispered back harshly, astonished that she would even suggest it. He may have a beard, ballcap, glasses, and ridiculous hoodie jacket working to disguise him, but it wasn’tthatgood, and the last thing he needed was to be photographed taking pills.

“It’s a prescription from your doctor to help your anxiety. I called him last week and asked him for advice. He said a low dose of this would take the edge off and keep you from panicking. We don’t know how bad your phobia will be since you have never attempted to fly before. It may be something you get over quickly or… not. You are already strung tighter than a guitar, so I think you should take it. By the time we board, it will metabolize and be in your system for at least half the flight.”

Sophie offered her open hand with the tiny pill again. Fernando didn’t like that he hadn’t been consulted on this but agreed and swallowed it along with a healthy dose of water.

In less time than expected, first-class passengers boarded, and Fernando settled into plush leather seats with more space than he had anticipated. Sophie suggested he take the window seat so that he wouldn’t be jostled when the other passengers boarded. He understood what she meant when the economy passengers started boarding a few minutes later, and Sophie had to lean into his space several times to avoid being hit in the head with large bags.

Fernando felt relief as the screaming children passed by and continued toward the back of the plane. He could still hear them, but he was glad they had been relegated to background noise.

As everyone was settled and the cabin door was closed, Fernando could feel his heart start to race.

Sophie reached for his hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. It was a surreal experience. They had worked together for years and had certainly touched, but never like this. This felt like so much more.

“Andy, relax. This is going to be fun. You’ll see,” she whispered, then turned more fully in her seat. “Have you ever ridden a roller coaster?”

“What? Yes, of course,” Fernando scoffed at the random topic.

“Did it scare you?” she asked, watching his eyes closely behind his lenses.

“No. I like roller coasters. Are you trying to distract me or something?” he asked, turning to eye her suspiciously.

“No, I’m trying to figure out where your fear stems from and how bad it could be. I feel like we should have had this conversation sooner, but you didn’t seem open to it. If you’re not afraid of the speed, what do you think it is that scares you so much? Julio is right; this fear has held you back over the years. Imagine all the missed trips to see your family in New York because you didn’t have time for a cross-country road trip. In less than six hours, we will sit down to dinner with your family.”

Her thumb stroked over his knuckles; now that was distracting.

“I know. I agree. It will be wonderful if I can get over this fear. I’m not sure if the landing and take-off will bother me or not. I have a fear of dying by plummeting to my death. I love roller coasters, but you know those swing rides that turn in a circle, and the swings go up and out, or the rides that are like ships and rock back and forth until they eventually turn upside down? Those are a no-go for me. And I know all about the statistics on car crashes versus airplane crashes. Enrique has been annoyed by my refusal to fly since we were kids and had theopportunity to visit Washington, D.C., and I wouldn’t go because it involved flying. According to Enrique, I would need to fly every day for 55,000 years to be involved in a fatal plane crash. My chance of dying in a car crash is 1 in 101 if I were driving, which I never do. As a passenger, I have a 1 in 654 chance. In a plane, I have a 1 in 9,821. It may be illogical, but the thought of falling and not being able to do anything but ride it out freaks me out. At least in a car crash, there are some exit strategies.” Fernando used his free hand to lift his cap and rub his forehead.

“No fear is silly. It is what it is, and I’m proud of you for facing this one finally. Can I share another fact with you?” She tugged on his arm to get his attention as the plane started moving away from the gate.

“Sure, why not,” Fernando mumbled.

“There is a 95% survival rate in plane crashes. So, even if it did crash, you would likely still make it. Now, my favorite part of the flight is the take-off and landing because it feels like an amusement park ride. If you like roller coasters, then this part will be fun for you, too. Sit back, relax, and enjoy,” Sophie instructed as the plane turned and started to taxi toward the runway.

Fernando wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but the take-off wasn’t a big deal. It was like going down the highway at a fast speed and then the climb to the top of a coaster. They sped up, and then the wheels left the ground, and they lifted into the sky. Sophie was right; that part had been kind of fun.

“Okay, the bones in my hand aren’t crushed, so I’m thinking you handled that pretty well. What do you think?” Sophie asked, a slight wrinkle of concern creasing her brows.

“So far so good. I don’t think I want to look out the window, but I’m fine for now. So, you mentioned we would be in New York in five hours?”

“Yep, we will grab our carry-ons and meet Anthony and the family at Arrivals, enjoy a nice meal with the family, and then be back here for our international flight at 10 pm. We thought it would be good to break up the experience and give you time to relax if you needed to- and see the family, of course.”

“We? Whose we? You consulted with someone on our flight plan?” Fernando wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that.

“I reached out to Hannah, who then looped in Anthony. I thought breaking up the flight would be a good idea, and they agreed. They rearranged their schedules to meet us for dinner. Trust me, no one outside the family knows about this trip or your fear of flying. All your secrets are safe with me. Now, do you want to do work or sit and chat for five hours?”

“Let’s work. These are spacious seats.”

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