Page 1 of Arrogant Arrival

Jolene

Dear Journal,

I did it again. And again. And fucking again. When will I ever learn? I spent my layover in New York City. Bright lights, big city, and the pilots here are shitty. I fell for it again. At first, I was so excited to share a night out with Daniel. He’s a native of the Big Apple and offered for me to stay at his place instead of one of the hotels the airline puts us in. He did take me to the most amazing hot dog stand on the corner of 5thand 37th. Quite frankly, that was the best wiener I got last night. Pun intended. Bigger and more satisfying. This morning we rode to the airport together, and he kept his hand on my lower back the entire time we walked to the terminal. However, his hand fell from my back so fast when he saw the new and younger woman waiting at the gate. With a wink and a nod, Daniel walked away from me. He left me standing there to watch as he used the same charm on her that he’d used on me the past couple of flights. I thought I could handle it. My mask of false bravado remained firmly in place until our flight. I underestimated how fast he moves and how little I must’ve meant to him. He winked at me when I opened the door to the cockpit. That fucking wink again. I’ve finally come to terms with it. After years of denial and chasing after the idea that I could find romance in the sky, I’ve come to the conclusion that all pilots are the same: arrogant assholes.

The ink smears as a tear drop lands on the paper. Shit.I can’t believe I’m actually going to cry over that prick. I didn’t even like him that much. Shoving my journal into my oversized purse, I stand and rush to the restroom so I can clean myself up before my next flight.

“Jolene! Wait up!” My two crew members and best friends rush over and follow me into the women’s restroom.

“This is bullshit. They’re all pigs.” I grab a makeup remover wipe from my purse and dab away the smeared eyeliner from under my eyes.

“Dogs,” Lana throws out.

“Rats,” Renee adds.

I smile at the reflection of my two colleagues behind me. Their hands are on their hips, ready to tackle any problem I have. They’ve become my family in the sky. We could all three easily pass for sisters, and passengers often ask us if we’re triplets. All three of us are dressed in navy International Airlines’ stewardess uniforms, black hair pulled up high in neat buns, and our makeup applied the same, neat and clean. Well…mine was the same until I started crying.

I brought this upon my foolish self. Three months spent being a glorified booty call for Captain Dickhead.Okay, that wasn’t really his name.It is now as far as I’m concerned. He tossed me aside, pretending like there’d never beenanythingbetween us as soon as he met his newco-pilot.God, that was a terrible flight. I can’t believe I opened the door to her assisting him with hisjoystick.The way he looked at me. There was no regret in his eyes at all. He just calmly told me to please close the door. Then, after the flight, he actually had the balls to say,“You can’t be serious? I didn’t cheat on you. We’d have to be in a relationship for that to happen. We were having some fun. That’s all there was between us. Two co-workers having fun and killing time on layovers.”

Then he walked off withher,his new favorite co-worker. This keeps happening to me.Because I fall for it every time. Because I’m a fool.But not anymore. “Thanks, girls. But I mean it. I’m done. I willnever, ever, eversleep with another pilot.”

“We’ve all said that and meant it at one time or another.” Lana sighs.

“Until the next long layover.” Renee giggles. “I think it’s that sexy-as-hell uniform and how well they fill it out that does it,” she says thoughtfully. Lana nods in agreement.

“Well, there won’t be another uniform next to mine on a hotel room floor anytime in the near future. I’ve gotten my heart broken by a pilot too many times. They’ll have to find something else tolayon their overnight trips.” I toss the wipe in the trash, fluff my hair, and straighten my uniform.

“That’s right!”

Lana turns her head to stare at Renee’s enthusiasm. “Are you calling off pilots, too?”

“Oh, God, no. I prefer my uniform to be spread eagle next to theirs on that hotel room floor any given day of the week. I’m just being supportive. Each to their own, I say.”

I try to smile but it comes off weak. I’m too aggravated with myself. I mean, it’s not like I didn’t do my fair share of seduction. It’s just that I end up falling for them and that’s the danger zone. Then I’d think after a month or two, I’d changed them. With my womanly wiles, I would be the one to tame him. But I was never that girl. I was never that special someone. Is it so wrong to want to be her? To bethe onefor someone? That’s not asking a lot, is it?

We exit the women’s restroom and dodge travelers moving quickly through JFK airport. We’d just gotten back to the US from an overseas flight, and now we are working a connecting flight to Miami. At first, life in the sky was exciting and I loved traveling to all the airport hub hops. But I’m not twenty-three anymore. Now at twenty-nine, I’m ready to have something more solid. I’d like to be a little more grounded, if you will. Pun totally intended.

Almost as if she can hear my thoughts, Lana places a hand on my shoulder and says, “Your Mr. Right will arrive, Jolene, I can feel it.”

I place my hand on top of hers and give a gentle squeeze. “Thanks, Lana. I know he will. The only difference is that I know that his cock won’t be from the cockpit of the plane.”

Lana and Renee both burst out laughing.

“No, but you still might find him in the clouds. Maybe a handsome, lonely passenger who wants the same as you do. Both of you searching for the ultimate soulmate while soaring across the sky. Traveling the world in search of your one true love.” Lana’s eyes are bright with excitement.

I roll my eyes, “You need to get your own head out of the clouds.”

Renee ignores my remark and nudges me. “Yeah, you might just find him in 16B”

We all three giggle. I shake my head, “As long as he isn’t flying the plane. Now, let’s all go see who’s occupying 16B on our flight to Miami.”

My chest tightens as I spot Captain Carter Clynes, or as we all call him, Trip, boarding the plane. I hate how my heart still skips a beat at the sight of him. He’s another one of the pilots I, at one time, thought I could sharemorewith. It’s been two years since we had athing.It only lasted two months, but that was a record for him. We weren’t exclusive, and he had made that clear. We had a lot of fun, but my stupid heart had to start getting involved. I, for sure, thought he was going to fall for me as well, he just needed time. But then we had a layover and he entered the hotel with apassenger,Kendall Sparks. Now they’re married and she’s pregnant. If he hadn’t met her—could it have been me? Most likely not and I’ve accepted that fact. Besides, I’m honestly happy Trip found love. Kendall turned him into an even better man.

Lana’s hand on my arm draws my attention away from the gorgeous captain. Her wide smile has me smiling before I even know what she’s going to say.

“Did you see him?”

“See who?”

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