Page 14 of In Flight

She’s asking what time he’ll be getting to Boston. Her friend has spare tickets to a ballet, and she wants him to go with her.

He says he’s kind of tired and a long ballet isn’t at the top of his wish list for this evening. She says please. She really wants to go.

He says okay. Exactly that.Okay.

He even spells out the word instead of using the two letters.

Okay.

“Well, the ballet might be fun,” I say when he sighs and closes the messaging app.

He jerks his head toward me. “Were you reading my messages?”

“Not intentionally. But they were right there in my eyeline.”

“They were only in your eyeline if you were peering at my screen.”

“Even so.” I feel like giggling. No idea why.

He shakes his head at me.

“Don’t you like the ballet?”

“I don’t hate it, but it’s not my favorite pastime. And I definitely don’t feel like it after a long week of work and a flight.”

“You can just tell her no.”

“But then she’ll be upset, and it’s not worth it. I’ll suffer through.”

“Is she a pouter?”

“Not really.”

“Then why suffer through when you can tell her the truth?”

“It’s easier if she’s happy.”

“That sounds a lot like my dad’s point of view.”

“Is that a warning?”

“Just an observation.” I smile at him, pleased that I’ve somehow managed to get the advantage in this conversation. “Believe it or not, a woman can enjoy life without demanding that loved ones go to unreasonable lengths to indulge her.”

He narrows his eyes at me. He’s not happy about my very astute comeback. “Wanting me to go the ballet isn’t unreasonable lengths.”

“At the last minute? After you’ve been out of town all week and just stepped off a plane?”

“It’s fine.”

“Okay. It’s your life and your relationship.”

He’s silent for a minute. I hear the click of his fingers on the keyboard. Then, “What about Cash?”

“What about him?” I blink, surprised that he remembered the name. And also surprised because I briefly forgot all about Cash’s existence.

“What kind of demands does he make on you?”

“None! None at all.”

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