Page 60 of Too Much In Common
“I heard she became a nurse. She’d be a good one.”
“Mom loves being an RN.”
“I warned her about your father. Well, I hope you listen better than she did. Stay away from Ludmiller. He pilots a decent flight, but he’s ten times worse than your father ever was. He’s set his sights on you. Don’t be alone with him outside of the cockpit.”
“Thanks for the heads up. I don’t intend to socialize with him.”
“Good for you. Stay away from anyone in the industry, I say. I’ve been married for thirty-two years now. It hasn’t been easy on either of us, but I take my vows seriously, and my wife knows it. All this new technology helps. I can message her from every place I go, and she can message me. I used to write her and the kids letters every night. Most of the time now I can FaceTime her.”
“They featured the two of you in the Centennial piece, didn’t they?”
“Yup, I’m one of the Pitt descendants. My piece wasn’t as big as yours. None of my kids want to follow me into the industry.” Andrew laughed good naturedly.
“I think you had more words. I got more photos. Anything to recruit more women.”
“It’s a hard life. Easier now that I only take long-haul flights. I try to see something new on every trip and add something to my postcard collection.”
The time flew by as it always did, all puns intended and true. Soon it was captain’s turn for a rest period. True to his promise, the other FO tried every bit of flattery in the book. Mild rebuffs didn’t work on him.
Tian gave up in disgust. “I have a boyfriend I am committed to.” Not a lie. “I have no intention of getting involved with you or another Legacy employee.”Been there, done that.“So how about we stick to our favorite sports teams or movie trivia and doing our jobs? Don’t delude yourself that I am playing some game. Either accept that nothing is happening between us, or I take this to HR.”
He looked like someone had slapped him. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No.” Tian kept eye contact with him.
“Don’t report me.”
“I won’t, as long as you keep things professional. Got it?”
“How about those Bulls? Do you think they have a chance this season?”
Tian turned back to the window in front of her. “I don’t know. The Cavaliers are looking pretty good.”
“Cleveland?” Ludmiller behaved for the rest of the flight.
Once again, the cabin crew ended up in a different hotel. Since Tian’s knowledge of Portuguese was limited to a few phrases, she had no choice but to explore São Paulo alone with the aid of her map app and the subway. She sent most of the photos she took to Chris.
The first night, they managed long conversations on the phone. The second day, while visiting an art museum, Tian received a text bringing her back to the reality of their jobs.
Chris: The family is going to Seattle for the week. I am part of the detail. I won’t be back until you are gone again. I’ll text when I can.
Tian: Be safe.
How many times had they said ‘be safe’ to each other? There wasn’t anything else to say. Saying more would be to admit she felt more.
If he was correct about the schedule, they would go at least two weeks without seeing each other. Maybe their jobs were as big of an obstacle as she’d thought.
The masterpieces and art exhibits lost their allure. Instead of seeing beauty in them, she found they reflected her mood. The knife in a still life? Threatened an end. The river in a landscape? Swept away dreams. The women watching boats on the horizon? Just said goodbye to a lover who would die in a shipwreck, never to return. She tried to tell herself it was only two weeks.
Tian returned to the hotel minutes before sunset. She entered the elevator and was followed by a man about her age. He pushed the button for the floor above hers. Keeping her distance, Tian leaned against the wall opposite him. The man pushed another button, stopping the elevator. He stepped closer. The overabundance of cheap aftershave he wore turned her stomach. How many times had she been told to pay attention to her surroundings?
The man leered at her.
He spoke words not in her limited vocabulary, but his meaning was clear.
“No.” Tian glared and pointed to the elevator bank.
He reached for her. Tian grabbed his wrist as she’d practiced. The man was smaller than Chris and easier to propel away as she switched to the side of the elevator with the controls.
