Page 37 of Too Much In Common
Tian gripped Simone’s hand. “Have you said anything to anyone about Simone?”
“Other than legal, no.”
“Thanks, Dad. I’ll call you later.”
“Peanut, I need to know—”
“Dad, please, not now. Bye.” She clicked the red end button before her father could respond. “Is that proof enough that Tim lied?”
Chris stared at her.
Tian turned to face Javier. Questions about her less-than-cordial attitude toward her father could wait.
“Yes. Thanks, Tian. Would you two give Simone and me a minute? I need to go over her security plan and figure out how we messed up.”
Tian gave Simone’s hand a squeeze and went into the kitchen, followed by Chris.
“Did you check your phone before opening the door?”
“I thought it was you. “
“You have a high security roommate. You should have checked.”
Tian pulled the lukewarm brownie out of the microwave. “I know. I was stupid.”
“Hey.” Chris touched her arm, spreading enough warmth to reheat the brownie through her. “You aren’t stupid. You just forgot to be careful.”
Murmured voices came from the other room. If she hadn’t opened the door...
“Earth to Tian?” Chris’s fingers danced along her arm.
She looked up from the brownie. “Sorry, I was... Here. I don’t feel like desert anymore.”
Still facing her, he set the plate on the counter. “We can try for tomorrow.”
“It would have to be earlier. I need to leave for the airport at 7 am on Friday.”
“That’s right. The pilot gets to fly to exotic places.”
“Not really. I need twenty-five more 787 flight hours before February 16. I don’t have enough seniority to fly to the cool places often.”
“I’m not sure what that means.”
“Just because I am a pilot doesn’t mean that I can fly any plane I want to. Pilots have to learn and certify each jet. Once we’re trained, then we need to fly one hundred hours in that type of plane within one hundred days. The 787/747 class is used for long flights, the ones overseas. Once I finish my certification, then I go back to flying my regular routes. Few of them are exotic. I mean Boise is nice but not exotic at all. In another ten or fifteen years, I’ll fly to more fun places.”
“Did you dis Boise?”
“Never. Every town I’ve flown to has its own adventure.”
“So tomorrow?” Chris turned his head to the doorway.
Javier stepped into the kitchen. “Simone is going to come down to the office with me.”
Tian waited for the apartment door to close before speaking. Realizing they were alone, her body reacted most irrationally and her stomach rumbled. “I guess I got my appetite back.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Chris reached behind her and put the brownie back in the microwave.
* * *
