Page 79 of Sparks
My jaw was locked in anger. “Of all the men you could have, Beth.”
She blinked and for a second looked confused, and then something seemed to dawn on her and she stood taller, a cruel smirk coming to life.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said lightly and pointed to the passion pit. “Does it bother you that I was with Silas?”
I broke, pointing at her, feeling my face distorting. “You are a fucking bitch!” And Silas! How could he do this?
Beth laughed, lighting up at my raised voice. “I’m a bitch? And why is that? Because I did exactly what you wish you could have done?”
“Fuck you!” Oh, lawd above, I was going to beat her ass. “I wouldnothave fucked him!”
“What in God’s name is going on out here?” Willa’s voice came from the doorway of the bunk room. I barely registered her because my hatred was so flaming hot and pin-pointed at Beth.
“No, you would never fuck your good pal Silas,” Beth taunted, “because you’resooooperfect. You would never go after a taken man—”
I launched myself, screaming like a banshee, and felt arms grasp me from all sides, the voices of my friends shushing me and Rhea shouting, “Beth, shut your mouth!” I tried to rip my arms away, pressing forward with all of my might, but my friends tugged just as hard.
Beth threw her arms out to the side. “Sure, everyone tell me to shut up! I’m the bad guy!”
“What’s even happening?” Willa asked. “Where is the dude you were in there with?”
“It was Silas,” I said, seething. Their faces of surprise were darkly comical.
“Really, Beth?” Willa asked. “Really. I should let Harlow loose.”
“That’s fucked up,” Rhea said. She put an arm around me and rubbed my shoulder hard to try and calm me, but my heart rate was still way too high.
Beth crossed her arms, her little mouth pursed in a tight heart. “Fine. You want to attack me? Here’s the truth. I didn’t bring him home, okay? He was standing outside when I got home from work and he was looking for Harlow. I brought him in the passion pit to talk to him since he was clearly distraught, and I didn’t want to disturb anyone who was sleeping.” She raised her voice to a shout. “And in case any of you judgy bitches want to know, I didn’t fuck him! His wife’s been cheating on him for almost a year and he just left her!” She raised both middle fingers up in the air at us and then marched into the passion pit, slamming the door.
I covered my mouth with one hand while the other pressed into my abdomen. All the fight left my body as we stared around the room at one another, aghast. A cold sweat made me shiver.
“Holy shit,” Rhea said on a wisp of breath.
That about summed it up.
Ipretty much didn’t sleep. I stood outside of the passion pit door and apologized to Beth, but she wouldn’t say a word. At one point she opened the door, I thought to talk, or maybe claw my face off, but instead threw my pillow at me. I was glad to have it.
I felt physically ill when I went to work. A stomach ache and headache were not conducive to flying or dealing with people. I expected to see Silas when I got there, but he was nowhere in sight. Was he okay? How could Jacquie have cheated on him? I recalled the pictures of her at fitness events with body builders, but I never imagined she’d be unfaithful to Silas. I’d thought about texting him this morning since Beth said he’d been looking for me, but I felt nervous for some reason.
And then there was Shawn.
As I waited for the plane to board, I searched him online. He had no social media. But there was an article from a few years ago when he’d been promoted to Captain: full uniform, face serious. Why was he so cute when he tried to look tough? Ugh! And then, like a complete psycho, I tried to search Natalie but had no luck since I didn’t know her last name. Thank God for small mercies. If I’d come across a happy family photo I might have keeled over.
I forced myself to eat some of the plane’s spice cookies and a bottle of water with ibuprofen. It was quite literally the longest day I’d had as a flight attendant so far. When we had just two legs to go, the pilot called me to come to the cockpit.
“FA Robinson,” he said. “Flight control needs us to cover two more legs tonight.”
“Wait,” I said, sagging. “So, four more total?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he confirmed. “They’re going to bring out some coffee and dinner for us at the next stop, and they’ve said you can have the day off tomorrow.” I nodded, feeling like I didn’t have much of a choice.
The coffee tasted as if it’d been brewed this morning, and the meal was one of those microwaved ones that main cabin passengers got on international flights. I usually enjoyed them, if I was being honest, but tonight the pieces of chicken and penne pasta looked glossy with grease and the roll was dry enough to choke me. I was definitely not myself.
I did eat almost all of the tiny chocolate mousse, though.
We were the last flight to get back into Newark that night. My two pilots peaced-out immediately and I made a pit stop in the bathroom before my drive home. As I was washing my hands I heard someone come out of one of the shower stalls. I went around the corner and nearly collided with Silas. He was in the same casual clothes he’d worn to sleep in the last time I’d seen him in here.
His eyes raked over me and my heart expanded when I saw the droop of his eyes. The sadness. In that moment it was like I could feel his hurting and it seemed to blend with my own. This was someone who needed a hug as much as I did.
