Page 47 of The Woman in 3B
I barked out a too-loud laugh. “No. This is great. Thanks for taking me up.”
I nearly jumped out of my jump-seat when a hand touched my knee. Anissa flashed me another encouraging smile. Her twin dimples were almost enough to pacify my nerves.
“Do you want to give it a try?” she offered.
“Flying?” I held up my hands in surrender. “I’ve never done this before,” I needlessly reminded her.
Her smile was patient and placating. “I promise I won’t let you crash the plane.”
I hesitatingly placed my hands on the black yoke in front of me. “What do I do?”
“Just point the nose where you want to go.”
I grabbed more firmly onto the yoke and the plane tilted to one side, not dramatically, but enough to make me audibly squeak. I immediately let go.
“Small corrections,” Anissa gently instructed as she leveled the plane back out. “Wanna try again?” she offered.
I swallowed and wiped my palms on the top of my thighs. I flexed my fingers once before I set my hands again on the yoke and let my fingers curl around its edges. I didn’t move. I didn’t do anything for fear of making a mistake; I held my arms and hands rigidly static.
“Exciting, right?”
“Terrifying,” I corrected.
Anissa laughed. “It’s okay. I’ll take it from here. I’ve made you work enough for one day.”
I gladly released the yoke and returned my attention to the surrounding scenery beyond my window. From this height and angle, the terrain below better resembled the Caribbean than the state of Michigan. The bright sun made Lake Huron sparkle. Small islands and shallows looked like the coral reefs of an exotic land.
“It’s beautiful,” I thought aloud.
“I was worried you might get bored,” she admitted. “Don’t you see this every day at work?”
“Not really. We’re so much higher in the air then,” I explained. Plus I’m working—not exactly window gazing. And I can see the whole horizon here.” I waved my arm across the expansive view for affect. “You get to see all of this in panorama, not through a tiny porthole.”
Anissa rewarded my exuberance with a dimpled grin.
“Why did you decide you wanted to fly?” I asked. “You’re in airplanes all the time, too.”
“It was mostly my brother, Sam. He wanted a plane for God knows why, but he needed someone to split the costs with. My sister Aleyna and her husband weren’t interested, so I felt an obligation to help him out. I figured if I was going to own half a plane, I might as well learn how to fly it. Now, I think I’m up here more than him. I travel so much for my job,” she continued, “but I don’t actually get to enjoy the ride. Up here, even though we’re moving, I actually feel like time slows down.” She paused and chuckled. “And now I’m rambling.”
“I like it,” I jumped in. “I like learning all of these things about you.”
“I like telling you,” she smiled in return.
“Good,” I said with finality. “I’m glad we got that out of the way. But really—whereare you taking me?”
A coy smile spread across Anissa’s features. “The nineteenth century.”
CHAPTER TEN
The little plane touched down smoothly on the paved runway. I considered it a small victory that I didn’t make any embarrassing noises when Anissa applied the brakes. My body leaned forward and my safety harness dug into my chest. The plane’s engine roared and the prop continued to spin while we taxied toward the hangar.
Anissa had continued to play coy instead of telling me where she was taking us. I peered through the front windshield to gain my bearings. A sign hung from the open doorway of the metal hangar.
“Mackinac Island Municipal Airport,” I read aloud.
“Ever been?” Anissa asked.
I nodded. “Once. But it’s been a while.”
