Love Takes Flight

“Is this your first shift?” the petite redhead next to me asked as she organized the food compartments. Her name tag read “Georgie,” but a small Cyrillic tattoo had peeked out from under her sleeve. She was pretty, with a spatter of brown freckles across her nose and large hazel eyes that seemed to constantly analyze our surroundings.

“It is! I’m really excited,” I responded, returning her smile as I closed a drawer filled with pretzels.

“Ah, newbie energy! Love it.” Georgie grinned, her accent a curious mix of Southern drawl and something Eastern European. “I remember my first day. Felt like my heart was gonna burst right outta my chest, like a spawning salmon.”

“And look at you now,” I said, waving a hand at the plane. “All composed and in control.”

“You know, before I became a flight attendant, I was a marine biologist in the Bering Sea. Talk about a career one-eighty, right?”

Her background immediately piqued my interest. “Wow, that’s quite a change. What made you switch?”

“Let’s just say when you’ve stared down a pod of orcas in the middle of a storm, airline passengers don’t seem so scary anymore. Plus,” she added, lowering her voice conspiratorially, “turns out I have a knack for calming people down in confined spaces. Must be all that time in submarines.”

Laughing at her response, I asked, “So you’re saying the passenger cabin is less daunting than the open sea?”

“By a long shot,” she said. “Mind you, the occasional turbulence can be a bit tricky. You haven’t flown through an electrical storm until you’ve had to talk a terrified businessman down from his fear of looming death.”

“Sounds… exciting,” I admitted, biting my lip nervously.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Georgie reassured me, patting my arm gently. “You’ll get the hang of it soon enough. And when you do, you’ll see the world in a whole different light.”

“How long have you been with Horizons?” I asked, eager to keep the conversation going. The faint scent of jet fuel and disinfectant mingled in the air. I had been in San Diego for three weeks since my orientation and hadn’t made a single friend yet. It would be nice to connect with someone.

“This is my third year,” she answered, pushing a frizzy lock of hair out of her face. “I thought it would be a temporary gig, but I really love it.”

“How about you? What brought you into the world of redeyes?”

I hesitated, unsure how to respond. The last thing I wanted was to talk about Chicago and Kenneth. And I didn’t want to talk about how much I missed my sister Josie, who wasn’t being kind about my decision to drop out of college.

“A breakup and too many expectations,” I finally said.

Georgie nodded in understanding. “Welcome to your fresh start.”

Her words made me feel a sense of pride, and I gave her a wide smile. She didn’t know how right she was.

For months, I had longed to break free from Kenneth’s tightening grip. His temper had been escalating—slamming fists into walls, grabbing my arm too tightly, his eyes flashing with barely contained rage. Even our intimate moments had become tinged with an edge of aggression that had left me feeling used and afraid.

I had convinced myself things would improve, desperately wanting to salvage what we once had. But as Kenneth’s behavior worsened, I realized I couldn’t—shouldn’t—try to piece together a relationship that was crumbling into something dangerous.

“Thanks. I never imagined I’d end up here, but I’m grateful I did.” It was the most honest and vulnerable answer I’d given her yet.

“Ladies, are we ready back here?” A young man poked his head out of the cockpit.

He was handsome, with close-cropped brown hair tucked under his pilot’s hat, and eyes as warm and deep as freshly brewed coffee. As his gaze landed on me, I noticed his eyes widen slightly, and he seemed to straighten up a bit more.

He wasn’t the most attractive man I’d ever encountered, but something about him lured my senses. After Kenneth, I made a promise to never date another white guy, but between the uniform and his sexy stubble, I was reconsidering my stance.

“Almost,” Georgie answered with a wink.

My stomach clenched at their interaction. I gripped the edge of the food cart, my knuckles whitening. What was wrong with me? I barely knew either of them. Yet I couldn’t shake the image of them together, laughing over inside jokes in some cozy hotel. I bit my lip, trying to focus on restocking napkins.

He flashed her a smile before turning his brown eyes to me. “Don’t make the new girl do all your work, Georgie. We don’t want to scare her off.” His eyes locked on my name tag: Dominique.

“I don’t scare easily,” I said. Something about his gaze heated my skin and sent delicious tingles through my body. He held my gaze a moment longer than necessary, his eyes crinkling slightly at the edges.

“Besides, I would never,” Georgie promised.

I found myself stealing glances at the pair, searching for any hint of a special connection between them. “Stop it, Nicky,” I chided myself silently. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“Well, ladies, I’ll leave you to your task. Cap says we have ten more minutes before we start boarding priority.” Casting one last glance in my direction, his eyes lingering for a moment, he gave us a flick of his hand as a goodbye and disappeared back into the cockpit. My body released a breath.

“I think all we have left is to check the overhead compartments. I’ll take this side; you take the other.”

I nodded, and we moved in silence for the next few minutes, opening each overhead to ensure nothing had been left behind. The faint creak of the compartments opening and closing punctuated the quiet.

Chewing on my lip thoughtfully, I finally caved and asked what I’d been holding onto. “Have you and Matthew been dating long?”

Georgie checked her final compartment and turned to face me. “Ew, heck no!” She threw her head back in laughter, the sound ringing through the cabin. “He’s a sweet guy, a good friend, but a ladies’ man. Even if I wasn’t perfectly happy with my boyfriend, Matt is more trouble than he’s worth.”

“How long have you and your boyfriend been together, then?” This made her chatter endlessly, and I was grateful. The only thing my brain could focus on was what she told me about Matthew. Why did the information upset me?