“This plane is off the hook.” Her expression is still awestruck and she sort of whispers to me like we shouldn’t be marveling over it, but trying to act blasé about the immense luxury we’ll be traveling in.
“Most teams don’t travel like this.” I lean over my armrest toward her. “I have to say, Mr. Carlson isn’t afraid to spend money.”
“He’s got billions,” Brooke reminds me.
“But only like fifteen or so,” I counter. “He’s not even in the top-fifty billionaires on the Forbes list.”
Brooke snickers and starts to say something, but Erik is dropping down into one of the swivel chairs opposite of us. Dax plops down beside him.
Erik leans forward, looking between Brooke and me with the same awed expression on his face that she’d had. “Can you believe this fucking plane? The seats up front recline into a bed.”
“We’ll be able to rest up on the late flights,” Dax says.
“Too bad they’re not those semiprivate cubbies they have on overseas flights,” Erik muses as he sinks back into his chair. “I wouldn’t mind getting that brunette—”
“Erik,” I warn in a growl, tilting my head toward Brooke. “Ease up on the locker room talk until we get to the locker room.”
“Shit, sorry,” he says in apology at Brooke.
She waves a hand at him. “I’ve heard worse.”
Just then, the flight attendant named Blue returns with our drinks. She reaches across to give me mine first, setting it down on a thick round coaster with the Vengeance logo on it. She then puts Brooke’s wine in front of her and proceeds to tell her what she chose. Brooke picks up the glass to taste, and my gaze cuts across the table to Dax and Erik.
Dax is waiting patiently, probably rightly assuming she’d take their drink orders next. But Erik has the most unusual expression on his face. As if he’s been slapped up the side of the head and left witless. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he started drooling at any moment the way he’s staring at Blue.
“Would you like anything to drink, sir?” She turns first to Dax.
“What kind of beer do you have?” he says.
“Whatever your favorite is,” she replies coolly, I think very much enjoying the fact she can practically play the part of a magic genie and can grant any drink request.
“How about a Heineken?” Dax says, and Blue nods with a smile. She turns her eyes to Erik.
Who just stares back at her dumbly.
“And you, sir?”
Utter silence as he just stares at her.
Awkwardly.
“Dude,” Dax says with a nudge of his elbow into Erik’s ribs hard enough to shake him out of that zombie gaze he has going on.
“Uh, yeah…sorry,” he says in an uncharacteristically unsure voice. Erik is usually the epitome of confidence with a dash of ego.
Completely amused and trying hard not to laugh at the man, I let my eyes travel between Erik and Blue. She gives him a courteous, patient smile.
Erik just looks dazed.
To help him along, Blue offers, “We have a very wide variety of all kinds of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. We’ll be serving snacks once we’re up in the air—I believe we have a charcuterie board and an antipasto tray to start out—so perhaps something tailored along those lines?”
“I’ll just have a Heineken,” he mutters, his eyes still wide and unblinking as he looks back at her.
Now it’s just kind of creepy.
Thankfully, Blue excuses herself to go get their beers. I look at Brooke, who is also finding this amusing.
Leaning forward, I extend my arm and snap my fingers a few times in front of Erik’s face. He actually blinks rapidly, as if coming out of his daze, and shoots me a lopsided, dopey smile.
“That woman,” is all he says as he settles back into his seat once again.
“You kind of went stupid on her,” Dax tells him.
“Did not,” Erik returns, pulling his chin inward as if affronted.
“You kind of did,” I tell him, and his eyes snap to mine for a moment, then to Brooke.
She nods at him in agreement and adds kindly to help justify his behavior, “She’s very beautiful.”
The flush of red that creeps up Erik’s face is ridiculously funny, but I bite my tongue not to give it up. I’m betting Erik’s not come across many women in his life who have knocked him on his ass like that. Poor guy better get it under control or he’s going to be a bumbling idiot on all of these flights.
The plane continues to fill up. Blue brings Dax and Erik their beers, and Erik seems to have recovered a bit, as he actually thanks her. She leaves a pack of cards behind as well, stating, “In case you want to play a few hands before we serve the food.”
I don’t see Brooke’s dad and have to assume he took a seat up at the front of the plane. The back where we’re sitting fills up fast, though, mostly with a lot of the younger players who are probably too tired to catch a little shut-eye in the front.