I’m impressed by his instant recollection. Then again, Amy’s pretty memorable with her flame-red hair, eyes like emeralds and creamy, flawless skin.
‘Right.’
‘Where is she?’
‘Sick.’
He doesn’t react except for the slightest narrowing of his eyes. ‘So why you?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘We have other staff.’
I compress my lips. ‘She said something about a training weekend.’
He lifts his brows then nods, slowly. ‘Right. Every quarter our flight crew are sent for retraining.’
‘Every quarter?’
He nods, his eyes scanning my face. After a moment—a moment that scatters heat across my flesh like sunbeams—he drawls, ‘You have thoughts on that?’
‘Should I?’ I’m a study of wide-eyed innocence.
‘Whether you should or shouldn’t has no bearing on your thoughts.’
I dip my head forward, concealing a small smile at his quick retort.
‘So? What are they?’
I lift my gaze, fixing him with a steady look.
‘Quarterly retraining seems...somewhat excessive.’
His eyes narrow and I feel every bit of his multi-billion-dollar CEO strength. It makes my tummy loop.
‘Why?’
It’s a little hard to think straight under the intensity of his stare. ‘Well, not a lot changes in three months.’
‘People change.’ His voice is low. ‘The training isn’t just to teach. It’s to test.’
I consider that. It’s true, people can become lazy, or distracted. I’ve had a few occasions in the sky that have caused me to have a mid-air freak-out because one of my fellow crew failed to properly secure something or double-check a switch before take-off.
‘Only the best fly with us.’
I’d smile if I thought he was making a joke, but his expression is deadly serious.
‘I can assure you I’m across all the safety features of this plane. In fact, it’s the same model I ordinarily work on.’ It’s hard to think of past tense in relation to my job, despite the fact I’ve officially hung up my uniform.
He relaxes back in his chair a bit, his ocean-grey eyes lingering on my lips even though my tongue is now firmly planted in my mouth. ‘So you’re flight crew?’
I nod. ‘I was.’
‘For a commercial airline?’
I name one of the biggest. ‘I started working the European routes but then I switched to mainly transatlantic, which is how I happened to be in the States when Amy called.’ I don’t mention that I’ve recently resigned. After eight years of flying, almost entirely without a break, I’m pretty sure I was sailing close to the burnout wind.
Or maybe it’s just the dissatisfaction that comes from realising you chased down the wrong path in life? I’ve felt that a lot lately—dissatisfaction with my choices, like I’m waking up from a strange dream and discovering I’m not where I thought I’d be. The one passion I’ve had since childhood has languished and failed to find expression, but I’m determined to change that. I think of the course I’ve applied to and excitement stirs inside of me. Why shouldn’t I follow my dreams?