Inseparable: A Second Chance Romance by Mia Ford (42)

“Second guessing yourself,” Drew said.

I had been doing just that. “How could you know?”

He smiled. "I'm a pretty perceptive man, Jess. I can tell you're being too hard on yourself. And there's no need. You look better than any other woman in this room. You look better than all of them combined. Believe me. I can be pretty critical when it comes to my opinions on that kind of thing."

“Well, in that case, I’ll take your word for it.” I tried to play off the compliment with a joke, but I felt the heat reddening my cheeks. I just hoped Drew didn’t notice my blushing in the dim light of the theater.

If he did, Drew had the decency not to mention it. He poured us both a glass of champagne. We clinked our glasses together and took a sip. It was bubbly and delicious. Something this good could be dangerous. I’d be drunk before I knew it if I wasn’t careful.

Drew looked me up and down, just like he had the first time we met. I couldn't be sure what he was thinking, but the smoldering look in his eyes gave me an idea. The mere thought of it made my body hot all over. As perceptive as he claimed to be, I hoped he couldn’t tell what I was thinking right now. I shifted in my seat, both uncomfortable and turned on at the same time.

“Are you all right?” he asked. “Are you having a good time?”

"Are you kidding me? I'm at a dinner show with freaking aerial components. Of course, I'm having a good time. I just can’t wait for the show to start."

He grinned at me. “Good, I’m glad to hear it. I wanted to make tonight special.”

I nodded. “So far, so good. But just so you know, it’s not like I expect this kind of thing, Drew. I don’t need a bunch of fancy things from you. Just hanging out with you makes me happy, too. I’ve been having a really good time with you, on all of our dates. This has all been really good.”

“It’s been good for me, too,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed myself very much. You’ve been something of a surprise to me, Jess. Nothing like what I expected.”

I had no idea what I was supposed to say to that, so I said nothing at all. Just because I was silent, though, didn't mean my head wasn't spinning. It most definitely was. He wasn't what I had been expecting, either, not by a longshot.

Nothing about him was predictable. He was nothing like most of the other pilots I’d met. In a very short amount of time, he had made me far happier than I ever would have expected, and that was all fantastic. There was just one thing I couldn't get over, and it was making me beyond nervous. The two of us had been spending enough time together that I believed things were probably headed somewhere, even if I wasn't sure where. The issue was Emma.

The more time I spent with Drew, the more it bothered me that I was dating a man my daughter had never met. I made a point of not bringing men in and out of her life when they didn't mean anything, but I wasn't sure that Drew fell into that category anymore. If things kept going the way they were, the two of them were going to have to meet. I liked Drew far more than I had thought I would, but that was just the first step. Now, I needed to know that he could get along with my daughter. If that didn't pan out, there was no point in the two of us spending any more time with each other.

“What is it, Jess? You look upset.”

“No, not upset. Just thinking.”

“All right, I’ll bite. What are you thinking about?”

"The Fourth of July!" I blurted out, wanting to shut myself up, but unable to stop once I begun. "That's what I'm thinking about. I know it's still several weeks away, but I was wondering if you have plans."

“No, not that I’m aware of. How come?”

“It’s just that I have this little ritual, or rather me and my family do. Emma and Sophie and me. The Fourth of July is one of Emma’s favorite holidays. Every year, we do this evening picnic thing.”

“That sounds nice. You must have a very patriotic daughter.”

I laughed nervously. "Yeah, I guess so. I think she just likes the fireworks. Anyway, we do it every year, and I was wondering if you might want to come along this time. It's totally cool if you don't want to, just so you know. I get that hanging out with a ten-year-old might not be your idea of a good time. I was just thinking that it might be a good time for the two of you to meet. Which also doesn't have to happen. If I'm being too pushy or something, please just tell me. I don't know. I'm not really sure why I brought it up, to be honest. I kind of wish I hadn't. And now I’m rambling."

“Jess,” Drew said.

“Yeah?”

“Calm down,” he said, grinning.

“Just so you know, most women don’t love being told to calm down. I’ll let it slide, though, seeing as I’m acting like a basket case.”

“You are a little,” he said. “But I get it. And I’d love to come with you. It sounds like fun.”

“You would? I mean that’s great, but I’m surprised. I didn’t think you would want to come.”

“I’m a bit surprised myself, but then again, I already told you that you’re not what I expected. I get why you want me and Emma to meet, though. I would want the same thing if I had a kid.”

I searched his face as he gave me his answer, surprised and a little bit touched to see that he really did look like he'd been caught off guard. I had a pretty good idea that hanging out with kids wasn't high on his list of priorities. I felt another surge of warmth over the fact that he was willing to make an exception for me.

I would have told him so, but that was the moment that the lights began to dim, signaling that the performance was about to begin. I settled for scooting my chair closer to his and putting my hand on his thigh, feeling his raw muscle pulsing beneath my fingers.

As the stage lights began to flare and the first performer took the stage, I became clearly, terrifyingly aware of one simple fact. It had been five years since I'd been anything approaching this happy, and it was all because of a man who was still a mystery to me.

Chapter 12: Drew

 

 

“So, what did you think?” I asked. “Now that we’re out of the theater and none of the performers can hear you, what did you honestly think?”

"Are you kidding me?” Jess asked. “It was amazing. Easily the most impressive thing I've ever seen. Those aerialists? They were unreal! Like seriously, how can they move that way? If I tried anything like that, I’d break my neck. I wish I were even half that good at anything."

I grinned at her. “I have no doubt that you are. And I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. I had a good time, too, but I think part of it was watching your reactions.”

Jess groaned. “Oh man, was I so obvious?”

“You don’t have a good poker face,” I said. “You told me that once before, and you weren’t kidding.”

She smiled and shook her head. “Okay, fine. Underestimate me. One day you’ll realize how crafty I can be.”

She laughed, which made me laugh. Without thinking about it, I put my hand on her thigh, the same way she'd done to me in the theater. It wasn't much, as far as sexual touches went, but it was enough to make my cock stir in my pants. Jess looked so sexy in her dress, and when she smiled, her whole face lit up. It was difficult to focus on driving with her sitting next to me.

Things between us had been far better than I'd expected. She was fun, surprising, and so sexy it almost hurt to look at her. Only one thing wasn’t perfect. She’d made it clear early on that she wasn’t the kind of woman who just hopped into bed with anyone. She wasn’t just being modest or coy. She had been telling the truth. There had been kissing and some making out, but nothing beyond that. I hadn't been so sexually frustrated since high school.

The fact that I was still dating her, even though she was making me wait, surprised the hell out of me. With any other woman, I would have walked away. I had in the past. The world was full of attractive women who wanted a quick fling. There was no point devoting so much time to just one of them.

I was a man with needs. My sex drive ran harder than a jet engine on one of my planes. If I hadn't been dating Jess, I probably would have slept with several different women in the last month, just to keep my needs satisfied. But I was with Jess. No matter how deep my urges ran, I refused to cheat on her. That wasn’t me. Not now. Not ever. So, that left me in a difficult situation.

She was making me wait. The more she did, the more I wanted her. Each time she went home after a date, I wasn't sure I would be able to take it any longer, but I also knew I wasn't going anywhere. Unlike so many other women, Jess was worth the wait.

“Hey,” I said. “You want to come to my place? Have a nightcap?”

“No hanky panky, right?” She laughed and squeezed my hand to show that she wasn’t trying to be mean-spirited.

“Nope, don’t need to worry about that,” I said. “Not until you’re ready. You know that.”

She nodded. “I’d love a nightcap. Lead the way.”

We drove the rest of the way to my loft in silence, my hand still on her leg, and each of us in our own little worlds. It wasn’t until I had the key in the lock that she spoke again, and it was to say something that surprised me, as it usually was.

“Have you ever realized that we’ve never gone to my place?” she asked.

I frowned, thinking about it. "No, that's not true. It can't be. Come on. I've got a really good bottle of champagne chilling."

"No," she continued, following me into the loft and flopping down on my couch as if she were a resident and not a visitor. "It's true. You’ve been there to pick me up, but the front door is as far as you ever get. You've never actually been inside my place."

“Shit. You know, I never even realized it until just now. Does it bother you?”

“No, not really,” she said. “It’s just sort of curious. Do you think that kind of thing is normal?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it. I guess it’s all been about convenience.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

I shrugged. “All of the dates I’ve planned have been around here, probably because it’s the area of town I know the best. So afterward, it just makes sense to come to my place. It’s nothing against yours.”

“No, I know. That makes sense.”

I handed her a glass of champagne, and she accepted it with a beautiful smile. I sat on the couch beside her, sliding my arm around her as I did so.

She had a point, although I'd never considered it before. I had made a habit of keeping us in my area of town. Maybe because I didn't want the idea of going to her place to come up. Going to her place would mean meeting her kid, and I wasn't sure I was ready for that.

Even after agreeing to the Fourth of July thing, I wasn't sure I was ready for it. The second I met Jess's daughter, I no longer had the freedom to deny that there was something real going on between Jess and me. It was a big fucking step, to say the least.

“Did I push it too far?” she asked.

“It takes a hell of a lot to push me too far, Jess.”

"Come on. You know what I mean. Was it too much? Asking about the Fourth of July and about why you don't come to my place on the same day? I'm sorry if it was. I don't know what's going on with me today. I don't seem to be able to control the things that come out of my mouth."

“You don’t need to control your mouth, Jess,” I said, shooting her a warm smile. “You don’t need to control anything, as far as I’m concerned. And in answer to your question, no, you didn’t push me too far. You’re allowed to ask questions, Jess. You’re allowed to have feelings. I’m not interested in dating a mannequin.”

“But you are interested in dating me?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, of course. Why? Have I been too subtle? At the risk of me pushing it too far, I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

“Come on, don’t bullshit me.”

“I’m not,” I said. “What would be the point? You are. You’re beautiful. It kind of drives me crazy, actually.”

“Oh yeah? Tell me more about that part.”

“You like the idea that you drive me crazy?” I asked.

“Of course, I do. Which girl wouldn’t?”

“Okay, I’ll play,” I said. “There’s nothing about you that doesn’t drive me crazy. Not one fucking thing. I’ve never wanted somebody as much as I want you. It doesn’t even matter what we’re doing. It doesn’t matter where we are, what you’re wearing. I want you all the time. I dream about having you. I dream about you a lot, actually.”

“What do you dream about, when you dream about me?” she asked.

I looked at her out of the corner of my eye, unwilling to face her. It was unlike her to be flirtatious to the point of being overtly sexual, and I didn't want to get my hopes up. When I realized that she was looking right at me with overly bright eyes, my cock stirred in my pants again. I couldn't help myself, even if I knew it wasn't going to get any action. When a woman as sexy as she was looked at me like that, my body responded with a mind of its own.

“Are you sure you want to know what I dream about?” I asked, trying to adjust myself without her noticing. “I have to warn you, it could be dangerous.”

“I can handle a little danger. Go on, try me.”

“All right. There’s been more than one dream, but I remember them all vividly. I dream about how sexy you look in dresses like the one you’ve got on now.”

“Oh, whatever,” she said.

I smiled. “I’m dead serious. I dream about that, but more often than not, I dream about the way you’ll look when those dresses are on the floor.”

“And what do I have on?” she asked, her voice low with desire. “Once my dress is on the floor, I mean. What am I wearing?”

“Not a goddamned thing.”

I pulled her in toward me and kissed her. I couldn't resist it. At a certain point, rational thought disappears, and the body takes over. I had been right. Our conversation was a dangerous one if she wanted me to keep my hands off of her.

I expected her to pull away, just like she had every other time I'd tried something like this, but she didn't. Instead, she leaned into me and leaned into the kiss. I bit lightly on her bottom lip, not enough to hurt her but enough to let her know I meant business. She didn't pull away, then, either. Instead, she slipped her tongue into my mouth, exploring me as pent-up desire surged up inside of me.

Despite how badly I wanted her, I pulled back. "Hey, Jess? I'm going to tell you right now, unless you want things to go a hell of a lot further, we should stop right now."

“I don’t want to stop,” she said softly, almost shyly.

“Right, but do you understand what that means?”

“I understand what you’re getting at,” she said. “It’s what I want, Drew. I’m ready.”

Chapter 13: Jess

 

 

“Are you sure?” he asked, his eyes burning with passion.

“I’m sure,” I said.

And all at once, he was kissing me again. His lips were pressed against mine with a desperation, a need I sensed was the same as my own. I teased him with my tongue before allowing him into my mouth.

“I want you so bad.” He said against my mouth.

His hands went into my hair and he removed the pins that had been holding it up, and let it fall down onto my shoulders. He took a step back and looked at me.

I noticed the outline of his erection through his pants. My panties were wet and I was ready to feel him inside of me.

I bit my lip.

“Mmm that’s so sexy the way you do that.” He said.

I bit it, again and stood up from the couch. I took a step back and reached for the straps of my dress and untied them, slowly, stopping it from falling onto the floor and holding it in place halfway down my chest. I wanted to tease him a little more.

“Drop it.” He said.

I moved my arm and began to tug gently on the bottom of my dress, slowly sliding it off of my body. I stood in front of him in my lacy black thong and stilettos.

“Fuck.” He said.

“What?” I asked.

“You’re so fucking hot.” He got off the couch, took a step toward me and reached out, sliding an arm behind me, almost aggressive like, and pulled me to him. His mouth met mine in another heap of passion. His tongue was rough inside of my mouth, working its way around in circles.

A sexy groan escaped him as he removed his arm from around my back and worked his hand down to my clit where he began to massage it.

I felt instant goosebumps as he moved the lace to the side and worked a finger inside of me.

“Oh fuck.” I said. The feeling was overwhelming. I was so turned on. I wiggled my hips around as he moved a second finger inside of me and began to move them in and out of me.

“You’re so wet.” He said.

“Mmm hmm.” I said. The pleasure was too intense for me to form a sentence.

He stopped and stepped back, unzipping his pants in the process. He removed his pants and boxers, leaving them where they fell on the floor.

His dick was rock solid and huge. Without any hesitation, I dropped to my knees.

I looked up at him and said, “I want to taste you.”

I grabbed him with one hand and began to gently run my hand up and down the length of him. I licked the head of his dick and he moaned. I did it again and he moaned once more. I then opened my mouth and brought his dick into it. My mouth stretched to fit him inside and I got goosebumps from thinking about it sliding into my pussy.

I took him all the way to the back of my throat and gagged just a little. I didn’t have much for gag reflexes and that made giving head so much better. I moved my head back and forth along him a couple more times. Then I licked and sucked on the tip of his dick while my hand massaged his thick, shaft.

Drew pulled back and I looked up at him.

“If you don’t stop, I’m going to come before I get to feel your tight pussy wrapped around it.”

I got up off my knees.

“Bend over.” He said.

I did as he asked and walked around the back of the couch. I bent over, my ass up in the air. He came up behind me and pulled my thong down my legs and tossed them to the side. Then he stood up again and grabbed my hips, pulling me into him a little more. I felt his dick pressing into my pussy and he began to move it around my clit in small movements that made me wiggle my ass. I was trying to get him to stick it inside of me. I was ready to feel every inch of him inside of me.

“Someone’s eager.” He said and reached his hand around and began moving his finger up and down my clit in a quick motion.

I moaned. “Oooo”

He removed his hand and then I felt the thickness of his hard cock begin to enter my pussy. He grabbed my hair, pulling my head slightly back, his left hand grabbed onto his cock and all at once he began to thrust in and out of me.

“You’re so tight.” He said as he began to thrust harder. In and out of my wet pussy. The thickness of him, stretching me, filling me up and bringing me an intense feeling of pleasure. He slowed his thrusting and then pulled out.

“I want to see your face.” He said, his voice low and husky. I nodded and we moved to the other side of the couch. I laid down on my back, my head resting on the armrest. He climbed on from the other side. Drew lifted my legs, placing one on each of his shoulders. I felt him begin to enter me once again.

“Mmm.” I moaned as he pushed himself in harder. I lifted myself so I was at more of an angle for him and it felt even better. He went slowly at first and then he picked up the pace, going harder and faster.

He slowed down a bit and put his thumb on my clit where he began to massage it in little circles. He thrusted into me harder.

“Oh!” I cried out.

He thrusted into me harder a second time.

“Oh!” I yelled even louder.

He picked up the pace of his thrusts as he massaged my clit faster and faster. He was deep inside of me and was hitting the spot that drove me wild. The spot I chased after. The spot that brought me the most pleasure.

He slowed down once again and moved my legs off of his shoulders. He leaned down into me and was now pinning me against the couch with his body weight. It was hot to feel him chest to chest like this with me. I wrapped my legs around his back and moved my hips back and forth, grinding into him as he moved himself in and out of me.

“You feel so fucking good.” He said to me, sliding his arms behind me and gripping my shoulders. I slid my hands around his back and dug my nails into him as he moved faster. “Mmm” He moaned as I scratched his back. Just a little, not anything too crazy.

After a few more thrusts he quickly sat up and pulled out of me. Drew sat down on the other side of the couch and I sat up and moved to where he was. I climbed onto him, straddling him and facing toward him. I wrapped my legs around his back and my arms around his neck and moved my body slowly down onto his cock. Once again, I felt the stretching pleasure that he brought me.

“Oh Drew.” I moaned.

I moved my body up and down a little more, and then suddenly we were standing and he was lifting me with his hands on my ass, bouncing me on his thick cock. Up and down. Up and down. In such a rapid motion that I couldn’t help but moan loudly. “Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Oh fuck.”

I was getting close, on the verge of my orgasm. Drew leaned me back, moving his hands so he had a better grip on me. I was titled at an angle and he began to thrust himself and move me at the same time. I was slamming onto his cock. Taking it harder than before, causing us both to moan louder and louder.

“Oh, Drew!” I called out as there was an intense moment of pleasure and then my body was numb and trembling all at the same time.

He slowed down as I came down from my mind blowing orgasm.

“Did you come for me?” He asked.

I nodded my head and he lowered me to the ground. “I want you from behind again.” He said.

I went over behind the couch again, finding this spot easiest to position myself for him, and I bent over, my arms resting on the back of the couch. I felt him begin to enter me again. He was deep inside of me and I let out another moan.

“Mmmm.”

He didn’t waste much time and began thrusting himself in and out of me harder and faster. He was so deep that there was a slight pain with each thrust. But each shot of pain also caused pure pleasure. It was rough and hot and I was ready to come all over again. I felt myself getting closer to the edge and moved my hand down to in between my legs. I rubbed my clit at a fast pace, the same pace he was going as he fucked me from behind.

“I’m going to come, again.” I said.

“Come on my cock, again.” He said, in such a sexy voice that it pushed me over the edge and once again my body was numb and trembling at the same time.

“Oh fuck!” I yelled out in pleasure.

Drew was suddenly panting behind me and slowing his pace. He gripped my hips hard, digging his fingernails into my skin just a little bit. I felt him feel me up and it was so hot.

I winced as he pulled out of me.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

I looked at him and bit my lip. “Yeah, just a little sore.”

He smiled at me like he had just accomplished something huge. Then he pulled me into him. Our naked, sweaty bodies rubbing against each other. His still hard dick pressed into me. It was enough to make me want him all over again, but I knew I was too tired for another orgasm. I rested my head on his chest and his chin rest on my head.

“I hope that was okay.” He said after a moment.

I laughed, “Are you kidding?”

“No actually, I’m not. I know it was important to you to wait. I want to make sure it was worth waiting for.”

"And then some,” I said. “That was amazing. This probably sounds super cliché, so forgive me, but that was the best sex I've ever had."

“For real?” he asked, glancing down at me.

“For real. No bullshit.”

“Well, good,” he said, squeezing his arms around me affectionately. “And I feel the same way. No bullshit.”

There was no more talking between us. We slipped into that place that was somewhere between being awake and being asleep. There was one thought that kept rattling around in my head, however. It was loud enough that I wouldn’t be slipping into sleep any time soon. I had known it before, but now, there was no way to ignore it. I liked Drew. I liked him a lot. More than I was comfortable with. For me at least, things had moved beyond just casual dating.

Now, if things didn’t work out between us, I would be devastated.

 

Chapter 14: Drew

 

 

“Good afternoon, sir.”

“Afternoon,” I said. “Do you need to see my credentials?”

“No,” the desk attendant laughed shyly, looking at me only briefly before staring furiously at her clasped hands. “That’s all right. I know you. I mean, I recognize you. I know I don’t know you. God, you know what I mean, right?”

“I do,” I said, laughed genially, hoping to make her feel more at ease. “And there’s no need to be uncomfortable. It’s just been that kind of afternoon, hasn’t it? It’s the Seattle rain.”

“Yes sir,” she answered gratefully, finally willing to look at me again. “That must be it. Please, enjoy your time in the Lounge before your flight.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

I gave her a mock salute and a smile and continued into the Lounge of Sea-Tac Airport. I'd had one short flight already, but I wasn't done yet. I had another short one to finish out my day. It wasn't an uncommon thing for me, but what was uncommon was spending my free hours in the Lounge instead of getting out of the airport.

It could be sort of suffocating to spend all of your time sitting in an airport, living in all of that canned air. I liked to get out and do something unrelated when I had the time between flights. Today, I had the time, but I didn't have the energy. That, and I needed to think. There was a lot on my plate, a lot on my mind, and airports were a good place to think.

There wasn’t much else to do here except retreat into your own thoughts. Something about the constant, fluid motion made it easy to fall into thoughts you might otherwise seek to avoid. Avoiding certain subjects in my own head was something I had been known to do before, but it was something I could no longer afford. There was too much at stake now, and people involved aside from myself.

Jess's Fourth of July invitation had caught me off guard. When she had asked me to come meet her sister and her daughter for the first time, I had agreed with no hesitation. It was only later, when I’d had a chance to think about it, that I realized the deeper implications.

Since then, I'd been asking myself all week why I hadn't told her I needed to think about it. The conclusion I'd come to was that I got caught up in the moment. It happened to plenty of people, but I had never been the kind of man to allow something like that. But in that moment, I had been entirely taken up in her. I still was, and it had made me want to say yes to anything she asked of me.

It was what every man wanted to give the woman he was with. Nothing made you feel more like a badass than the ability to give your woman anything she asked for. But now? Now the reality of what I had agreed to had settled in, and I was starting to feel uncertain.

The two of us had been dating for almost no time at all. Arguably, it was much too soon to be meeting her ten-year-old daughter. Not to mention the sister, for fuck's sake. I had a feeling the sister would be that over the top, insanely protective kind of girl who would threaten to rip my balls off if I didn't do right by her sister.

Meeting the family was going to make things a hell of a lot more complicated, and I wasn't sure I was up for that, even for a girl like Jess.

A nearby conversation caught my attention. Two pilots had just sat at the table next to me.

“It’s a fucking shame, right?” the bald pilot said.

“It certainly is,” his bearded friend replied. “I’ve gotta say, I never saw it coming.”

“Neither did I!” Baldy said. “I feel like kind of a jackass for not seeing it, but I didn’t. I didn’t think he was ever going to get cut loose.”

“Right?” Beardy said. “He was a nice guy, too.”

“He was. Kind of a mess lately, but still a nice guy. It’s a shame.” Baldy shook his head.

“It is. Although you have to admit, he was getting worse, right? Please tell me I’m not the only one who saw.”

“No, definitely not,” Baldy said, frowning. “He was getting worse for sure.”

My plan had been to think through the potential mess with Jess. The Lounge had been the perfect place for it because there were very few things it could offer up that would distract me. I never drank before or between flights, and I wasn't overly friendly with any of the staff coming through the doors. Very little could have deterred me from figuring out what the hell I was going to do about the July Fourth picnic, but the conversation of the two men who'd just taken the seats next to me managed it just fine. They were close enough that it wasn't strange for me to insert myself into their conversation. After clearing my throat, I dived in.

“Excuse me, guys, I’m sorry to interrupt.”

"Shit," Baldy said, laughing genially. "Don't be. We're the ones who sat down right next to you and started running our mouths. We probably sound like a bunch of chicks gossiping."

"No," I assured him, trying to sound calm so I could keep these guys feeling okay about talking to me. "You’re not bothering me. I was just wondering who you two are talking about, if you don't mind my asking. I'm wondering if I know the guy."

“You might,” Beardy replied. “He was flying all of the time up until recently.”

“Who?” I asked.

"Guy named Fred Stevens,” Baldy said. “He's been a pilot for a long time. It's fucking sad, you know?"

“And he got fired?” I asked.

Beardy nodded. "He did. He got suspended a little while back, and there was some talk that he might clean himself up, get his act together again, and get back to work. But I guess it went the other way. He was drinking a lot, you know? He was drinking pretty much all of the time."

"It got pretty fucking bad," Baldy chimed in, shaking his head glumly. "Bad enough that this can't really be a surprise to anyone. He's always liked to party, but lately, he's been hitting the bottle all the time. It only got worse after he got suspended. I flew with the guy a couple of times, and I knew what he was doing."

“Did you?” I asked, becoming genuinely annoyed for the first time since the conversation had begun. “You knew he was drinking while he was flying?”

“Sure, but that’s not the rarest thing in the world. A lot of guys do it. He just started doing it more than he could get away with. I knew that, too. I noticed it a couple of months before the suspension came. I was hoping he would just take care of it on his own before anything happened.”

“Yeah,” Beardy said mournfully, shaking his head. “I was kind of hoping the same thing. From what I heard, somebody turned him in before he got the chance. Looks like the rest of us better start watching our asses.”

“Why do you say that?” I asked, hoping I sounded more casually interested than I felt.

“Come on. We’ve all been there, right? It’s not like we haven’t all knocked a couple back before a flight. It’s just part of it.”

“Is it?” I asked.

“Comes with the territory,” Baldy said. “Only now, we’re all going to have to watch our asses, right? If there’s some guy going around turning people in for every little infraction, we’re all going to have to watch ourselves.”

“It’s not really a little infraction, though, is it?” I asked, the blood starting to pulse in my temples so hard that I could hardly see straight. “Getting drunk before, or on a flight, could kill people. It could kill a lot of people.”

“Did you ever fly with the guy?” Baldy said. “Because it kind of sounds like you know him.”

"I wouldn't say that I know him, but I flew with him once. He was the lead pilot, and he got so drunk on the plane that he almost knocked himself out when we hit some turbulence. It wasn't just a little bit of drinking. He was out of control. My guess is that if I saw it, somebody else did, too."

“Shit,” Baldy said. “Maybe he was a little worse than I thought. You’re probably right. The guy was dangerous. Still, it’s a rough fucking break.”

I listened to the two of them for a little longer before making some bullshit excuse to get up and go. The plan to hang out in the Lounge until I came to a decision about Jess was gone. All I could think about was Fred. I was glad that he wasn't able to go out there and hurt people anymore, but now, I was also wrestling with the news that he'd been let go permanently.

Maybe I should have been sorry for my role in things, but I wasn't. Not at all. On the contrary, now I was pissed off. Fred had all the time in the world to go and get some help, and he'd done nothing. That was the kind of person I would never in my life understand.

Chapter 15: Jess

 

 

“God, this is so boring,” Emma groaned.

“Your dinner?” Sophie asked.

“Yeah, my dinner.”

“You’re telling me the dinner is boring?” Sophie asked, her eyes wide. “Who even says something like that?”

Sophie looked at me in disbelief, and I had to duck my head and put my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. I knew enough about ten-year-old girls to know that Emma wouldn't appreciate being laughed at. Still, it was a struggle I thought myself likely to lose for a couple of minutes.

It wasn't just Emma’s pronouncement that her bowl of spaghetti was too boring to eat, although that would have been enough. As she spoke, my daughter sat across from me, her chin resting in the palms of her hands forlornly. Her face was a perfect picture of childhood discontent, something all kids experienced as the end of summer approached. I knew this from my own childhood, but it would have been pointless to explain it to Emma. Children rarely enjoyed being told that what they were going through wasn't unique.

“Emma,” I said softly, once I was sure that I wasn’t going to lose myself to a fit of the giggles. “You know that isn’t very polite, right?”

"No," she said sulkily, her chin sinking even further down. "I don't. What's not polite about the truth?"

“Your aunt Sophie was nice enough to cook for you, so you shouldn’t complain. You know that dinner didn’t just appear out of nowhere, right? We aren’t living in a Disney movie.”

“I wish we were,” Emma said grouchily. “I bet things wouldn’t be so boring if we were.”

“Sure,” Sophie said brightly, digging into her own bowl of pasta happily. “Unless you’re in one of those Disney stories where you get yourself locked in a tower or put under a sleeping curse or something. I bet you’d be pretty freaking bored if either of those things happened.”

“Ugh, you know what I mean, Aunt Sophie. I can’t take it anymore! There’s like, nothing fun left to do in life!”

“Sweetie, what are you talking about?” I asked as gently as possible, trying not to piss her off and make her fly off the handle. “It’s only the first of July. How can there be nothing fun left? Especially in your whole life? There’s a lot of life left to live, Emma. It’s pretty early to give up on it all.”

"I'm not giving up,” she said. “I'm just bored!"

“So, then you’re ready to get back to school then, I suppose?”

“Yup!” she crowed happily. Sophie and I both dissolved into laughter after all. “I kind of am. I’ll get to see all of my friends, at least. And I sort of like school. There’s always something new to do, at least.”

"Seriously?" Sophie asked, her face registering genuine shock. "I don't see how that's possible. When your mom and I were young, we always wanted the summer to go on forever. Or at least, as close to forever as we could get. It's like we're not even the same species."

“You’re so silly.” Emma giggled, distracted enough to begin eating her dinner, despite it being the self-professed most boring food in the world. “And I bet part of why you weren’t bored was because you had boyfriends.”

“What?!” Sophie and I asked quickly and at the exact same time. “What does that even mean?”

“Boyfriends. You guys probably had boyfriends to hang out with you during the summer. That must make everything way more fun.”

"What on earth makes you think that?" I asked. My heart was thumping in my chest, and whether or not it was rational, I could feel the metallic taste of panic beginning to flood my mouth.

"If you have a boyfriend, you have somebody to always want to hang out with you,” Emma said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Plus, they like, do whatever you say and stuff. When they don't, you get to talk to your girlfriends about it. It makes it so there's always something to do. And even when you aren't actually doing anything, it makes it so that you have something to think about all the time. If I had a boyfriend, I bet this summer would be way, way better."

“Baby,” I reached across the table and took one of her little hands in my own. “I’m not sure it really works that way. In my experience, and I’m sure your Aunt Sophie’s as well, that’s not the way it goes.”

“Sure, it is,” Emma said. “That’s what it always looks like.”

“Looks like to who?” I asked. “Where?”

“In the movies and stuff. And with my friends.”

“You have friends who already have boyfriends?” Sophie asked, glancing over at me.

"Yup,” Emma said. “They don't like, do anything. Just maybe hold hands and stuff, and a whole lot of texts."

“That stuff can all be really great, but try to enjoy your life how it is now, too,” I said. “Sometimes, having a boyfriend can be really hard. It’s fun, but it can be hard also. There’s nothing wrong with being happy with how things are right now.”

“Is that why you don’t have a boyfriend, Mama? You think it’ll be too much work?”

Crap. Crap. I don't know why I hadn't seen the conversation going in this direction. Emma's question totally threw me off. To make matters worse, I could see that Sophie could tell that something was up with me. She didn't say anything, not yet, but that didn't mean much of anything.

Sophie was the most headstrong person I had ever known, and if there was something she wanted to know, she was going to know it. As I saw it, I now had two different options. I could keep quiet and wait for Sophie to pounce, grilling me into submission so that I spilled my guts everywhere. As options went, this didn't seem like a great one.

The second choice was that I just go ahead and tell Emma and Sophie about Drew. It was something I should have already done, seeing as the Fourth of July picnic was now only three days away. The longer I tried to put it off, the worse it was going to get, and I knew it. I took a deep breath, shut my eyes briefly, and then looked at Emma with what I hoped passed as a reasonable level of confidence.

“Actually, Emma, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.”

“Have you now?” Sophie asked with shock so fake it was sickening, “What a complete and utter surprise!”

“Yes, actually, I have. I’ve been meaning to talk to both of you.”

“About what, Mama? You’re acting funny. And your face is all red.”

"It's about the picnic. I want to bring somebody with me. I really hope that's okay with both of you, because I've actually already invited him. His name is Drew, and he's a pilot. We've flown together, which is how we met, but only once. Only once we've flown together, I mean. We've met more than once. Obviously, or else I wouldn't be inviting him, right? Anyway. I invited him. I hope you guys are cool with it, because I would rather not rescind the invitation."

Silence. Total and complete silence. Somewhere during the course of my speech, I had dropped my eyes down to my hands. Now that I was done talking, the idea of looking up at either one of them was borderline terrifying. I was so afraid that one or both of them would tell me they weren't okay with it at all. As much as I liked Drew, all it would take was one of these two telling me they didn't want him there, and I would call the whole thing off. I would have given him up completely, if that was what they had wanted.

“Oh my God!” Emma said. “Are you kidding? No way! No freaking way!”

Emma broke the silence by jumping up from her chair and dancing around like a maniac. Her words gave way to excited little hollers, and after a second, Sophie got up and joined her. The two of them gripped hands and turned in joyful little circles, before collapsing back into their chairs, panting.

“Do you know what this means, big sister?” Sophie asked.

“No,” I answered cautiously, not liking the mischievous gleam in Sophie’s eyes. “I don’t think I do.”

"It means that now, I'll finally get some payback for all the times you grilled and embarrassed me in front of my dates! I never got to do that to you, but I totally will now. Oh man, Emma and I are going to have so much fun, thinking up all of the embarrassing things we're going to tell this dude. Forget a picnic for the Fourth. It's going to be like you're attending your own roast."

I sat silently, listening to Emma and Sophie exchange ideas for how they could best humiliate me in front of Drew. I did my best to stay calm, or at least to be something that resembled calm, but inside, I felt very close to outright panic. Ever since inviting Drew, I had been worrying about whether or not Emma and Sophie would even allow me to bring him. Now, there was a whole other set of possibilities I hadn’t even thought to worry about.

“Guys, come on,” I said. “Please stop it, okay? Please. I think I’m going to have a heart attack.”

“Aw, what’s the matter, big sis? Think we’re going to embarrass you?”

I frowned. “I don’t know, maybe. Sort of sounds like it.”

“Look, Jess, all joking aside, you can’t think like that. If you really like this guy and you think you can see it going somewhere, he’s going to have to get to know your family. He’s going to have to get to know us for who we really, truly are. What’s his name?”

“Drew. His name is Drew Larson.”

“Sure, whatever. My point is, that if Drew is put off by your family, he might not be the right guy for you. That’s probably something you’ll want to get to know, sooner rather than later. Or at least, that’s what I would want.”

“You’re right. Really, you are, but please don’t go out your way to make it harder. Deal?”

Sophie shrugged. “Maybe. We shall see, shan’t we?”

Sophie let loose a cackle of delight, and then she and Emma were on their feet again, dancing and whooping and hollering like this was the best thing ever. One thing was for sure, and that was that Emma wasn't bored anymore. That was great, except that now, I was terrified of the implications of what I had done. Bringing Drew to this picnic was more than a little get together. It was a crossroads, and I had no idea how it would wind up.

Chapter 16: Jess

 

 

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Sophie asked. “I know you must be totally bummed out that Drew isn’t coming. I would be. If you want to call it early and just go home, we totally can. I know I would understand, and I’m sure that Emma would, too.”

“But Aunt Sophie!”

“Right, Emma?” Sophie asked Emma pointedly, giving her the look of death. “Because we both want your mom to be happy, right?”

“Right,” she answered glumly, looking far from convinced. “We can go. If you want to.”

I reached over and pulled Emma into a hug, kissing the top of her head until I heard her start to giggle. I could feel Sophie watching us, and I knew she was still concerned. She knew how excited I had been about Drew joining us for our annual July Fourth picnic. So when Drew called to cancel, she knew it was massive disappointment to me. She wasn’t wrong.

I was most definitely bummed out, and there had been a part of me that had wanted to cancel the whole day. Looking at Emma, though, I had known I couldn't do a thing like that. It wouldn't have been fair to cancel, based on my own disappointment. Just like it wouldn't be fair to call it and early night, now that we were here at the park.

This was a family tradition, on that had existed long before Drew came into the picture. And if things ended up not working out with him, the tradition would continue. Besides, Emma looked forward to this night all year. It was the only time we got to see a huge fireworks show in our area. There was no way I would deprive her of it.

Emma was trying not to look upset by the idea of leaving early, but she was my daughter. I knew her well enough to know that she was fighting back tears.

“No, we’re not going anywhere,” I said. “Are you kidding? We haven’t even seen the fireworks yet. We are not going to stop having fun just because a guy didn’t show up.”

“Darn right,” Sophie answered with a smirk, putting a comforting arm around Emma. “And it’s been pretty awesome, too. Guys don’t necessarily make a thing better. Just like we were telling you a couple of days ago, Emma.”

“Yeah, I guess I get that now,” Emma agreed, looking hopeful that things might work out in her favor, after all. “This is fun without boys. It always has been.”

"And it still will be," I asserted.

I made a decision then to take my hurt feelings and shove them down deep, where they couldn't rear their ugly heads again for the rest of the night. I knew I couldn’t ignore them forever, but for now, they could wait.

Later, when we were safely home and Emma had shuffled off to bed, I would have to think about things. I would have to think about Drew canceling on me at the last minute, and also the way he had canceled. There had been something strange in his voice, a weird little hitch I couldn't ignore.

When I had asked him why he couldn't come, he had told me that something had come up, but something in my gut told me it was someone that had come up. I wasn't a complete idiot. I'd done a little bit of digging into Drew's reputation since we started dating, and I knew he was a bit of a ladies' man, to say the least.

I hadn't seen any real evidence of that in the short amount of time we had been dating, but our time had been exactly that. Short. If he was going to start getting bored, it would probably be around now, now that he'd gotten what he wanted from me a couple of times and the novelty of it had worn off.

All of these thoughts would occupy my mind later, but not while on our picnic. It was one of our favorite holidays and favorite traditions. There was no way I was going to let anything ruin that, not even Drew.

“You know,” Sophie said in an offhand, casual way. “I’m not even sure this guy is real, big sister. For all I know, he’s a figment of your imagination.”

“Um, what?” I asked, turning to her. Her expression was unreadable. “Are you joking? I can’t tell if you’re joking. Are you calling me crazy?”

"Calm down,” she said, a hint of a smile on her lips. “Nobody said that. Still, it's not like I've ever seen this ‘Drew' character. What about you, Emma? Have you seen this guy?"

“Nope. Never seen him before.”

“That doesn’t mean he’s not real!” I laughed and swatted at my two best girls affectionately. “Believe me, he’s real. He’s just...”

“Just what, Mama? You never talk about him, except for when you told us he was alive.”

“Yeah, Jess. Your daughter is amazingly astute. You haven’t told us much about him, except for the fact that he exists, supposedly. And the fact that he canceled on the most amazing Fourth of July picnic ever. Not a lot to go on, I’ve gotta say. What do you think, Emma?”

“I think what you just said!” Emma said.

“Okay guys, I get it. I haven’t told you much about him. That’s because it’s not that easy. Dating is harder when you get older. Once you have people other than yourself involved, it’s not the same as when you were younger. I didn’t want to talk about him until I knew that there was a reason to.”

“But there’s a reason now, Mama, right? You invited him with us.”

"Yes, there is," I answered with as much confidence as I could drum up. “I like him. I like him a lot, actually. He's completely unlike any of the guys I've dated since your daddy. He's so serious. Sometimes it's hard to tell what he's thinking, and but it's a serious that I like. Sometimes when I look at him, he reminds me of an old movie star or something, like Clark Gable or Cary Grant. I didn't think that kind of man existed anymore, but now, I think he's one of them. They don't make men like him anymore. That's what I really think. There's something special about him, even if he couldn't make it tonight."

There was a moment of silence after I spoke. I expected all three of us were mulling over the things I had just said. Emma and Sophie were probably doing their best to digest the most amount of information I had ever given them about my new, elusive paramour. For my part, I only wanted to make sure those were all things I still believed.

I knew he was special. I just wasn't sure that I could trust him. The strange tone of his voice when he had told me the night before that he wasn't going to make it kept playing inside of my head. Something about that tone made me wonder how close he was to the man I had built him up to be.

“I don’t know,” Sophie broke the silence with her flippant tone. “I’m still not convinced that he’s real.”

"Me either!" Emma shouted before dissolving into a heap of giggles.

Sophie started laughing with her, and before I knew it, the two of them were engaged in a massive tickle war beneath a now-dark sky in which fireworks were beginning to bloom. Listening to that laughter and looking up at the exploding jewels in the sky, it was hard not to feel good.

Maybe there was something more to Drew's canceling that met the eye. If so, I could deal with it later. Maybe there would be a fallout, and I would wind up broken-hearted, exactly where I didn't want to be when this whole thing had started. Those were things I could handle later if they came, but for now, I was content. My loved ones were happy, and there was a celebration lighting the night sky. With things like that to warm my insides, how could I be anything but happy?

“Hey, Mama? Who is that guy?”

“What guy, baby? You’re missing the fireworks!”

“No, Mama, really! There’s some man walking towards us. Do you know him?”

I looked down from the sky, certain that this was only more of Emma and Sophie's ribbing, and felt my breath catch in my chest. It was Drew, and if Emma hadn't been the one to point him out, I would almost certainly have thought he was a figment of my imagination.

He wasn't coming. I hadn't even told him which area of the large Seattle park we would be picnicking in, and that didn't matter because he wasn't coming. Except that here he was, walking towards me with a massive bouquet of flowers clutched in one hand.

“Drew?” I asked. “Is that you?”

I started to get up from our blanket, but he held out his free hand, motioning for me to stay seated. His pace quickened, and in no time flat, he was sitting beside me, holding the flowers out like a peace offering. His eyes were wide and maybe even a little bit afraid. When he spoke, there was a tremor to his voice I hadn't heard before.

"I'm sorry that I'm late,” he said. “This is an awfully big park, and it took me longer to find you than I would have expected."

“Late?” I asked. “You can’t be late. As far as I knew, you weren’t coming at all. You told me last night.”

“I know,” he said. “I’m sorry about that.”

“I thought something came up,” I said.

"I thought so, too. I was wrong. Some things, some people, are worth canceling for. You're worth canceling for, Jess. I should have known that earlier. You aren't the kind of girl a man cancels on, not for anything."

Before I could answer, he was kissing me, right there in front of my sister and my daughter. It wasn't something I would usually have allowed, but at that moment, I didn't care who was watching. Even when Sophie and Emma both started clapping loudly, one of them making kissy noises as she did so, I didn't care at all.

Chapter 17: Drew

 

 

"Well, would you look at this?” Tony asked. He was one of Jess’s favorite flight attendants. “Another flight with the happy couple. I wonder how many of these we'll be graced with this month? I feel like every flight I was on last month had both of you on it. And there's no faster way to make a guy feel bad for missing out on the most handsome man in the universe than to flaunt the fact that he's straight, day in and day out."

Tony looked at me mournfully, but I knew he was joking. Or at least, I was pretty sure. There had been plenty of comments amongst our colleagues in the last month, ever since we put in our request to have our flight schedules match up. Those comments had ranged from happy to skeptical to scathing. Jess and I had done our best to ignore the bulk of them.

Statements like Tony's, though, those were just fine. Being inadvertently hit on by a dude might have bothered me at one point, but after such a strange couple of months, I didn't mind it at all. Besides, he had been one of the flight attendants who had been nothing but friendly with Jess, and my appreciation for it went a long way. Plus, I could see that he made her feel happy about things. As she put her arm around my waist, I offered him a smile.

"I didn't mean to break any hearts, Tony, I swear. Guess you should have gotten to me earlier. If anything, you have Jess to blame."

“Oh, honey,” Tony sighed, rolling his eyes in my direction dramatically as he offered the last stragglers of our flight fond farewells. “I appreciate the flattery, but we both know men were never going to be your thing. Besides, the two of you are just too dang cute to be mad at.”

“Thanks, Tony,” Jess said, laughing and blushing prettily and making me want to whisk her off somewhere so that the two of us could be alone. “That’s very sweet. At least I think it is.”

“It’s meant to be,” he said. “You guys are the best couple I’ve seen come out of a flight, and I’ve seen a lot. Just don’t fuck it up, darlings. We all know how easy that can be.”

He tipped his imaginary hat at us, let out one more forlorn sigh, and exited the plane. I turned to Jess and kissed her, pulling her in toward me so that I could feel her body pressing against the length of mine. I could feel myself stiffening right there, and the urge to take her only grew.

“Woah there, big boy,” Jess said, pulling away from me quickly. “I know it’s called the cockpit, but don’t get yourself too carried away, okay? Technically, we’re at work. Where it would be totally inappropriate for us to do anything close to what I can tell is on your mind.”

“All right, fine. Spoil my fun. But if we aren’t going to fool around, let’s get out of the airport, okay? You know how much I—”

“Hate to hang out in the airport during layovers?” she asked, finishing the thought for me. “I definitely do. I have to say, though, I’ve flown into Los Angeles before, but I haven’t ever spent any time in the city itself. I never bothered leaving airports unless I was spending the night. Not before I met you, that is.”

"Don't worry about it," I answered as I pulled her in for one more kiss. "I've got that covered. Just follow my lead, and everything will be fine."

“You sure about that? You promise?”

“I promise.”

That was how we wound up strolling through a little-frequented park in a part of Los Angeles not well-known by the majority of the tourists. It was one of those late afternoons, bleeding into the early evening, in which everything seemed to be perfect. The soft breeze had the faintest chill, making outside feel like the perfect place to be.

Because of the timing of our layover, we happened to hit the park right at sunset, and that only made things better. The entire sky looked like it was on fire, a fire suspended over our heads and making everything around us look slightly surreal. It was a little bit like stepping into a Dali painting, and it made my heartbeat speed up and my mind spin.

I put my arm around Jess's shoulders and pulled her closer to me, wishing I had the words to explain what was going on inside of me. I didn't. Not even close. But when she rested her head on my shoulders and sighed, I was filled with the certainty that she understood me, anyway.

“This is seriously beautiful, you know?” Jess said.

"I'm glad you think so. I try to come to this park anytime I have a layover in this city. I like to find the parts of a city that make it worth going to. It helps me remember that the places I'm flying to are real and not just blips on a map."

"I like that. No, I love that, actually. I love that idea. And you totally changed my opinion on Los Angeles. Emma has always wanted to come here for some reason, and I've always put her off. Maybe now, she'll get her wish."

I laughed. “I bet she’ll be over the moon about that,” I said, envisioning exactly what kind of reaction she would have. “You’ll be up for the mother of the year award.”

“Me? Are you kidding? No, she’ll just file it away as more proof.”

“Proof of what?” I asked.

“Proof of how you’re the most amazing guy on the planet.”

“I sincerely doubt that,” I said.

"Well, you shouldn't. Seriously, Drew, she really likes you. She talks about you all the time. I'm not trying to freak you out or anything, but since you started coming around, she's been so happy. She was so glad the picnic didn't turn out to be a one-time deal. She likes that you come hang out at the house. She likes that you don't treat her like she's a baby. Those are her words, not mine."

“She’s a good kid,” I said thoughtfully, staring out across the city. “I like her, too. I’ll be honest with you, and I don’t think this will come as a major surprise, kids haven’t really been my thing.”

She laughed. “Oh, is that so? I never would have guessed.”

"Very funny. Yes, that's so. I haven't had a lot of kids in my life, and I haven't wanted them there, either. Getting to know Emma, though, it's sort of changed my mind. She's a smart girl. A kind girl, too. And she doesn't treat me like I'm a total asshole, so I like that, too."

“That’s because you’re not an asshole. Emma hasn’t gotten to meet the few guys I’ve dated since her father passed away, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have any opinions of them. She told me, right before I met you actually, that I needed to stop dating bad guys. I think she’s happy I found you.”

I should have been happy to hear it. I wanted to be happy, except that there was a cloud hanging over my head, one that had to do with my almost canceling on the Fourth of July picnic. It had been almost a month since that had gone down, and the reason for my behavior had never come up. I had tried to pretend it didn't exist, even to myself, but hearing her now, I knew that wasn't an option.

“Jess, I need to tell you something.”

“Um, okay. Not what a girl likes to hear, but okay.”

“It’s about the Fourth,” I said. “About why I almost didn’t come.”

“Okay.”

“It was about a girl.”

“I don’t understand,” she said.

“The night before the Fourth, I got a call from a woman I used to hook up with. She wanted me to come with her to some crazy, alcohol-fueled party. That was why I was going to cancel on you. I was planning on going with her instead.”

“Are you kidding me?” she asked, looking at me with narrowed eyes. “I mean, seriously, are you?”

“No, Jess, not kidding. I’m trying to be honest with you.”

“That’s great and all, but what’s the matter with you?! Is that the way things are between us? Because if so you, you better tell me now. I must have been an idiot to think this was really something. Somehow, I thought that me making it so clear I didn’t just jump into bed with men would make it clear I didn’t want either of us sleeping around, but I guess not.”

“Jess, stop.”

“Stop?!” she cried. “Don’t tell me to stop! You drop this information in my lap, and you what, expect me to be chill about it? You must be out of your mind.”

“No, I don’t expect that,” I said. “Just let me explain. Will you give me that much?”

“Fine,” she answered hotly, her face full of hurt and anger, her body language telling me that she was on the verge of making a run for it. “But don’t lie to me, Drew. Not anymore.”

"Believe me, that's the last thing I want to do. I wouldn't have told you anything if I wanted to lie. I know it doesn't make sense, but I agreed to go to the party with that girl because I got scared."

“Scared? What does that even mean?”

"It means that I was really falling for you, and I knew it. It scared the shit out of me, and I thought that if I did something to fuck it up, it wouldn't be scary anymore. I was falling in love with you, and I knew it."

“What’s your point?” she asked. “I knew that I was falling in love with you too by that point. You didn’t see me running off and hooking up with some other dude.”

“I didn’t hook up with her, Jess. I swear to God I didn’t. I didn’t even talk to her again.”

“But you thought about it,” she said.

"I did, but you have to understand. Or you don't, I guess, but I'm begging you! I haven't loved anyone since Alice, Jess. I don't just mean any women I dated. I mean anyone. My family is gone, so there’s nobody left to love there. All of my friends? I let them go. I basically kicked everyone I cared about out of my life so that I wouldn't have to risk loving them. You are the first, okay? Do you get that? You are the first!"

I was yelling at her. First, I told her that I almost cheated on her, and now, I was yelling at her in the middle of the park. When she walked toward me, I was sure that it was so she could slap me in the face. It was no less than I deserved. Instead, she took my face in both hands and kissed me.

I was so startled by it that all I could do was stand there for a minute. Once the shock of her reaction, her acceptance, wore off, my hands plunged into her hair, and I was kissing her back. I lost myself in her, in her feel and taste, and when she pulled away from me, it felt like I was losing the oxygen I needed to breathe.

“What is it?” I groaned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Let’s go.”

“Go where?”

“To your hotel.”

Chapter 18: Jess

 

 

“I talked to home base,” he said. “Flight’s been delayed until tomorrow.”

“Good! Now stop talking, Larson. This is about making it up to me.”

“Is it?” He asked, laughing. He pressed against me, his cock so hard against my hip that I could hardly resist taking off all of my clothes right there in the elevator. “I wasn’t aware.”

“It is. It definitely is.”

I pulled his shirt and pulled him against me. I braced myself against the wall of the elevator. He was on me at once, groping at my skin greedily. He grabbed for my leg, pulling it up roughly so that my skirt hiked all of the way up, giving him access to everything.

His palm slid up my inner thigh, yanking the lacy edge of my panties aside and running his fingers teasingly along my outer rim. I gasped, my head dropping back and my eyes shutting tightly. My hips bucked forward, begging him in their own language to stop playing around and give me what I needed. He grinned, I could feel it through his kiss, and inserted a finger inside me.

I gasped and bucked my hips again, wanting more, always wanting more. A second finger followed the first, and both began to move slowly, occasionally stopping to fondle my aching clit. I might have come right then and there if it hadn't been for the slightly jarring movement of the elevator that let us know we had come to a stop. We hardly had time to get ourselves into a halfway decent position before the doors let out their friendly ding and then slid silently open.

My face was so flushed it felt like it might melt, and the rest of my body was aching with the abruptness with which Drew had drawn away from me. I was still not interested in getting caught doing it in an elevator. I was pretty far gone but not that gone. Not yet, anyway.

“Come on,” Drew said roughly, taking me by the hand when we saw that there was nobody waiting at the elevator doors. “I can’t wait much longer.”

I nodded, half running to keep up with him as we made our way down the hallway. It was astonishing how quickly things could go from awful to over the top amazing. Only thirty minutes ago, Drew and I had been fighting in an LA park. As far as I could tell, we had been on the verge of ending everything, and now, here we were, so desperate for each other that we could hardly make it into our room.

He kept stopping to kiss me, throwing me up against the wall and pressing himself against me so that my body began to burn brightly all over again. When we finally made it to our room, it took forever for him to fumble with the card key that was supposed to let us in because he couldn't take his hands off of me. We practically fell into the room, and as soon as he got the door shut, he turned on me like a wild animal.

“Remove your clothes.” He said, his mouth still against mine.

There was something about the way he was demanding me to get naked, that turned me on even more than it did before. Something about the way he was currently staring at me with a carnal hunger in his eyes.

I nodded my head at him and began to remove my shirt and skirt. Leaving them in a pile on the floor. I was once again down to my bra, panties, and heels.

He sucked in air through his clenched jaw as he looked me over. Then he took a few steps toward me, picked me up and began kissing me again. My legs wrapped around him, I could feel his hard dick pressed into me even though he was still wearing his pants.

He began to walk with me still wrapped around him, past the bed and toward the patio.

“You passed the bed.” I whispered.

“Shh.” He said and then pressed me up against sliding glass door.

If anyone were to have looked up, they would have had the perfect shot of my ass and I didn’t give a damn. The only thing I cared about in that moment was to feel his dick inside of me.

He held me against the glass and I moved my hands from around his neck and moved the down to his belt. I unbuckled it and then unzipped his pants. He set me down so he could remove them. He yanked both his pants and boxers down in a swift motion and before I knew it he had picked me up and had me pressed against the window, again.

“Do you want it?” He asked as he held his dick up to my pussy.

I nodded my head.

“Tell me how bad you want it.” He whispered as he began to find my lips again.

“So bad. Please fuck me Drew.”

“Mmm, say it again.” He said and kissed me more.

“Please fuck me, Drew.” I wiggled my hips and felt his dick a little more.

Then he grabbed onto my harder and thrusted inside of me.

“Oh fuck!” I called out as his hard dick stretched me, once again. The overwhelming feeling returned.

He moved me up and down on his dick and I was hoping there were people watching us. Him fucking me like this was such a turn on I felt like I could come at any moment.

He slowed his pace down and started backing up while he was still holding onto me. My arms were wrapped around his neck, my legs gripped his waste harder as he moved us over to the bed. He began to lower me at an angle until I felt the bed beneath me. I unwrapped my legs and he grabbed them both in one hand, placing them on his left shoulder.

“I love fucking your tight pussy.” He said between thrusts. He started slow at first and then began to pick up the pace. I loved the way he filled me and the way he moved himself in and out of me. My pussy was wrapped around his cock so tightly that I felt ever inch of his cock sliding in and out of me. It was driving me crazy.

“Don’t stop.” I begged as I began to feel myself on the edge of an orgasm.

He began to thrust a little harder.

“Oh fuck. Don’t stop!” I cried. And then he pulled out.

I opened my eyes, unaware that I had even been holding them shut. Drew was moving onto the bed next to me. He laid down on his back.

“Get on.” He said.

I bit my lip and sat up. I moved myself over to him and then climbed on top of him, straddling him. I slowly lowered myself onto him, pausing when I felt him begin to enter me. He thrust himself up, obviously eager to get back inside of me. I lowered myself more until he was all the way inside of me.

“Oh my God.” We both moaned.

His hands went to my tits and he squeezed them in each of his hands. I moved my hips back and forth, grinding on to him as I did so, feeling him all the way inside of me. He moved his hands down my stomach, until they rested on my hips. He grabbed onto them and helped move my body back and forth.

I was beginning to get close again. Feeling him inside of me like that, his hands helping to control my movements and the sounds of our moans was such an intense mixture.

I stopped rocking my hips and began to bounce up and down on top of him. I leaned forward some and grabbed onto his chest, it helped me hold my balance and I began to slide my pussy up and down on his dick. I wanted to come more than anything. I was so turned on. I sat back up and went back to rocking my hips. I felt myself on the edge.

“I’m so close.” I said and bit my lip. My hands went into my hair, playing with it a bit as I focused on the feeling of him inside of me. He was so deep when I rode him this way. And it felt more intense than it had before.

“Come for me.” He said.

I rocked my hips back and forth a little faster and a little faster until I felt the most intense orgasm of my life.

“Mmm. Oh fuck. Mmm.” I moaned as my orgasm continued.

Drew wrapped an arm around my back and flipped us over so he was on top, he began to thrust himself in and out of me, hard and fast. It made the end of my orgasm so much more intense.

Then suddenly I noticed his breathing changed and his cock began to throb inside of me. As he came down from his orgasm, he laid down on top of me, trying to catch his breath.

"Jesus, Jess, you're fucking amazing. I've never come as hard as that. Not even close."

“Oh yeah? You sure you aren’t trying to butter me up? Still trying to make things up to me?”

“I’m sure. That being said, I’ll do whatever it takes. I want you to know there’s nobody else. I want you to know I realize how much of an ass I was, and how stupid the thing I almost did was. I don’t want anyone else. I only want you.”

I found the strength to move again, after all, snuggling up to Drew's hot, naked body so that every inch of me was touching some part of him. Deep inside of me, the aching for him had already begun again, and I knew that this would not be our only time having each other during our brief hotel stay.

There was something comforting in that knowledge. Something about it made me believe the things Drew was saying to me in a way nothing else could have. I had his beating heart beneath the palm of my hand to prove the things he said, and for some reason, I knew it contained no lie.

“Drew? Can I tell you something?”

“You can tell me anything. I want you to, Jess. I want you to tell me things. I want to be the kind of man you feel you can do that with.”

"Thanks. I just. I think I love you, Drew. I don't want to freak you out all over again, but I think I'm falling in love with you."

The last thing I remembered was speaking these words and Drew’s face nuzzling deeply into my hair. If he offered up any kind of an answer, I was asleep before the words were able to hit my consciousness.

Chapter 19: Drew

 

 

Out of all the things I imagined I would find myself doing, searching for an almost eleven-year-old girl's birthday party wasn't one of them. It had been a month since Jess and I had fought in the remote LA park, and everything had only gotten better since then.

All chances of me lying to myself and saying it was just about sex were long gone. Jess had told me she was falling in love with me that night, and whether I liked it or not, I was falling in love with her, too.

The realization had been terrifying, but after it had come an odd sort of calm. That calm had made everything else easier, including my relationship with Emma. A week ago, she had given me a hand-drawn invitation to her family members’ only birthday bash. Family members’ only, as in, I was the only one not blood-related who was invited.

It probably should have scared the shit out of me, but after Jess and my LA thing, it didn't. Instead, it made me feel like a fucking superhero. So here I was, wandering around a shopping mall on a busy Sunday afternoon. The only problem was that I didn't have a clue what I was supposed to get her. It was the reason I gave myself for wandering into the fancy looking jewelry store in the middle of the mall's fanciest store. Almost immediately, an overly chipper saleswoman approached me. She wore a massive, intimidating smile on her face, and I almost turned around and left right there, except that I couldn't. Something told me I needed to stay. Something told me this was the place I needed to be.

“Well, hello there, sir!”

“Hello.”

“What might I be able to do for you on this fine Seattle afternoon?”

“I’m not sure, actually.”

"Oh, don't worry about that," she said, laughing smoothly as if I were nothing she hadn't encountered before. "If I had a nickel for every time a man walked in here and said something like that, well, let's just say I wouldn't be working here anymore."

“Right,” I laughed, still uncomfortable but beginning to feel marginally better. “I would imagine.”

“Why don’t we start with you telling me what brought you here? Whatever it is, I’m sure I can help you find what you need.”

“I’m looking for a birthday gift for my girlfriend’s daughter.”

“Perfect! And how old is the daughter?”

“She’ll be turning eleven.”

“Oh, and she is going to love you.”

“Is she?”

“Definitely. Jewelry is perfect for girls that age. It makes them feel like they’re being taken seriously. Does she have pierced ears?”

"You know what? I'll be honest with you. I don't know. Does that make me an asshole?"

“No, it makes you a man. Let’s look at some necklaces then, just to be on the safe side. You wouldn’t want to give her something she couldn’t wear, now would you?”

“No, I wouldn’t.”

“What about doing a birthstone necklace? Something simple? Elegant? We could go with a gold chain and a little sapphire pendant. That’s the birthstone for September, in case you weren’t aware.”

“I was not. And that sounds great, only do you think she’ll like it? I mean, is it the kind of thing a girl her age will want?”

"Absolutely. Believe me, it's the sort of gift she'll cherish long after she stops being a little girl."

“All right,” I said, grinning. “I’m sold.”

“Would you like to see the necklace first?”

“Nope, not really. I won’t be able to tell anything about it. Why don’t you just go ahead and wrap it up?”

“Of course! And while I tend to that, is there anything else I can do for you? Anything else you’re interested in looking at?”

“There is, actually. Do you think you could show me some engagement rings?”

"Oh, my!" She giggled, whether at the request itself or at the shock on my face after making the request, I couldn't be sure. "This is an exciting shopping trip for you, isn't it?"

“Yeah, I guess it is.”

“What kind of rings would you like to see?” she asked.

“Something simple, classic. I think that’s the kind of ring she would like.”

“Of course! That’s my favorite kind of woman. Give me just one moment. I’ll be right back with a selection for you to choose from.”

I nodded at her in response, seeing as I had spontaneously lost the ability to speak. As far as I knew, I had only come into this store to get something for Emma and leave. If that was the case, though, what in the hell was I doing looking at engagement rings? Was I planning on buying one? Was that the real reason behind me choosing a jewelry store to look for Emma's gift in the first place? There were about a million fucking questions clamoring inside of my head all at once. Out of nowhere, I started to feel more than a little bit queasy. The saleswoman must have noticed it, too, because when she returned, she took one look at me and went into repair mode.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure, I guess.”

“Is the ring a surprise?” she asked.

“I should think so. I don’t think she has a clue.”

"No," she said, smiling gently and making me regret my initial judgment of her. "I'm not asking if it will be a surprise to her. I'm asking if it's a surprise to you."

“Is it that obvious?”

“A little. Plus, I’ve been doing this job for a long time. It’s normal, you know. A lot of guys get freaked out when they get ready to take this step. It’s not a bad thing, either. It shows you’re really thinking.”

“Can I ask you a question now?”

“Sure, you can. I can’t promise I’ll have an answer, but I’ll do anything I can to help.”

“My girlfriend and I. We’ve only been together for a couple of months. Is that too early? Am I crazy to even be looking at these?”

“Ha! Well, my official line is that it’s never too early.”

“And your unofficial line?” I asked.

“I’m not sure that there’s any kind of magic timing to make something like a marriage work. Love is love. I’m not sure there is any such thing as too early. It’s all about what your heart tells you.”

“My heart tells me that it’s been so long since I’ve been in love that I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with it anymore. What I do know is that I think about my girlfriend all the time. I know I want her to be happy.”

“Want my advice?”

“So badly,” I said, laughing sheepishly, more out of my depth than I could ever remember being before.

“Think it over for a week or two. This trip showed you that it’s something you’re ready to consider. Now take the time to do that. Think about it for a week or two, and if you decide it’s what you want, I’ll be more than happy to help you pick out a ring.”

Chapter 20: Jess

 

 

"Hello, and welcome!” I said. “Please find your seat and make yourself comfortable."

The woman I was greeting thanked me with a smile and headed toward the back of the plane, peering at each and every row as she went. Meanwhile, Tony, who was helping me greet, watched me with a wry little smile on his face. I did my best to ignore it and wait for the last of our passengers to make their way to the door, but after a while, I couldn't take it anymore.

“What is it, Tony? Why do you keep looking at me?”

“No reason, sweetie. I was just noticing how happy you look.”

“Well, it’s a beautiful day,” I said. “There’s no reason to be anything other than happy when the weather is as nice as this, right?”

“Sure, that’s right. But are you honestly trying to tell me that this euphoria of yours hasn’t got a thing to do with the fact that your handsome beau is in the cockpit of this flight?”

“I never said that,” I said quickly, blushing profusely as I did.

“You two really are cute, you know it? I don’t see why you would want to do anything but shout it from the rooftop that the two of you are together. If it was him and me, well…”

“You’d put out a news bulletin?”

“Honey,” Tony answered with a mischievous wink. “I’d be announcing it to the passengers on every flight before the safety instructions. But seriously, you two are really great together. I was on some flights with him before he met you, and believe me, he’s better off now. He was always so stern, so unhappy looking. Ever since he met you, though, that’s all different. You’re like the light in his life, honey, and don’t you forget it.”

I wanted to thank Tony for the kindest words I'd heard in a long time, but all I could manage was to squeeze his arm appreciatively. There had been plenty of gossiping about my relationship with Drew, and not all of it had been good. Not by a long shot. To have Tony be so openly supportive of me and Drew meant a great deal. It was enough to send me so deeply into my own thoughts that I failed to notice who was walking up the ramp in preparation to board our flight. It was Tony that snapped me out of it, grabbing my upper arm tightly and letting out a low, disapproving whistle.

“Oh shit,” he said under his breath.

“What? What’s the matter?”

“Take a look for yourself, honey. Here comes trouble. From the look of him, possibly big trouble.”

It took me a minute to place the wretched looking man walking toward us. His face was distorted and angry, gaunt and sickly looking. There was something about his body that looked twisted and caved in on itself, and I wondered when this guy had last gotten a decent meal in him. He looked like somebody that belonged on the street, not on one of our flights, and it was only when he spoke that I realized who I was dealing with.

“Ah, Miss White, is it? So glad I get to fly with you again.”

“Mr. Stevens?” I gasped, knowing I must have looked distressed but completely unable to help it. “Is that you?”

“What’s the matter, sugar? Don’t you recognize me? Don’t think unemployment suits me?”

“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Tell me, sweetheart, is your boyfriend on this flight? I hear he’s been doing so well since I was told to get my ass out of Dodge. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, either, if you want my humble opinion.”

His voice was hard and angry. I was sure that if he had the ability to physically wound me with his words, he would not have hesitated. I had an idea he would have destroyed the entire plane if he could have. He wouldn't have even given a thought to what would have become of him. People who were at rock bottom, the way he appeared to be, rarely did. The force of his hatred struck me so hard, I couldn't think of an answer. Again, it was Tony who swooped in to save the day.

“Mr. Stevens, I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say it’s good to see you again, and we’re sorry about the way things played out. Still, we can’t stand around and catch up all day. You know that better than anyone. So, if I can see your ticket, I’ll be happy to show you to your seat.”

“I’ve got my ticket right here, boy. Don’t worry about that. First class ticket, right here. And I know how to find my damn seat.”

“Wonderful. Then I must ask you to go ahead and be seated. We’ll be taking off very shortly.”

“Spare me,” he snapped. “I know the drill. I’ll sit down like a good little boy.”

Mr. Stevens sneered at us both and then shoved past us, almost knocking me over in the process. As he went, I realized that the stench of alcohol on him was almost overwhelming. This was not the smell of a guy who had knocked back a drink or two. This was a man who had been drinking steadily for days and days. I glanced at Tony, and all he had to do was give me a nod for me to know that he had smelled the same thing. Fred Stevens was dangerously drunk and very, very angry.

“Will you excuse me for a minute?” I asked Tony in as light a tone as I could pull off, painfully aware that Fred was trying hard to listen in. “I need to go let the captain know we’re fully loaded.”

“Sure thing, doll. Just hurry back, won’t you?”

"Believe me, I definitely will."

The walk from where Tony and I stood to the cockpit door was only a couple of feet, but it felt like miles. By the time I was close enough to knock, I was almost sure I was going to pass out. It was only the sound of Drew's voice granting me entry through the door that kept me up and alert. I opened the door quickly, hoping that Fred Wouldn't do anything stupid while I was away, and shut it soundly behind me.

“What’s the trouble, Jess? You look upset.”

"I just, I'm not sure that I even need to say anything, but then I started thinking that it might turn into a problem, and things would be worse if I didn't. So here I am."

“What are we talking about here, Jess? What kind of a potential problem?”

“It’s Mr. Stevens. Fred Stevens.”

“What about him?” Drew asked, frowning.

“He’s on the plane. Not only is he on the plane, but from the way he smells, he’s pretty seriously intoxicated.”

For a very long minute, neither Drew nor his co-pilot said anything. I could see Drew's jaw working and the veins in his temple pumping overtime, though. I knew he was pissed, and I felt my unease click over into genuine fear. Drew had no tolerance for people like Fred. I understood why, but that didn't mean I wanted all hell to break loose on the plane. It had been my duty to tell the pilots about Stevens being on the plane. I believed that. Stevens was drunk, and technically, we could kick him off the plane just for that. But now, it was Drew's duty to put his personal feelings aside and make a decision based on safety. When he finally opened his mouth to speak, I held my breath, terrified of what he might say.

“Just keep an eye on him, will you?”

“That’s all?” I asked.

"That's all. He's not behind the wheel, and he's not flying this plane. I don't love that he's on this plane, but for now, we’ll let the man fly. But if he kicks up any kind of disturbance, tell me immediately."

Chapter 21: Drew

 

 

“Things are looking good up here, right?” I asked.

"Roger that, Larson," my co-pilot answered without ever taking his eyes off the sky in front of us. I had flown with the guy a couple of times and never had a problem with him. But having Stevens on the plane made me appreciate a competent co-pilot all over again. Jess had left the cockpit with my reassurance that Fred being on our plane was nothing any of us needed to worry about, but in my gut, I had a bad feeling.

This was a man who had been given an opportunity to clean up his act and had refused to take it. This was a man who had waited for me in the shadows of the airport to whine, complain, and ultimately launch threats. Maybe him being on our flight was just a shitty coincidence, but then again, maybe it wasn't that at all. Maybe he was there to start trouble, and if that was the case, I couldn't stand knowing that Jess was out there dealing with him while I was safe in my little locked room.

“Good,” I said. “Hey, do you mind if I step out for a minute? I’m going to use the bathroom.”

“And double check to make sure Stevens isn’t doing anything he shouldn’t be?”

“Maybe,” I said.

“Sounds good to me. Look, I heard all of the same rumors as you did about the guy. I get that he’s hurting, but he’s also out of his fucking head.”

“Exactly,” I said.

I hit the intercom button, and in no time flat, Tony was there to keep my co-pilot company. I thanked him and stepped out into the little hallway that led from our cockpit to the bathroom, which I really did need to use. I looked around quickly, taking stock of the lay of the land on the plane. That sick feeling was still there in my gut, telling me something was wrong, but I couldn't find any evidence of it. As flights went, this one looked to be relatively uneventful.

Most of the passengers were dozing while the rest read or held quiet conversations. I located Jess, who smiled at me as she served a drink to one of the lucky first-class passengers. I smiled back and turned back to my business, shaking my head and chastising myself for being so damned jumpy. That was when it happened, during that turn. That was when all hell broke loose.

When I turned back to face the passengers, the first thing I saw was that Jess's beautiful smile was gone.

For years to come, I would think of how quickly everything had flipped into chaos. I had only turned my back for a moment, but it had been enough time for Stevens to jump out of his seat and grab hold of Jess, who had been directly in front of him as she had gone about her duties. One of his arms was currently wrapped around her neck while the other held an impossibly sharp pencil up to her throat. It didn't take a genius to see that he could do some serious damage to her. He might even be able to kill her, and if he did that, I would die, too.

“Drew?” she asked in a voice that sounded far too far away. “Drew, what’s happening?”

“Shut up, you stupid cow,” Stevens spat. “Nobody wants to hear what you have to say. Why don’t you let the men do the talking?”

“Fred?” I spoke as calmly as possible while my insides raged against my lack of activity. “I’m not sure what your end game is here, but let’s talk about it. Why don’t we start by putting the weapon down?”

“No, pretty boy! No way! This isn’t how this is going to work. You've done enough fucking talking to last you the rest of your goddamned life. There ain’t shit you can do now. No amount of words is going to get you out of this. You ruined my life. You think I give a shit what you have to say now?”

“You still don’t get it, Stevens. I didn’t ruin your life. You’re right that I turned you in. I told you that I would. But I also told you that you had a chance to get your life turned around. What happened to that, man? You could have changed everything for yourself.”

“Why, just because you told me to? You think you’re my fucking priest or something? I didn’t need you to tell me how to live my life. I just needed you to mind your own fucking business and let me tend to mine. We could have gotten along just fine if you could only have done that. But you couldn’t, could you? You had to stick your fucking nose in. What’s happening now? This is your fault.”

“You’re right,” I said.

“Excuse me?” Stevens shouted, tightening his grip around Jess’ throat so that she started to gag. “Can you say that a little louder? I don’t think I quite caught that!”

“I said you’re right, okay? You’re right. It’s my fault and mine alone. It’s not hers, okay? Jess has nothing to do with it. She didn’t ever do anything to you, did she? She was never anything but kind, right?”

"I don't give a shit what she was. Casualty of war and all of that. You ruined my life, and now I'm going to ruin yours."

Fred’s hand pulled the sharpened pencil closer to Jess’s throat. She gasped as she felt it dig into her flesh. My stomach churned with bile at the sight of her. I had to do something to save her. No matter what it took.

“So then do it,” I said. “Ruin my life, but leave her out of it. She doesn't deserve this, man. If anybody deserves this, it's me, and we both know it. I fucked you over. Not her."

Fred nodded, considering it. “So what do you propose, pretty boy?”

"A trade, plain and simple. Let her go, and you can have me."

“No, Drew!” Jess wailed through the choke hold Stevens had her in. “Don’t! He’ll kill you.”

“Shut up, bitch!” Stevens snarled, yanking her around like she was a ragdoll. “Nobody asked you!”

“Come on, Fred,” I said, keeping my voice even, despite the fact that I wanted to kill him. Literally kill him. “Her for me. Even trade.”

I could see the moment when he made the decision, and I felt a surge of triumph I had to hide as best I could. This wasn't over yet, and if I allowed myself to start thinking that it was, somebody was going to get hurt. Maybe even killed.

“Fine,” Stevens said. “You’re right. Why would I want to use her when I’ve got you right here? I’ll let her go, but not until you’re close enough for me to get to. Deal?”

"Deal. Jess? Don't worry, baby, okay? It's going to be okay. I promise you. It will be."

“Don’t listen to him, baby,” Stevens spat contemptuously as the passengers around him whimpered and murmured. “Because I can promise you it won’t be.”

I could see that she believed him, and as much as it hurt me, it was just as well. I couldn’t have Stevens suspecting that there was anything happening outside of his plan or else he’d kill Jess. I knew that, the same way I had known something was wrong before I had figured out what it was. I got close enough to the two of them that I could smell Jess’s perfume, close enough that I could have kissed her, and then looked at Stevens.

“Now or never, right? Let her go, man. You’ve got the one you really want to hurt, ready and waiting.”

Stevens grinned a dead-looking grin and pushed Jess away from him so hard that she went sprawling into the lap of one of the passengers across the aisle. I heard several people gasp and knew they would check to make sure that she was all right. All of my attention needed to stay focused on the task at hand. Stevens reached for me with his pencil brandished, and that was when I threw my hail-mary punch.

Chapter 22: Jess

 

 

"No! No, Drew! Please, somebody, help him!"

Everything was happening very quickly now. I felt like I had been thrown into a movie, like I was watching what was supposed to be my real life with horror. Because there was nothing I could do about it. It had been terrible to be Fred Stevens's hostage, but it was much, much worse to watch him struggling with Drew. If I hadn't been one hundred percent sure of my love for him before, I was now. Now that I was watching him struggling to keep himself safe, I knew that I would not survive if something happened to him. That was something I couldn't go through again. It was something I refused to go through again.

I was still struggling to get up from the heap Fred had tossed me into, but even wedged between seats, I had a good view of the passenger rushing down the aisle to help Drew.

Stevens had taken a seriously hard punch, one I had actually heard, but it didn't appear to be slowing him down any. Stevens was probably so drunk, he couldn’t feel anything. He lunged at Drew, again and again, snarling and spitting and throwing his arm wildly. The pencil slashed through the air, and although there was little precision to his drunken movements, it would only take one hit to do some serious damage.

Drew ducked and swayed, keeping out of the way, but he showed no signs of getting away from his attacker. Of course, he didn't. He wasn't the kind of man who ran away from a fight, especially not when it was a fight he felt responsible for creating. Even when the other passenger reached Drew's side, Stevens fought like an angry bear. The two men showed no signs of subduing their target. Stevens continued to rant and rave, terrorizing all of the people around him.

“Even now!” Stevens shrieked. “Even now you can’t do what you’re supposed to! You made a deal, pretty boy! You made a fucking deal!”

“You’ll have to forgive me for not thinking that’s a good idea, Stevens. Not when you’re acting like this.”

"I don't have to forgive shit! You've robbed me, Larson. You've robbed me again and again, and now I see that you're still doing it!"

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, man,” the stranger interjected. “But I know you need to stop. You’re drunk, man.”

“You don’t know a goddamned thing,” Stevens snarled, turning on the good samaritan and brandishing his pencil. “You don’t have a clue what you’re getting involved in.”

"You're right,” the man said. “I don't. But it doesn't take a genius to see that you're wasted. Just put the pencil down, okay? Put the pencil down before you actually hurt somebody and get yourself into some real trouble."

“Trouble? You think I care about trouble?”

“Sure, man, everyone does.”

“No! Wrong! Not everyone. People who have already lost everything don’t give a shit about getting into trouble. I don’t have anything left to live for, not since this son of a bitch turned me in for drinking on the job. The only thing that’s kept me going these past months has been the idea of hurting him. I suggest you get the fuck out of my way!”

I screamed again as Stevens lunged forward, stabbing the air with his makeshift weapon. At the same time, both Drew and the helpful passenger moved forward, each of them taking hold of one of Stevens's arms. I thought for a moment that it would be over then, but Fred's rage seemed to have given him extra strength. Even as Drew and his accomplice tried to drag him forward, he broke loose again and began to run for the door that led to the outside of the plane. Seeing as we were thousands of miles up in the air, this caused a whole new wave of alarm amongst the passengers, and they began to babble and scream themselves.

“He’ll open the door!” One particularly loud woman wailed. “He’s going to kill us all! Everyone duck your heads, it’s the end!”

"No!" I said loudly, trying very hard to sound even a little bit calm. "No, please, calm down! He can't do that. Everything is pressurized. The door won't even open. Please, everyone, try to remain calm. I know that's hard to do, but it's the best thing we can do to help them."

The general upset didn't die down completely, but it was enough that I was relatively sure there wasn't going to be a stampede. Under the circumstances, I was happy just to have that. I started toward the front of the plane, where Tony had attempted to join the fray with a set of zip ties meant to restrain Stevens. Unfortunately for Tony, Stevens knew that was exactly what would happen, and he threw out a hard punch before Tony could even lay a hand on him, sending my friend flying and knocking him to the floor in a heap.

“Enough, Stevens!” Drew bellowed, the extent of his anger becoming clear to me, despite his impressively maintained calm. “That’s enough! You’re hurting innocent people now. You’re scaring people! Is that what you wanted? What you were aiming to get out of this whole plan? To turn yourself into some kind of comic book villain?”

“You know what I want, pretty boy. You’re just too much of a coward to give it to me. Only big and strong when you’re doing it behind somebody’s back, right? You’re no fucking better than I am!”

"Please," a little old woman cowering in one of the seats beside me moaned as she tugged on my sleeve frantically. "Please, you've got to make this stop. Somebody is going to get really hurt. I think that young man he knocked out probably needs to see a doctor. He's probably got a concussion, and nobody can do anything about it as long as that man is still terrorizing everyone!"

The mention of poor Tony, along with the clear danger Drew was still in, is what finally got me moving. Without thinking about what I was doing, I reached up into one of the overhead bins and grabbed the first thing convenient to me. It happened to be a rather heavy wooden cane, and I took off running towards Fred, going on blind faith that he would not turn and see me coming. I swung the cane as hard as I could.

All it took was one large crack over the head, using all the strength I had in my body, and Fred crumpled to the ground, every bit as unconscious as Tony was. Drew quickly grabbed the zip ties out of Tony's limp hands and bound Fred's wrists so that when he finally woke up again, he would find it a good deal more difficult to come after any of us.

“Jess,” he called out as he worked, a voice that seemed to be coming to me through a haze. “Jess, are you okay?”

“Fine,” I said. “Just fine.”

He took a second to grin at me. “Nice hit, slugger. I’m pretty sure that was a home run.”

“I broke the cane, though,” I said, turning back to the passengers around me. “I’m sorry. I don’t know who this belongs to, but I broke it.”

The old woman who’d tugged at my sleeve smiled at me. “That’s okay, dear. I don’t mind. If he moves, you whack him again!”

I laughed, even though I could feel the tears beginning to run down my cheeks. I almost didn’t notice the loud sound of raucous applause from the passengers.

Chapter 23: Drew

 

 

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Please,” Jess said, barely out of the shower and wrapped up in a towel. “You have to stop asking me that. I swear, you’ve asked that same question a thousand times since we checked into our hotel.”

"I know,” I said, shaking my head. “I just can't stop seeing it, you know? I can't get the image of him holding you hostage out of my head. If he had done anything to you, if he had hurt you?" I stopped, unable to finish the thought.

"But he didn't, Drew. He didn't hurt either one of us. And we can't let him get to us like this, okay? If we let him get into our heads, it's kind of like we're letting him win, and I don't want to do that. He didn't win, right? We did. Wanna know how I know?"

“How?” I asked.

"Because he's in jail right now, and we're here. In what is easily the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in, by the way."

That was enough to get me smiling, which made her grin widely in return. Still wearing nothing but her towel, she sat beside me on the lavish king-sized bed and put her hand on my knee. I grabbed her hand, holding onto it so tightly that part of me was worried I might actually hurt her. All the while, she looked at me closely. I could tell she wanted to ask me something. All I had to do was wait.

"Drew? What's really going on here? I mean, I know what happened on that plane was terrifying, but I feel like there's something more than that. I wish you would tell me what it is. I'm only starting to worry more, and after all that drama, my goal is to worry less."

“It’s nothing, really. It’s just that this was supposed to be a special trip.”

"I'm not sure what you mean by that, but we both know this is something we won't ever forget. I bet you didn’t know you were dating a freaking ninja?"

I laughed at her in confusion. “What?”

She shrugged. “Come on, you saw my moves up there. Boom! I knocked his ass out with one hit. And he never even saw me coming, either. Cause I had the reflexes of a cat, the eyes of a hawk, and the, uh, cane of an old lady. Still, I was a total ninja.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at how proud of herself she was. Hell, I was proud of her, too. “I have to admit, that was pretty impressive, Jess. You were really brave.”

“Damn right,” she said. “I’m not letting anyone hurt my man. No way. Especially not some turd like Fred Stevens.”

I laughed. “Well, thank you again for that.”

She beamed with pride. “You’re welcome. Stick with me, buddy. I’ll keep you safe.”

“I believe that,” I said, chuckling. “But like I was saying, I wanted this trip to be special, for reasons other than you saving a plane full of people.”

She looked at me, meeting my gaze. “I don’t understand.”

I took a deep breath, wondering if she could see the way my body was trembling. This was it. Whatever doubts I had about being with somebody again, really being with them, were gone. I would never forget Jess's acts of heroism on that plane, not for as long as I lived. She was better than me and far better than what I deserved, but I was hoping that wouldn't matter. All I knew was that I wanted her. I wanted her forever, and I was willing to do a hell of a lot to make that happen.

“Drew?” she asked hesitantly, her concern radiating off her. “You’re kind of freaking me out.”

“I don’t mean to. It’s just that what happened on the plane, it solidified something for me. It made me sure of something I already knew, made me sure in a way I won’t ever forget.”

“And what was that?”

“That I need you. That I love you.”

“I love you, too. You know that. Or at least I hope you do.”

“I do, Jess, don’t worry about that,” I said. “You’ve never given me any reason to doubt you. That’s kind of what I’m getting at. I want to make you a promise, so that you never have to doubt me again, either.”

It was my moment. I could feel it. Holding tightly to the little velvet box I'd kept hidden beneath the covers at my side, I got off the bed and onto one knee in front of where Jess sat stunned. Both of her hands flew to her mouth, and I opened the box, willing myself not to pass out from the stress of what she might say.

"Jess? You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. You saved me. You brought me back to life, and I want to spend the rest of that life showing you how much I love you and Emma. I know it hasn't been very much time, and I realize you might think I'm crazy, but I have a very important question to ask you. Will you marry me?"

Without a word, she dropped her left hand so that I could slide the ring onto her finger. Once it was there, she stared at it with wide, stunned eyes for so long that I began to get worried. The ring was on her finger, but she had yet to give me an answer. Before actually proposing, I had told myself that she wouldn't say no, but now that I was in it, I wasn't so sure. I cleared my throat, and when she still didn't speak, I decided that I should.

“Jess? Did I make a mistake?”

“Are you kidding? No! Oh my God, Drew. The answer is yes! Absolutely, no doubts, a hundred times yes!”

I stood up and Jess wrapped her arms around me, her mouth finding mine. My dick twitched as it became instantly hard. Her kiss was passionate and I could tell she wanted me just as bad as I wanted her. I pushed her gently back onto the bed. I laid down next to her and began to kiss her. With one hand, I opened her towel, revealing her wet, naked body and moved my hands around, feeling every single inch of her curves. I paused just before my hand touched her pussy and then I began to rub her clit. First up and down and then in circles.

She moved her body, grinding against my hand. I claimed her mouth once more, our tongues intertwining. She let out soft moans against my lips that made me go crazy. I stopped kissing her. My dick was throbbing, itching to feel the inside of her.

“I want you.” I said to her.

She spread her legs a little more and looked at me. She bit her lip, I knew she wanted me just as bad. I slid a finger down and then inside of her tight pussy. I moved my finger in and out of her pussy.

I knew she was getting close and instead of stopping her from feeling her pleasure I moved my finger in and out of her faster, until finally she started letting out a series of moans. I knew I had made her come.

“I want inside of you now.” I said when she calmed down. She scooted back onto the bed to reposition herself and I climbed on top of her. I sucked and nibbled on each of her perfect, pink, round nipples. She moved beneath me, letting me know she was turned on once again. I pulled back and sat up, shifting to my knees. Jesse spread her legs before me and I moved to push myself inside of her.

I felt her tight pussy wrap around my cock, it felt amazing.

“Oh fuck.” I moaned. Her pussy was perfect and drove me crazy. I could never get enough of it.

I put each of her legs on my shoulders and held her ankles. I began thrusting harder and deeper inside of her. My cock filling up every inch of her.

“Mmm, Drew.” She moaned. I loved it when she said my name when I fucked her.

She lifted her ass a little so she was angled and I grabbed a pillow from by her head, folded it in half and put it underneath her. I started thrusting myself in and out of her noticing that I was slightly deeper inside of her.

I reached a hand down and began to massage her clit with my thumb as I continued to fuck her. She moaned more and more and I knew I was driving her crazy. I stopped and pulled out and she looked up at me. I thrust myself back into her, hard. Then I slowly pulled out again. I thrust inside of her harder this time, causing her to gasp for air.

I pulled out and put her legs down.

“I want to fuck you from behind.” I loved how deep I could go when she bent over for me.

Jesse rolled onto her stomach and lifted her ass up towards me. I slapped it a little bit causing her to moan. I gave her ass a squeeze.

“I fucking love your ass.” I said and then I shoved myself back inside of her tight, little pussy. She squeezed around me and pleasure rang through my entire body. I was close. I started thrusting harder. I grabbed onto her hips and helped guide her back onto me.

“Harder!” She called out. I started thrusting myself in and out of her harder and harder and then I felt her squeeze around my cock even more.

She moved her hand around the front of her and I could feel her sliding her fingers along her clit. She was getting close and I could tell. I slowed my movements, but made them harder. Slamming into her every thrust.

“You want on top?” I asked her. I wanted to watch her face as she came. I wanted to grab her tits and squeeze them. I wanted to come at the same time as her.

“Yeah.” She said her voice was full of desire and lust. She was close.

We rolled over and she wasted no time lowering herself onto my hard dick. She started rocking herself back and forth, grinding onto me. Her pussy squeezed around my dick and the pleasure was intense. We looked into each other’s eyes and I reached for her tits. I began to play with her nipples, first rolling them around then tugging on them gently. She moved her hips faster and faster and suddenly she was calling out my name.

“Oh fuck! Drew!” She yelled.

I grabbed her hips to keep her going but the pleasure was too much for her to keep going, she leaned down and I wrapped my arms around her back. I began to thrust myself in and out of her hard and fast. Feeling myself getting closer to the edge. I wanted to fill her pussy up with my come. I wanted the release. I thrust inside of her a few more times and then I felt my dick begin to throb, my body went numb and the pleasure was intense.

“MMM.” I groaned as my orgasm continued to intensify.

When I came down, I wrapped my arms around her and held her for a moment, still inside of her. She didn’t seem to mind much. Which was pretty fucking hot.

Then she rolled off of me but still snuggled into me. Her head still on my chest, her arm and leg wrapped around me. I put an arm around her and gave her a small squeeze. We began to discuss our ideas of forever. She fell asleep soon after, but I continued to lay there and look up at the ceiling, waiting for this newest development to start to feel real. She was mine. We belonged to each other. After everything that had happened, we belonged together, and now, we both knew it.

Epilogue: Jess

One Year Later

 

 

“Have I told you how beautiful you look?” Drew asked. “Because if I haven’t, I should.”

I laughed. “Um, you’ve only said it like a thousand times.”

“Not nearly enough, then. Have you seen yourself in that dress? No amount of times is enough for how good you look in that dress. Now that you’re my wife.”

My body shuddered with pleasure at the sound of that, and Drew pulled me in closer, leading me around the dance floor as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The day had gone by in a blur, and I was happy to have a moment that felt like it belonged to just the two of us.

There were still people all around us, but Drew was making this dance feel like we were the only two people in the world. He'd been doing that exact same thing ever since his proposal. It was his way of proving to me that he was going to be my knight in shining armor for the rest of our lives.

“What are you thinking about, Jess?”

“Nothing. I was just wondering something.”

“What’s that? And please don’t tell me you were wondering if this was a good idea, because I think it’s a little late for that now.”

“No, silly. Nothing like that. I was actually wondering if I was worth the wait.”

“What can you possibly mean by that, my love?”

“I mean how long I insisted on the engagement being. We were engaged for almost double the amount of time we dated. I was just wondering if you thought it was worth it.”

Drew brought me in closer and kissed me softly, much to the delight of our wedding guests. When he pulled back again, I could see that his eyes were shining. He wasn't exactly crying, but he looked pretty emotional, and for a minute, I was afraid that I had said something wrong.

“Jess, are you kidding me?”

“Um, no? Not really. It’s kind of the question I’ve been afraid to ask you all day.”

"Well, there was no reason for you to be. I would have waited for you for the rest of my life, if that was what you needed. I told you when I proposed that you were the best thing in my life, and that wasn't a lie. This is the happiest I have ever been. Ever, in all of my life."

He might have said more, but Emma came running up to us, throwing her arms around us and making our dancing duo a dancing trio.

“Mama, Drew, this is the best!”

“The wedding?” I laughed, glancing at Drew over the top of Emma’s head. “I thought you were worried that it would be boring.”

“I was, but I was totally wrong. I want to get married, you guys. I can’t wait to get married!”

“Just do me a favor, step daughter, will you?” Drew asked, an impressively serious look on his face when she looked up at him.

“What’s that?”

“Wait a couple of years before you plan your own wedding,” he said. “I don’t think my heart can take another wedding so soon.”

Emma made her grumpy face at Drew, turned to give me a little pout, and then stalked off in the direction of her Aunt Sophie.

“You sure you’re ready for this, Drew?”

“Ready for what, Jess?”

“For this. For parenting. You know she’s not going to get any easier, right? In fact, from everything I’ve been told, I’m pretty sure she’s only going to get worse before she gets better. And the better part might not come for like, ten years.”

“Don’t care.”

“Seriously? Not at all?”

“Nope, not at all. In fact, I’ve been thinking that if you’re up for it, I might like to start one from the beginning.”

“Start one? What exactly do you mean by that, Mr. Larson?”

“A baby, Mrs. Larson. I mean a baby. If you don’t want anything like that, it’s totally fine, but if you’re up for it, up for discussing it even—”

“Yes,” I said, cutting him off.

“For real?”

“Yes,” I said, laughing. “For real. How come you never believe me when I say yes to the questions you ask me?”

“Because it’s hard to believe I’m that lucky, Jess. I still can’t believe how fucking lucky I am.”

“That makes two of us. Forever and for always.”