“Just another day on the job.” Carter’s hand squeezed my back as he started chuckling.
“And I thought my job was fun.” The deep, masculine voice laughed.
And, quite honestly, it pissed me off. “Move the fuck along,” I bit out.
They both ignored me.
“Glad they were able to get you on a flight.”
“Yeah. We’re back in coach. He gonna be okay?”
“I guess…” Carter started when a loud boom made me jump.
Sitting straight up, I yelled, “What the fuck was that?” My voice echoed off the overhead bins in first class.
“Luggage hatch closing,” the guy answered immediately.
I peered nervously out my window. “How can you be sure it wasn’t the wing falling off?”
He barked a laugh, but I didn’t spare him a glance.
“In my experience, wings don’t just randomly fall off. Especially not while sitting at the gate.”
“Right,” I whispered, smashing my cheek against the window, searching for the wing anyway.
“Well, I’m gonna go sit down. Have a good flight.”
Carter harrumphed. “Not likely. But I’ll try.
The guy’s laugh disappeared as the flight attendant reappeared with my drink. I hastily chugged it down.
She hadn’t walked away when another loud bang sounded.
“What the fuck are they doing out there? Strapping explosives on the wings?”
“Jesus Christ!” Carter hissed. “Can you go ahead and bring another?” he asked. “Hold the tomato juice.”
“Is he going to be okay?” she whispered as if I hadn’t been sitting inches away.
“Why does everyone keep asking that? Do I look like I’m going to be okay? No! I am absolutely not going to be okay. But guess what? I’ll be a hell of a lot closer to okay if you’d hurry up with that drink.”
I’d barely finished my rant before my drink was gone from my hand and Carter was shoving my face back down to my knees.
“He’ll be great. I promise.”
“Grrrrrrrreat!” I told my legs with a manic laugh.
“Would you fucking stop?” he snarled in my ear. “I swear to God, if you get us kicked off this flight, I will kill you. We have to get home. Take a deep breath, grab your fucking balls, and act like a man. It’s a flight. Not a death march.”
Another loud bang made me flinch.
“What the hell was that?”
He sighed. “Man. Up.”
“I’d like to meet the pilot before we take off. Get his credentials and all. Maybe he’s willing to take a bribe.”
“A bribe? Henry, if the plane crashes, he’s going to be dead too. I’m pretty sure survival is more than enough incentive for him.”
“Maybe, but what if he has a massive gambling debt and needs the life insurance money to take care of his twelve children and handicapped wife?”
He blew out a suffering sigh. “Look, do you think it would make you feel better to know what those sounds are? I mean, if someone could assure that there is nothing to worry about?”
“I don’t know…” I snapped before sucking in a resigned breath. “Just…tell Levee I love her, okay?”
“Dear God,” he mumbled as his grip on my back disappeared.
I sat up with enough time to see him walk out of first class.
WITH MY BASEBALL cap pulled low over my eyes, I attempted to stretch my legs out in the three inches of space the airline had graciously allowed me. I would have given my left nut for a seat in the emergency exit row. The plane was packed, but I was biding my time, waiting for a chat with the flight attendant to see if I could schmooze my way into an open window seat. For a guy my size, being stuck in a middle seat, sandwiched between two other men, was only slightly above the seventh level of Hell. But I guessed, when the company buys you a ticket hours before takeoff, you get what you get.
I would have way rather been in the cockpit of my own plane, but I didn’t have time to wait around for the repairs to be made. I needed to get home and see if I could grab another flight for Jackson. Broken plane or not, a charter pilot didn’t get paid unless he actually flew. I needed the money. Part time was exactly as partially lucrative as it sounded.
“Need a favor, Roth.”
Pushing my hat up, I found Carter hunched over in the aisle and staring down at me.
“Sure. What’s up?”
After retrieving his wallet from his back pocket, he pushed some bills in my direction. “Two hundred bucks. Switch seats with me and talk him through takeoff.”
“I’m sorry. What?” I asked before glancing at the hairy guy to my left, who was clearly unaware that deodorant had been invented.