“Holy fucking shit. My wife is going to lose her mind.”
Looking up at Stevie standing in the exit row, I shoot her an apologetic smile for my guy fanboying over her brother, but she doesn’t seem all that bothered by it. She’s more so amused. Maybe what I said to her, that I like her regardless of her sibling, sunk in.
“By the way, my wife Logan was excited to meet you that day we went trick or treating,” Maddison adds, bringing it back to Stevie, which I’m thankful for.
“She seems great.”
“She’s the fucking best.” This time it’s me chiming in, and Maddison wears a soft smile at the statement.
“The fucking best,” he agrees.
And apparently, we’re best friends again.
“Well, I guess I’ll be seeing her at the gala then. And both of you too?” Her eyes dart to me.
Of course, she’ll be seeing us both. Does she not realize that this gala is a fundraiser for Active Minds of Chicago, the charity that Maddison and I are co-founders of?
“Save me a dance?” My tone comes out a bit too desperate and hopeful but fuck it. I am.
She playfully raises a single brow before her counteroffer. “Stop pushing the flight attendant call light?”
“See, those two things don’t really seem equivalent at all.”
“How badly do you want a dance?”
My lips lift in a knowing smile. The answer to that? Real fucking badly.
I don’t respond because I don’t have to. She knows. That playful smirk sitting on her full lips tells me just that, and the light squeeze she gives my shoulder as she walks by reaffirms it.
“Wipe that stupid grin off your face,” Maddison laughs.
I continue to smile, way too happy about this situation. “Can’t help it.”
“You know you legitimately like her, right? I’m not sure if you’re aware, but you do.”
A content sigh leaves my lips. “Yeah, I know.”
Most everyone is asleep a couple of hours into our flight. I’ve dozed off here and there, but for the most part, I’m awake.
Somehow my internal alarm wakes me up anytime Stevie walks down the airplane aisle, and I open my eyes just in time to get a perfect view. Whether it’s her amazing ass as she walks up front or her stunning face as she shoots me a soft grin each time she walks to the back.
It’s a ten out of ten either way.
The plane is pitch black minus the slight glow of light coming from the front and back galleys so no one can see that my head is on a swivel, constantly checking the rear of the plane, looking for an opening to talk to Stevie alone.
Talk.
Kiss.
Either or.
But it is almost midnight, and I wouldn’t mind starting my year with her.
“You’re awake, huh?”
My head snaps back to the dark area around me, finding one of the other flight attendants standing by my seat.
I don’t know her name, but it’s the one that has a problem with Stevie fraternizing with us. With me.
“Uh, yeah. Can’t sleep.”
She bends down, crouching next to my seat, and making herself eye level with me. “Can I get you anything?”
“Nope. I’m good.” My eyes dart to the back galley again, but I can’t see Stevie, though I know she’s back there. Indy, as Stevie reminded me of her name, stands in plain view in the rear of the airplane, her eyes flickering to my seat, watching.
“Any New Years’ plans?” the third flight attendant asks.
“You’re looking at them.”
“You haven’t been out much while on the road. There haven’t been any tabloid shots as of late.”
“Um, yeah. Not really into going out these days.”
“Well, that’s a shame because I was hoping—”
“Hey, Tara,” Indy interrupts. “One of the pilots needs one of us to swap him out so he can use the lavatory. If you want to go into the cockpit, I’ll watch the front and cover the door.”
“Oh.” Tara stands, brushing her skirt smooth, and acting as casual as can be as if she wasn’t dangerously close to teetering that fraternization line she’s so strict on Stevie about. “Yeah, we should do that.”
Tara turns on her heel, her shoulders straightening out and her resting bitch face coming back real quick as she heads towards the front of the plane.
Indy follows behind, but before she’s too far ahead, she shifts to look at me over her shoulder, shooting me a knowing wink. Turning back to realize the galley is empty sans one curly-haired girl, I offer Indy a cheeky smile before she’s up and out of sight.
Blondie is the captain of this ship, apparently.
As quietly as possible, attempting not to wake any of my teammates, I sneak my ass down the aisle to the back of the airplane, where I know Stevie is hiding away.
“Hey,” I softly say, unable to hold back my way too hopeful grin when I find Stevie alone. I place my hands on either side of the partition, separating the galley from the rest of the plane, casually blocking us from anyone else.
“Hey.” Her cheeks instantly flush under her freckles.
“Happy New Year.”
Stevie checks her watch. “You’ve still got a few more minutes.”
“So, this gala...”
“Yes?”
“You’re going.”
“Yes,” she giggles.
“That’s cool.” Nodding my head like an idiot. “Or whatever.”
“Or whatever.” Her smile is bright, clearly recognizing I’m way too happy about this.
I take a step into the galley, and Stevie’s expression instantly shifts. Her feet retract back, keeping the same distance between us.
The playful smile on her lips is gone, most likely because mine is too. I can feel the fire and want in my eyes as I corner her by taking another step forward. Only this time, she has nowhere to go, so her back hits the wall behind her as her mouth drops open. But still, I keep about a foot between us, not bombarding her space too much.
Not until she tells me she wants me to.
“And if you weren’t going with your brother, would you be going with me?” My voice is low and thick.
Stevie doesn’t respond, but I watch her throat bob in a swallow as the pulse in her neck pounds against the delicate flesh.
“If you couldn’t get in trouble, would you be going with me?”
Again, she doesn’t respond, her pretty eyes filled with all the words she wants to say but won’t.
“Say yes,” I whisper. “Tell me you’d go with me. Tell me you want to go with me.”
I need her to say yes, not just to inflate my ego, but because I need to know I’m not crazy. I need to know that she feels it too. That she likes being around me just as much. That she likes talking to me just as much. That she likes fucking me just as much. That she likes teasing me just as much.
“Happy motherfucking New Year!” Rio yells from his seat, waking up the entire plane and startling me, causing me to jump back from the flight attendant who could get in trouble for our position.
Rio blasts his boom box as loud as possible, music blaring through the aircraft as cheers and shouts echo throughout the airplane. I peek down the aisle, seeing all my teammates wake up, a few of them dancing to the loud as fuck music.