Flight Plan
FLIGHT PLAN
RACHEL
I waved goodbye to Cam, who lingered in the doorway, and then clicked my seatbelt in place, releasing a long breath of air now that I was in Emily’s car.
“I really hoped I wouldn’t get this text,” Emily said, pulling away from the house.
Laura stuck her head through the seats from the back. “Yeah, what happened?”
“Food poisoning happened,” I said, looking over the trip details Cam had sent me.
“Eww, what did he eat?” Emily asked.
“The shrimp canapés,” I offered.
“Damn those things!” Laura spat. “They always get you.”
“He spent most of the reception barfing in the bathroom, poor guy.”
“So you took him back to his house where you nursed him back to health?” Emily said, touching her heart as we slowed to a stoplight. “My heart!”
I laughed. “Kind of and then something else happened.”
“What?” they said in unison.
“Oh, I’m saving it for when we get to dinner. You’re going to need some wine for this.”
“How the hell am I supposed to wait that long?” Laura wailed.
“So, when is the dress shopping appointment?” I asked, winking at Emily.
“Next Friday afternoon,” Laura replied. “My entire, loud Greek family is going to be there, so prepare yourselves now.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” I said.
Robin and Raven was this amazing new bistro and bar tucked off the main drag of Old Town Scottsdale. The décor exhibited a perfect blend of contemporary chic and classic sophistication, with rich wood tones, plush velvet seating, and sleek, marble-topped tables. The dim lighting, provided by ornate chandeliers and strategically placed candles, cast a soft, romantic glow throughout the space.
I had gone once with some of the ladies from work for happy hour and couldn’t wait to get back. It seemed like the perfect place to discuss my new predicament with two of my favorite humans. I was thankful the hostess sat us in a half-moon booth in the corner so we didn’t have to shout over the live music in the bar.
I ordered a Raven’s Kiss, this amazing blackberry and gin-infused cocktail. Laura and Emily both ordered a Robin’s Song. Vodka, lime juice, simple syrup, heavy cream, orange flower water, egg white, soda water. Decadent and dreamy.
“Well, what happened tonight?” Laura insisted.
I rubbed my neck. “Well, short story long …”
Emily sat back in the booth while Laura leaned over the table, gaping and waving her hands during the most exciting parts of my evening with Cam. A few drinks, several mouthfuls of freshly cooked pretzel bites, and half a salmon fillet later, they sat staring at me in between exchanging glances with each other.
“So,” Laura said, wiping her mouth and pushing her plate away. “I’m trying to … uh … wrap my head around this.”
“Yeah, I know.” I chased the last bites of my garlic mashed potatoes with some water.
“Cam can’t seem to ask you out on a date, but wants you to fly to the, I’m sorry, CAYMAN ISLANDS with him.” Her voice raised to an alarming pitch when she said Cayman Islands. “So that you can be his plus one for a wedding that his ex and brother will also be attending?”
“That’s correct,” I confirmed.
“And! And! You two dumbasses think you’re going to be able to pull off this pact of yours without … what did you say to him, again?”
I sank back in the booth remembering that I actually said the words ‘smooching’ and ‘sexing’ to Hot Baker.
“Is ‘sexing’ even a word?” Emily asked.
“It’s one I invented,” I replied. Then I buried my head in my hands. “Why can’t I talk to him? He puked his guts out and still, all I wanted to do was put my mouth on his. Do I need medication? Is there a name for my disorder?”
Laura rubbed a circle on my back. “Yes, I believe there is a name for this syndrome. I believe it’s ‘hotbakeritis.’ You’ve got it bad, and you must realize this little pact of yours isn’t going to work.”
“I actually love this arrangement,” Emily chimed in. “You can go to events together, no pressure. You both don’t want anything complicated, so why not?”
“I agree,” Laura said. “It’s sounds good, but that doesn’t make it any less complicated.”
“What did he say when you mentioned your crippling fear of flying?” Emily asked, licking a little salt off the rim of her margarita.
I slammed my eyes shut.
Oh.
Yeah.
That.
“Well …” I started.
“You failed to mention that to him, didn’t you?” Laura asked.
“Yeah. I accidentally on purpose didn’t tell him that the sight of an airplane makes my head spin.”
Emily tilted her head. “Then how are you going to fly to the Caribbean?”
“I haven’t officially accepted his invitation yet.”
“Forget what I said earlier. You’re going,” Laura said, holding up her drink toward Emily. “She’s going.”
“I haven’t decided.”
Laura scooted closer to me in the booth. “Love, we are your spiritual advisors and we both feel that this would be so good for you.” Emily opened her mouth in protest, but Laura shushed her. “Not only will it help you to move on from all the pain Andrew caused once and for all, but it will also push you out of your comfort zone, which you desperately need.”
“Well, I don’t know if desperately is the right word?—”
I shook my head. “No, no, what am I thinking? I can’t fly to the Cayman Islands. I almost lost it flying to Vegas for a gift show, and that’s an hour-and-a-half flight. Going to Grand Cayman is like an eleven-hour odyssey.”
“So?” Laura insisted. “Pop some pills, kick back a few shots of vodka, and sleep your way through. You can do it.”
Imagining that long plane ride ignited a spiraling wave of nausea in the pit of my stomach. And yet, maybe it would be good for me. Leaning into this adventure would either lead to my ruin or open my world in the best way.
Both possibilities terrified me.
We all ordered one more drink and changed the subject to Laura’s wedding planning.
Laura had whipped out her iPad to go through her Pinterest wedding board when I spotted a familiar face coming toward our table. Where I had only seen her working hard behind the counter of Sugar & Spice, she was moving through the dining room checking on tables, smiling, and shaking hands. Dark ringlets framed her dark brown skin, magenta lipstick popped off her lips.
Shay.
My pulse quickened as she approached our row of booths. Shay carried herself like an Egyptian Queen. It was kind of intimidating.
“How is everything this evening?” she purred. She raised an eyebrow when her eyes met mine. “Oh, hey. Yellow sundress.” She pointed two slender fingers my way.
Emily and Laura exchanged glances.
Shay extended a hand to me. “Great to see you here, Rachel, was it?”
“Yes, yes. Nice to see you, Shay.” I shook her hand, matching her strong grip. “Is this your place?”
“Yes, well, Cam and I are co-owners like we are at Sugar & Spice.”
Laura shot me another glance. “Wow. We love this place. We had no idea we were fans of the owners as well.”
“Thank you,” Shay said with a broad smile. “My wife Charisse is the executive chef, and I manage the front of the house. We make Cam wash the dishes.” She winked while Emily, Laura, and I chuckled.
“And my meal was out of this world, so please give our compliments to Charisse,” I said.
“I will. Hope we’ll see you ladies at Sugar & Spice before we close down for the season.”
“Oh, you close for the summer?” I asked.
Shay waved at another guest who walked in the door. “Yeah, Cam hates to see us baking when it’s hot. Even with the swamp coolers on, the kitchen is an inferno, and the traffic isn’t enough to justify staying open, so we shift staff and the rest of our energy here and over to the other restaurants.”
I leaned forward in the booth. “Other restaurants?”
Before Shay could reply, the hostess scurried up to her.
“Shay, the Culvers want to talk to you,” the hostess said, showing Shay something on a tablet. “They want their usual table, but the new girl accidentally sat someone there.”
“I see,” Shay pondered. “How far into their meal are the other guests?”
“They’ve only ordered drinks.”
“I’ll handle it.” Shay motioned toward us. “Would you get these ladies a complimentary round of drinks and some desserts?”
The hostess formed a half smile, then glanced back down to her tablet. “Of course.”
We protested in unison, but Shay waved her hand. “I insist. Thank you for coming in, ladies. Great to see you, Rachel.”
“Likewise,” I said as Shay sauntered off, followed by the hostess.
“Wow,” Emily said. “She is stunning. Thank goodness she’s spoken for. I’d be green with envy if a woman like that worked with my crush.”
“Totally,” Laura said.
“I wonder what other restaurants Cam has,” I said, swirling around the last sips of my drink. “He was so secretive when I asked him what he did.”
“And there’s a reason for that, and a long plane ride is the perfect time to get to the bottom of it.” Laura winked and hugged me, and we returned to perusing her wedding ideas.
My smile never left my face the rest of the night knowing that whether I chose to go with Cam or not, Emily and Laura would be there to catch me when I fell, whether that be flat on my face or head over heels in love.