Chapter 31
MITCHELL
Istepped out of the shower and gingerly wrapped the towel around my waist. It had taken a full day before the extent of my injuries had reared their ugly head.
I had made it to practice the last two days and was ever so grateful we had today off.
Explaining my face to Honcho had not been pleasant.
Thankfully, he was used to some of these antics, and after a stern lecture, he pretended he didn’t see the bruises.
I rubbed my hand over the mirror and stared at my reflection.
At some point in the fight, I had apparently taken some shots to the ribs.
There were mottled bruises dotting my ribs.
My face was an entirely different palette.
Purple, yellow, and hints of green clung to one eye.
My lip was slowly healing. The cut above my left eye was scabbed over.
Thankfully, it wasn’t deep enough to require stitches.
I wasn’t going to bother shaving. I had no plans for the day.
I was staying in and sulking. After brushing my teeth, I sat out on the balcony with a cup of coffee.
Life felt like it had been turned upside down.
Things felt off. I had yet to talk to Sam.
I wasn’t sure I would again. We were informed our inspector was taking a few days off. I wondered if she was coming back.
There was a knock at my door. I had the do not disturb sign on the door. When the person didn’t go away after the first few knocks, I finally got up and walked to answer the door wearing only my towel. I didn’t care if it offended someone. They were the ones disturbing my peace.
It was Medusa. She looked me up and down. “I hope like hell there isn’t a woman in a similar state of dress in this room.”
“What if there was?” I asked.
“Then I would kick your ass right after I dragged her out of the room,” she replied. She pushed open the door and walked in. I watched with a smirk on my lips as she checked the bathroom and balcony. “You’re lucky.”
“I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but I’m a big boy. I can have sleepovers.”
“Not when you’re messing around with my friend.”
“Have you heard from her?” I asked.
“Why don’t you put some clothes on?” she replied. “I’m not having a conversation with you when all your bits and pieces are in serious jeopardy of showing themselves.”
“You’d like it,” I said.
“You men act like you’re all packing something special,” she said. “What if I told you they’re all the same, and to be perfectly honest, they’re not quite as pretty as you think they are.”
“Liar.” I laughed.
“Get dressed. I’m hungry. You’re buying me brunch.”
“I am?”
“Yes,” she said. “Hurry up.”
I quickly dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. I pulled on one of the Blue Angels baseball hats to try and hide some of my bruises. We went downstairs and found ourselves a quiet corner of the hotel restaurant. I hoped to go unnoticed. I didn’t want to explain the bruises.
“Have you spoken to Sam?” she asked.
“No.”
“You haven’t talked to her since she left?” she pushed.
“I haven’t talked to her since she lectured me about my flying,” I snapped.
“What do you want from her?” she asked.
“I don’t even know what that means.” I sighed.
“You seemed like you were ready to be with her,” she explained. “I thought you two were truly happy together. Not that you ever had much of a chance.”
“I think the chances we had were slim to none,” I confessed. “You guys sold me on the idea of rainbows and butterflies. You, as much as anyone I know, understand how difficult it is for people like us to have relationships. It’s even harder for me. I just don’t know how to do this kind of thing.”
“You don’t have to know how,” she said. “You just do. Despite what you might think, you’re human. You’re a mere mortal just like the rest of us. Go with your instincts.”
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” I said. “I was ready to try to be with her after the season. That was her rule. I only agreed to wait because she wanted it that way.”
“Because she was worried about blurring the lines and letting it interfere with her job,” Medusa said.
“I’ve gotten to know Sam pretty well and she is someone who believes rules are meant to be followed.
She is dedicated to keeping every one of us safe.
I appreciated her unwillingness to bend on any of her standards. Isn’t that what we expect of anyone?”
“Yes, but we’re both professionals,” I said.
“We could have figured something out. But I can’t put up with her screaming at me in front of everyone.
She emasculated me. I’m not a little boy.
She refused to listen to anything I said.
She refuses to believe I’m capable of making my own decisions.
I’ve been a big boy for a long time now. ”
“Don’t you think she might have been worried about you because she cares?” she asked quietly. “Imagine if the shoe was on the other foot. Imagine if she was the one up in the air pulling some extreme maneuvers. Would you be okay with her doing that?”
“If she knew how to fly, I’d be okay with it,” I said.
“Liar.” She laughed.
“She grounded me, Medusa,” I said. “That wasn’t funny.
She is all about the rules but yet she bent them to her will to keep me from flying.
That was sneaky and underhanded. There was nothing wrong with my jet.
She did it on purpose. She did it out of spite.
If you’re suggesting she cared about me, wouldn’t she care about not taking away the one thing in my life that makes me happy? ”
“Maybe she wants to be the other thing in your life that makes you happy,” she suggested.
“I don’t think I can be with someone that would ask me, or in her case force me, to give up something that is extremely important to me. I didn’t ask her to give up her rules.”
“Didn’t you?” she asked. “You slept with her. That broke one of her rules.”
“Yes, but that wasn’t just me,” I insisted.
“She was a very willing participant. Before the bullshit at the airshow, we had plans for that night. She was more than happy to break the rules when it benefited her. Don’t you think that’s a little unfair?
It makes me feel used. Like I’m good for a good time but nothing more. ”
“You know that’s bullshit,” she spat. “Sam isn’t the kind of person who uses anyone. You seduced her.”
“I didn’t seduce her,” I argued. “It wasn’t like that at all.”
“Fine,” she conceded. “But what about the way you feel about her?”
“I don’t know what I feel,” I said. “I thought I did, but now I’m not so sure. She’s got me twisted. I hate feeling like this.”
She was smiling at me, which didn’t really help the situation. “You’re twisted because you care.”
“Do you think she’s coming back?” I asked.
“Yes. Absolutely.”
“I’m not sure about that,” I said. “I didn’t even know she was gone.
She left without saying a word. I think she might have realized she’s not interested in being with a pilot.
She might like me, but she doesn’t like what I do.
What I do is who I am. It’s not like I can separate the two.
If she doesn’t like me for who I am, there’s no point in even bothering. I’m not going to give up flying.”
“Maybe you could talk about this with her,” she suggested.
“Are you playing matchmaker?” I teased.
“Maybe.”
“Why?” I asked. “I mean really, why? I’ve been doing just fine on my own. Quite frankly, I miss my old life. I miss being free to be who I am. I miss being carefree.”
“I think you’ll miss her a lot more than you miss that old life,” she said. “There comes a point in every man’s life that he must grow up and settle down.”
“Does that apply to you as well?” I asked.
“One of these days I just might grow up and settle down,” she replied. “I look forward to the moment I do meet someone.”
“If she comes back, I think it’s best for us to keep our distance,” I said.
“I can’t have her blowing up at me like that again.
Honcho has been polite and looked the other way for now, but he’s not going to keep doing it.
He’s going to want to know what’s going on.
Despite her bringing on the drama, I don’t want her to suffer.
I know she was told to stay away from us. She would be risking her job.”
“She will come back,” she insisted. “When she does, promise me you will sit down and actually talk to her. You guys are both very hot tempered. You need to have a conversation. A real conversation. Work through the differences. You don’t want to throw away the one chance you have at real happiness. ”
“That’s just a little dramatic,” I said. “There are plenty of women out there.”
“None that will make you feel the way she does,” she insisted.
“Medusa, has she told you something that has made you think this conversation is necessary?” I asked. “Is she sending you to do her bidding?”
“I have not talked to her since she left,” she answered. “But I know she does care about you. Don’t you dare tell her I told you that. I just hate that you guys are both suffering on opposite sides of the country. I want my friends to be happy.”
“You know, she told me she thought of you as a friend,” I said.
“Good, because I think of her the same way. Mitch, I’m serious. Please put aside your ego and your anger and talk to her. Figure out a way to get past the other stuff. I don’t think she wants you to stop flying. She just worries about you. You should be flattered.”
“If she wants to talk, then I’ll be happy to talk to her, but I think you really need to brace yourself. This might not be a happy ending. I don’t want you to get your hopes up. This is real life. Shit doesn’t always turn out the way we think it should.”
“Just as long as you keep an open mind,” she said.
“Does this mean you’ve already picked sides?” I teased.
“No, and I won’t, unless you’re wrong.” She laughed. “If she’s wrong, I’ll be on your side. My only goal is for you two to be happy. I’m very confident you’ll find your way to each other. You both just need to get out of your own way.”