Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Ashley
I woke up tangled in Darryl’s arms, the sheets a mess around us, my body warm and heavy from that steamy morning.
His breath was steady against my neck, his arm slung over my waist, and I grinned, still buzzing from how we’d spent the last couple of hours.
The clock on his dresser said it was pushing noon, and my stomach growled, reminding me we’d skipped breakfast. I nudged him gently, kissing his jaw.
“Hey,” I said, my voice soft. “You awake?”
“Yeah,” he said, stirring, his voice rough as he tightened his hold on me. “What time is it?”
“Almost lunch,” I said, sitting up a bit, my hair falling in my face. “We should eat. Night shift’s coming.”
“Right,” he said, rubbing his eyes, sitting up beside me. “Family’s probably downstairs.”
“Let’s go then,” I said, sliding out of bed, grabbing my jeans and tee from the floor. “I’m starving.”
He nodded, pulling on his clothes, and we stumbled downstairs, my hand brushing his arm as we went.
The kitchen smelled like coffee and bacon, and Nancy was at the stove, flipping sandwiches on a griddle.
Jen was sprawled at the table, scrolling on her phone, and Ted was pouring juice into glasses.
“Morning,” I said, plopping into a chair, Darryl sitting next to me. “Or, well, afternoon.”
“Afternoon, huh?” Nancy said, turning with a grin, sliding a plate of grilled cheese and bacon toward us. “You two slept late. Busy night?”
“Yeah,” I said, grabbing a sandwich, leaning into Darryl’s side with a smirk. “Planning’s tough work.”
“Planning,” Jen said, looking up with a laugh. “Sure. You’re all over each other. What’s up with that?”
“Nothing’s up,” Darryl said, taking a bite, his arm resting behind me on the chair. “Just eating.”
“Uh-huh,” Ted said, sitting down with his juice. “You’re clingy today. Something we should know?”
“Nope,” I said, wrapping an arm around Darryl’s waist, grinning big. “Just happy to be here.”
“Happy,” Nancy said, setting more plates down, her eyes narrowing playfully. “You’re glowing, Ashley. Should we be expecting a little one already?”
I choked on my sandwich, coughing as Darryl froze mid-bite, his hand tightening on my shoulder. “What?” I said, laughing hard, wiping my mouth. “No way. It’s just lunch!”
“Could’ve fooled me,” Jen said, smirking. “You’re practically in his lap. Pregnant vibes.”
“Stop,” Darryl said, his voice gruff, but his ears went pink. “She’s not.”
“Not yet,” Ted said, chuckling. “You’re moving fast. Wedding in two weeks, now this?”
“No baby,” I said, leaning my head on Darryl’s shoulder, playing it up. “Just love my fiancé.”
“Love,” Nancy said, sitting down with her sandwich. “You two are cute. Too cute. I’m watching you.”
“Good luck with that,” Darryl said, shoving a piece of bacon in his mouth, his arm sliding around me tightly. “Eat your food.”
“Fine,” Jen said, snapping a pic of us with her phone. “But I’m betting on a bump by Christmas.”
“Bet all you want,” I said, sticking my tongue out at her, my hand resting on Darryl’s knee. “You’re wrong.”
We ate, the teasing rolling on, Nancy asking if I’d picked a dress yet, Ted joking about needing a bigger backyard for a kid.
I kept close to Darryl, my leg pressed against his, my hand brushing his arm, loving how he grumbled but didn’t pull away.
Lunch stretched out, the sandwiches disappearing, coffee cups refilling, until the clock hit two and we had to move.
“Night shift,” I said, standing, pulling Darryl up with me. “Gotta head to the airport.”
“Be safe,” Nancy said, hugging me quickly. “And no funny business up there.”
“No promises,” I said, winking, looping my arm through Darryl’s as we grabbed our bags and headed out.
The drive to the airport was quick, my hand on his leg the whole way, his playlist humming low through the speakers.
We parked in the employee lot, hauling our bags to the crew lounge, and the place was already buzzing with familiar faces.
Mike, Darryl’s co-pilot, was at the coffee machine, and Kelly, another flight attendant, was flipping through the manifest. Riva was there too, leaning against a locker, smirking as we walked in, my arm still tucked in Darryl’s.
“Well, well,” Mike said, turning with his cup. “Look at you two. Attached at the hip?”
“Pretty much,” I said, grinning, pressing closer to Darryl. “He’s my favorite.”
“Favorite,” Kelly said, looking up with a laugh. “Since when? You’re all over him.”
“Since always,” I said, wrapping my arms around Darryl’s waist, hugging him from the side. “He’s the best.”
“Best,” Darryl said, his voice flat, but he didn’t push me off, his hand landing on my shoulder. “Sure.”
“What’s with the clingy stuff?” Mike said, sipping his coffee. “You two dating or something?”
“Or something,” Riva said, stepping over with a grin, her eyes on me. “They’re adorable, right?”
“Adorable?” Kelly said, squinting at us. “Confusing. Darryl’s not the cuddly type.”
“He is with me,” I said, tiptoeing to kiss his cheek, giggling as he stiffened a bit. “Right, babe?”
“Yeah,” he said, rubbing his neck, his ears pink again. “Whatever she says.”
“Wow,” Mike said, shaking his head. “I need details. When did this happen?”
“No details,” Darryl said, grabbing the manifest from the counter. “We’ve got a flight. Focus.”
“Focus,” Riva said, laughing out loud. “Good luck with that. She’s glued to you.”
“Always,” I said, hugging his arm tighter, grinning up at him. “Can’t help it.”
“Get a room,” Kelly said, rolling her eyes but smiling. “You’re weirding me out.”
“Jealous?” I said, sticking my tongue out, my hand sliding to Darryl’s back, rubbing slow circles. “He’s mine.”
“Yours,” Mike said, smirking. “Poor guy. She’s got you locked down.”
“Seems like it,” Darryl said, flipping through the papers, his arm slipping around my shoulders. “Let’s move.”
We headed to the gate, the teasing trailing us, Mike muttering about “lovebirds,” Kelly asking Riva if she knew what was up.
Riva just shrugged, winking at me, the only one in on our fake gig.
The plane was ready, a night run to Denver, and I stuck close to Darryl as we boarded, my hand brushing his arm, his waist, anything I could reach.
“You’re handling this well,” I said, leaning into him by the galley. “They’re confused.”
“They’ll live,” he said, checking the cockpit door, his hand resting on my hip for a second. “You’re pushing it, though.”
“Am I?” I said, grinning, wrapping my arms around his neck quickly, kissing his jaw. “You like it.”
“Maybe,” he said, his voice low, a small grin breaking through before he pulled away. “Work now.”
“Fine,” I said, letting go but staying close as he headed up front. I got the cabin ready, chatting with Kelly, who kept side-eyeing me. “Seriously,” she said, stacking cups. “What’s with you and Darryl? You’re all touchy.”
“Just happy,” I said, shrugging, keeping it light. “He’s great.”
“Great,” she said, laughing. “He’s grumpy. You’re nuts.”
“Nuts for him,” I said, winking, and she groaned, walking off. Riva slid up beside me, smirking as we stocked the cart.
“They’re losing it,” she said, nodding at Kelly. “You’re good at this fake thing.”
“Thanks,” I said, bumping her shoulder. “He’s playing along. It’s fun.”
“Fun,” she said, grinning. “You’re clingy as hell. He’s blushing.”
“Good,” I said, laughing. “Keeps it real.”
The flight kicked off smoothly, and I kept busy, handing out drinks, collecting trash, but every chance I got, I peeked at Darryl, catching his eye through the cockpit door, blowing him a kiss once just to see him shake his head.
Mike popped out mid-flight, grabbing water, and smirked at me.
“You two are weird,” he said, leaning on the cart. “What’s the deal?”
“No deal,” I said, grinning, resting my chin in my hand. “Just love my pilot.”
“Love,” he said, snorting. “Save it for the ground.”
“Never,” I said, laughing as he walked off. The night stretched on, Denver’s lights glowing as we landed, and we wrapped up, the teasing fading as everyone grabbed their bags. Riva hugged me bye, whispering, “Keep it up,” and I stuck close to Darryl, my arm in his as we headed out.
“Fun night,” I said, leaning into him in the lot. “They’re stumped.”
“Yeah,” he said, his hand on my back. “You’re a handful.”
“You love it,” I said, kissing his cheek quickly, grinning as he grumbled but pulled me closer. Lunch to flight, all eyes on us, and I didn’t care. Fake or not, it worked.