4. Chapter Four
Chapter Four
Lina
T he next night, I find myself sitting across from Max, the nephew of one of my mother’s clients. He works in finance and comes from a family of money—my dear mother’s dream. This is our second time going out. He’s been giving me fuck me eyes for the past hour and a half, but I’m not feeling it. Sadly, the only thing he has going for him is that he’s extremely attractive. My thoughts are elsewhere, craving something different.
The conversation is dull, and I don’t feel like fucking. Anxiously glancing around the crowded tapas bar, I search for something stimulating, but I come up short.
I’ve been off my game for the last few months and in a bizarre headspace. A year ago, I would have been perfectly fine drinking wine in a fun restaurant and having mind-numbing conversations with good-looking men. But the emptiness of it all has lost its appeal.
Is it possible for me to develop deeper connections? Hell, if I know.
“It’s still early. You want to take a walk around downtown and check out some dive bars?” Max smiles at me, showing his pearly white teeth that look too big for his mouth. I wonder if his parents kept his braces on too long. “I bet we can find some live music.”
I remove my lip gloss from my purse and apply a thin layer. “I would love to, but I’m getting tired.” I give him a frown. “I’m flying out again tomorrow.”
Max moves from the other side of the table and slides into the chair next to mine. Before I realize it, he slips his arm around my waist and leans in. “Are you sure you’re not up for one more drink?”
His breath smells overwhelmingly minty from a piece of gum he tried to inconspicuously pop into his mouth while he thought I wasn’t looking. He’s a nice guy, and I don’t want to hurt his feelings.
“I don’t think so. We can go out again when I come back if you want,” I offer, lightly letting him down.
“Our night ended early the last time we went out too,” he brings up. “I’m not ashamed to say I’d like more time with you, beautiful.”
My skin crawls when I hear him call me beautiful as if it’s a replacement for my actual name. I fucking hate pet names.
I swallow my annoyance and mask it with a sweet smile. “I’m sorry. Next time, for sure.”
“Alright, I can take a hint.” He shrugs, lifting from his chair. “It must be a damper on your social life to come and go all the time.”
“It can be, but I love my job. Being in the air is the best feeling.” This time, an authentic smile breaks through my words. “It’s indescribable.”
“I bet. But I’m going to stick to my downtown high-rise corner office.” He chuckles.
“It’s not for everyone.”
Max puts his arm around me as we walk toward the restaurant door. My head is down while I tuck my lip gloss back into my purse. I feel Max slow as we squeeze through the crowd of people standing by the hostess stand.
Suddenly, a heated energy brushes across my left arm, causing the hair to stand up. My eyes dart over in that direction, falling in the line of sight with a pair of amber-colored eyes. Locked with mine, I take in a sharp inhale while our bodies stay frozen in place.
Carter .
I instinctively roll my opposite shoulder, causing Max’s arm to slide off. He doesn’t seem to notice, glancing toward the bar. “I see one of my clients,” he says, gesturing away. “I’m going to say a quick hello. I’ll be right back.” I nod, then catch Max quickly walking off from my peripherals.
Carter’s unflinching gaze holds me hostage.
“H-hi, Carter,” I stutter, being the first of the two of us to speak.
He smiles at me. “Hello.” And then his stare breaks from me and flies over to the bar where Max is chatting with a man and a woman. His expression hardens. There is an uncomfortable silence underneath the music and the sound of clinking glasses before he finally speaks.
“Lina.” He cocks his head with his focus back on me.
“How are you?” My words come out pinched as spit pools in the back of my throat.
“I’m good.” He runs his thumb and index finger over his chin. Someone squeezes behind him, forcing Carter into me. Our bodies flush with one another. He is unbothered. “Out with a friend?”
I suck in a gulp of air. “Yes. I—”
“Sorry, that was my client. It would have been unprofessional not to say hi,” Max tells me suddenly at my side.
I nod. I guess now I should introduce them. “Carter, this is Max.” I gesture toward my date. “Max, this is Carter. He’s a pilot for the airline I work for.”
“Awesome. Great to meet you. Thanks for the safe flights, man!” Max excitedly extends his arm for Carter to shake it.
He takes it but shoots me a Are you fucking kidding me look. I can’t say why I know that’s what he’s thinking, but I’m sure it is. Why do I suddenly feel embarrassed to be with Max?
“Nice to meet you too,” Carter says, letting Max release his hand first. It’s probably some alpha male thing. I flush at the thought.
“We should probably get going.” Max turns to me. I get the urge to tell my date that I’ll just hang here with Carter instead.
I nod. Then, I look at the man standing in front of me, whose simple look causes my palms to sweat. “Good seeing you.”
Max’s arm returns to its place around my shoulders as we walk out of the restaurant. I pick up my pace, forcing it to fall once again.
When we reach my car, Max leans against the side of the door. His body language shows he wants a kiss good night. But after seeing Carter, I need to get as far away from Max as possible. Butterflies fill my stomach.
“Are you going to the masquerade party your mom’s company is putting on?” he asks, breaking my train of thought.
I forgot Max might be there as well. That means I’ll have to wait a lot longer to tell him that I’m not interested. Since his aunt is one of my mom’s clients, I wouldn’t want anything to ruin the mood of the night. If there were, my mother would never let me hear the end of it.
“I think I am. Are you going to be there?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.
His lip quirks up. “Yeah, my aunt would flip if I tried to ditch another one of her charity events.”
I laugh. “My mom’s the same way.”
“Great, well, I’ll see you there.” He slowly moves in, but I slightly turn my head, causing his lips to fall to my cheek. My eyes close, appreciating his expensive cologne.
I need to get laid.
“See you then,” I say, sliding into the driver’s seat of my car.
I watch Max walk to the other side of the parking lot, but when my eyes slide back in front of me, they inadvertently land on a large, recognizable figure leaning against a black four-door Jaguar. Squinting my eyes to get a better look through the dull yellow lights illuminating the dark parking lot, I immediately realize it’s Carter.
What’s he doing? Suddenly, his head tilts in my direction. A simple action that forces a breath from the back of my throat. I’m going to talk to him. Slowly opening my car door, I step out and then lightly shut it behind me. Carter watches as I eat the distance between two lanes of parking spaces.
As I get closer, I catch a glimpse of the smirk on his face.
“Your takeout must be cold by now.” I throw him a cheeky comment, then fold my arms across my chest.
“I don’t mind cold food. Besides, it’s only been a few minutes since I picked it up,” he replies, unbothered.
“Why are you standing out here?”
“Is your date over already?” he answers my question with his own.
Glancing toward the ground, I shuffle my feet a few times, unsure of how I should respond. It would be strange to give him the details on why my date ended early or to dive into my recent change in mindset when it comes to men—because the truth is, it might have something to do with my affection toward him.
“It did.”
“Probably for the best,” he replies with a straight face.
My eyebrows furrow. “What do you mean?”
Carter pushes off the side of the car and turns to face me fully. “He’s not good enough for you, Lina.”
I blush while chuckling. “And you know that how?”
He steps closer, backing me into the side of his car. With a slight bend, he lowers his lips to my ear. My pulse picks up as he crowds me with his large presence. Heat radiating off of him warms my insides. The sensation of feeling his weight on top of me zips down my spine and settles between my legs.
“Because you shouldn’t be giving yourself to a guy who spent more time staring at other women than admiring the piece of art he had in front of him.”
Oh fuck. What the hell am I supposed to say to that? How am I supposed to react or respond? How do I interpret that comment?
Unable to form words, I angle my head up. His breath lightly dusts my lips as our mouths are less than two inches away from one another. My lungs constrict.
Carter’s gaze quickly falls to my lips before he pulls back. “You should get home.”
Stunned by the intimacy of what just happened, I simply nod, then turn away and walk to my car. Without glancing over my shoulder, I know Carter has yet to get into his. My back sears under his concentrated stare. He’s making sure I get to my car safely. I know that’s what he’s doing.
It’s not until I’m in the driver’s seat that I see him get into his car.
I arrive home only a few minutes later, still filled with conflicting emotions about Max and the encounter I had with Carter. Maybe if I had hooked up with Max, it would have helped cure this strange headspace I’ve been in. Or at least help me make sense as to why my body comes alive every time I’m around Carter. My vibrator better be charged.
Walking into the house, I get blasted with the smell of nail polish remover. I miss living alone .
“How was your date with Max?” Zoe is sitting on the floor in the kitchen, painting her toenails.
“You can’t do that in the bathroom like a normal person?” I ask, removing my sweater. “Or better yet, go to a salon to get them done.”
She glances up, arching an eyebrow at me. “And get some weird fungus? No, thank you. Besides, I like doing them myself.”
“You won’t catch anything if you go to a clean place,” I retort, sliding open the patio door, then stroll over to the living room, feeling slightly down.
“Whatever. How was your date? ”
I fall into the cushion of my oversized, fluffy white couch. “It was dull, yet adequate.”
“Sounds like he rocked your socks off,” she replies sarcastically.
“Oh yeah, he sure did. He talked about himself the entire time—his career in finance and how he hopes to make a million dollars by the time he’s thirty-two”—I wave my hand in the air—“blah, blah.”
“Was he hot?”
“Yes, extremely. Which made it even harder for me not to take him up on his offer for after-dinner drinks,” I complain.
“Well, why didn’t you?” she retorts.
“Honestly, I don’t know.” I kick off my heels, sending them over to the hardwood floors with a thud. “Maybe I wasn’t in the mood?”
“I can’t believe you turned down a quick fuck because you weren’t in the mood .” Zoe extends her leg to admire her work.
I pull my mouth to the side, glaring at her. “I’m never going to get used to you talking like that.”
Zoe was ten when I moved out of the house. I went away to college and then directly into flight attendant school. I rarely got to hang out with her while she lived through her teenage years. I kept as much distance as possible between my mother and me—which unfortunately meant Zoe too.
So, when she asked if she could move in with me for her first year at college, I jumped at the chance to spend more time with her. We naturally fight and bicker how you would with any sibling, almost as if we’d grown up together.
“That’s a shame.” She frowns. “Poor Lina and her baby ears. ”
“You’re such a brat.” I laugh.
“This is true.” She climbs to her feet, balancing on her heels.
I eagle-eye her as she walks across the tan carpet. “Do not get that red nail polish on my white couch.”
“I won’t. That’s why I’m walking like this,” she says. “You know you’re a lot more like her than you think you are.”
Now she’s trying to bait me—and it’s working. “Not cool.”
“Kidding!” She flashes a wide grin, squinting her eyes.
I pull a throw blanket off the back of the sofa and wrap it around me. “That’s a low blow.”
Falling onto the couch with a heavy breath, she props her feet on the coffee table. “How did you and Max end the night? Are you going to see him again?”
I curl my lip up. “He’s hot, but lacks depth.”
“So, that’s a yes then.” She bounces her knees up and down.
I run my tongue along the front of my teeth, thinking about the example I’m showing my little sister. She’s already sleeping around. And not that I’m saying that’s a bad thing—women need to feel as empowered as men regarding what they want.
I have no shame regarding the number of flings I’ve had. At one point, I had a fuck buddy in three different states. River in Dallas has always been my favorite. But am I showing her that there’s no more to relationships than a quick hook-up?
I nod my head. “Yeah.”
“I knew it.” She snickers. I throw a pillow at her for that comment.
I confidently tell my sister that I’ll be seeing Max again, but I can’t shake my thoughts of Carter. I haven’t stopped thinking about him since we parted ways in the parking lot .
I pick at the fringe on the edge of the pillow. “I ran into one of my dad's friends tonight.”
“Oh—”
“He’s known my dad since their time serving in the Navy.”
Her eyes are as big as saucers. “He’s a fighter pilot?”
“He was.” I fold my legs underneath me on the couch. “He’s a pilot for my airline now. I guess my dad’s airline wasn’t hiring, so he was able to get him in with ours.”
Zoe presses her lips together, giving me her undivided attention.
“His name is Carter,” I begin.
“And?”
“I ran into him. He was picking up takeout,” I continue.
Her eyebrows snap together. “So? What’s the big deal? You ran into a coworker. Did you say hi?”
My story now feels boring. But it feels like something. “Yeah, I did. And he said hi back.”
She has a puzzled look on her face. “Oh. Okay, cool.”
I start talking even though she doesn’t ask for more details. “He started working for the airline a little less than a year ago.” I lower my eyes. “There’s something about the way he always looks at me. It’s like he’s admiring a piece of art.” Which is exactly what he said when he made that comment about Max checking out other women.
“That’s a little self-absorbed of you.”
I ignore her sarcasm and continue, “He has this energy, um, confidence, maybe? I don’t know what it is, but my body electrifies whenever I’m around him.” I’m talking out loud for my benefit at this point .
Zoe leans forward, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. “Go on.”
“I was walking out with Max when I literally bumped into him. When he saw me, he smiled, but then when he saw Max standing next to me, his expression changed.”
“Maybe he has a thing for you.”
I shoot her a side-eye. “He’s a lot older than me.”
“Wait, so he’s your dad’s age?” Zoe asks. “I know your dad is young—”
“He’s in his late thirties,” I interrupt her.
Her hand drops to her knee, and she cocks her head to the side. “Brian is not in his thirties!”
“Not my dad.” I roll my eyes. “Carter is in his thirties.”
“Was this the first time you guys have had an odd interaction like that?”
I take a moment to think about my sister’s question, then answer to myself before verbalizing it. Carter is sexy as fuck. I mean, every woman with two eyes can see that. He’s significantly taller than I am—and I’m not a petite little thing. His hair is jet black, with amber eyes that melt me each time I gaze into them. A push and pull of powerful energy is constantly passing between us.
Last summer, Carter and I were on the same flight crew, and we’d all gotten in late that night. I mentioned in a brief conversation that I was hungry as we all took off in separate directions down the hall toward our individual rooms, but there wasn’t anything open.
About an hour later, I was surprised to hear a soft knock on my door. Due to the late hour, I apprehensively peered out of the peephole first. A quiet hallway left no trace of the person who knocked. I reluctantly opened the door to find a take-out bag on the floor. I darted my eyes down each end of the hall but still didn’t see anyone, so I swiped the bag and quickly closed the door behind me. The food smelled so good that I tore into it immediately. The bag contained a chef’s salad and a bowl of fruit.
I knew exactly who had left it. Carter.
His sweet gesture warmed me, but I couldn’t bring myself to acknowledge it the next time we saw each other. And he didn’t either.
“No, it happens often.” I think, but I end up saying it out loud. “I haven’t been laid in a while, and I’m sure it’s that.”
“Maybe. Or maybe you want to get fucked by your dad’s best friend.”
I cross my arms at my chest. “Isn’t it time for you to go to bed?”
“Ha ha.” She puffs. “And yes, it is, actually. I have a seven-thirty math class in the morning.”
I raise my lip at her as she heads into her bedroom. “Yuck.”
She stomps up the stairs. “I hate math.”
“Good luck!” I call out as her door closes.
I head into the kitchen, thinking about the conversation with my sister and the bothered look on Carter’s face when he saw me on my date tonight. He gave me an uncomfortable greeting that’s still replaying in my head. All our interactions have an additional layer of awkwardness. There’s sexual chemistry there, without a doubt, but that could also be his energy toward all women .
I’m attracted to him. I know that much.
I pop the cork from a bottle of wine, pour myself a small glass, then turn off the lights and lock up for the night. After I change and get ready for bed, I pull out my laptop to check my emails.
Of course, there are some from my mother regarding which one of her dry social events I’ll be attending. I checked all of them and gratifyingly hit the delete button.
My phone dings on the nightstand behind me.
I open our group message to see Avery asking if we got the email for the charity partner run for the children’s hospital.
Avery: Have you guys seen who your partners are yet?
Bailey: I selected a solo run so I could unofficially partner with Mason.
Me: I haven’t checked yet. Who’d you get, Avery?
Avery: I got Liz Steel.
If flight attendants were required to wear pieces of flare to show their love for the skies, Liz would have an entire uniform covered. She is a walking billboard for our profession.
Piper: Have fun with her. She never stops talking.
Piper: I wish I were participating with you guys!
Avery: I know. It should make for an exciting day.
Me: Wish you were doing it with us too, Piper Moon!
Bailey: We’ll miss you! Who did you get, Lina?
Me: I’m logging into my work email now.
I quickly find the email from the organization putting on the event and open it. I scroll down through acknowledgments, directions, and practice-run destinations in various cities. The airline has partnered with the hotels to make sure we’re staying at properties near parks or trails to encourage us to practice, which I find ironic since most of the hotels we stay at are near the airport, and most of the international ones are in the middle of cities.
When I finally reach the bottom, my heart falls from my chest. In big, bold letters, I read the words, “ Your partner is Captain Carter Hernandez. ” My stomach flutters. Shit, this is going to be trouble. I grab my phone to respond to the girls.
Me: I got Carter.
Piper: Oh shit.
Avery: Great. You and Carter can be weird around each other when you’re not working too.
Bailey: Fireworks are going to pop off!
Me: He’s my dad’s friend. Stop it.
Bailey: The body wants what the body wants, babe!
Avery: lol
Me: Oh my god, you guys. Besides, I went out on a date with a hot guy from finance tonight.
Piper: Did you bang him?
Me: Not yet. I wasn’t in the mood.
Avery: Are you feeling alright? Are you sick? Fever?
Me: I’m going to bed. I’ll see you on our flight tomorrow, Bailey. Love you, Piper and Avery.
Avery: Love you!
Bailey: Muah!
Piper: Miss you all, love you!
I plug my phone into the charger and fold myself under the covers. I’m regretting my decision to participate in this event. I am not a runner, nor am I in that good of shape. Sure, I do Pilates once a week or so when I’m home, and yes, I will work out if the hotel I’m staying in has a nice gym, but overall, I am not the athletic type.
I did have a good time last year at the event, but it kicked my ass. I should have prepared beforehand, and I grossly underestimated how hard it would be. Now, I’m about to repeat it all, but this time, I’m risking thoroughly embarrassing myself.
I shouldn’t care what he thinks, but for some reason, I do. I wonder what he’s thinking about getting me as a partner.