10. Jake
Ten
Jake
I laugh. “My turn, huh?”
“Yes,” she breathes through the phone, and I can tell she’s smiling.
I really wish she was here in my room right now, but I know that won’t be happening tonight. Despite her earlier intentions, the moment was lost the second she went downstairs and was reminded of her past.
I wish she’d had the courage to just come here without needing that drink first. I could only imagine what we’d be doing right now. God, just the thought of her, here in my bed, is making me hard.
But at the same time, I know she’s feeling lost, trapped in a past she thinks defines her while trying to find a future that makes her happy. I want to be the one who shows her that path, but I know I can’t do that until she’s willing to take the first step.
“Well, I did get into a shitload of trouble at the academy, obviously,” I say. “But none of that is really a secret.”
Taylor laughs. “I can only imagine.”
“Alright,” I say, grabbing another pillow to prop behind my head as I sit up in bed. “I do have something, but promise me you won’t laugh?”
“Okay,” she says, giggling.
“Taylor!”
She laughs harder now. “Sorry, sorry, I won’t laugh, promise.”
“Hmmm,” I say, even though I’m the one smiling now because despite my request, I actually do want her laughing. “So, you know I have two older sisters,” I start, chuckling a little as she giggles again. “And obviously it’s going to be something to do with them.”
“Did they dress you up like a girl?” she asks.
“Oh god, of course,” I tell her. “But that’s not the secret. The cheeky bitches paraded me all over the neighborhood, so everyone saw me wearing a dress, trust me.”
She stifles a laugh as she asks, “So what is it?”
“Well,” I say, shuffling in bed a little, “being the youngest, I had no say in anything, including what we watched on TV.” I pause, scrubbing a hand across my jaw. “Which means I was forced to watch a lot of shit.”
“Such as?”
“You know, Neighbours , Home & Away . They’re cheesy soap operas, you don’t get them in America,” I tell her. “Which is a good thing. But I was also forced to watch a lot of chick flicks.”
“What?” Taylor asks.
“Chick flicks, you know, romantic comedy type movies. Dirty Dancing, Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, Sliding Doors , you name it,” I confess, wondering if any of this is changing her opinion about me.
“Okay,” she says, hesitantly. “So, what’s the big secret about all this?”
“Well,” I start. “I’ve seriously never told anyone this, okay, but I actually really, really like them. I mean, I still watch Love Actually every year when I go home at Christmas, even if I’m only pretending to enjoy it to make my sisters happy.”
Taylor bursts out laughing and even though she promised she wouldn’t, I don’t have the heart to stop her. “Oh my god,” she breathes out between giggles.
“You’re totally making fun of me, aren’t you?” I ask.
“Yes!” she shouts down the phone, still laughing. “Although, it is kinda cute, too,” she admits. “Who would have thought you were such a softie.”
I smile at her words. “No one does, so remember that, okay? It’s our little secret.”
She giggles again. “Well, thank you for trusting me with it,” she says teasingly, even as I can tell she’s also being sincere.
“I’m just glad I could make you smile,” I tell her. “Maybe forget about what happened at the bar tonight.”
I hear her laughter subside as she takes a deep breath. “You did,” she eventually murmurs. “Thank you.”
“Your past doesn’t define you, Taylor,” I remind her again. “And it certainly doesn’t matter to me either. We all have a story to tell and it’s a part of what makes us who we are.” I pause, swallowing hard as I tuck a hand behind my head, my gaze moving to the window and the lights of the city. “And, for the record, I happen to really like who Taylor Patterson is.”
She takes a deep breath, slowly letting it out. “You’re nothing like I expected you to be, Jake Campbell,” she whispers.
I chuckle. “I could say the same about you.”
“And I really like talking to you,” she adds shyly.
“I really like talking to you too,” I reply, unable to wipe the smile off my face. “Maybe one day I’ll even let you watch a chick flick with me, too.”
She laughs, the sound falling through the phone and into my ear, making my body hum with desire.
“I’m always here if you want to talk, okay?” I tell her. “Or do other things,” I add, unable to resist.
“Thank you,” she whispers, the words low and sexy. “See you for breakfast tomorrow?”
“You will,” I tell her. “Good night.”
The next morning, I come down to find the whole crew dressed and in the restaurant having breakfast. It’s not hard to tell who’s hungover by the plates piled high with bacon and scrambled eggs, hash browns and other fried food.
There’s no sign of Taylor, so I take the first seat I can find which happens to be next to the flight attendant who hugged me when I first came aboard back at LAX. I still don’t know what her name is.
“Hi, Hunter,” she says, smiling up at me as she slides a hand onto my arm.
“Hey,” I reply, pulling my arm from her grip.
“Have you had a good time?” she asks in a fake seductive voice. “I was sad we never got to spend any time together Down Under,” she adds, batting her heavily made-up eyes at me.
I nod just as Taylor walks into the restaurant and looks around. “I did have a good time,” I tell her, catching Taylor’s eye. “Spent time with my family.”
“Really?” the flight attendant asks, surprised. “Word is you and Taylor were hanging out?”
I watch as Taylor moves over to the buffet to grab herself some coffee. It feels strangely weird now that our time together is over, as though we’re being forced back into the real world. I have no idea what that means or what happens when we get back to the US either.
“Mmmm,” I eventually reply, non-committal.
“Well,” the flight attendant says, her tone changing. “She made quite the scene last night in the bar. Do you remember, Ali?”
The other flight attendant, Ali apparently, laughs. “Shit, yes,” she cries, getting the attention of the rest of the table. “Totally lost it at Theo, wasn’t it? The co-pilot of the Dallas-Sydney flight?”
“Yeah,” one of the other crew members chimes in. “So weird because normally she’d be all over him and totally up for anything.”
“God, normally she’d be shit faced drunk in the bar with the rest of us,” the flight attendant sitting next to me says.
They all break into laughter as someone chimes out with, “Taylor Patterson, the pilot who puts the friendly in flying the friendly skies.”
I feel my blood start to boil as they all dissolve into hysterics. Pushing my chair back, I stand, slamming my hands down on the table to get their attention as I lean forward.
“You lot are a fucking disgrace,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Oh come on, Hunter,” the flight attendant next to me says, once again sliding her hand onto my arm. “Don’t be like that. We all know what she’s like.”
I pull my arm away from her. “What she’s like or isn’t like is none of your fucking business,” I say, my jaw tight. “What’s important is who she is. Your fucking captain and the woman responsible for safely getting you all back home to your insipid lives.”
My heart is pounding in my chest, my breathing heavy when I pause to take a breath. I know I’ve probably overreacted as well as revealed my true feelings toward Taylor, but I don’t give a fuck. I cannot sit here and listen to them talk about her the way they just did, as though she’s some object or toy to them and not an accomplished pilot who’s achieved a hell of a lot in her career.
The entire crew is now staring at me, their eyes wide as they take in my words, my reaction to their comments. I look around the table, knowing what they’re all now thinking but not giving a shit.
“Grow the fuck up,” I murmur before standing and walking away.
I feel everyone’s eyes on my back as I walk over to the buffet, catching Taylor before she has a chance to join them.
“Hey,” she says, smiling at me.
I force a smile onto my face as I catch her elbow. “Morning, gorgeous,” I reply, steering her toward the patio. “Let’s sit outside, soak up the last of the Aussie sun while we can.”
I see Taylor’s gaze flick to the table with the rest of the crew, but I don’t give her a chance to ask any questions as I gently lead her outside and away from them.
After breakfast, we check out and wait for the crew bus. Taylor and I stand alone, separate from the rest of the crew and there’s a distinct feeling of tension in the air.
“You wanna tell me what’s going on?” Taylor asks quietly, subtly nodding in their direction.
I smile, shaking my head a little as I say, “It’s nothing, seriously.”
A strand of loose hair blows across her face and without thinking, I reach over and tuck it behind her ear. The rest of her hair is pulled back in the same tight bun she had when we first flew over. She looks different to the carefree woman I’ve spent the last two days with, but no less beautiful.
She smiles at me, even as a slight blush colors her cheeks. “There’s something you’re not telling me,” she whispers, her eyes locked onto mine.
I swallow hard, not wanting to lie to her but not wanting to admit what happened this morning either. “It’s not important,” I say. “But can I tell you later?”
Taylor stares at me, her eyes searching my face. “Okay,” she finally says, sadness washing over her.
I reach out and take her hand in mine, her body hiding the connection from the rest of the crew. Squeezing her fingers, I whisper, “Trust me, Taylor, please.”
She pulls her bottom lip into her mouth, watching me for what feels like forever before she squeezes my hand and says, “Okay.”
And even though it’s a small thing and there’s still the issue of me having to explain what those arseholes were saying about her this morning, this still feels like a small win.
The flight back across the Pacific is uneventful. Once again, Taylor lets me do the takeoff, and after a quick chat and the usual run-through of our checklist, I let her take the first sleep break.
With the autopilot on and little to do, I spend the next few hours staring out at the blue sky, wondering what happens when we get back to the States. Was this connection we shared in Sydney just a one-off, or are we going to keep talking, keep hanging out, and see where this thing we both know is between us can go?
Almost as soon as I think that, though, I remember what’s waiting for me back in the US and the shitfight it’s turned into. I know none of it’s going to be sorted anytime soon, and while I’m not necessarily hiding it from Taylor, I’m also not sure how to bring it up either.
The lock sounds on the cockpit door, and I look up just as Taylor walks in carrying a Diet Coke.
“Sleep okay?” I ask.
“Some,” she replies. “Always hard when it feels like the middle of the day. Do you need to get some rest?”
I shrug. “I’m okay for now. Might just grab a Coke, and I’ll come back.”
I head out to the galley just near the cockpit to grab my drink. The two flight attendants from breakfast this morning are both there, gossiping as they flick through some magazines. They look up as I walk into the small space.
“Hunter, hi,” the attendant who was sitting next to me and whose name badge says Ali says to me.
“Ladies,” I nod, as I rummage through one of the trolleys.
“I can get it for you,” she continues, jumping up from her seat. Her hand slides onto my hip as she pretends to push me aside, her fingers latching onto my pocket as I take a big step away from her.
“Thanks,” I say, taking the Coke she hands me and turning to walk away.
“Hunter,” she says, fingers curling around my arm. “About this morning, we…”
I hold up a hand, cutting her off, even though I don’t turn around. “It’s done,” I tell them. “And if you don’t mind, my name is Jake,” I add, before walking off, not bothering to wait for a response.
I hang out in the cockpit with Taylor for another hour before eventually heading out to get some rest. By the time I come back, the rest of our flight time is filled with pre-landing checklists and other stuff, and we don’t talk much.
When we’re finally back on the ground at LAX, I run through the usual welcome home or enjoy your visit spiel that I always give, before we go through our final checklist and hand over to the engineers.
Both of us skip the goodbye to the passengers as they disembark the plane, apparently neither of us wanting to do it today.
When I finally unclip my seatbelt and push back my chair, a heavy weight has settled in my stomach.
“Okay,” Taylor says, pushing back her own chair and standing. “I guess we’re done. Thank you,” she says, not looking at me as she grabs her jacket and cap.
“Taylor,” I say, reaching for her arm. I wait until she looks up at me, her eyes meeting mine and filled with sadness. I smile at her, holding out my other hand, palm up.
Her eyes flick to it. “What?” she asks, confused as she looks back up at me.
“Give me your phone,” I say quietly.
Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t say anything as she reaches into her pocket and pulls out an iPhone. I watch as she types in her password, unlocking the screen before handing it to me.
I take it from her, opening up the contacts tab where I enter my phone number. Before I give it back to her, I send myself a quick text, so I also have her number.
“If you ever want to talk or hang out,” I say, handing her phone back. “This doesn’t have to stop just because we’re back here.”
She swallows hard, her bottom lip pulled between her teeth again and sending a spike of lust right through me as I picture leaning in and kissing that mouth, sucking that bottom lip of hers between my own teeth.
Smiling, I lean over and pull it from her teeth instead, not missing the way her breath catches when I do. “Come on,” I say. “Let’s go.”