Chapter 17
Seventeen
Morning! We had a pretty quiet night
but had an early morning transfer to the
main hospital. I just woke up.
TOBIN—8:03 a.m.
A few more hours and then I’m off for
the next five days.
TOBIN—8:07 a.m.
How’s your day going? Do you have a
busy day?
Tobin brushed her teeth and splashed some water on her face, hoping to rinse away the bone-deep grogginess that clung to her.
Erik had just popped his head into the bunk room to let her know they’d accepted a transfer later that morning—an eight-year-old girl with compromised lung function secondary to pneumonia, headed for Aetheridge Children’s Hospital.
If she timed it right, Tobin hoped she might surprise Grier.
She didn’t want to intrude on Grier at work—especially not having discussed if there should be such boundaries—but she wanted to see her. Badly.
Work had kept her distracted enough these past few days, but she was definitely ready to be done with these blackout periods. The game of questions had been fun, and she enjoyed getting to know Grier through it, but she craved more access to her.
Still, a flicker of disappointment tugged at her.
For all of Grier’s earlier boldness, there’d been no invitation to see each other again, no follow-up spark.
Tobin had grown used to Grier’s fearless pursuit— and thrilled at her own ability to volley it back, teasing and suggestive.
She was a little hurt by the sudden lack of intention.
Maybe a little visual reminder today would be just what they need to stoke the embers Tobin was itching to feel ignite again.
Her phone buzzed on the bathroom sink.
GRIER—8:13 a.m.
Just finished grand rounds. I’m fairly positive
I just accidentally uncovered my brother’s
secret girlfriend—so that’s cool. And no one
saved me a doughnut in the break room, so I
have nothing to absorb my coffee and secret-
induced jitters until lunchtime. So… my day is
starting off fabulous.
Grier’s detailed answers floored Tobin, making her feel as though she genuinely cared about her responses and wanted Tobin to honestly learn what made her tick.
Still, the first part of the text held more weight. Tobin suspected it was where Grier needed the conversation to go.
TOBIN—8:19 a.m.
I’m stuck on the secret girlfriend
comment… there has to be more to that
story, right?
GRIER—8:21 a.m.
Definitely. But it’s too much to text. I’ll fill
you in in person.
Grier’s hint at another date sent a wave of relief crashing over Tobin, her heart kicking up in a rush of adrenaline. She took the bait.
TOBIN—8:23 a.m.
In person, huh? Like, as in a date?
GRIER—8:23 a.m.
Yes, obviously.
TOBIN—8:24 a.m.
I’m glad it was obvious to you, because
I’ve been over here for the last several
days wondering if Saturday was a
figment of my imagination.
GRIER—8:25 a.m.
I sincerely hope you’ve been imagining—and
reimagining—last Saturday. I have. Nightly.
Goddamn, Grier was good at this. She hadn’t said anything remotely sexual, but Tobin’s body reacted anyway—heat rising as she remembered exactly where her imagination had taken her since their last encounter.
Being cooped up in the hangar had made relief…
inaccessible. She was so ready to go home and recall—with explicit detail—exactly how last Saturday played out.
TOBIN—8:29 a.m.
::Gulp:: Does that mean I get to see you
this weekend?
GRIER—8:31am
Obviously.
Tobin beamed from ear to ear. She couldn’t hide her excitement. Grier made her stomach flip in the best possible way. She just had to get through the next couple of days, and then she’d be able to experience that feeling in person instead of through a phone screen.
She walked out of the bathroom—and directly into Mike. “Oof! Sorry, Cap! Didn’t see you.” He grabbed her shoulders, steadying them both.
She quickly tucked her phone into the back pocket of her flight suit before looking—just in time to see recognition dawn in his eyes.
“Cap!” he said, elongating the a with a mirth-filled grin.
She stared him down, lowering her eyelids but failing to hide the smile behind them. “Don’t even say it, Mike.”
He paused, studying her face. But when her radiant joy refused to be dimmed, she gave up trying to hide it. In that moment, she decided she’d rather have her friends teasing her than bury the happiness that was brewing within her—happiness because of Grier. Her eyes crinkled as the grin broke free.
Mike’s expression lit up. He squeezed her shoulders, his eyes wide with realization. “You got the girl, didn’t you? The doctor?”
Tobin’s grin widened as a little heat flushed her cheeks. “I’m working on it.”
Before she could blink, Mike swept her into a giant bear hug. “I figured you’d prefer this to a douchey high five.”
She chuckled into his embrace, warmth blooming in her chest, before she heard him say, “I’m so happy for you!”
Breaking the hug, she smiled. “I better grab a quick bite before we take off.”
Mike cocked his head toward the bathroom. “I just wanna wash my face. I’ll join you in a minute.”
She grabbed a banana from the counter and popped one of her breakfast casserole containers into the microwave—one of the many she’d prepped before her shift. Sitting at the kitchen table, she pulled her phone from her back pocket and saw a new message waiting for her.
GRIER—8:41 a.m.
It’s your turn. Give me a question to ponder
between patients this morning.
It was indeed her turn. Tobin grinned, delighted at the prospect that one of her questions might be toying at the fringes of Grier’s mind during her limited free time.
She had a litany of questions she wanted to ask—some playful, some deeper.
Going through the mental list she’d been checking off and adding to over the last several days, she found she wanted answers to some of the more serious questions.
But was Grier ready for them? Or was she keeping things superficial on purpose—etching the glass without breaking through—saving the bigger, harder topics for in-person conversations?
She shrugged to herself and decided it was time to test the proverbial waters.
TOBIN—8:58 a.m.
Are you implying that your brain
requires me to insert myself into your
free-time ruminations—and that I’m not
the focal point of your runaway
imagination?
A little bold, a little inquisitive, and hella flirty. It wasn’t even nine o’clock in the morning, and she was already aware of her barely chastened libido. The end of her shift felt impossibly far away.
GRIER—9:01 a.m.
My imagination is alive and well, sweetheart.
However, voluntary inspiration is something
I never turn down.
Oh, if it’s inspiration she wants, it’s inspiration she’ll get.
Before she could think better of it, she typed one of the questions that had been at the top of her list.
TOBIN—9:03 a.m.
What’s your favorite part of the body?
Second-guessing herself, she added an addendum. She’d like the answer to both, but didn’t want to seem overly eager—or invasive—and hoped she’d eventually learn the answers to all her questions firsthand.
TOBIN—9:03 a.m.
Traditionally nonsexual in nature.
She felt more than saw Mike sit down at the table across from her.
She was grateful for the distraction—because she was seriously interested in Grier’s answer and hoped, whatever it was, she’d be proud of what she had to offer.
She already knew her own answer and realized that literally every part of Grier’s body was exciting— something she wanted to very carefully, very thoroughly explore.
The memory of Grier’s warm skin under her fingers on Saturday was enough to make her shake with lust.
“You have the look of a love-drunk teenager, Cap,” Mike observed, without a trace of mockery.
Tobin felt herself unsuccessfully try to bury the smile that seemed permanently on the periphery of any thought surrounding Grier lately.
She watched Mike’s mouth twist into a heartwarming smile before he said, “It looks good on you. I’m really happy for you. ”
She didn’t really know how to respond. Mike was new to the company after the accident and hadn’t known her pre-Talia.
She wasn’t used to sharing this side of herself with anyone outside her inner circle—namely, Eddie, Harrow, and LoLo.
But she truthfully could not contain her excitement.
Once she finally conceded to her deepest desires—at least enough to allow herself to explore where things with Grier might lead—she’d been flooded with unabashed ardor to see exactly how compatible their flirtations translated into a real relationship.
And that very much included the physical as much as the emotional.
“Thanks, Mike,” she offered. “I am happy.”
He nodded, clearly understanding that she did not want to extend the conversation. “So, I think Erik is about ready. I’m gonna go start my checklist.”
She clicked her phone screen on and off one more time, tucking it into her back pocket when the expected absence of Grier’s response left her screen image unblemished. “I’ll walk with you.”
She grabbed a container of her prepared casserole for lunch, which she intended to eat after they handed off the transport at the children’s hospital. On a whim, she grabbed an extra container of French toast bake.
It’s not a doughnut, but it is a home-baked good, she thought to herself. Maybe Grier would have time to have a quick lunch with her.
A light rain began shortly after their departure, with cloud formations in the distance hinting that more was on the way.
All of Parrish Aerial crew and staff were religious about checking weather conditions when they flew, but the reality of their work was that sometimes they had to fly in less-than-ideal conditions.
A non-critical transfer like this could be postponed until conditions improved, but current reports showed only light rain, minimal wind, and a low risk of lightning.