1. Chapter 1 Freddy
Chapter 1: Freddy
“ I understand you’re frustrated, sir,” The man’s southern twang surprised Freddy, and he fought the urge to check that he was still in Seattle. “But there’s nothing I can do about a canceled flight.”
“Look,” Renner said from beside Freddy. “We’ve been traveling for two days. We’ve been on ships, ridden across parts of Alaska in a van, and flown across Canada. Do your job and get us a flight home.”
“Brian,” Freddy snarled. “Easy, man. The guy’s doing his best.”
The counter attendant’s hair stuck out at odd angles from where he’d run his hands through it, and he was obviously tired of dealing with unhappy travelers. Not that Freddy could blame him. As he and Renner stood in line for the past hour, he’d watched the guy offer polite smiles while countless people approached him with complaints, concerns, and questions that would have sent Freddy on a rampage. He’d overheard everything from demands that a set of five suitcases should fly free as one bag since they matched, to a family blaming the worker for their kid getting airsick.
Renner turned to Freddy with a look of exasperation and said, “This is why I like traveling with you. Use your charm here, please.” He stepped aside and gestured for Freddy to take over the conversation.
“I’m sorry. I’m not sure how you refrained from climbing across this counter and throttling the gentleman who kept insisting the storm is made up, and it’s really sunny in Raleigh, but it was impressive.”
The attendant’s shoulders dropped, and his fake customer service smile slipped. “People amaze me sometimes, but there’s still not much I can do for you.” He grimaced as he said the last part.
Freddy chuckled, “I’m not looking for a weather change, magical flight appearance, or transportation miracle. I would love your professional advice and insight, though. What can we do to give ourselves the best option to get home as soon as possible?”
“Both of you?” he asked, casting a side eye at Renner.
“Unfortunately, it does appear that way.” Freddy wasn’t sure why Renner was sticking so close, but he had been through the entire trip. At first, he’d thought it was professional interest, but the man had almost fucked their entire mission. Maybe it was because of his sister, Veronica. She’d gone on one date with him a long time ago. It didn’t make sense to Freddy, but he was running out of theories for why Renner was right there every time he turned around. Hell, even one of the Naval officers noticed him hovering at one point.
The man pursed his lips and studied Freddy. “That’s tougher. If you’re willing to split up, standby might work. You said Dulles, Reagan, Richmond, and Norfolk were all options, right?”
“Yes, and we might need a deathmatch to decide who gets the first open seat, but there is no reason for us to stick together.”
“You don’t need to share a company car rental or anything like that?”
“We don’t work for the same company.” Freddy was so fucking done with this trip.
Watching the worker’s face burst into genuine laughter didn’t help. “Seriously?” he asked. “He seems pretty attached.”
Freddy shrugged and shook his head to convey both his agreement and confusion over the situation.
The attendant’s face shifted again as he turned serious and asked quietly, “Do you need help going your own way? Had you known him before now?”
Freddy waved off the concern. “Our companies share a government contract, so we do work together. It’s fine, I’m just ready to be home, and yes, any of those destinations would work.”
Nodding, the guy pulled out a slip of paper and scrawled a terminal and gate number on it with a name written below. “We’ve already got you officially listed on every standby there is, but most people hate this flight because it’s a red eye. It’s going to Dulles, so the weather shouldn’t be an issue. Talk to Margie at the gate, and there’s a good chance she can get you a seat.” He held out the paper but wouldn’t let go until Freddy made eye contact with him. “I doubt there will be more than one seat, and even if there is, they won’t be together. Anything available will be a middle seat, and you better be as sweet as watermelon in July to the flight attendants.”
Freddy couldn’t hold back his delight at both the expression and the hope that he might make it home tomorrow morning after all. “Thank you. Seriously.”
“Don’t look too excited or the whole line will get worked up, and I’ll have to call in security for crowd control. And tell your friend over there the part about being nice to the crew.”
“Right. Of course.” Schooling his expression, Freddy stepped away from the counter and headed for the terminal listed on the paper he’d been given.
Renner popped up beside him before he made it more than two steps. “What’d he say? Did you get us a flight?”
“No, but I got us a terminal and gate number for a redeye flight that might have an opening. If it does, I’m taking it.” He didn’t look at the man beside him as he spoke.
“Wait, but what about me?” Renner asked.
Freddy reached into the deepest recesses of his professionalism and pulled out the few crumbs that remained there. “If there’s a second seat, it’s yours, but only if you are very nice to the flight crew.” They walked under a clock that said it was almost five here in Seattle. That meant it was approaching nine back in Virginia. Spotting an empty gate area, Freddy veered over and pulled out his phone. He opened his message thread with Sabrina.
Freddy: flight was canceled cause of storms
Sabrina: that sucks. You get a hotel?
Freddy: not yet.
Sabrina: might want to do that soon
Freddy: you ok w/finishing updates if im not back in time?
Sabrina: theres not much
Freddy: I know but feel bad leaving it to you
Sabrina: dont be dumb
Freddy wasn’t really worried about their work. He knew Sabrina could handle that. Hell, she was a fuck of a lot better at writing the manuals than he was. But he also knew how much she hated storms, and she was about to get hit with a doozy. A system that spawned countless tornadoes and destroyed almost half a dozen towns across the Midwest was colliding with the remnants of a hurricane that devastated the outer banks of North and South Carolina. Airports from Raleigh to Pittsburgh were shut down as models predicted the two systems would crash into the Appalachian Mountains at the same point and around the same time. Forecasters were warning the two could spin together while high enough in the atmosphere that the mountains wouldn’t break them up.The worst of it was expected to hit along the Virginia and West Virginia state line–where Sabrina was located.
“What’s going on?” Renner asked, trying to peer over Freddy’s shoulder to see his phone.
“Personal updates, if you don’t mind.” What was with this guy? Freddy was hoping for just one seat to get some space from Renner.
At least the man had the decency to look slightly embarrassed. “Right, of course. I should do that too.”
After more than a week of dealing with the US Navy, the Chinese Navy, and his counterparts at Dynamic Solutions, Freddy was sick of playing the part of a professional representing Taylor Industries. His need to peel away the fa?ade and set himself free clawed at his insides. He just wanted to go home. Well, not to his home necessarily. That place felt as cold as a professional magazine spread.
He wanted to go home to his best friend’s house. He and Sabrina may have met as coworkers, but she’d quickly become his person—the one who knew him without any masks or pretenses. Her place didn’t try to hide its age, and there were always dirty dishes on the counter. The blankets on her loveseat often migrated around the house. They were soft fleece, covered in pop culture, and never folded or arranged.
More importantly, he hated the thought of her going through the storm alone. When they first started gaming together, they’d swapped all kinds of stories. At one point, he’d asked her about her scariest memory, expecting a story about getting lost in a store or watching a movie that caused nightmares. Instead, she’d taken the question to heart and answered seriously enough that he’d paused his game and watched her face as she’d told him about a group of high school girls inviting her to a party only to leave her stranded, alone, in a field during a storm. She’d kept leaping and whistling her way through Assassin’s Creed as she spoke, but her energy had changed, and her face was pale. Freddy suspected the girls were a bigger fear than the storm, but she still tensed up anytime the weather got bad.
Shaking the worry from his mind, he sent her an update.
Freddy: Im on all standby lists but earliest has me landing at Dulles @5am
Sabrina: ouch red eye? Really?
Freddy: renner is making me nuts and lily is sexting her wife
Sabrina: seriously?
Freddy: renner yes. Lily i dont know but she was looking lovey dovey when she left for a hotel for the night
Sabrina: be honest. Youre sick of suits
Freddy: yes that and more
Sabrina: weathers not bad here just rain
Freddy: supposed to get worse. you okay?
Sabrina: *eyeroll emoji* im fine
Freddy sighed and checked that Renner was ready to keep moving before continuing to the gate. As they got closer, he turned to the other man. “Let me talk to them and see what I can find out.”
“Works for me,” Renner agreed. “Want me to hold onto your bag?”
It was a nice gesture, but if the gate worker offered him a seat right that minute, he would sprint down the jetway without giving Renner a second thought. He’d feel guilty as hell about it later, but Future Freddy could sort that out.
“I’m good thanks,” he said and strode up to the gate.
The woman standing there looked professional, competent, and like she had no qualms with putting unruly passengers in their place. Pulling the slip of paper from his pocket to check the name, Freddy asked, “Are you Margie?”
“I am. How can I help you?” She looked less abused than the poor guy at the ticket counter, whose name Freddy never got. Shit.
“Uh, I was at the ticket counter because my flight was canceled, and the guy sent me here. I didn’t think to get his name.” He winced apologetically and held out the slip of paper he’d been given.
Margie must have recognized the handwriting because her face transformed into genuine happiness when she saw it. “You must have been nice for Kevin to send you to me. The flight is fully booked, but we often have a no-show or two. I won’t know until right before departure, though.”
“I’m good to do whatever makes it easiest for me to get home sooner,” Freddy said.
“In that case, be back here when we start boarding around seven. Wave or say hi, so I know you’re here. After everyone else has checked in and boarded, we’ll see what we’ve got.”
“Great. I do have another guy going the same direction, but we do not need to stay together. If there’s only one seat open, I’m happy to take it.”
Margie gave him a sly smile. “Coworker?”
Freddy frowned as he tried to imagine having to work with Renner day in and day out. “Kind of. Different companies, but we collaborate.”
“I’ll be sure to call for you first. Here,” she handed him a post it and pen, “Jot down your name on top and his below it.”
“This is perfect. Thank you,” Freddy offered sincerely. “Any recommendations for where we could grab dinner before then?” he asked.
She pointed him toward a nearby option that offered sit-down service that would kill most of his waiting time.
“Thanks. I’ll be back in about two hours.”
Freddy debated telling Sabrina about the flight but worried that would jinx the whole thing. Besides, landing at Dulles at five put him back on Whitetail Mountain around eight. By the time he got home and cleaned up, it would be midmorning. If he didn’t sleep on the plane, he’d want to crash for a few hours too. Getting home earlier didn’t mean he’d get to see Sabrina any sooner.