“No? You don't like snookums?” he asks. “I’m just trying out some pet names, and I think that’s a good one.” The look on everyone else’s faces says that they’re definitely much more amused by this than I am.
“Sure, puddin’. I don't mind if you don't.” He wrinkles his nose, but a smile lights up his face when he shrugs a minute later.
“Sold,” he calls after me, and I wave him off. “But seriously, where are you going?”
“Off to visit my first California friends,” I call back over my shoulder to a chorus of grumbles.
Holden’s words sneak out more clearly than the others’.
“They’re just lucky I know they’re banging each other.”
I roll my eyes and continue on my way to the cockpit, my footsteps slowing as I get to the galley.
“Keep your hands to yourself, Veronica. Didn't you see the news over the weekend? Harlow is in a poly relationship with all the brothers. You may not want to believe it, but you need to respect that they are and keep your filthy hands to yourself.” Jilly sounds angry, and it’s no wonder. Being in her own poly relationship, she’s probably used to people’s prejudice and disregard for the seriousness of her relationship simply because it’s unconventional.
“Just because you’re as big a slut as she is doesn’t mean that Thomas is taken with her. There weren't any pictures of her and him in the media.” Veronica sneers, the clanking of slamming dishes accompanying her bitchy attitude.
“Watch yourself, Veronica. Neighpalm Airlines is a great company to work for, and if you're not careful, you’re going to find yourself out of work. Who knows if they’ll even give a reference. Insulting and pissing off all of the heirs might not be the best route to job security.” Jilly sounds exasperated, so I open the door to the galley and walk in.
“What are you doing in here?” Veronica spits, looking me up and down. Fuck, I hope I can be the one to tell her she’s fired.
“Just passing through. Don’t mind me,” I tell them both as I head toward the cockpit door.
“Do you want me to take down anything for you to drink when I get the others theirs?” Jilly asks me, a smile plastered on her face, but I can see the worry in her eyes. She knows I would have overheard their conversation, but she wasn't doing anything wrong except warning her co-worker to keep her hands to herself.
“Coffee would be great, thanks, but I’m not sure how long I’ll be in there. Maybe you could bring one down when I finish catching up with them?” I ask, and she nods, that easy smile on her face looking more real as the moment goes on.
While Jilly and I talk, Veronica just stares at me, disgust curling her lips up in a mockery of a smile. “What? Not happy with the men you’re fucking, so you’re going to blow the pilots too?”
“Maybe, and then afterward I might see if Jilly would like to meet me in one of the bedrooms. I can show her why all the Summers brothers are dating me.” I blow a kiss in Jilly’s direction, adding a wink before I show her my back and knock on the door to the cockpit. I can hear a snort of amusement behind me, and a shriek which quickly cuts off as the cockpit door opens.
“Harlow, hi! Come on in. James was just saying he hoped you’d come by for a visit,” Chris says, giving me a quick hug before looking at Jilly.
“Hey, babe, can we get a couple of coffees when you serve the bosses?” He winks at her before closing the door. “We normally keep the door open, but Veronica somehow ended up on this trip again. We love Jilly, but neither of us wants to listen to Veronica for the next twelve hours. Jilly’s probably going to kick our asses when we get to Prague.”
James stands up too, pulling me in for a hug then gesturing to the spare seat I sat in the last time I was here. Similar to that day, the sky is bright blue and clear around us. James reaches into a nearby storage area and pulls out a pair of sunglasses. “Here, it can get a bit much sometimes.” He passes them to me, and the glare disappears the second I slip them on. “So, Harlow, let’s talk tea. Give us all the ins and outs of your life, starting from when we landed this plane the first time in California. And don't leave anything out.”
“This might take a while. Are you sure?” I ask.
“We’re not going anywhere for at least twelve hours,” James replies.
Still not sure they know what they’re getting into, I start telling the story—from Jaxon’s reaction to seeing me that very first day and the backstory behind everything.
* * *
It’s at least an hour later when there’s a knock on the cockpit door again. Thinking it was going to be Jilly, imagine my surprise when Kai pokes his head in. He looks between the three of us before his eyes meet mine. I can see the apology in them, but he really doesn’t need to. During my retelling, I came to the conclusion that none of their past actions should be held against them. I can’t hold them accountable for anyone else's action. None of them are actually encouraging the behavior; these women have taken it upon themselves to assert some kind of claim even though I’m fairly sure that they all knew from the start that they were just easy sex—except maybe Jaxon’s PA. They were in a relationship, but that had been off for a while anyway.
“Hey, guys! Harlow, we’re going to put a movie on in the theater. Someone suggested an action movie marathon, so we’re watching theDie Hardseries. Do you want to join us?” I lick my lips as I study him. Kai’s wearing sweats that mold to his sexy body, and his hair has grown out over the last few weeks. By this point, it’s looking a little shaggy, which adds to the sex appeal. He’s the ultimate beach bum, and it really gets my engines revving. The opportunity to teach Veronica a lesson is within reach.
I jump out of my seat and wave goodbye to James and Chris, handing back the sunglasses. “Happy flying, boys. I am off to watch shit blow up.” James waves and starts checking over instrumentation, but Chris picks up his iPad and waves it at me.
“Got myself a crossword to keep me busy.” Pulling the door closed behind me, I find both Jilly and Veronica in the galley. Jilly looks like she’s busy preparing snacks for the movie if the smell of popcorn is anything to go by, but Veronica doesn’t look like she’s doing much of anything. Well, not anything useful anyway. I lean against the wall and watch while Kai tries his hardest to ignore Veronica’s desperate attempts to engage him in conversation. Because his family instilled him with manners, he answers, but it’s kept to short single-word answers. I chuckle to myself but let him suffer for a little while longer. If you're going to dip your dick in crazy, you have to deal with the fallout.
“Isn’t there a galley at the other end of the plane as well?” I ask Jilly after a moment, trying to remember my tour with Poppy.
“Yes, but I try not to dirty more than one if I can avoid it unless I have a full staff on to assist. And I get extra exercise walking back and forth, so it’s a win win. Otherwise, there’s not a lot to do on these kinds of flights. The younger Summers just kick back and chill and are super easy. I’ll probably serve snacks and nap for an hour or so while you watch your movie. Lunch is already catered, just needs to be served, and we’ll bring that out mid-flight to try to keep you all in line with the timezone we’re traveling to.” She edges a little closer to me and lowers her voice. “I amsosorry about her. She has been banned from this jet, but she… well, as you can see, she has no shame. I was going to send her home, but I didn't have time to contact another girl.”
“Don’t worry about it. I've learned I’m going to need thick skin to be a Summers, and Veronica is a fly compared to all the shit I’ve dealt with up until now.” She raises her eyebrows.
