“No plans. I’m lying here in bed.”
Neither said a word, though Rico could hear Adam breathing. A crazy idea popped into his head, and before he dismissed it as pure stupidity, he spoke.
“I’ve never been to Texas.”
A few beats of silence passed. “No?”
“Uh-uh.” His pulse quickened, and he sat up and swung his legs off the side of the bed. “And I have the whole weekend free for once.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, so…” He let the sentence hang, deciding if Adam picked up on it, he could be at the airport in less than an hour.
“So I’m thinking you should get that sweet ass of yours into a cab and haul it to Dallas. I’ll pick you up when you text me you’ve landed. See ya.” The line went dead.
Without wasting too much time thinking about why Adam’s invite made him so ridiculously happy, Rico tossed the phone onto his bed and pulled out his overnight bag, throwing in underwear, some shorts, and T-shirts. He scheduled a Lyft, and in ten minutes he was out the door and in the car. Flights to Dallas took off practically every hour, and he had enough points that he could cover the fare if needed; lucky for him, he found one taking off in two hours with plenty of empty seats. He’d checked in online, and as he only had the one small carry-on, he sailed through the doors of the mess known as LaGuardia Airport, heading straight for security. In less than fifteen minutes from when he stepped out of the car, he was sitting at the gate, waiting to board, coffee in hand.
Leaning back in the seat, he sipped his coffee and watched the parade of people pass before his eyes. He wondered where they were all going. This certainly was the farthest he’d ever traveled for a booty call, but Rico refused to listen to the little voice in his head whispering that this was more. That Adam was a man worth knowing. Worth keeping. Adam had become a friend, and he was hurting.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We are now ready to start boarding Flight 2843 with nonstop service to Dallas, Texas.”
As the gate agent droned on with his instructions, Rico drained the rest of his coffee and tossed the cup into the trash bin. He hefted his overnight bag on his shoulder and stood, joining the waiting line to enter the plane. Once in his seat, he texted Adam to let him know he was on the plane and got an immediate response.
You’re really coming?
Feeling foolish now, Rico was about to tell him it was all a joke, when Adam sent another text.
I can’t wait to see you. Thanks for being my friend.
After buckling his seat belt and listening to the cute flight attendant give his safety talk, Rico let out a sigh and settled in for the almost four-hour flight. He played a couple of games of Tetris on his phone, then turned it off and shoved it into his pocket, leaning back with a sigh.
“Rough day?”
He turned his head to see the flight attendant standing next to him with a grin on his face.
Rico shrugged. “Not really. Last-minute plans is all.”
“You have family in Dallas?”
“No. A friend.”
The attendant stepped into the galley area and with the plane half-empty, Rico could see him chat with the pilot and co-pilot. After several minutes, the male attendant was joined by his female counterpart, and they buckled themselves into their uncomfortable-looking seats. As soon as the plane was up in the air, they stood and proceeded to get the cart ready to serve drinks.
Rico eyed the attendant and wondered if all the stories he’d heard about the mile-high club were true. He couldn’t imagine getting it on in one of those tiny bathrooms, but he could totally see getting a hand job, snuggled under a blanket. Maybe he could persuade Adam to come back with him, and they could try it out.
“So, is your friend picking you up at the airport?” The attendant handed him a small bottle of cold water which Rico took automatically. “If you need a ride, I have the night off. I could take you anywhere you want to go.” His green eyes gleamed.
Damn.If that wasn’t the most blatant invitation he’d had in months. The guy might as well have said, “Let’s go somewhere and fuck.” And months ago, Rico would have taken him up on it without a second thought.
“He is, but thanks anyway.”
Disappointment clouded the man’s pretty eyes, but he gave a good-natured grin. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”
Rico laughed and stretched out his legs. “Not at all.”
The rest of the flight proved uneventful, and he dozed off, not realizing it until the plane touched down and he was jerked awake by the bump. Yawning and stretching, he peered out the window but saw only darkness and airport lights. The plane taxied into the gate, and within a few minutes, they had arrived. He dug his phone out and turned it back on to send a quick text to Adam to let him know he’d arrived; then, when the seat belt light went off, he stood and took his bag out from the overhead.
“Hope you have a nice visit.” The cute flight attendant held out his hand to shake, and Rico took it reflexively, even though he thought it a bit strange. “Come back and see us again. Real soon.”
