Ethan turned the corner and headed into the restroom area but continued past the restrooms to where he knew there were private showers and changing rooms. He found one empty and looked over his shoulder to ensure no one was watching before he slipped inside.
Here we go.Ethan unzipped his rolling suitcase, stripped and donned a fresh set of clothes. Next he pulled out a duffel bag, unfolded it and stuffed everything inside. His goal was to make himself look as different as humanly possible as he escaped the First-Class Lounge. If everything went according to plan, he would slip out of the lounge with no one knowing.
The last piece of his disguise was a baseball cap with a fake black ponytail that ran out of the back. Ethan had picked up the hat several years earlier for a Halloween costume, but figured the accessory would be handy to help him slip out unnoticed.
He added a pair of oversized sunglasses that hid half of his face. He’d thought about adding some makeup and making himself look more female, but with his square jaw, Adam’s apple and cleft chin, he knew that would not work very well. Instead, he’d gone for a more biker-esq look he knew he wasn’t really pulling off.
With one last look in the mirror, he thought,here goes nothing.Ethan entered the hall right as Ms. Z, the other driver, walked in to use the restroom. The two passed each other in the hall, but Ethan kept his head down, tilted to the side, and kept walking.
Keep moving. Don’t look back. She didn’t notice me.
He moved through the lounge area, pausing for a second to look over where the band sat, and made a wide berth to avoid getting near the group. He walked through the front door of the lounge and entered the bustling airport. He found a display monitor and made sure his departure information hadn’t changed. He had forty minutes before the plane left for Houston.
He’d flown in and out of Louis Armstrong so many times that he knew the layout like the back of his hand. Peregrine Airlines flew out of Terminal C and Roadrunner Airways Express flew out of B. Ethan knew he could easily walk from C to B and catch his flight with a few minutes to spare.
He strolled through the airport, doing his best to avoid looking at anyone. Even though he doubted anyone would recognize him in his getup, he didn’t want to take any chances.
He arrived at his gate just as the announcer asked people to line up. Ethan had booked a business-class ticket, so he was one of the first to board the plane. He queued up with the other passengers waiting for the gate agent to start boarding.
“Good morning Roadrunner Airways Express Flight 1330. This is a non-stop flight from New Orleans to Houston Hobby, continuing to Denver, Colorado. We now welcome our Business Select passengers,” a voice over the intercom chirped.
Ethan pulled out his phone, opened the airline’s app and pulled up his ticket. The line started moving. The agent scanned Ethan’s phone, the computer dinged and Ethan boarded with no problems.
He entered the jetway and walked down to the plane. The flight attendant greeted him with a “Good morning” as he stood in the front galley.
“Thanks,” Ethan responded with a smile before walking down the narrow aisle and picking the window seat in the emergency exit row. He placed his duffel bag in the overhead compartment after pulling out a set of noise-canceling headphones. As soon as he could, he planned on blocking out the world. The last thing he wanted was a nosy seatmate who coveted a long conversation.
Thankfully, as the plane filled, another younger guy took the aisle seat. This guy looked about as interested in having a conversation as Ethan did.
The flight attendant came by and made sure everyone in the emergency exit rows was ready, willing and able to help in case of an emergency landing. Everyone orally agreed before the flight attendant left them.
Before long, the Boeing 737 pushed back from the gate, and the crew delivered the preflight safety briefing. Ethan pretended to listen but was still worried the plane would be turned around because someone figured out he’d escaped.
Ethan let out a breath as he felt the wheels leave the tarmac. He was amazed his plan had actually worked.
Houston, here I come.
Chapter Eight
Blayne
“Have you completely lost your mind?”
Blayne looked at Kira. He knew this was how she would react when he told her he’d invited Roy to stay with him for a few days.
“How long have you known this guy? What do you know about him?” Kira continued to pepper Blayne with questions.
“Are you going to let me answer any of these?”
“How do you know he’s not running from the mob? Or a serial killer?”
“Kira,” Blayne started, letting out a breath and looking at the apartment ceiling, “I’ve known him for over a year. We met on a dating app, but we’ve just talked. And we weren’t exactly sexting, either. We had normal, grownup talks.”
Kira stared at Blayne from the other end of the couch, her eyes boring holes into Blayne when he finally got up the nerve to look at her. Blayne had almost opted not to tell Kira beforehand. When she’d called that morning asking for a ride to work since her car wouldn’t start, he knew she would find out eventually, so he told her when she’d gotten over to his apartment, which was only two blocks from her house.
Kira sighed as her face relaxed. “You know, I’m worried about your safety, is all.”
“I do,” Blayne said. “I completely understand. And I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little anxious, but he sounded like a dog that had been kicked one too many times. I couldn’t say no. And besides, I’m the one who invited him.”
