Honey scuffed as she opened the door further, and he stepped inside. As soon as she closed the door, Kai bolted out of his room, racing towards Nikos.
“Nikos!” Kai said, and they did their weird little handshake that they had learned when they were at the amusement park. “Why are you here?”
“I’m here to pick you and your mom up,” Nikos said, and Honey frowned, confused.
“You might want to change into some jeans,” Nikos told her pointedly. “Go get ready, Kai.”
Kai excitedly did as told, but Honey couldn’t because she didn’t understand.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“It’s a secret,” Nikos said, winking before plopping on the couch. Honey sighed, knowing Nikos wouldn’t tell her, so she returned to her room to change into something more comfortable, like jeans.
After they both got dressed, to her surprise, Nikos relieved Olivia of her babysitting duties before they left in Nikos’s car. Nikos was tight-lipped, so it didn’t matter how much they asked. He wouldn’t tell them where they were going. It was an hour-long drive, and Honey nearly dozed off before Nikos pulled up to an area with acres of asphalt and airplanes.
“I’m going to take y’all on a plane ride,” Nikos said as he parked the car.
“Cool! I’ve never been on a plane before,” Kai said as he bounced in his seat.
Honey vaguely remembered Nikos saying he was a pilot, but she hadn’t believed him, and to be honest, even thoughthey were here now, she still didn’t quite believe him. She had thought he was just simply bragging.
They got out of the car and met the man who owned the area. Honey stood next to her son while Nikos spoke to the owner. They were laughing, joking, and at ease, but Honey wasn’t. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to get on a plane ride with Nikos and her son. She wasn’t sure if it was safe.
“You’re ready?” Nikos asked her, and she looked past him and at the plane waiting for them. She wasn’t ready at all.
“I don’t know about this,” Honey said, uncertain.
“Mommy, it looks like fun,” Kai whined as he tugged on her arm.
“It’s fine,” the owner assured her. “Nikos has his license, and he’s really good. Better than good, actually.”
“There’s no need to be afraid,” Nikos told her, grinning. Honey sighed, having a feeling she wouldn’t be able to get out of this, and she guessed she should be able to trust the owner’s words. Saying Nikos was better than good was a big claim.
“Fine,” Honey said as Kai cheered.
They all got on the plane and strapped up properly, according to the instructions. She watched as Nikos moved with ease, setting everything up as if this were second nature to him. There were many buttons, and she was overwhelmed by them, but Nikos barely had to look at them to know the right one to turn on. Before she knew it, they were in the sky, looking down on New York.
Honey’s heart raced as she looked out the window, seeing how small everything under them looked. She had been on a plane before, but never like this. Not on a small, private aircraft like this, with just two other people, especially when she knew the person piloting, which made her look at Nikos, stunned.
“I told you I was a pilot,” Nikos said, winking, clearly bemused by her shock. Honey wished she could say she hadn’t doubted him, but that would be a lie. She waved it off when he said it before, thinking Nikos was just bragging because he seemed like the type to do that. But as she watched him shift the gears and hold the wheel to make them swerve to the left, she had to acknowledge that Nikos was a pilot.
“This is so cool!” Kai exclaimed as he pressed his face against the glass. “Mommy, I can see everything!”
“Sit back, Kai,” Honey lightly admonished worriedly. Kai slightly pouted but did as told. She had to admit now that Nikos clearly knew what he was doing. But that didn’t take away from her paranoia. But while she was worried, Nikos was not as he laughed.
“It’s fine,” Nikos said. “I’m the best pilot there ever was. I would never let anything happen to you both.” Kai brightened as he leaned forward to press his face against the window again.
Honey didn’t know whether to roll her eyes at his words or smile at his obvious concern for them. So she settled on doing neither, feeling both reactions seemed overly familiar and revealing.
“What button is this, Nik?” Kai asked, and it wasn’t long before her son rambled about everything on the plane, and as always, Nikos indulged him, answering all of his questions. Honey bit back a grin as she flew into the sky with them, feeling more at peace than she had ever been. It was what she needed, and she couldn’t help but wonder if Nikos had done this for her because of what had happened at the club the last time. A few months ago, she would have thought she was out of her mind for thinking Nikos would do something like that. But now, she realized that though he wasn’t perfect, Nikos was a kind man and was thoughtful when he needed to be.
They were on the plane for another fifteen minutes before Nikos took them back down. And though Honey had a good time, she was grateful for it. The sky was nice, but she felt much safer with her feet and her son’s feet planted on the ground.
They sat together on a bench outside the building, enjoying some of the snacks the owner brought them. Kai popped animal snacks in his mouth, tossing them up in the air before attempting to catch them with his mouth, while Nikos and herself simply looked up at the sky they had once been in.
“So, you really are a pilot,” Honey acknowledged begrudgingly. When he had said it, Honey thought he was just trying to boast about himself. But after that flight in the sky, Honey could never deny Nikos’s profession again.
Nikos chuckled, and she refrained herself from rolling her eyes. So arrogant.
