“Did you apply at all the airlines?”
“No, actually. When I read that Sable Airlines was Black-owned and ninety-five percent of the employees were Black, I didn’t want to apply anywhere else. It wasn’t smart to put allmy eggs in one basket, but I did a lot of praying, and God came through.”
“I guess I should be thanking Him.”
She blushed as a smile graced her lips, and suddenly, I felt compelled to do everything I could to keep her smiling.
“Why should you be thanking Him?”
“I think you know why, but if you need to hear me say it, I don’t mind. When I saw you standing against the wall in the corner of the elevator, I thought I was looking at an angel. When you spoke, the sound of your voice soothed me in places I didn’t know needed soothing. I’d planned to stay in my room and order room service, but I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I wanted to see you and hear your voice again. I didn’t want to miss my opportunity.”
“Oh . . . okay. I, umm, I wasn’t expecting you to say all that.”
“I’m very straightforward, and I’ve never been one to beat around the bush. I’m attracted to you because you’re a beautiful woman, but it’s more than attraction. I feel drawn to you.”
“Really? After a one-minute interaction?”
“Maybe even less than that.”
Our eyes remained connected for a moment, and she broke first, focusing on her plate.
“If that’s the case, tell me about Sylas. Where are you from? What college did you attend? How long have you been a pilot?”
“Are you sure you want to hear all that?”
“Whatever you feel like sharing.”
“My full name is Sylas Jefferson McCoy. As I’ve said, I’m thirty-seven. My birthday is May 27th. Taylor, my younger sister, is thirty-four, and she’s married and currently pregnant with my first nephew, which I’m excited about because I don’t have any children. My parents have been married for forty years and are enjoying retirement. I was born and raised on the southside of Chicago, but I live in Oak Brook because it’s closer to the airport.I graduated from Southern Illinois University, the best school in the state, and I’ve been a commercial airline pilot for twelve years, though I’ve been licensed longer. Oh, I almost forgot the most important detail . . . I’m single. Any questions?”
“I can’t think of any right now, but I reserve the right to revisit this conversation.”
“I got nothing to hide, beautiful. You can ask me anything, anytime you feel compelled. Right now, though, tell me about Khiya.”
“It seems we have something in common.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“I went to SIU too.”
“No shit.”
“No shit, and so did my brother. You may actually know him because you were probably there at the same time.”
“What’s his name?”
“Blaine Reid.”
“You fucking with me.”
“I’m not. Do you know him?”
“He’s a friend of a friend. I met him through my boy Jamal, and we kicked it often back in the day. It’s been a minute since I’ve seen him, though. How’s he doing?”
“Good. He’s been married for a few years, but no kids yet.”
“I think I remember hearing he got married, but enough about him. I’m here to learn about you.”
There was that smile again that I’d already grown to love.
