She stares at me for a second and nods, running her tongue over her teeth, and I can’t tell if she’s trying not to laugh or if she’s thinking about me naked. I also can’t help but notice how green her eyes are. I sit and gawk back at her like an idiot until her smile fades into an expectant look. “Should we go? I thought we’re in a hurry.”
Dammit, Mac. Get your shit together. It’s not as if this is the first gorgeous woman you’ve seen.“You should pay me first.”
“Oh right,” she says, snapping her fingers, then digging around in her bag. “Do you take Venmo?”
“Yup,” I say, opening the app on my phone to the QR code.
She holds her cell up to mine, then says, “Gamble Air? That’s the name of your business?”
“Yes.”
Tilting her head a little, she says, “Seems like an oddname for an airline. I mean, the last thing you want to do when you’re getting on a plane is think it’s a gamble.”
“It’s my last name,” I say in a flat tone.
“Oh, well that makes sense then,” she answers in a sheepish tone. “Eight hundred, yes?”
“That’s right.”
As soon as my phone pings to indicate the funds have been received, I start up the engine. Once we’re up in the air, she turns to me and shouts, “Is there a bathroom where I can change?”
“I take it this is your first time on a Twin Otter.” I talk quietly, so she’ll know there’s no reason to yell.
“Yes! It’s my first time!” Didn’t work. She’s still piercing my ears with every word. “Where can I change?”
I point behind me with my thumb. “Right there.”
Her cheeks go bright pink, but she nods anyway. “Okay.”
She tries to unbuckle the seat belt, but it won’t work. I reach over with one hand and undo it for her, my fingers brushing against her hip and making my blood race a little.
She climbs out of the seat and hurries to the back while I get my first look at the mass of black clouds we’re heading toward. Shit. That doesn’t look as far away as it was supposed to be. I turn slightly to the west and increase our speed, realizing this may not have been my best idea yet. The next few minutes are spent forcing my head not to turn, even though my eyes very much want to peek. But since I’m not a creep, I don’t do it.
Soon, an enormous, fluffy peach takes over half the cockpit. I look over at her and bite my lip to stop myself from laughing. But it’s too late. It comes out anyway. “Does your sister hate you or something?”
“No! All the bridesmaids are wearing these. Tiffany thinks these are really pretty.”
“Tiffany’s wrong. You look like you got stuck in a cotton candy machine.”
Putting up one hand, she scowls at me. “I don’t recall asking for your opinion.”
“Sorry,” I say, turning my gaze back to the darkening sky. “I just preferred your original outfit.”
When I glance over at her again, my mouth drops open in awe as she opens the massive makeup case that she has on her lap. The open lid reveals a mirror and about twenty drawers holding all kinds of products and brushes. Gesturing to the case with my right hand, I say, “Yeah, you’re not high-maintenance at all.”
She opens her mouth to say something but a gust of wind blows us to the right, reminding me that we’re not on a sight-seeing tour. She looks out the front window. “Please tell me that storm is a lot farther away than it looks.”
“Okay. It’s a lot farther away than it looks.”
“Is it really?”
“No, but you asked me to say it was.” I fight to correct our course, doing my best to look calm. Another blast of air hits us, this time accompanied by a snap of lightning that blinds me for a second. Paige lets out a little yelp, then says, “Sorry. I’m sure it doesn’t help when I do that.”
“Don’t worry about it. But also, try not to do it again. I need to focus.” Because if I don’t, there’s a very good chance I’m going to get us both killed.
She nods quickly, then opens a tube of pink lipstick and starts to apply it.
Another zap of lightning hits, this one closer than the last. She shrieks again and it’s all I can do to not shriek too.
