Oh god, how embarrassing.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Richard, or Rich.” The pilot holds out to shake my hand. “Not Dick.”
I giggle and shake his hand. “Madeline, or Maddie.” I smile, and Nate pinches my side, narrowing my eyes at me.
I love it when he gets jealous.
“You two ready?” Rich holds out his arm for us to go first, and he follows behind. “Let me introduce you to my wife, Alicia. She’ll be your flight attendant today.”
“Nice to meet you.” I smile, giving her a little wave.
Nate kisses her cheek. “Good to see you again. Today’s going to be an easy flight for you. We’d love a drink to start, and after, we’d like privacy until it’s time to land.”
“I won’t complain about that.” She laughs. “What can I get you to drink?”
Nate walks me over to our seats. “Champagne?”
“Diet Coke or water is fine. We have to work early.”
He stares at me like I’m joking, then rolls his eyes. “Alicia, we’ll have champagne and water, please.”
“Nate.”
“Sorry, babe, no work for you tomorrow. I have a surprise for you.”
I sit up straighter. I can’t miss work. “I have too much to do, I have a meeting for Pink Tiger, and?—”
“And Leo said he will conference you in. We need this, Mads. We need time together, just me and you.” He’s right, I know that, but missing work still makes me uneasy.
I don’t get a chance to reply, Alicia is back. “Thank you.”
“Of course. I’ll leave you two alone, and if you need me, just let me know.” She turns and walks toward her husband, and I must have the dirtiest mind on the planet, because all I can think about is if that was my husband, I’d be playing out a fantasy.
Nate snaps his fingers in front of my face, and I duck to hide my smile. “I know that look, and you call me the dirty one.”
My chest shakes. “I couldn’t help it. She’s definitely getting cock in the cockpit; it was too easy.”
He bursts out laughing, shaking his head like he can’t believe what just came out of my mouth. “No wonder you’re so close with my brother. Your minds think the same.”
“Ha. Ha.” I lift my champagne glass. “Cheers.”
“Cheers to starting over.” He tilts his glass forward.
His sudden serious tone surprises me. “What do you mean?”
“We have forty-five minutes until we land, and I want us to put it all out there, work through whatever’s holding us back. When we step off this plane, we start our adult relationship. I want our past behind us and our future together in front of us. It’s time we get a redo. We both deserve happiness, together.”
I lean back in my chair and take a good look at Nate, and the sincere expression in his eyes while tears well in mine. Truer words have never been spoken.
It is time for a redo.
Our love, even as kids, was so undeniable, so utterly perfect and beautiful, that we can’t ruin it again.
I’ll tell him what haunts me, what’s been weighing on me, and then I will let it go and finally allow myself to love again.
I promised his sister I would start living, and I already know in my heart Nate will be the one to bring me back to life.
“Don’t cry, Mads, I can’t stand it. We’re going to be okay.” He unbuckles his seat belt and walks around the small table that divided us, and takes the seat next to me.
