Page 12 of Plane Passion

Millie turned around surreptitiously to look and then froze. Pritchard was staring at her with wide eyes.

“Pritchard,” she said, her cheeks aflame. How much did he overhear? Did he hear her saying he was handsome? “What a coincidence.”

“Miss Aldrich,” he said, looking almost as alarmed as she felt. “I see you’re here with friends.”

She looked at her friends for guidance and got none. God, she wanted the floor to swallow her. “Yes, these are my friends, Miss Stinson, who you may have met before, and Miss Talcott.”

Pritchard nodded polite acknowledgements and continued to stare at her. The brunette by his side tugged his sleeve and motioned with her head. “Oh, of course. This is Miss Clarke,” he said, gesturing toward his date. Turning to her, he explained, “Millie is a new colleague of mine on the airmail team.”

“Very nice to meet you,” Millie said before giving Pritchard a pointed look.

“Are you Millie Aldrich? And are you Katherine Stinson?” Miss Clarke asked, wide-eyed. Upon receiving nods, she continued, “I’ve read all about you in the papers, and I’ve seen you both perform. I think you’re so brave going up in the air like that and doing all those tricks. And to think Ernie here is working with a celebrity!” She tapped him playfully on the arm. “I wish I had something you could autograph for me.”

Oh, my. Miss Clarke is a fan. This is too awkward to be believed.

“We could autograph a napkin,” Katherine offered. Miss Clarke nodded vigorously. Millie donated her cocktail napkin to the cause. “What’s your first name so that I can personalize it?”

“Vera.”

Oh, poor Vera. She deserved better than a cad like Pritchard.

Katherine passed Millie the napkin. On it was written, “Vera, Spread your wings and soar. All the best, Katherine Stinson.” Millie added her signature, then passed it to Gertie, who gave her a questioning look.

“You are a pilot too.”

She beamed as she signed.

Vera looked like she might burst when she got up to retrieve the napkin from Katherine. “I’m going to have this framed. Thank you so much! I’ll let you eat your meal in peace.” She carefully put it in her clutch and turned to Ernie, hugging his arm. “Someday, we’re going to be sitting by the fire, telling our grandchildren about the time we met Katherine Stinson and Millie Aldrich at a restaurant.”

Ernie’s smile tightened, and he let out a strangled laugh. “Grandchildren? Seems like we’re getting way ahead of ourselves here. How about we focus on dinner tonight?”

He took Vera’s elbow and guided her back to their table, but not before Millie caught the way Vera’s face fell. It was clear as day that she was more invested in Ernie than he was in her. Poor Vera. Millie was going to have to have words with Ernie about not leading that lovely young woman on.

Katherine cleared her throat, and Millie dragged her gaze back to the ladies at her table. Oh, God. She was going to have to sit through a whole meal with Pritchard right behind her.

“I love your new hairstyle,” Katherine said to Gertie, admiring her bob. Her auburn hair was carefully coifed in a finger wave.

“I’m not brave enough to cut mine off yet,” Millie said, recovering herself and gesturing at her somewhat haphazard updo. “I’m worried if I cut it too short it will get in my face while I’m flying.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” said Gertie. “Just tuck it under your aviator’s cap, and it’s no problem at all.”

“How’s the barnstorming business?” Millie asked, desperate to talk about anything but the airmail and Pritchard.

“Going strong,” Gertie answered. “The public can’t get enough of the spectacle of a woman flying an airplane.”

“No, they cannot,” Katherine agreed. “You’d think we walked on the moon the way they gawk at us.”

“Nobody’s invited me to Europe, though,” Gertie said. “What’s it like?”

They were interrupted by the waiter. “May I get you ladies anything to drink?”

“I’ll have a cola,” said Katherine.

“Do you have lemonade?” Gertie asked.

“Yes, we do,” said the waiter. “And for you, miss?” He turned to Millie.

She wished she could have something alcoholic to drown her embarrassment, but alas, Prohibition had taken all the fun out of everything. “I’ll have a lemonade too.”