the cockpit.
As Ryan passed the galley, he caught sight of Makenna who was taking inventory. “Thanks again,” he told her. “He pretty much just ordered me off the plane.”
She blew her hair back from her eyes and smiled up at the young pilot. “He’s persistent when he wants to be,” she claimed with a wink.
“Is that what we’re calling it?”
Makenna laughed. “At the moment.”
“Well, between you and me, I think he has some twisted fantasy…” he leaned in closer to her and whispered, “...that I’m about to get laid.”
Makenna shook her head, rolling her eyes. “That sounds about right for him,” she groused.
Ryan draped his jacket over his shoulder and placed his hat on his head with a pop against the brim. He gripped the handle of his luggage with his free hand. “He can keep on dreaming. It was never like that with Lex and me.”
Makenna pursed her lips, adjusting the scarf around her neck. “A sick man’s fantasy. Now quit stalling. She’s waiting.”
“Okay! I’m going, I’m going,” he chuckled. Ryan kissed Makenna on the temple. “Give him hell.”
Her head tilted to the side, bobbing in a tiny nod. “Just for you. Have a good time with your friend.”
“Thanks. I plan on it.” Ryan slipped out the door of the aircraft. Rather than walking, he trotted down the jet bridge, his luggage bouncing behind him. He had to restrain himself from breaking into a full sprint. Run or walk, it didn’t matter. Nothing could get him to Alexis fast enough.
Meanwhile, Alexis stood at the entrance of the pilot’s lounge, her body a bundle of nerves.
This room looked like any other airport bar. A wooden bar top with green leather-bound bar stools pressed against it. A handsome, young bartender stood behind the bar wiping down the glass in his hand. Tables and chairs were stationed around the room, some filled, some not. The air smelled fresh and the lighting was bright, unlike dive-type bars or nightclubs she’d visited when Jenna was on the prowl for her next cheating slimeball.
Her cell phone vibrated in her hand. She glanced down, expecting an angry response from her father. Instead she got a message from him freaking out about the fact that he hadn’t realized she was coming into town today. He stated he wasn’t even in transit to the airport and informed her to get a cab and he’d pay for it, because he was in a meeting that he couldn’t get out of to come for her.
Alexis re-read the message. Anger and hurt swelled inside her. For weeks she’d reminded her father of her arrival and while it didn’t surprise her that he’d forgotten, it still stung.
“Can I help you, miss?” a husky voice cut through her thoughts.
Alexis looked up into the blue eyes of the bartender. She cleared her throat, shoving her phone into her pocket. “Um, yes. I’m Doctor Alexis York. I’m supposed to meet Ryan Fisher here.”
“Ah, yes. I was expecting you. May I see some identification?”
Alexis opened her messenger bag and retrieved her wallet. She flipped it open to her driver’s license, and presented it to the bartender. He studied it for a moment, before he glanced between it and her. The picture was kind of old, reflecting a time when she’d chopped her hair off into a short wedge, but in her opinion, it still looked like her.
Ugh. I’m going to have to update that when I change over my license. She mentally added the new chore to her to-do list once she got her new address taken care of.
“Thanks.” He waved his hand out toward the open floor. “You can have a seat anywhere. My name’s Chad. Can I get you anything?”
“White wine,” Alexis replied.
Chad slipped a wine glass down from the rack and pulled a chilled bottle of wine from the cooler. He poured up her drink and handed it to her. Alexis withdrew her credit card from her wallet and slid it over to him as she took her drink. “You want to start a tab?”
Alexis took a sip from her wine glass.
As Ryan passed the galley, he caught sight of Makenna who was taking inventory. “Thanks again,” he told her. “He pretty much just ordered me off the plane.”
She blew her hair back from her eyes and smiled up at the young pilot. “He’s persistent when he wants to be,” she claimed with a wink.
“Is that what we’re calling it?”
Makenna laughed. “At the moment.”
“Well, between you and me, I think he has some twisted fantasy…” he leaned in closer to her and whispered, “...that I’m about to get laid.”
Makenna shook her head, rolling her eyes. “That sounds about right for him,” she groused.
Ryan draped his jacket over his shoulder and placed his hat on his head with a pop against the brim. He gripped the handle of his luggage with his free hand. “He can keep on dreaming. It was never like that with Lex and me.”
Makenna pursed her lips, adjusting the scarf around her neck. “A sick man’s fantasy. Now quit stalling. She’s waiting.”
“Okay! I’m going, I’m going,” he chuckled. Ryan kissed Makenna on the temple. “Give him hell.”
Her head tilted to the side, bobbing in a tiny nod. “Just for you. Have a good time with your friend.”
“Thanks. I plan on it.” Ryan slipped out the door of the aircraft. Rather than walking, he trotted down the jet bridge, his luggage bouncing behind him. He had to restrain himself from breaking into a full sprint. Run or walk, it didn’t matter. Nothing could get him to Alexis fast enough.
Meanwhile, Alexis stood at the entrance of the pilot’s lounge, her body a bundle of nerves.
This room looked like any other airport bar. A wooden bar top with green leather-bound bar stools pressed against it. A handsome, young bartender stood behind the bar wiping down the glass in his hand. Tables and chairs were stationed around the room, some filled, some not. The air smelled fresh and the lighting was bright, unlike dive-type bars or nightclubs she’d visited when Jenna was on the prowl for her next cheating slimeball.
Her cell phone vibrated in her hand. She glanced down, expecting an angry response from her father. Instead she got a message from him freaking out about the fact that he hadn’t realized she was coming into town today. He stated he wasn’t even in transit to the airport and informed her to get a cab and he’d pay for it, because he was in a meeting that he couldn’t get out of to come for her.
Alexis re-read the message. Anger and hurt swelled inside her. For weeks she’d reminded her father of her arrival and while it didn’t surprise her that he’d forgotten, it still stung.
“Can I help you, miss?” a husky voice cut through her thoughts.
Alexis looked up into the blue eyes of the bartender. She cleared her throat, shoving her phone into her pocket. “Um, yes. I’m Doctor Alexis York. I’m supposed to meet Ryan Fisher here.”
“Ah, yes. I was expecting you. May I see some identification?”
Alexis opened her messenger bag and retrieved her wallet. She flipped it open to her driver’s license, and presented it to the bartender. He studied it for a moment, before he glanced between it and her. The picture was kind of old, reflecting a time when she’d chopped her hair off into a short wedge, but in her opinion, it still looked like her.
Ugh. I’m going to have to update that when I change over my license. She mentally added the new chore to her to-do list once she got her new address taken care of.
“Thanks.” He waved his hand out toward the open floor. “You can have a seat anywhere. My name’s Chad. Can I get you anything?”
“White wine,” Alexis replied.
Chad slipped a wine glass down from the rack and pulled a chilled bottle of wine from the cooler. He poured up her drink and handed it to her. Alexis withdrew her credit card from her wallet and slid it over to him as she took her drink. “You want to start a tab?”
Alexis took a sip from her wine glass.
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