Page 38 of Beauty Beneath the Sorrow
Lina
“If 26b does not stop hitting her call light, I’m going to fucking lose it,” I say under my breath. Annoyed, I head back up the aisle with Avery quietly laughing behind me.
“Hi, ma’am. Is everything alright?” I plaster a melodramatic smile on my face.
The woman’s lips set in a hardline. “I spilled my cranberry and vodka again.”Third time on this flight.
“Do you need more napkins?” I ask.
“I do. I would not have spilled if it wasn’t for all the bumps,” she complains, handing me her empty plastic cup.
“I am sorry about the light turbulence, but that’s not something we can control,” I offer, handing her a few napkins from my front pocket.
She scoffs and snatches them from me. The man sitting next to her in the aisle seat shoots me a sympathetic look. Once she’s cleaned up, I walk to the back of the plane, ready for this long flight to be over.
“What did she need this time?” Avery asks, rinsing out the coffee machine.
“More napkins.”
Avery scrunches her nose. “Did she spill her cocktail again?”
“Yes.” I sigh. “Because of the turbulence.”
“We’ve barely had any on this flight. It’s actually been smoother than my last few.”
“Same,” I agree, shooting her a side-eye.
Thomas, the other flight attendant on our crew today, walks up. “We should grab the remaining trash. I’m sure Hernandez will be making his announcement soon.”
Avery and I are walking through the cabin, collecting the last bits of trash from the passengers. As we finish our flight into New York City, I hear a husky but smooth voice from the speaker. My stomach flutters, and I crack a smile.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. On behalf of the flight crew, I’d like to thank you for spending your afternoon with us ...”
Unconsciously, I pull my bottom lip between my teeth. “Thank you,” I say to a passenger as she hands me her empty pretzel bags.
Avery squeezes by me, headed to the front of the plane. “I saw that.”
“What?” I bite back, another smile threatening to take over my entire goddamn face.
She flips her hair around and arches a brow. “You know what.”
“As we begin our final descent into New York City, please make sure your seats and tray tables are back in their upright and locked positions …”
I clamp my eyes shut, ignore her, and shove the small white bag into the trash can. I can’t hide this from Avery, but I also can’t get Denver’s intimate moment out of my mind. I can stillfeel the heat of Carter’s hand on my back as he gently pushed me on the swing. I haven’t bothered to wash his sweater, either.
I feel like I’m back in high school, obsessing over a guy who was nice enough to give me his jacket when I was cold. But the positive memories of cheerleading, bonfires, and prom are overshadowed by the darkness that still follows me from that stormy night after my junior year homecoming dance. My expression falls.
“Lina? Are you okay?” Avery asks, concerned.
My eyelids flutter a few times. “Yeah. I’m fine, sorry.”
“We’re getting ready to land,” she reminds me.
I nod quickly, find my jumpseat, and buckle the seatbelt. Resting my head against the firm rubber, I think of Carter landing the plane and what a thrill that must be for him. Over the last year, the urge to step from the cabin to the cockpit has become more robust. I never knew where to start or if I could even do it. I push away the thoughts like I have many times before.
I started thinking about this more around the time when Carter began working for our airline. I’ve become restless with my current life. There has to be more to it. A partner to travel and share my passion for flying with? Is there someone like that out there? I’ve always been the girl that men date. I’m not the type they settle down with. Men want to have fun with me, party with me, and hook up when I fly into town.
The other flight crew members and I are walking up the jetway and into the busy New York City airport.
