Page 52 of Jace 4Ever
The next doors led us out to the tarmac where there were lines to follow. There were dozens of jets around, but Nelson knew exactly where he was going. He led me to the stairs of a gleaming white jet with smoke gray tail and motioned me up the stairs.
The interior was…amazing. There were beautiful gray leather seats and sofas, wood and burnished nickel accents, tables and chairs. We had to walk through the galley to get to the living space.
“Holy shit…”
“You like? It’s an older model because I couldn’t justify a new one, but I got the best one I could find. It had about a thousand landings on it, and I had the floor replaced because it had been ruined by some beer someone spilled and didn’t mop up. I also had them pull out the double divan in the back and replace one with a pull out bed and add a shower.”
“Nelson, when you said private plane, I thought you meant a six-seater and a pilot.” I gawked openly at the décor around me.
“No, no. I like being able to come and go on my own terms. And I always wanted my own plane like this when I was a kid.”
This was…unreal. This was my boyfriend’s private plane.
“We’re ready for final checks, Mister Powers,” came a voice from behind us. “We should be taking off on time.”
“Captain. When you’re ready.” Nelson smiled. “Oh. Captain Grossman, this is my boyfriend, Jace McIntire.” He put a hand on the small of my back.
“Mister McIntire, a pleasure,” the captain said and held out a hand for me to shake.
I did, and he excused himself to take care of the plane.
“Let’s put your tools in the storage, and we can sit down and get ready for takeoff.” Nelson motioned me to the second cabin area in the back.
There was a door on the right, and when he opened it, our luggage and the captain’s and copilots’ luggage was secured there. Nelson took my toolbox and secured it on a shelf. Backing out, he locked the door and motioned to the next door. “The bathroom. The shower is a bit oddly shaped, but I really wanted the shower on board because sometimes I was running from coast to coast and didn’t have time to stop for one. It’s been really convenient, and you’re welcome to it once we reach cruising altitude.”
“Damn,” I mumbled.
“What?” He sounded worried.
“Nothing, I just…”
How did I put into words that I wondered why the hell he was interested in me? Until just a few months ago, I had been broke as hell. I’d been homeless, I’d walked the streets, I’d been pimped out, and I’d been used for so many reasons. I was just…me. And he liked me, kept me around, encouraged me, supported me in ways that were beyond words.
“You’ll get used to it,” Nelson whispered in my ear, wrapping his arms around me. “Keep working on scripts with me and you’ll get used to it. I plan on taking care of you, Jace. This is just a little part of it.”
Christ. This man was everything I’d dreamed of.
“Let’s go buckle in and we can get this show on the road.”
Captain Grossman had us off the ground just five minutes late, which couldn’t be helped because of ground traffic. I wasn’t complaining. Once we reached cruising altitude, Nelson showed me the shower and told me there was about twenty minutes of hot water.
It was really, really weird to shower in an airplane. There was even a window at the end of the shower, where I could see the clouds whizzing by.
This was myboyfriend’splane I was showering in at 30,000 feet on the way to Los Angeles for the Oscars.
How was this my life?
I finally felt like I was beginning to live. That it wasn’t just going to be a series of shit circumstances that I muddled through.
And when Nelson said I could borrow his plane, he never mentioned it was a goddamn Learjet.
After I finally got out of the shower, I found myself in the main cabin. The table between two chairs was set for dinner, and he was in the galley, putzing around. He turned and smiled at me, then motioned me to the chair. “Sit. I’ll have the food in a minute.”
I sat, and a little chuckle escaped me. “So, wait. You have a multimillion dollar plane and no flight attendant?”
“Nah.” He walked over with two plates and put one in front of me. “I took all the safety courses that a flight attended has to, and I help with doors and preflight interior checks. I’m perfectly capable of putting a meal in a hot box to warm it up. It’s silly to have a flight attendant when it’s only me, the flight crew, and one or two other people ever.”
The plate in front of me was way more than an airplane meal. There was a chicken breast in some kind of sauce, a baked potato, and green beans. Before I could ask about it, Nelson was pouring a glass of white wine for me.
