Page 37 of Fly Boy
“I was thinking of replacing the Phenom with one of their single-crewed planes.” He laughs, clutching his belly. “Call me unconventional, but I like being able to choose if I want to be flown by one or two of my pilots on my planes.”
“Unconventional isn’t what I would call you, Charlie,” Nancy laughs. “Greedy, maybe. I still don’t understand why youwanttwo jets to begin with.”
“Because I need two,” he replies like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
“Needandwantare two different things, honey,” she states, drumming her fingers on the table.
Mr. Cartwright’s quiet for a beat, frowning in concentration. He clicks his fingers, and a broad grin appears on his face.
“Pippa needs one so she can be flown back and forth for training, and then I need one for when my presence is required at any of my offices across the country at a moment’s notice.”
“You have more money than sense.” Nancy rolls her eyes playfully, lifting her book off her lap and opening it to the page with a bookmark slotted inside. “But boys and their toys,” she mutters as she starts to read.
“Okay, so what is the point of having the Phenom checked when you’re going to get rid of it?” Phillipa asks.
“Resale, Pippa. Everything is about resale,” he says simply.
“Well, what about this one?” Pippa asks. Leaning across the aisle, she grabs a brochure and flicks to a page with a two-page spread of a sleek black jet. “It allows for single and multi-crew like you want. So put in an order, and we can stop disrupting everyone's time just to fly me to training.”
I glance at Mr. Cartwright and Nancy, both seemingly unaware of Phillipa’s words. They might not hear it, but I can. The quicker her father buys his new plane, the quicker she doesn’t need to be flown in a craft that requires two pilots. But unlike her, a second pilot is whatIneed. Because a new plane means she doesn’t need to behave. A new plane means we’re alone.
I tilt my head, forcing myself to skim over the specifications.
“That one is nice,” I comment, and Phillipa smiles smugly, slotting the brochure into her father’s outstretched hand. “But, if I’m being honest, sir, it looks like a lot of what you already have on the Phenom is an additional extra on that one. If you want to upgrade to get better specs, that might not be the one to go for.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” he says, flipping the booklet back to the cover and setting it on the table.
“But that one can fly more nautical miles than the Phenom and the Gulfstream,” she argues.
I'd be standing with my jaw open if I wasn’t so good at keeping my emotions hidden. There is no way she’s aware of the differences between two of the manufacturers, let alone the estimated distances they can fly.
“And it’s more environmentally friendly.” She continues to list all the ways the plane she suggested is better than the ones her father owns now, and I find myself utterly stuck. Vulnerable. Flirtatious. Kind. Embarrassed.Smart.Each new way to describe Phillipa smacking into me like clear air turbulence, knocking me off kilter.
“That may be, but if Wyatt doesn’t think it’s as good…”
“You know about planes?” I ask, thinking back to when she knew the Phenom could be flown by a single pilot, rudely interrupting my boss.
Phillipa shrugs. “Dads had these brochures for a while and takes them everywhere with him,” she says, as if that explains anything. “Sometimes I get bored.”
Mr. Cartwright looks lovingly at his daughter. “She’s like a magpie, this one. Sees something shiny and wants it. Just like her dad.”
“Well, Miss Cartwright is correct, sir.” Phillipa turns to face me, her arms folding over her chest, her eyebrows raised as she waits for what I’m going to say. “That manufacturer is in the top ten jets in the world, but then again, if it were up to me, the Bombardier is the one to beat.”
Something flickers in her gaze as she stares at me, but I’m distracted as her dad almost launches across the table, searching through the flyers. “Ah, yes. The Bombardier. Now, where is it?” Slapping a hand on top of the booklet, he snatches it triumphantly into the air. “This baby has just been released, and it has a private cabin and something called Dynamic Daylight Simulation…whatever that means.”
I smile and take the glossy pages from him. “Why don’t I look over these and get back to you with my opinions? I wouldn’t want you to rush into buying something that isn’t up to your standard.”
“Rush into something,” Phillipa snorts under her breath.
My eyes ache with the need to look at her, to see her expression. Thankfully, Liam appears back inside, a broad smile on his face. “We’re ready to head back whenever you are.”
Chapter Fourteen
I shouldn’t be disappointedthat Liam is here again when I walk on board the stupid two-pilot plane the next morning, but I am. This is the part of the week I enjoy the most, the quick trip to Lake Placid, but instead of feeling excited, my skin feels tight and itchy, like I’m on edge.
I know what Wyatt’s doing, too. Telling my father the Phenom needs to be checked over on the off chance there’s storm damage. Biggest load of bullshit.
It’s the lodge all over again—him unwilling to be alone with me.
