Page 35 of The Backtrack
“You’ve never flown with me,” she said. “This is where I went to flight school. Haven’t flown one of these tiny Cessna planes in a minute, but they say it’s like riding a bike.”
Sam parked, unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car. Damon frowned as he got out and shut the door. “When you saytiny, what are we talking about here?”
“Come on.” Sam took his hand to lead him to the stairs and toward the flight school’s airport tarmac. The way his palm fit just so against her own, and the feel of his rough skin... The fish in her stomach flipped again. She dropped his hand to remind herself that they werejust friends. “I got on your motorcycle, now you get in my plane.”
“I’m not sure that’s a one-for-one comparison,” Damon said, shaking out his own hand.
“You never got to see this, because we weren’t hanging out as much when I was in flight school, and you were just starting to dabble in brewing your own beer. Our hours sort of conflicted.”
Truthfully, she’d laser-focused herself on getting in as many flight hours as quickly as she could so she could leave Tybee faster. She and Damon still saw each other for Friday night movies, but they went from hanging out daily to only seeing each other once a week. Their relationship had shifted, and she’d chosen not to open up about flight school, because she began to pull back from Damon, knowing she’d need to find her own path without him.
“I’ve never brought anyone else here, actually,” Sam acknowledged. “Not even Pearl.”
Sam pushed through the glass doors to the flight school, where a reception desk and various placards dotted the walls. The office was set within an airplane hangar, certainly not the biggest one she’d ever seen, but when she’d first come here she’d stood in awe of the place.
Sam inhaled the scent of fuel and metal and the fresh air.
“I’m the only person you’ve brought here?” Damon asked.
Luckily, a booming voice called out to save her from answering. “Samantha Leto!”
Sam turned to see Captain Jonah Sires, her original teacher. The man who had mentored her to become the pilot she now was. “Captain,” she said with a massive smile.
He opened his arms and she embraced him. He wore a black bomber jacket with the school’s insignia. His once thinning hair was now completely gone, and his skin was weathered from all the time spent outside and in planes.
“When they told me you were coming, I almost didn’t believe them,” the captain said. “What do you want with one of our little guys when you’ve got a yacht of your own?”
“Was hoping to do a quick trip with my friend here.” She nodded to Damon, who raised his hand in acknowledgment.
“Are we talking a discovery flight?” Captain Sires extended his hand to Damon, who shook it.
“Discovery flight?” Damon looked confused.
“No, captain,” Sam answered. “Damon isn’t interested in flight school. This is more of a joy ride.”
“Ah, you want to show off, then? Some things never change.” The captain gently elbowed her.
Sam smiled knowingly. She and Captain Sires had liked to egg each other on. Doing simple tricks in the air once she’d mastered the basics.
“Follow me,” Captain Sires said, leading them farther into the hangar.
“Sam, this is small,” Damon said under his breath as they approached the two-seater Cessna. “Smaller than yourtinyled me to believe. It’s more like miniature.”
“Don’t worry, this plane comes fully equipped with life vests. Worst-case scenario, we’ll do a nosedive into the ocean and go for a swim.” Sam gave him a wicked grin.
Like Damon said, the plane was small, smaller than she remembered. And when they were both seated next to each other, their shoulders pressed together from the lack of space. Sam helped Damon buckle in and gave him a pair of headphones to put over his head. “This will help us hear each other,” she said as she put her own on.
“Testing, testing,” she said.
He shook his head, and she leaned over to make sure the cords were connected. In doing so, though, her face was just in front of his. She could feel his hot breath across her cheek as she switched the power button on. She pulled back and heard his steady breaths coming in and out through the microphone. “Can you hear me now?” she asked again.
“Yeah,” he said.
She stayed locked on him for a beat too long, nearly falling into the chocolate well of his eyes, then abruptly pulled back. She cleared her throat and refocused on the equipment.Just friends.
“We’re cleared for takeoff,” she said. “Let’s kick the tires and light the fires.”
“Could younotsayfire?” Damon said, which made her laugh.
