Page 24 of Forever Fickle

“Good morning,” she said easily, setting the box of donuts beside the coffee pot – only to see him freeze.

“Morning,” he said quietly, before linking his fingers behind his neck and stretching upwards towards the ceiling. She heard something pop faintly and his sigh, before he rubbed the back of his neck again almost absently. “You’re in a good mood.”

“You’re not,” she countered, surprised.

“Didn’t sleep.”

“I’m sorry,” she said instinctively and took a step back as he turned to her.

“Are you?”

“No… but it’s what you say when you are being polite,” she said evasively. “Why couldn’t you sleep? Are you going to be fit to fly today?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine… and you don’t want to know,” Jace bit out, pouring two cups of coffee. “Why didn’t you get in the plane last night?”

“I didn’t feel like it.”

“Why?”

“Why is it bothering you?”

“Because I’m actually trying… and I don’t know where I’m failing at,” he said bluntly, looking so disoriented it was almost laughable. “I mean, is it so hard to spend a little time with me? We have coffee in the mornings, and it seems to be okay until…”

“Until you start pressuring me,” she finished softly. “Maybe you are trying too hard to show off when you could just be yourself.”

“I don’t think you’d like me if I was just… me,” he admitted. “Girls always want to go out with pilots, they like the uniform, the fact that it’s an easy date… and then I’m gone in the blink of an eye.”

“Maybe those are the wrong girls you’ve been seeing,” she countered in a hushed voice, feeling almost exposed at admitting it aloud.

“So, if I was myself, just a dorky, shy guy, that never left… you’d give me a chance?”

“We both know that isn’t a possibility, now don’t we? I don’t think there is a shy bone in your body, Mr. Sorensen.”

“I have to fly out early Monday morning,” he said grimly.

“Exactly.”

“So, because I’m a decent guy that holds down a job, a career, you won’t even give me the time of day? Do you prefer to date dirtbags who are worthless?”

“I don’t date anyone, Mr. Sorensen…” she whispered.

“Jace– and why?” he stressed candidly and looking at her in dismay.

“Because it’s too hard – and I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I think we should, because I want to date you. I want to go out with you, talk to you, get to know you better, Karen… and I don’t care how long it takes to get to that point.”

“You are going to find someone else at your next stop…” she countered, laughing, only to have that laughter dry up at his stony expression.

“No – I won’t,” he said firmly, his jaw flexing.

“What?” she whispered in disbelief, unable to help the smile that touched her face at his outrageous statement.

He looked like he actually believed what he was saying but she knew better. Playboys always lied to get their way, before moving on to the next target. It was so much easier just not to be on said target.

Before she could open her mouth again to say something, there was a look on his face that stopped her.

“I’m not looking anywhere else,” Jace said bluntly and then sighed heavily, putting his head down in his hands as if to hide his face. He looked like he was ashamed of the words coming out of his mouth.

---