Apparently, Firefly, Armadillo, and Alpo were the only ones on site today because the others were at home with their wives, the hospital, or in Alaska visiting family… and Alpo was going home to check on Glory as soon as Jace arrived.
Firefly was also heading out because his daughter had caught a cold at daycare, and he needed to pick her up.
Armadillo couldn’t leave the facility because he was teaching a class… so they were going to send their receptionist during this interim to pick him up.
* * *
… Hot Cakes,please do us all a favor and be nice to Karen. She’s an absolute sweetheart and a godsend. She took to the system like she was born to it, and we need her here for at least another two months.
Keep it in your pants, buddy…
Karen is completely off-limits during your trip. If you want to pick up girls, you can head into town during your time off.
Love ya, man… but we alsoknowya!
See you soon,
Alpo
* * *
Rolling his eyes,Jace felt a tap on his shoulder and looked behind him. A woman was sitting directly behind him, holding out a business card with long, hot pink fingernails and giving him a bold smile.
“Call me…” she said quietly – and Jace felt a little amused. He accepted the business card and nodded.
“Maybe I will…” he said coolly, causing her smile to widen.
She was alright, but a little more aggressive than he typically liked. Girls like that tended to be very independent or out to settle a score. The last one had been divorced almost a month and looking to scratch an ‘itch’ – that he would not indulge in.
Nope.
That was the first time he’d ever been kicked in the nether regions by a girl in his life. She’d been so mad, screaming at him, and he just didn’t know when to shut his stupid mouth.
“… Maybe… that’s why… he divorced… you?” Jace had wheezed, holding himself on the floor, when she threw a lamp at him.
He wasn’t the ‘Him-bo’that Firefly had dubbed him – he hadsomescruples, but people often didn’t think highly of him, giving him the immediate brush-off.
Getting up from his seat, Jace slipped the card into his pocket… just in case.
CHAPTER4
KAREN
“Hey Karen, huuuuuge favor to ask,”Armadillo began, leaning on the door frame and smiling at her, before holding up his finger to his mouth, as he realized she was scheduling an appointment.
“Alpo? You made the sign?”
“Yep,” Alpo stood there in the distance, right behind Armadillo, as the two men waited for her to get off the phone. This had to be the easiest job she’d ever tackled and loved it so far.
“Thanks.”
Karen hung up the phone and quickly jotted down the phone number beside her scrawled handwriting on the tablet, before looking up at the two men standing there in the door frame.
“Karen, can do you do a favor for me? We’ve got another pilot flying in today and one next week to help out, but Firefly just got the phone call that his daughter is sick. He’s getting ready to head out,” Armadillo began and took a deep breath, looking a little uncomfortable at asking her for help.
“Alpo is gonna finish on the Cessna and I’ve got the two o’clock class to teach. Could you please pick up the pilot at DFW? We made a sign for you and all you have to do is wait in baggage claim for Jace Sorensen.”
“Sure.”