Page 52 of Forever Fascinating

* * *

Sitting back at the computer,smiling, Matthew opened another tab and started to research places to stay in Athens. He sent a couple of places for Jana to look at in an email and realized that this was actually happening.

They were going to Greece together.

He couldn’t wait to spend a few days looking around with her… and just spend time holding her hand or seeing her smile.

“What are you smiling at, Vapor? Reilly wants us in debriefing in fifteen minutes,” Hot Cakes said, looking over the wooden dividers that the computers were in.

Matthew immediately reached forward and cut the screen off, holding his breath and trying not to look nervous. If he saw the location, name, or the email address that was currently on the screen, the other man would know in a heartbeat.

Both men locked eyes in a silent battle.

“Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine,” Matthew said calmly, not looking away. “Just a little something personal and I would rather have my business be my own. By the way, congratulations to you and your wife again. I barely had a chance to say so in Texas and you two flew out pretty fast after the reception.”

“We had reservations in Padre Island at this little resort on the beach.”

“Nice. I’m happy for you,” Matthew suddenly couldn’t resist baiting the tiger, curious to see if anything had been said to anyone. “How’s your sister doing?”

The other pilot’s face darkened with anger as his smile faded.

“My sister is fine – and completely off-limits, remember?”

“I know that,” Matthew said calmly. “I was just being polite – and your parents? Are they well? I was just emailing my own parents back home in Boston.”

“They are fine, too. Thank you.”

“Just making casual conversation with my teammate, right? I’m logging off the computer now and will meet you in the debriefing room in just a moment.”

Hot Cakes walked off – and Matthew let out his breath.

No, her brother would be absolutely irate, if he knew that Matthew was whisking Jana off to Greece, intent on pursuing a relationship with her. If things continued to go well, they would have to tell their families at some point… and Hot Cakes could just break his nose then.

* * *

The next morning,Matthew fell in line with the other members of his squadron, after the debriefing yesterday. Apparently, there was some activity north of here and they were to fly out, investigate, and report back their findings.

A.K.A – let me know if something looks funny or shoots at you, Matthew thought glibly, gulping down his coffee quickly as they were taking to their Falcons and heading out.

Gathering up his helmet, he checked his gear, harness, and pants again, knowing those things would keep him from passing out if he had to pull some severe maneuvers. The pants would squeeze his legs, forcing the blood back up towards his brain… and the first time he felt exactly how they worked was something he would never forget.

He'd gone up with an instructor after mouthing off in class at the Academy, thought he was being singled out for a surprise flight… oh and it was a surprise alright!

His instructor shot straight into the sky, pulling G-forces so fast, so powerful, that Matthew didn’t know if he was going to vomit or simply pass out cold.

Turns out he did both… when he came to.

His instructor slapped him on the helmet,hard, putting his finger in his face and yelled, “That’s why you don’t question me – and that’s why you wear your uniform correctly, flyboy! Get me?”

Matthew barely uttered, ‘Sir, yes, sir’… before leaning out of the jet, vomiting, realizing his helmet was still on, and yanking it off.

His face had been covered, his nose full, and he’d vomited again, there on the tarmac beside the jet. The other students had laughed at him for weeks, and it was a valuable lesson that he had learned.

Climbing into his Falcon, Matthew slid down in the narrow seat and started his preflight checks. Plugging in his helmet, he listened to the rest of the team talk idly about how dinner was supposed to be chicken fried steak and potatoes – and how such simple joys made them happy.

For him, it was looking forward to something… and clinging to memories.

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