Page 40 of Shared By the Pilots

“Do you know if we have any of those Diet Dr. Peppers left? The cart up front was all out, and I have a craving.”

“Let me see.” I heard the sound of rummaging.

“What about in the back of the cart?” Veronica asked pointedly. “I know it’s tough to get back there, but I think I saw one…”

I realized what was happening: she was getting Sharon to look the other way. This was my chance.

Putting my full trust in Veronica, I opened the curtain and smoothly stepped up into the aisle. Heather was helping a passenger much farther up the plane, but otherwise nobody nearby was aware of anything.

I closed the curtain behind me and opened the one to my original bunk. Then I sat down on the edge and checked the time on my phone. Thirty minutes had passed since I got into the bunk. I still had plenty of time to try to catch some actual sleep.

There’s no way I can fall asleep after that, I thought, rising from my bunk and pretending to stretch.I’m going to be wired for the next twenty-four hours.

“Done with your nap?” Heather suddenly asked next to me. “That was quick, but if you’re finished…”

“It’s all yours,” I said with a smile. “I think I’m going to stay up.”

I shared a private grin with Veronica before going into the lavatory myself.

22

Veronica

I couldn’t go to sleep after all ofthat, so I sat in my bunk and did a crossword puzzle to help my brain relax. I only got one answer completed though; I kept staring down at the bunk where Adam had just been. I replayed the sex in my mind over and over. It had happened so fast that it didn’t seem real.

It really happened. We had sex. On a plane. While we’re both working!The blowjob I gave Luke in the cockpit on the runway seemed tame by comparison.

When my hour was up, I discreetly removed the blanket that was covering the bunk and carried it with me into the rear cabin. “Your turn,” I told Sharon, who was sitting in one of the jump seats reading her book.

Adam and I spent the rest of the flight sharing cutesy smiles. We had a secret, and that made everything so much hotter. I already couldn’t wait until we had a chance to do it again. Maybe not on a plane, but somewhere more private.

The lights came on and we prepared the breakfast service, which involved a granola bar and a container of yogurt for the economy passengers. Then we were descending into Madrid, and disembarking the plane.

“So, what trouble do you want to get into?” I asked Adam after we passed through the employee section at customs. “I’ve been to Madrid plenty of times, so I know all the cool spots.”

“I actually have plans,” Adam said with a wince. “An old friend from college lives in Seville, and took the train up here to spend the day with me.”

“Oh,” I said.

“And just so there’s no misunderstanding, that friend is aguy. His name is Eduardo. This isn’t an excuse to avoid you, I promise.”

“I’ll choose to believe you,” I teased. “But I’m extremely happy that Eduardo is not a female friend.”

Adam smirked. “Although Eduardo does have a sister. She might have come with him to Madrid…”

“No,” I said, jabbing a finger at him. “You can’t make me jealous, no matter how hard you try.”

“Challenge accepted.” Adam glanced around to make sure the other crew from our flight weren’t around, then kissed me. “See you on the return flight.”

I was disappointed that I didn’t get to spend the day with Adam, but a fun foreign city was a great way to spend my time instead. I did everything that was originally on my itinerary: I visited The Prado museum, which took up most of my day, then consumed several glasses of wine in the Chueca district while people-watching. That was followed by dinner, and then an early bedtime at our hotel.

The flight back was eleven hours, uninterrupted by sleep since we were chasing the sun rather than moving forward across time zones. Adam and I kept sharing private little smiles while we worked, our fingers lingering together every time I passed him a can of soda while we serviced the economy passengers.

When we landed in Houston and exited the plane, Adam said, “That was a boring flight.”

I glanced over at him. “It was?”

“Yeah,” he said without looking over at me. “I didn’t sleep withanyone. Boring.”

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