Page 36 of Shared By the Pilots

At the back of the Boeing 767, past the bathrooms and rear cabin, were two narrow beds where the flight crew could get some sleep. Obviously not everyone could sleep at the same time, and not for very long, but it at least gave us the option.

“You can get the first shift of sleep if you want,” Sharon told me. “I’m at the end of the most recent Colleen Hoover book and I don’t think I could sleep until I finish it.”

I rarely slept on these flights, but it was nice to get away from the passengers and rest my eyes a little bit. The beds were on either side of the aisle, with a privacy curtain for each of them. Neither were occupied, so I put my phone on the pillow of the left bed and went to the restroom.

When I returned, Adam was sliding into the bed on the right, across the aisle. “Hi,” I said.

“Hello,” he replied. “You won the coin toss for first sleep shift?”

“Actually, Sharon gave it to me without a fight. She wants to finish reading her book.”

Adam glanced over his shoulder, then leaned close enough to whisper. “My partner, Heather, insisted we flip a coin. But after I won, she looked really unhappy about it. So I offered to let her sleep first, and insisted she take it, but she just sighed and told me it was fine. I think shewantedto pout about it. I heard her complaining to the captain when he came out to get his meal.”

“Some people want to be unhappy and pretend the world is out to get them.”

“She’ll get her wish.” He leaned closer. “When I’m done sleeping, I’m going toaccidentallyspill coke all over the bunk so she can’t use it. That will give her something to complain about.”

I laughed at the unexpected bit of pettiness from Adam.

“Just so we’re clear, I’m only joking,” he said.

“Suuuure,” I replied while untying my ponytail so I could sleep. “Now I’m going to accidentally spill a drink inmybed and pretend that you did it. Turn the entire crew against you.”

Adam glared at me. “Goodnight, Veronica.”

“Goodnight, Adam,” I replied sweetly.

I got into my bed and closed the privacy curtain. A few seconds later, I heard Adam doing the same. I pulled out my phone to do today’s Wordle and Quordle puzzles, but found myself staring at the screen without really paying attention.

I liked Adam. He was funny. And we definitely hadsomesort of chemistry. If we had never gone out on our date, I wouldn’t have worried about it. I would have enjoyed him as a nice coworker I could flirt with and left it at that.

But I couldn’t do that. We’d had a date together, and it wasfun. And then, inexplicably, he had ended it before it could go anywhere.

“You still awake?” he asked, voice barely audible over the background drone of the engines.

I considered ignoring him, but my curiosity was raised. “Yup.”

“How’s everything going with Captain Hendricks?”

Something about the way he saidCaptain Hendricksdug at me. It was like he was insisting Luke was somebody formal, not someone I should be dating. Okay, maybe I was projecting my own emotions onto his question, but still.

“I’m not sure that’s any of your business,” I replied curtly.

There was silence for several minutes. One of the other cabin crew came into the back, rummaged around with a drink and ice, then disappeared again.

“It’s not my business, no,” he finally said. “But you and I went on a date together, and I was curious, so I thought I would ask.”

I pulled aside the curtain. “Are yousurewe went on a date? Because it seemed like everything was going fine, and then you gave me a kiss on the cheek and went home.”

“And then you never called me,” he said. “Or texted me. Or made any indication that you wanted to go out with me again.”

“Because you kissed me on the cheek and ended the night early!”

He tore open the privacy curtain so I could see his scowl. “Because I was annoyed you only went out with me to make Captain Hendricks jealous.”

“I… you think I was using you?You’rethe one who askedmeout!” I shot back.

“Because Dex told me to. He said you thought I was hot.”

---