TAILSPIN

  “How many sectors do you usually have per day?” Devon asks.

  “For short haul, normally around four to six. Long haul will be around two.”

  Devon nods. “Sounds about average.”

  “We have around fifty-five pilots here and two hundred crew. I’ll take you to meet my first officer, Danny Bryden. He was in the RAF, so I should imagine you will have a lot to talk about.”

  Devon smiles. “I know him.”

  Aaron looks shocked. “Really? It’s a small world, isn’t it?”

  Devon nods. “It certainly is.”

  We’re taken around to all the planes, and we even get to go inside one so we could see it in greater detail. The aircrafts at Sutherland all look clean and comfortable, having what looks like a little more legroom than most.

  Once we step off the plane, an officer approaches us and shakes our hands. When he sees Devon, they hug, patting each other’s backs, and start talking about the old days.

  As Joanne talks with Mark and Anthony, Aaron slides over to me. “We haven’t had much chance to talk. How are you?”

  I look at Devon chatting and laughing without a care in the world. “I’m in New York. I’m definitely okay.”

  “Hmm,” he muses, looking into my eyes. “I’m not sure whether you’re telling the truth. You seem … lost.”

  I look at Devon again before turning my attention back to Aaron. “I’m fine.”

  “Uh-oh, there’s that word every man hates to hear coming out of a woman’s mouth. ‘Fine’ is like a red flag to a man. It means run as fast as you can.”

  I laugh. “I’m doing great. Honestly.”

  He looks over at Devon, then back at me. “Problems with the boss?” He quirks his eyebrow at me.

  “Nothing I can’t handle.”

  He smiles. “I’m sure you can.”

  “Andi, we haven’t had a chance to talk. How are you?” Joanne saunters over, offering me her hand.

  “I’m fine. Thank you.” I smirk toward Aaron before shaking her hand. “How are you?”

  “I’m doing well. Thanks. How was your day out with your dad and brother? Charlie, wasn’t it?”

  Inside, I smile. I know for a fact she remembers his name. They practically made love to each other with their eyes when they met.

  “Yes, that’s right. We had a wonderful time. We took in the sights and went to the Olive Garden in Times Square. It was the perfect day.”

  She looks at Devon. “Not many bosses would do that for their employees. He must think really highly of you.”

  I notice Aaron giving me a look before I answer. “Yes, he must. I was extremely grateful to him.”

  She flashes me a bright smile. She seems genuinely nice and friendly, giving me an idea. I gently grab her arm. “Can we talk?” She nods and we excuse ourselves from Aaron, walking a few feet away. I turn to her. “Do you mind me asking you something?”

  She looks confused, but intrigued. “Of course.”

  “My brother, Charlie, is going to Afghanistan in just over a week. I’m sure it would be nice if he had someone other than family he could reach out to. Forgive me if I’m stepping out of line, but would you consider being kind of a Facebook pen pal with him while he’s away? He doesn’t know I’ve asked you, but I’m sure he would love to reach out.”

  She looks pleased by the idea. “Of course not. In fact,” she reaches into her bag to grab her phone, taps the Facebook app, and shows me her page, “this is me. Is it okay if I send you a friend request? That way, you can pass on my information to Charlie.”

  I know I shouldn’t be playing matchmaker, but I have a feeling Charlie’s going to want Joanne’s details. “Sure,” I say, smiling. “Look under Andi Bellingham. I’m the one wearing a bright red dress.” She searches under my name and my profile picture comes up right away. “That’s me.” I point. She sends me a friend request, so I take out my phone, accepting it. “That’s it. Thank you. It’ll actually be nice for me to have a friend across the pond, too.”

  Joanne starts laughing. “Well, considering we’re all going to be partners, it’s only right that we’re on friendly terms.”

  “Of course.” It’s then I wonder about her. “Were you born here?”

  She flicks her long, black hair away from her face. “Yes, but my family moved to New Jersey once I was born. I was the second child, so my parents wanted a bigger house. I moved back once I completed college.”

  “How many brothers and sisters do you have?”

  “My brother, Michael, is the oldest, then there’s me, and soon after me is Helen.”

  “Do you get to see much of them?”

  She shakes her head. “Not really. They’ve both got families and have moved on. Michael lives in Virginia, so I get to see him a little bit, but my sister lives in Arizona, so it’s quite far away to visit.”

  I feel sad for her. I know how much it tears me up whenever my brother’s away. “It must be hard sometimes. Being so far apart, I mean.”

  She offers a sad smile. “It is, but we all have lives. We try and see each other when we can.”

  “Are you ready?” Devon asks, approaching.

  “Yes,” I reply, smiling.

  We drive to JFK, where it’s pretty much the same setup. Once there, I get to speak a little more with Joanne. I really like her. She seems laid back, but also has an energy about her. I get the feeling she’s caring, but would take no shit from anybody.

  On the drive back, I’m alone in the back seat with Devon because Mark and Anthony decided to do their own thing. I can still sense his mood, so I keep quiet.

  “I saw you talking with Aaron.”

  I snap my head to him. He’s still staring out the window. “Yes. So?”

  “I didn’t like it.”

  I start laughing. “He was only being polite, asking me how I—”

  He looks at me. “I. Didn’t. Like. It.”

  Not liking his tone, I grit my teeth. “Whether you like it or not is irrelevant. You’re supposed to be going into business with him. It’s only natural that I’ll have contact with him from time to time.”

  He shrugs. “I don’t care. I still don’t like it.”

  I look away. “I’m not getting into this with you.”

  “When we get back to the hotel, I want you in my bed.”

  I don’t believe what I’m hearing. “I can’t believe you. One minute, you’re all over me; the next, you’re shutting me out. I can’t keep up with your mood swings,” I say on an exasperated sigh.

  “You were asking personal questions.”

  “Yes, I was, but I have a right to know what I’m getting myself into here, Devon. Don’t you think?”

  Leaning his chin on his hand, he stares out the window again. “It’s none of your business.”

  “Devon, how are we supposed to have a relationship if you won’t talk to me?”

  He starts laughing hysterically. “Relationship?” He looks me up and down. “There is no relationship. You’re just a great piece of pussy. That’s it.”

  Stunned into silence, I don’t know what to say, then I get enraged. “Stop the car!” I shout to the driver.

  “Andi, there’s no need for—”

  “Stop. The. Car!” I shout more urgently. The driver does as he’s asked. I hastily grab the door handle, pushing it open.

  “Andi, stop being a baby and get back in here.”

  I turn around to him. “How I was ever attracted to you, I have no idea. You’re nothing but a selfish, manipulative pig.” I slam the door and walk off into the sea of people. I don’t have a clue where I am or where I’m going. All I know is I need to be as far away from that man as possible.

  I take in the tall buildings, the noise, and the hordes of walkers busily brushing past me as they go about their day. I may be surrounded by people, but I feel like the loneliest person on earth right now.

  Two days later, we’re back in London. The deal went through and everyone is happy. Well, everyone
except me. Devon continued to be an arse, so I continued to ignore him, only acknowledging him when he needed something. I was especially pissed because when we went on that helicopter ride at the end, I had to deal with misery the whole time.

  However, I must admit, it was hard saying goodbye to New York. Even though I had some bad memories there, I also had some good ones, Aaron being one. On my last day, he came to the airport and wished me well, telling me to contact him if I ever needed anything. He also mentioned about coming to visit at some point, which I’m looking forward to. I know Devon hated all of it, but screw him.

  “Here,” Ritchie says, handing me a gin and tonic before sitting next to me on the sofa. “Wanna talk about it?”

  I take a sip of my drink before placing it on the coffee table. “Not really.”

  Ritchie nods. “Okay then.”

  Grabbing a cushion, I hug it to me. “He didn’t have to be an arse, did he?”

  He smirks. “I already told you that you should have handed in your notice a long time ago. He’s only dragging you down.”

  I let out a frustrated breath. “We’ve known each other for years. You’d think he’d open up to me a little more. You’d think he would know he could trust me by now.”

  Placing his hand on my shoulder, he squeezes it a little. “He’s a dickhead. Plain and simple. It’s not even worth your time to fret over him.”

  Realising I’m being self-centred, I say, “I’m sorry. I’m so engrossed in what’s happening with me, I’ve failed to ask you what’s going on with Monique.”

  He looks a little sad. “We’re doing okay.”

  I place my hand on his. “It doesn’t sound like you’re doing okay. What is it?”

  He sighs, looking down at our hands. “It’s just this new dancer she’s partnered with. They seem close. Closer than they should be. When I point it out to her so we can talk about it, she shuts me down, saying it’s all in my head and to stop being jealous.”

  “What makes you think they’re closer than they should be?”

  He looks up, shaking his head. “I don’t know. It’s little things that amount to bigger things. Take last week, for instance. I arrived at her dance studio a little earlier than planned. They were dancing, which was fine. What wasn’t fine was the way they smiled at each other every time he placed his hand on her waist or how he lifted her into the air. When he set her down, he whispered something into her ear, making her blush and giggle. When I asked what he said, she shut me down again. It got me suspicious. Things have been awkward between us ever since.”

  I rub my hand over his. “I’m sorry, Ritchie. It does sound a little odd, but maybe there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation.” I try to think of one, coming up empty.

  “Can you think of one?”

  I smirk. “No, not really.” When the doorbell rings, I get up. “Maybe there’s a lot of stress at work. Maybe what he whispered was perfectly innocent, but she snapped at you because she’s just overworked.”

  I open the door, thinking it may be Charlie. I’m surprised when I see Monique standing there.

  “Hi,” she says, looking a little nervous. “Is Ritchie around?”

  Opening the door wider, I motion for her to come in. “Yeah, sure. Come on in.” I shut the door behind me. “Ritchie, it’s Monique!”

  Once we walk through, Ritchie stays sitting as Monique stands there, clutching her bag. “Would you like a drink?” I offer.

  Monique turns to me with a small smile. “No, thank you.” She turns back to Ritchie. “Can I talk with you for a second?”

  I motion to my room. “I could go—”

  Ritchie gets up. “No, that’s okay.” He looks at Monique. “Let’s go to my room.”

  They both smile at me before disappearing into Ritchie’s bedroom, the door closing behind them. A part of me wonders if she’ll tell him she’s having an affair with this dancer, but another part of me hopes it was all a big mistake.

  As I sip my drink, reading a magazine, I hear muffled talking, but can’t make anything out. The voices escalate a little, so I know they’re arguing. I start to wonder if I should leave and go for a walk, but then things go silent.

  I shrug, hoping they’ve sorted out what they need to. I go back to flicking through my magazine, finishing off the rest of my drink.

  “Ritchie! Oh god! Yes! Yes! Right there.”

  Oh shit.

  Screwing up my face, I try covering my ears, but nothing can prevent me from hearing the moaning and the shouts of pleasure emanating from Ritchie’s bedroom.

  Getting up, I grab my keys and head for the door. I think I need that long walk after all. Once I open the door, I see Devon standing there, holding a gift box. He frowns. “Going somewhere?”

  I point behind me. “Ritchie has Monique over, so I’m giving them some privacy.”

  He nods, holding up the box. “I just wanted to drop this by.”

  I get angry. “You think you can apologise to me by buying me gifts? I’m not that kind of woman, Devon.”

  “I know you’re not.”

  “Then why this?” I ask, pointing to the present.

  He thrusts it toward me. “Please, just take it. You’ll want to see it. Believe me.” In the end, I take it from him, but only because I’m intrigued. “I know I keep fucking things up, but I hope that will offer you some form of apology. I hope you accept it. If not, I understand.” He turns, walking down the stairs and toward his car.

  “You can’t keep doing this to me, Devon. And offering me gifts isn’t a way back into my heart. Words and actions are.”

  He stops, nods, and gets into his car. As I watch him drive away, I’m left feeling completely bewildered. I look down at the gift, noticing it’s light as a feather.

  Stepping back inside, I close the door behind me. I venture into the kitchen, which is the farthest point from Ritchie’s bedroom. I can’t hear them anymore, but I don’t want to chance it, either. I sit at our little dining table and start opening the gift. I shake my head as I do, exasperated that he thinks he can apologise by buying me—

  Without realising it, I gasp and throw my hand over my mouth as tears quickly form in my eyes and fall. Slowly and delicately, I pick it up, as if picking it up any other way will somehow damage it. Wiping my tears, my hand shakes a little as I stare at the photograph. Unbelievably, I am looking at the last photograph I had of my mum.

  “How did he …?” I whisper.

  With a smile on my face, I reverently kiss the photo, place it inside my new purse, and call an Uber. Within five minutes, one comes and takes me to Devon’s apartment complex. I ring the bell. Shortly afterward, I see his face on the screen by the apartment entrance.

  “Can I talk to you, please?”

  He nods, pushing the button to unlock the door. I quickly walk to the lift, nodding to the night guard as I punch in the code for the penthouse.

  Once I’m on Devon’s floor, I see him standing at his door.

  “I’m sorry about every—”

  I throw my arms around his neck for a kiss. Breaking away, I look into his eyes. “How did you do it?”

  “Come in and I’ll tell you.” He places his hand on the small of my back. Once inside, I take a seat at his breakfast island as he fetches a glass and a bottle of wine, pouring me some.

  “I put the word out about the photo. I described it in detail and offered a substantial reward for anyone who found it and gave it back.” He places the glass of wine in front of me.

  “Who handed it in?”

  He shrugs. “I don’t know. It was done anonymously. All I know is that whoever had it said they found it in some bushes in Shepherd’s Bush.”

  I bite my lip. “Could it have been the person who stole my purse?”

  “Could be, but I’ll never know. I was more worried about getting your photograph back.”

  I frown. “But why, Devon? Why did you go to all that trouble?”

  Placing his hands on the counter, he leans forward
slightly. “Because I knew how much it meant to you.”

  I look down at my fingers playing with the stem of the wine glass. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “You don’t need to say anything. I’m just glad you got it back.”

  I smile up at him. “You don’t realise how much it means to me that you did this. First, New York with my dad and Charlie, and now this. I just can’t quite wrap my head around what I’m supposed to think and feel with you.”

  I watch as he walks over and sits opposite me. He takes my hand. “Will you come sit outside with me for a bit?”

  Looking toward his balcony, I nod. Devon gets up. Without letting go of my hand, he leads me to the sun loungers outside. The air is sticky, but there’s a cool breeze. The moon looks so big I could reach up and grab it. Tonight is clear, the stars shining bright, the lights of London illuminating the city, as well as the River Thames.

  “I’ve always loved the view from up here,” Devon begins.

  “It’s beautiful,” I reply, sitting down on the sun lounger. Setting my glass of wine beside me, I stretch my legs out in front of me and watch as Devon sits down. For a few seconds, we stare off in silence.

  “I have night terrors.”

  He says it so quietly, I’m not sure I hear right. “Sorry… What was that?”

  He turns to me. “The pills you found in my bathroom. I was ashamed to admit to you that I have night terrors.”

  I suck in a breath and turn my body so I’m facing him. “Why would you feel ashamed to tell me that? Everyone has something they’re afraid of. No one is immune to what life throws at them. Not even you.”

  He smiles. “You know me better than anyone, Andi. I don’t like weakness, and I was ashamed you had found one of mine.”

  “Can you tell me why you have night terrors?”

  He looks away, sighing. “You know my mum died, right?”

  I nod. “She drowned, didn’t she?”

  “Yes, in the bath. She was high and fell asleep. I came home from college and found her dead in the bath.”

  I gasp. I didn’t realise he had actually found her. “Oh, my god, Devon. I’m so sorry.” I shake my head, now realising why he was so pissed off that I had fallen asleep in the tub. “No wonder you panicked when you saw me sleeping in the bath.”