Flight (4 page)

Friday morning,
Charlie woke up to see several inches of snow on the ground. She showered and dressed before walking over to the main house.

“
Good morning, Mom, Dad,” Charlie said as she walked into the kitchen.

It was quarter to six in the morning and it was still dark out, but the kitchen it was brightly lit and her parents looked like they were up for a long time. When her dad used to work at PAL, he got up at five every morning. And her mother would get up with him to prepare breakfast and lunch for him. He still followed that routine although he no longer worked. Her mom enjoyed her role as a homemaker and she loved to cook for her family and friends. 

“Morning Charlie.” John Brison said, lowering the newspaper he was reading to briefly smile at her.

“
Good morning, honey,” Eva Brison smiled. “Would you like blueberries or raspberries on your waffles this morning?”

“
I’ll have blueberries, Mom, thanks.” Charlie said, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Can I get you a refill, Dad?” She asked, seeing his cup was almost empty.

“
Sure, honey, thanks.” He answered without looking up from the newspaper he was reading.

“
There you are. Blueberry waffles for you. And more Raspberry waffles for you.” Her mom finished making the waffles, setting one plate in front of Charlie and another in front of her dad.

“
Thanks Mom,” Charlie said, helping herself to some fresh whipped cream.

“
Thanks, honey.” John grinned, putting down his newspaper.

“
Eat up, you two. It’s cold and snowy today. You need to eat more to keep warm, Charlotte, if you plan to ride your motorcycle to work today.”

Charlie
laughed, “Oh, mom, I’m not going that far.”

“
It’s a good half an hour ride, especially on conditions like these.” Eva said, frowning. “Maybe you should have your father drive you today. It’s snowing too heavily.”

“
I’ll be okay, Mom, don’t worry.” Charlie told her gently.

“
But look at the amount of snow. I would feel better if you go with your dad.”

John grinned,
“Honey, you know your mom’s going to worry if you don’t.”

Charlie
sighed. “All right, I’ll have dad drive me. But you don’t have to pick me up after work; I’m going out with friends tonight.”

“
Oh?” Eva perked up. “Are you going out with Jeff again?”

Charlie
smiled. Her parents were ecstatic when she started going out with Jeff. When they met him over the Christmas holiday, they instantly liked and approved of him. At that time, when she insisted she was not dating him, they were very disappointed; especially her mom, who worried because Charlie hadn’t seriously dated anyone since her breakup with Brian. The blind dates her mom and her friends had set her up with never worked out. And for a long time, her parents despaired of her ever getting married.

“
Yes, Mom. Jeff and I are meeting up with Becky and her date in Chicago.”

Becky
Williams was one of Charlie's best friends from elementary school. Charlie, Becky, and Mandy Stevens were inseparable throughout elementary school and high school. Although they each have busy lives, they still try to find time to be with each other as much as they can. Becky and Mandy were like part of Charlie's family.

“
That’s great, honey!” Eva was beaming happily.

After breakfast, her dad dropped her off at work.

“Thanks Dad, I’ll see you later.” Charlie gave her dad a kiss on the cheek before exiting his car.

“
You’re welcome, honey. Have a good day.”

Charlie
made her way straight toward the fitness facilities. She tried to go there at least three to four times a week, usually before work. When she got there early in the mornings or late in the evenings, it was usually quiet with fewer people using the facilities.

The running track was high up on the mezzanine level, overlooking the weight room and part of the swimming pool underneath. This morning, there were only a dozen or so people at the tracks. She put in her
earbuds and began jogging, smiling in greeting as she and the other joggers passed by each other. On cold days like this, it was a nice luxury to be able to jog indoors.

She finished her last lap and went up to the water cooler to get a drink. There were many changeovers of joggers since she began.
She slowed down as she approached the cooler, taking out her earbuds out while she waited for a couple of other joggers getting water.

“
Hey Charlie.”

“
Hey George.”

“
Had a good workout today?”

“
Yeah, you?”

“
Not as long as I liked. I have an early morning today and need to go ready.”

“
I’ll talk to you later then.”

“
Yeah, see you later.” George scrunched up his paper cup and threw it into the recycling bin.

She took some more water, smiling as a couple of joggers went by and waved to her. As they went by, her eyes were caught by one of the joggers beyond them
, half way across the mezzanine.

He was tall, at least a couple of inches over six feet and stood out among the
other joggers. For someone so tall and powerful looking, his movements were sleek and sinuous; much like the agile grace of a panther on the prowl.

As he jogged closer, she
was momentarily mesmerized by his toned body; those firm sleek muscles flexing with every step. He was dressed in a grey T-shirt and black shorts. The black shorts were fitted but loose, but it stretched taunt against his thighs as he moved. And for a moment taunt against his groin. She couldn’t tear her gaze away. His thighs were lightly matted with dark hair and for one crazy moment, she could actually imagine those thighs rubbing against her own as he slid between her legs. That instant was all it took for heat to rush over her, and desire suddenly knotted in her belly and between her legs.

Her head snapped up,
mortified at her own thoughts, but looking up might not have been the best action at that moment, for she suddenly found herself looking straight at him. From a distance, he was really good looking, but up close, he was even more incredibly attractive. Chiseled masculine features, with bright azure blue eyes and black hair that gave the slightest curl just at the nape of his neck were too much. Her heart went into overdrive. Instead of slowing down to normal, it was speeding up again.

He was coming closer, and he was looking straight at her. His eyes seemed to look right into her very being. She wanted to look away and dismiss him, but she couldn’t. Her eyes were held captive. Her breathing was rugged as if she had run miles
more.

She was determined not to show that his direct gaze was unnerving her. A hint of amusement lit those
his eyes as they moved over her slowly; taking in the fitted white T-shirt and black fitted shorts she wore. His eyes lingered especially long on her legs, as if he was imaging them wrapped around his waist. When he finished looking over her, she felt naked and exposed.

He jogged past her and her eyes seemed to have a will of their own as they followed him, following those legs and his ass looked so firm and tight. She should get going. She chided herself. She had work to do. And besides, she didn’t want to be caught
still staring when he came around again. She quickly drank the water and tossed the scrunched cup. Turning with resolution, she headed for the change rooms and a shower.

When she walked into her office, the fragrant aroma of coffee filled the air. On her desk was a surprise. A tall cup of coffee from
Joe’s Café and a paper bag filled with a couple of Joe’s delicious zucchini muffins. Jeff. She smiled at the thought. 

She took a sip of the hot coffee and reached for the phone. It rang just as she was picking it up.

“Hello?”

“
Good morning.”

She smiled, recognizing Jeff’s voice.
“Good morning; you must be psychic.”

“
How so?”

“
I was just about to call you.”

“
Yeah? What about?”

“
Well, I was sitting down and enjoying some delicious coffee and a zucchini muffin, left on my desk by a secret admirer.”

“
Are you?” She could hear the smile in his voice.

“
Mmm. Some wonderful guy must have left it here. I’m wondering how to thank him.”

“
How about a weekend in bed?” He said suggestively.

She laughed.
“I’m not that grateful.”

He sighed in exaggerated disappointment.
“Well, it was worth a try.”

“
How about dinner? On Sunday?”

“
With your parents?”

“
You know the drill.” She teased.

“
Yeah,” He laughed softly.

“
I hope you don’t mind, but this Sunday is going to be a little crowded. My parents have several couples coming over. Becky and her date are also coming, so dinner will be more like a party this week.”

“
I don’t mind at all. I love your mom’s cooking. And your family and friends are great.” He told her.

“
They really like you too.”

“
So let’s make it official.” He teased.

She frowned.
“What do you mean?”

“
You know, let everyone know we’re dating.”

“
Er…let’s take this slowly.” She murmured.

“
Okay.” He said, deciding not to press it and changed the subject. “So what are you doing today?”

“
I have a meeting this morning, and then I’ll probably spend the rest of the day at Bay 6.”

“
Are you doing more flight tests?”

“
Yes.”

“
I’ll meet you at lunch?”

“
I’m not sure about today.”

“
All right. I’ll see you if I see you, then.”

“
Okay.”

“
If I don’t see you at lunch, I’ll see you tonight?” He asked. “We’re meeting Becky and her date at seven, right?”

“
That’s right.”

“
What time are you ready to leave?”

“
I’ll be ready at six-thirty.”

“
Okay, I’ll come to your office then.”

“
Fine.” She agreed. “I’ll see you then.”

She hung up the phone, but instead of getting straight to work, she couldn’t stop thinking about the incident at the track. And she couldn’t seem to get
him
out of her mind. Who was he? She had never seen him before. But with thousands of employees at PAL, and a good eighty percent of them men, she doubted she would see him again. And that thought bothered her somehow.

Charlie
felt the familiar rush as she approached the AIR230 for another flight test later that afternoon. Her love affair with aviation began with her love of flying. When she was a little girl, she would sit and listen intently while her dad described his work to her at her request. Before she even went to school, she would hear about his days at work as a pilot in the Flight Test Department at PAL. And she would dream about flying those jets with him. She looked forward to those Saturdays when he would take her with him into work. John Brison loved his work and he was very good at it. Back then, he was the senior manager of the FT Department, and Mike was his assistant manager. They were both very dedicated to their work, coming in on the weekends whenever they had time.

The times when she was learning to fly and her dad took on those final flights on the jets were especially special to her; hearing the roar of the jets as they took off, soaring high through the sky. That cemented her love for aviation. When all her friends were studying and practicing for their driver’s license, she was getting her pilot’s license. She learned to fly before she learned to drive.

It was her first love.

Walking out to the ramp, she saw the ground crew was busy doing a complete preflight check, including a handful of the maintenance crew doing the FOD check. It snowed steadily since lunchtime and they were extra diligent to make sure there was no hidden debris. She did a couple rounds of her own preflight checks when one of the maintenance crew approached her.

Dressed in navy overalls, she could still recognize him immediately. It was
him
; the guy from the running track. She frowned inwardly. How was it possible that he could make something like overalls looked sexy? She met the deep azure eyes and felt that unfamiliar sense of being knocked out of breath again as she did this morning.

“
Hey,”

“
Hey,” She murmured, her heart started speeding up for no reason.

“
I’m Ryle Sullivan.” He introduced himself. His voice was deep and warm. “I’m with the maintenance crew.”

“
Charlie Brison, flight test team.”

“
I saw you yesterday when you took the jet for a flight test.” He commented casually. “Are you taking the jet out again today?”

“
Yes.”

“
In this weather?”

She glanced at the sky; anything was less unnerving than looking into those brilliant eyes.
“This is not so bad. I’ve flown in much worst conditions than this.” She said with a little shrug.

“
You’ve done this a lot?”

“
Enough times.” She answered.

“
You’re not in Mike’s team.” He said. It was not a question.

“
I’ve worked in Mike’s team for several years.” She said. “I’ve been on the AIR230 program for a longtime; I’ve been with it since conception. We deal with all the preliminary testing and making sure it passes all the safety certifications first. Mike’s team will be doing the long haul flight testing when we’re done.”

“
Isn’t the preliminary testing more dangerous?”

“
It could be.” She admitted.

“
Are there a lot risks in the early stages?”

“
Not really. We’ve eliminated as much risk as we could during the prototype phase and the assembly of each part, we put it through a serious of testing and certifications before building the whole aircraft.”

“
And you like to take it up alone?”

“
It’s a single pilot jet.” She said. “In any case, we’re been running the testing program for many months. At this stage, it’s almost good to go.”

“
Do you need a special license for it?”

“
The single-pilot license is more stringent and harder to pass.” She agreed.

“
I haven’t seen a single pilot jet before. I imagine a single-pilot jet’s design requirements are different from a two-pilot jet?” He asked.

Charlie
looked at him and he seemed genuinely interested. He had a way of making her talk and she didn’t realize she was talking so much.

“
Very different. Without a co-pilot, all the flight controls, switches and essential items need to be located in a way that a single pilot can see and reach them easily.” She told him. “Like the landing gear handle, it needs to be within reachable range from the left seat.” She relaxed as she talked about the jet.

It was strange. She had never felt nervous in a man’s presence, and yet here she was almost trembling just talking with
him. It was not the scared nervous, but the excited nervous. Not unlike how she felt when she first took the AIR230 up into the air.

“
Very interesting. Maybe you can give me an inside tour some time.” He suggested.

Her eyes narrowed. There it was clear as day, he was looking for a hook up
. Her sensuous mouth compressed, even as her insides heated in response. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible. It’s not available to anyone without special clearance.” She answered coolly now. “Excuse me.”

Ryle watched
Charlie Brison walk away coolly without a backward glance. He grinned. After what Jack told him, he wasn’t surprised by her reaction to his open suggestion. He hadn't been subtle, but then he was a man who always went after what he wanted.

Close up, she looked even more beautiful.
She didn't wear much makeup, and she didn't need it. Her skin was flawless. Her cheeks had a dewiness of fresh bloom petals. Her mouth soft and luscious. Her eyes were a very clear silver color, flecked with dark grey. They were fringed with long thick and black eyelashes. When she talked about her work, her eyes flashed with excitement and energy. Watching her, it was surprisingly arousing. She looked so sexy he had to suppress the urge to just grab her and screwed her hard.

But although she had turned immediately cold towards him when he made the play to pick her up, he could see she was not as repulsed by the suggestion as she made it sound. He had seen her interest at the running tracks earlier. The way she had looked him over, as if she wanted to devour him. It was all he could do not to respond to that hungry look in her eyes. She had tried to hide it, but she wasn’t a very good actress.

He couldn’t stop the smile that touched his lips. Linwood was going to be a lot more interesting that he thought it would be.

Charlie
had trouble focusing on work after her encounter with Ryle Sullivan. She couldn't stop thinking about him and the involuntary response she had. She had never felt such instant desire before. Somehow, he had gotten to her and that was a scary thought. He didn't seem much different from many of the other good looking guys that had come through PAL at one time or another. Other the years, she had learned to handle all kinds of would-be-Romeos and their pick up lines without losing her sense of humor. So what was it about Ryle Sullivan that was so different?

She had lost track of time. By the time Jeff came knocking at her office later, she was surprised to find how late it was.
It was Friday night, and most people had already gone home. Nevertheless, Charlie put some space between her and Jeff as they walked toward his car, making sure it didn’t look too intimate in case anyone was there to look. Jeff had noticed it, but he seemed resigned to it and didn’t make any comment.

“
Do you want to put your laptop in the trunk?” Jeff asked her as they approached his car.

“
Yes, thanks.” Charlie agreed.

They were heading straight to dinner and she didn’t want to leave her
laptop out in the open. There were too many important files on it for her to risk losing it.

They were meeting Becky at the Luigi’s Bistro, Becky’s favorite
neighborhood Italian restaurant in Chicago. When they arrived, Becky and her date were already there.

“
Hey guys,” Becky got up to exchange a hug and kiss with Charlie.

“
Hey Becky.” Jeff smiled warmly at her.

Becky introduced her date, Ben Harrods. They sat down and ordered food.
The evening was very enjoyable. After dinner, they went to a jazz club for drinks. It was well past midnight when they left the club.

“
Are you still coming to my parents’ for dinner on Sunday?” Charlie asked her best friend as they stood outside the club, saying goodbyes.

“
Oh, yeah, I wouldn’t miss your mom’s cooking for anything.” Becky grinned. “And I’ll see you there too, Jeff?”

“
Yes, I’ll be there.” Jeff grinned.

“
Cool. Have a good night guys.”

“
You, too, Becky.”

Becky pulled
Charlie in for a hug, whispering against her ear. “And I want all the details.”

“
I have no idea what you mean.” Charlie murmured softly so only Becky could hear.

“
You know exactly what I mean.” Becky whispered back wickedly. Before Charlie could protest more, Becky was putting her arm through Ben’s and waving goodbye to them as they walked off in the opposite direction.

It was
closer to three a.m. when Jeff dropped Charlie off at her place.

“
Thanks for driving me home.” She said as he stopped his car in front of the house.

“
My pleasure.” He said, getting out and opening the passenger door for her.

Charlie
retrieved her laptop computer from the trunk, and he walked with her around the main house to the garage. She unlocked her door and turned back to face Jeff.

“
Thanks for tonight; it was great.”

“
I had a lot of fun tonight, too.” He said, looking down at her. He cupped her face, gently tilting it up as he bent his head to kiss her.

Jeff
was an expert kisser. As he parted her mouth and deepened the kiss, she returned his kiss passionately.

“
Charlie,” Jeff groaned, wrapping an arm around her and pulled her close against him. Through their clothes, she could feel his arousal. It was a thrilling feeling. It had been too long. She wrapped her arms around his neck, silently asking for more. And Jeff was more than willing to give it.

“
Charlie, let me make love to you.” He said huskily against her mouth.

She wanted to say yes, but instead she pulled back.
“I can’t…”

He was breathing heavily, trying to control himself. Against her hip, she could still feel the hard bulge of his arousal, and she pulled away completely.

“You should go.” She murmured.

He gave a heavy sigh,
“Yeah. Goodnight.”

“
Goodnight, Jeff.” She said softly.

She showered and changed into her PJs before going to bed. Although she was sleepy, she was too aroused to sleep. She needed release. Slipping her hand inside her PJ pants, she rubbed herself slowly, closing her eyes, she sighed softly as her fingers brought herself to orgasm. As she was coming, an image popped inadvertently into her mind. But instead of seeing Jeff’s face, she saw
his
face with those brilliant azure blue eyes.

She was confused, but she was also too tired to wonder about it.