my flimsy tray of scalding liquid, I flashed Joslyn and Samantha a smile. “Wish me luck.”
Joslyn laughed. “Don’t come back unless you’re pregnant.”
“Punch her for me will you, Sam?”
Joslyn hopped delicately out of the way of Samantha’s half-hearted swing. Then quipped, “You know, you could just jump out of the plane with your black umbrella and float back to all the children you nanny. Saves dealing with men and their cockpits.”
Very slowly, I turned and placed the coffees on the counter. Smiling ever so sweetly, I backed Joslyn against the galley and tickled her. “Don’t ever refer to me and my last name again. It’s not original. I’ve put up with Mary Poppins jokes all my—”
“What on earth is going on here?” a sharp voice sounded behind me.
Joslyn immediately stopped chuckling and straightened her uniform.
Cringing, I turned and hung my head. “Sorry, Ms. Klein. Nothing’s going on. I was just about to take the pilots their coffee.”
Ms. Klein pursed her lips, tapping her pen against her clipboard. Glaring at Jos and me, she scribbled something on her assessment form.
My heart sank. Why was I so stupid? This was the most important day of my career and I was screwing it up by joking and tickling a colleague. Might as well jump out the door without a parachute.
Standing straighter, I tugged my blazer down and sucked in a deep breath. “It won’t happen again.”
Ms. Klein titled her head. “Make sure it doesn’t. Go take the pilots their drinks, then report to me down the back.” Scowling at Joslyn and Samantha, she ordered, “Start the service. We’re already five minutes behind as it is. We’ll be in Sydney before passengers get their snack.”
With the coffee in hand, I slunk out of the galley and knocked on the cockpit door. I waited like a naughty child for admittance. God, this was a nightmare. I was so moronic to think I could have fun and let my guard down a little. No more. The fun was over, and I was all business from here on in.
“Enter,” a voice ordered through the door.
Rolling my eyes, I did as commanded and turned the doorknob in the special way that unlocks it. Every year the security measures increased. Soon there’d be fingerprint scans and eye retina probes. It was such a hassle, but it didn’t stop the pilots from demanding their coffee. Oh no, they had to have their caffeine.
I frowned as I entered, closing the door behind me. What the hell?
Captain Anderson had the local paper spread out in front of him, completely obscuring the window and the endless blue yonder, and Co-pilot Mikin had one foot thrown over his knee, rubbing his calf.
I knew we were on auto-pilot, but surely some sort of readiness was required if something failed?
Hiding my exasperated look, I said, “Two coffees?”
Liam Mikin turned to face me, silver aviators hiding his eyes. Confidence shimmered around him, setting my teeth on edge. I’d seen him around the airport and occasionally at the training facility but hadn’t spoken to him. I didn’t need to speak to him to know the type of man he was. Slut came to mind.
“Do you know how I like it?” His lips quirked; they were full and shapely. His jaw was well-defined, and his Adam’s apple drew my eyes to his tanned throat.
My heart fluttered, and I was instantly pissed at myself for such a feminine reaction to a good looking man who’s panty score eclipsed mine one hundred to one.
Captain Anderson guffawed. “Don’t they all, Mikin?”
Yep – there it was—admission to being a player.
My mouth pursed. “Black with two sugars?”
“Yep. You got it.” Liam smiled, removing his glasses with a suave flourish. He turned the full force of his pupils—blue as the sky and as icy as the cubes I envisioned him rubbing over my body—on me.
I had no idea how I knew his coffee preference, but I’d sure heard the stories about him. One rather elaborate tale about him getting a hosty fired for stealing her blouse after a tryst in an airport bathroom on a layover. She had to do service with only her blazer and bra.
Ignoring his blue-eyed gaze, I asked, “And you, Captain?”
“Milk and one sugar, sweetie.”
I shuddered at the endearment. However, he smiled a fatherly smile. He wasn’t so bad; even if he did have a giant ‘I’m a pilot’ moustache.
Guess I was always destined to be in the travel industry. My dad was a chopper pilot for the Royal Air Force,