Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
“It’s okay,” I tried to soothe him, “We’re just taxiing towards the runway.” After a few moments, the airplane moved in a forward motion, but it didn’t seem to make a difference for Hayes. His eyes slammed shut again and his breathing quickened when the plane sped up. “We have to go fast enough to lift off the ground.”
“Nope,” he replied, shaking his head against the seat. “This was a bad idea. I have to get off.”
“It’s a little late for that,” I said just as the engines roared and the aircraft lurched forward.
“What have I done?” Hayes questioned, jerking his head side to side again. “I can’t do this!”
“Yes, you can; take deep breaths.” He didn’t listen; his chest jerked with quick, shallow breathing. “You can hold my hand if you-” the sentence wasn’t fully out of my mouth before Hayes grabbed my hand in both of his, nearly breaking my fingers in his vice-grip.
Hayes’ eyes popped open and looked at me in panic when the plane’s tires left the ground, making my stomach swoop. “What the hell was that?”
“We’re in the air,” I told him as his face went pale. “It might feel a little funny as we’re climbing, but once we’re high enough, it’ll feel like you’re riding a bus.”
“In the sky,” he added flatly, and I nodded.
“Exactly.” I tried to soothe him by rubbing my free hand across his knuckles in a relaxing pattern. Even though his skin was clammy, it was also soft and smooth. I thought it might help if I distracted his mind, so I asked, “Is Miami your final destination?”
“I sure as shit hope not!” he replied, and I had to bite my cheek to keep from laughing. He was obviously panicking, and I didn’t want him to think I was making fun of him; I was just realizing how terrible my word choice was.
“No, I meant…do you have a connecting flight? Or are you vacationing in Florida?”
“Oh.” Hayes managed to take a few deeper breaths as I caressed his hands. “No, I’m getting on a boat.”
“Like a cruise?” He nodded. “Where are you going?”
“Nassau, Bahamas.”
“Well, I’ll be damned.” Hayes popped one pretty eye open to look at me and I explained, “I think you and I are going on the same trip.”
His other eye opened. “Really?”
“Yep. My assistant thought it would be good for me to ‘get away from it all’, so she booked me on a ship in the middle of the ocean.”
“Have you ever been on a cruise before?” Hayes’ voice and breathing were thankfully growing more calm.
“Never. How about you?”
He shook his head. “No. I’ve always wanted to, but I was always too afraid to fly to a cruise port. I guess this isn’t so bad, though.” Right on cue, the plane shook violently as we hit a rough patch, and Hayes squeezed my hand so tightly, tears came to my eyes. “Holy fuckaroni, we’re going down!”
I would have laughed if I wasn’t in so much pain. And even though I was positive he’d broken at least three of my fingers, I wanted to help Hayes. “It’s okay,” I told him, keeping my agony from my voice, “It’s just turbulence; it’s totally normal. Just imagine you’re driving over a bumpy gravel road.”
“A bumpy gravel road, a bumpy gravel road,” he repeated over and over, and the plane eventually settled down. Hayes loosened his grip and I was pleased to see there were no bones protruding from my skin.
He let out a long breath and I gave him my best (though it was probably crap) smile. “You good?” At his nod, I looked into his eyes and told him, “You’re safe, I promise.”
What Hayes said earlier was true; in an emergency situation, there wasn’t a lot we could do, but I’d be damned if I wouldn’t try. I’d wrap my arms around him like a seatbelt. I’d strip naked and let him use my clothes as a parachute. He could hang onto me and use my flabby ass as a landing pad when he hit the ground.
As my mind flipped through each utterly ridiculous option, one thing became clear; in every scenario, I was protecting this beautiful stranger. It was a little scary, but a little wonderful, too.
Once Hayes was convinced we weren’t hurtling towards our doom and looked more at ease, I wanted to continue our conversation. “So, what made you decide to fly?”
"My grandma."
"Really? How so?"
"She knew how much I wanted to travel; specifically on a cruise, but anywhere, really. We'd talk about it often, and she'd always encourage me to get out and see the world. Of course, I always had an excuse; money was tight, I didn't want to fly, it wasn't the best season…it was a long list."
"So what changed your mind?"
Hayes gave me a small but gorgeous smile. "Even though all of the excuses I told her were true, the main reason I never traveled was because I didn't want to leave my grandma. She raised me, and the only time I ever left her was to go to college, which was only a few hours' drive away. When I came home, I noticed a change in her; she moved a little slower, became a little more forgetful - normal parts of aging, but I vowed not to leave her side again."