thunderstorm wasn’t anything like being at home snuggled up on the couch with a special guy, listening to the rain and thunder. This is the roughest ride I have experienced anywhere , she thought to herself. I can’t even think of anything to compare it to. I can’t see the lightning; instead, the whole outside world simply lights up. I don’t hear the thunder and have no idea how close the lightning is. And Lucas said they do this all the time . I think I’d find a new job.
“Mike, see the light green on the radar?” Lucas tried pointing to the radar screen, but quickly returned both hands to the control wheel.
Heather wondered whether Lucas held onto the wheel to keep his body from bouncing around, or whether it was instead necessary to fly the plane.
“I think we can squeeze through that opening. What do you think, Mike?”
“Looks good to me, Lucas—that should also put us on the back side of this front.”
Heather had forgotten the warm feelings in her stomach caused by Lucas’s arm brushing up against her leg. That romantic encounter had been replaced with uncertainty and a little fear. For the last twenty minutes, her leg had been slapping against Lucas’s elbow and there hadn’t been anything romantic or seductive about it. Perched on the jump seat, there wasn’t anything of substance for her to hold onto. She thought to herself, If it weren’t for this seat belt, I would’ve been making love to the center console long ago . Her posture, legs spread apart to straddle the console, had seemed so seductive when the flight got underway, but had since become uncomfortable, to say the least.
The Convair reached the other side of the front, and the turbulence disappeared as quickly as it had started.
Lucas turned to look partly over his shoulder and said, “You can relax now, Heather.” He lifted the armrests that he had been using to stabilize his arms.
Beyond the windshield, they could see stars in the sky and lights on the ground. The noise had disappeared, as had the turbulence.
“Mike, you want the plane back?” asked Lucas.
“No, just keep it—I’m going to give Center an update on the weather.”
Mike called Oklahoma Center and said, “Oak Center, this is Convair thirty-seven-thirteen-papa.”
“Go ahead, thirty-seven-thirteen-papa.”
“One-three-papa has cleared the weather and would advise other planes in the area that we encountered moderate turbulence and heavy rain as we picked our way through the front just north of Springfield. We’re going to proceed direct to Dallas at eight thousand.”
“Got it, one-three-papa—appreciate the update. Are you making a return trip tonight?”
“Sure are,” responds Mike.
“Your trip home should be uneventful—looks like that system you just came through is falling apart.”
“Thanks; wasn’t looking forward to doing it again—couldn’t sleep!”
“OK,” the controller said, laughing.
The cockpit got very quiet, with everyone engrossed in their own thoughts, appreciating a tranquil flight once again. The remainder of the trip was uneventful, including the turnaround in Dallas.
On the way back to St. Louis, everyone remained silent. It was late, and there wasn’t anything taking place to encourage discussion. Mike flew the plane while Lucas focused on first-officer duties. Heather napped most of the way home. She leaned far to the right in order to use the bulkhead as a headrest. It wasn’t particularly comfortable, but the hum of the engines was soothing.
CHAPTER FOUR
Reliving the Present
D espite sleeping most of the way back to St. Louis, Heather occasionally woke to thoughts of Lucas, causing her to reflect on what it took just to be in the jump seat of that plane, occupying a small piece of his world.
Heather had been fascinated by Lucas from the day she began working for Gold Coast Aviation as a customer service rep; as she saw it, her job title was nothing more than a fancy phrase for
“Mike, see the light green on the radar?” Lucas tried pointing to the radar screen, but quickly returned both hands to the control wheel.
Heather wondered whether Lucas held onto the wheel to keep his body from bouncing around, or whether it was instead necessary to fly the plane.
“I think we can squeeze through that opening. What do you think, Mike?”
“Looks good to me, Lucas—that should also put us on the back side of this front.”
Heather had forgotten the warm feelings in her stomach caused by Lucas’s arm brushing up against her leg. That romantic encounter had been replaced with uncertainty and a little fear. For the last twenty minutes, her leg had been slapping against Lucas’s elbow and there hadn’t been anything romantic or seductive about it. Perched on the jump seat, there wasn’t anything of substance for her to hold onto. She thought to herself, If it weren’t for this seat belt, I would’ve been making love to the center console long ago . Her posture, legs spread apart to straddle the console, had seemed so seductive when the flight got underway, but had since become uncomfortable, to say the least.
The Convair reached the other side of the front, and the turbulence disappeared as quickly as it had started.
Lucas turned to look partly over his shoulder and said, “You can relax now, Heather.” He lifted the armrests that he had been using to stabilize his arms.
Beyond the windshield, they could see stars in the sky and lights on the ground. The noise had disappeared, as had the turbulence.
“Mike, you want the plane back?” asked Lucas.
“No, just keep it—I’m going to give Center an update on the weather.”
Mike called Oklahoma Center and said, “Oak Center, this is Convair thirty-seven-thirteen-papa.”
“Go ahead, thirty-seven-thirteen-papa.”
“One-three-papa has cleared the weather and would advise other planes in the area that we encountered moderate turbulence and heavy rain as we picked our way through the front just north of Springfield. We’re going to proceed direct to Dallas at eight thousand.”
“Got it, one-three-papa—appreciate the update. Are you making a return trip tonight?”
“Sure are,” responds Mike.
“Your trip home should be uneventful—looks like that system you just came through is falling apart.”
“Thanks; wasn’t looking forward to doing it again—couldn’t sleep!”
“OK,” the controller said, laughing.
The cockpit got very quiet, with everyone engrossed in their own thoughts, appreciating a tranquil flight once again. The remainder of the trip was uneventful, including the turnaround in Dallas.
On the way back to St. Louis, everyone remained silent. It was late, and there wasn’t anything taking place to encourage discussion. Mike flew the plane while Lucas focused on first-officer duties. Heather napped most of the way home. She leaned far to the right in order to use the bulkhead as a headrest. It wasn’t particularly comfortable, but the hum of the engines was soothing.
CHAPTER FOUR
Reliving the Present
D espite sleeping most of the way back to St. Louis, Heather occasionally woke to thoughts of Lucas, causing her to reflect on what it took just to be in the jump seat of that plane, occupying a small piece of his world.
Heather had been fascinated by Lucas from the day she began working for Gold Coast Aviation as a customer service rep; as she saw it, her job title was nothing more than a fancy phrase for
Similar Books
