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I just hoped it didn’t get me fired. If there was one thing I’d decided on this unexpected trip, it was how much I enjoyed working for Douglas Aviation. They’d handled the emergency with professionalism and efficiency. There hadn’t been any unnecessary drama or blame involved in the mechanical failure, and they’d already scheduled me for more flights as soon as we returned.
I spent most of the flight back to Chicago wondering how things would go between Teo and me. Did he really want me to be his fake boyfriend, or had he changed his mind? Would it be awkward? What if he needed me for something and I was out of town?
By the time we landed smoothly at Midway, I was keyed up and angry at myself. This. This was why I’d given up on relationships. I hated worrying about the other person and wondering if I was letting them down. I hated feeling like I wouldn’t be good enough or they somehow deserved better. It was so much easier just to stick to casual sex and not get feelings involved. Even a fake relationship was bringing up some of these old feelings.
Maybe it was a good thing I was turning right around and heading out on another trip later this evening. I was scheduled to fly a client to Houston for a talk he was giving at a mobility expo. Rourke was in a wheelchair and had some really unique adaptations to his single-pilot Cessna. I’d flown him a couple of times before and got along with him well. It would hopefully be a straightforward trip, but I still felt odd parting from Teo after so much time glued to each other in Goose Bay.
Sure enough, the goodbye was awkward as hell. Nate and Brenda were there, so the most I could do was an odd kind of handshake. I met Teo’s eyes and gave him the biggest smile I could, but then he was walking away from us.
And all I could do was watch him go.
It only took two days back in my regular routine before my skin began to feel too tight. I couldn’t figure out what the problem was, so I assumed it had something to do with my job. After taking Rourke to Houston and back, I was rotated to fly a different corporate jet, taking six agriculture executives to a conference in Las Vegas.
Out of habit, I reached for my phone app to scroll through Grindr. None of the men got me half-excited as the memory of Teo did. Plus, I reminded myself I had a boyfriend now. Even if we weren’t really dating, it would be rude to sleep around on him. What if someone saw me and it somehow got back to Chris or Teo himself? No. I’d content myself with a nice dinner and maybe call Teo when I got to my hotel room.
I went to a little Indian place not too far from the hotel where I was staying next to UNLV and the airport. I’d flown through Vegas a million times and had my list of favorites, but somehow it wasn’t quite as good as usual. I’d never had a problem dining on my own before, but tonight’s dinner seemed extra quiet for some reason. There were plenty of people at the restaurant—a mix of students and locals—but I still felt odd, like I was separated from everyone else by a transparent glass wall.
I pulled out my phone and texted my sister.
Jack: Bored in Vegas. Thinking about going to see Thunder From Down Under.
Millie: Tell me you’re joking.
Jack: I’m joking. But I would like a good Netflix recommendation if you have one.
Millie: That new Ryan Reynolds action flick was good. Why aren’t you out hooking up with some pretty Vegas boy?
I took a sip of my wine and thought about what to tell her.
Jack: I kind of met someone.
My phone rang two seconds after I hit Send on the text.
“Tell me everything,” she said. “Oop, wait. Mom’s birthday dinner is Saturday at my house. Bring that champagne she likes. Okay, go. Name?”
I smiled at her familiar bossy tone. “His name is Teo, short for Teodor. His parents are Italian. His father is some kind of specialty plumber who was moved to the States with an Italian faucet company when Teo was a baby and his sister was just getting ready to start kindergarten.”
The server came by to top up my ice water, and I shot him a grateful smile.
“Anyway, so he’s a nurse, and he—”
“Woah, woah.” Millie’s voice held a teasing smile in it. “So far I know more about this Teo guy than I ever knew about Mr. Corporate Snob.”
“Rico. The man has a name.”
“He doesn’t deserve a name,” she grumbled. “But so far, I like this Teo. Go on. What does he do for work?”
