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“Sorry about assuming. It’s just you look good together,” Pilot Andrew says with the type of smile I don’t want to dissect.
“I beg to differ, Hamlet. I think we are friends. You are wearing my leather jacket, and I have seen you almost nak—”
I stick my elbow into his side, effectively cutting him off while eliciting anoomphfrom him.
“This is a non-date, Andrew, kind of like a date, but not a date,” Tucker continues, trying to poke holes in my logic, at the same time amusing himself.
Time to switch lanes. “Andrew, how did you hear about my business?” I am curious and flattered. I am still not brave enough to look at how high we are. I figure if I keep talking, eventually, my body will get the memo it is okay to enjoy the ride.
“I live in Temecula. You employed my daughter’s friend as a cleaner.” I interviewed two mothers from the local school as cleaners for my business. “Tammy and her husband need the extra income, and it fits in with being a mom. It was very good of you to look at the local school to find employees. If you want, we can discuss in a phone call a discount for your guests if you wish to recommend us in the future.”
“Sure, that would be great. Thank you.”
“I’ll give you my business card.” I slip one out of my phone case and hand it to him. I like Pilot Andrew. He’s done a great job of distracting me. “How high up are we at the moment?”
“We are around 500ft, but we can go as high as 3000ft if you want to try soon?”
“I’ll get back to you on that—”
Tucker chuckles.
“—I notice every morning you get quite close to the vineyards. I was hoping to get some aerial photos of the Fainting Goat Ranch if possible?” I figure that if I turn this into a marketing endeavor, I should be able to take my mind off the whole plummeting-to-our-death thing.
“We sure will be. I can drop us down a little lower, and you might want to try and look down at the scenery.”
“He subtly called you out,” Tucker says with his lips close to the back of my neck.
“Was I that obvious?” I hoped I was subtle, keeping my focus level with Andrew until I felt I had my airlegs.
“Pretty much. You have been looking at the sunrise this whole time and not enjoying the view below. Do you think you are ready to look down?”
Cripes!
“Of course, even superheroes have a weakness,” I say, half-joking.
“And that just makes them more real. You got this.” Tucker squeezes my waist gently. “I’m just going to pull out a selfie stick from inside my jacket pocket and my GoPro.”
“No worries. I’m fine.”
When he releases my body to set his equipment up, I take a deep breath and look over the edge.
“Oh, my… the view is beautiful.” My anxieties have left the building to get filled with awe at the beauty of the Temecula Valley wine country at sunrise.
Pilot Andrew starts giving us a practiced and informative speech. He points out the Fainting Goat Ranch as we glide above the large vineyard next to my property.
I haven’t had time to meet the neighbors, but it is on my to-do list. I have been flat out with everything to do with the Fainting Goat Ranch.
I take my phone out of the leather jacket and text Chance. Letting him know the black balloon with the orange California poppy is ours. He responds, telling me the three of them are sitting around the firepit watching the hot air balloons.
“Here, use this.” Pilot Andrew hands me a pair of binoculars. “I can take us much lower, right above the vineyard.”
I text Chance back and tell him to wave, and then I look through the binoculars hoping to see my cousin’s family.
“Oh, my goodness, there they all are,” I squeal excitedly. Chance uses a pair of binoculars from the ones I will loan out to the guests to better look at the balloons and the landscape views.
I wave back when I see him looking straight at us.
He gives me the thumbs up to let me know he sees us, then hands the binoculars to Aubrey, who blows me a kiss. Chance bounces CJ up and down on his knees, waving his little hand at me.
