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“A surprise? I don’t like surprises. Let’s just get back into the car and go to dinner, like you said we were going to do.”
“This one is a fun surprise. Come on.”
And that’s when I see it. There’s a helicopter right in front of us. I feel an ache in my stomach when I realize what this means. “Oh no, no, I’m not going on that thing. I’m afraid of heights.”
“It’ll be fun. I’ve been on this dozens of times. It’s not scary at all.”
“Wait. Is this your helicopter? And no, I’m stillnot going.”
“Technically, it is the company’s, not mine. And yes, you are. You promised me that you’d go out to dinner with me and that I could choose the place.”
“I assume we aren’t eating on the helicopter. So, that’s not part of the deal.”
He takes my hand and kisses it. “Oh, but we need the helicopter to take us to where we’re going for dinner. Unless you want to drive for four hours.”
“Ethan,” I say in my most stern warning voice.
He laughs. “You might as well concede defeat. Now let’s go, or we’ll be late.”
The pilot jumps down from the chopper and waves to us.
“Mr. Anders, Ms. Blakely. So nice to see you. The weather is perfect for your flight this evening.”
They shake hands, and the pilot goes over to open the door for us.
“Ethan, I don’t think I can ride in that thing.”
“You’ll be fine. I promise. It’s a very smooth ride. Not scary at all.”
I know my expression shows my doubt because the pilot laughs. “Mr. Anders is right. It’s not scary at all. I’ve been piloting this chopper for the last ten years. It’s a dependable Bell 230 helicopter, a fantastic machine. I wouldn’t take you up if it weren’t safe. It is very comfortable inside, plenty of room. You’ll enjoy the short ride to the Hamptons.”
“The Hamptons? Ethan, we’re going to the Hamptons?”
The pilot’s eyes widen in surprise. “Oops, sorry, sir. I didn’t realize it was a surprise.”
“No worries at all. I just hadn’t gotten around to telling her.” He turns to me. “Yes, we’re going to the Hamptons. You told me once that you’d never been, and I thought it would be nice.”
The fact that he remembers something I told him offhandedly months ago is surprising. I often wondered if he was listening to me, but I guess he was.
I push aside my lingering hesitation about the flight. I’ll show Ethan that I can be fun and adventurous on our not-a-date date.
Ethan takes my hand and helps me inside. The pilot wasn’t kidding. It’s not just comfortable here, but very luxurious as well. I settle onto the soft leather seat while Ethan slides in beside me. He could’ve sat across from me, but he chose not to.
He reaches over and pulls down two headsets hanging from the ceiling. “Here you go. You don’t have to wear them, but they will block sound, making communication easier.”
“Well, if I’m going to ride in a helicopter, I want the full experience,” I joke as I put on the headset.
Out the window, I notice the pilot preparing to come inside. However, there is a partition that separates the cockpit from our area. It’s a bit unnerving that I can’t see him.
It’s not long before the blades are rotating, and we’re in the air.
I’m terrified to look out the window. My head is glued to the back of the seat, and I’m focused on a speck of dirt on the gray partition in front of us. With the headset on, I can’t hear any of the helicopter noise.
The pilot’s voice comes over our headsets. “Our flight time is approximately forty-five minutes. We have wonderful weather so the flight should be calm. Sit back and enjoy the ride.”
I hear Ethan chuckle through the headset. He takes my hand into his and squeezes it. “How about if you unclench your fists and try peeking out that window? You can see all of Manhattan from here.”
Reluctantly, I shift my eyes to the right and slowly stretch out my fingers. I feel Ethan’s hand on mine, and it seems to ground me a bit. He leans over and looks out the window, his head beside mine. “Look at that. Isn’t it incredible?” he asks.
