Don't worry too much about the aviation chit chat in the beginning unless you like being a know-it-all. Which clearly, I do. I've done my research but don't use it as a guide because I don't actually know what I'd talking about. I know, shocking, right? :P
Enjoy !
Mile High
Chapter Three
Technical Difficulties
"Fuck!"
"Ow!"
"Shit."
"You're crushing me."
"Sorry."
"Ung, my hair."
"Sorry." I quickly apologized again and twisted around so my shoulder wasn't pinning Rosalie's hair against the wall.
... I elbowed her in the ribs during the turn...
"Argh! Fuck!" she groaned, holding her left side.
"Shit, sorry." I apologized again and put my hand over hers.
"It's okay." she accepted automatically but I couldn't tell if she really meant it just didn't care.
"Have you seen my tie?" I asked, scanning the cockpit from where we were both squished into the only standing room—right by the door.
"I dropped it down the other side of the seat." she replied while awkwardly trying to do up the ties of her bra.
I turned her back towards me, careful not to take her out on the corner, and wordlessly tied the material together for her.
She turned back when I was done and gave me a quick smile of appreciation before sliding her shirt back on. "How long 'til we land?" she asked.
"About five hours." I answered, slidding back into my seat and retrieved my tie from the floor.
An irritated 'tsk' sound followed my words and I knew the huffy princess was returning.
"Can't you make it go faster?"
I rolled my eyes and re-tied my tie. "No, I can't. If I go lower or higher than I am now I'll use too much fuel which is just stupid and it'll take longer. The lower you are, the thicker the air, which makes you use more fuel to fly through it at high speeds. Going higher would not only make the flight longer but it takes a shit load of fuel to climb, not to mention staying that high. Right here is what we call the sweet spot."
I saw her frown out of the corner of my eye and when she spoke again her voice was full of skeptism.
"How can going higher or lower make it longer to travel in a straight line?"
"Well the earth is round—you did know that right?"
She didn't respond but a loud huff told me she was irritated by that.
"So if you follow a circle closer to the center it will be smaller. The further out you go, the bigger they get." I explained, trying to keep the condescending tone from my voice. "It's 'easier' to fly at this altitude for the distance we're travelling. The longer the flight, the more justified it is to climb to a higher altitude. Right now we're at twenty-five thousand feet, we could go right up to twenty-nine thousand but as it happens there's a cross breeze up there that we'd have to fight against where as here there's actually a nice backwind that's blowing us in the right direction. It a lot calculations but the end goal is a safe, fast, fuel efficent trip and that's what I'm doing now. Unfortunately I can't stomp down on the gas for you."
"Why do you talk to me like I'm an idiot?" she snapped.
"Well you ask idiotic questions. Do you really think I'd drag this flight out any longer than was necessary? Besides, I didn't dumb down my explanation as to why I couldn't so if it came out like that then maybe I'm the dumb one who can't explain things like a rocket scientist."
"Maybe." she repeated.
"You understood what I said?" I inquired.
"Yep."
"Good, then that discussion is finished and there's no reason to talk anymore."
"Fine."
"Fine."
I could feel her eyes linger on me for a few more seconds then with a dry, nasal laugh she looked off to the right and fell silent.
:-:-:-:
"So how are you going to spend your week in London? You have family or friends there?" Rosalie asked casually after over an hour of silence.
I'd been half hoping she'd talk for the past fifteen minutes, simply to break the silence, but I wasn't certain enough that I wanted her to talk that I'd initiate it myself.
But, the question was simple enough, so I answered it.
"No family. I know a few store owners in the area I usually stay in when I'm in the country but no friends either. I'm not really here all that much. France, China and Japan are more popular. There's always something new to see, I suppose, but sight seeing isn't really a hobby or pastime I enjoy either." I shrugged indifferently and looked over to her face, finding the curious expression I'd already grown familiar with.
"Why would you pick this as a career if you don't like sight seeing?" She looked across to me, patiently waiting for my answer.
"Well, I like flying the plane. This is my hobby of choice. I can't really afford to just do it for the sake of it so I got a job where I get paid to have fun. It's not that I don't enjoy the travel; I realize how lucky I am that I get to see all these places, but, I guess I'm not 'impressed' by the world." I paused for a second then laughed as it dawned on me how I sounded. "And apparently I'm an ungrateful motherfucker and only just realized. I sound like a pissy rich kid. No offense." I laughed again.
Rosalie smiled, amused as well, but still rolled her eyes. "You still haven't answered my question about what you are gonna do." she reminded me.
I realized she was right and started controlling my laughter a bit more. "Um, pretty much just live like usual. Eat, sleep, watch TV, probably get laid again. UK girls go bonkers over the American accent. Oh, and apparently we give better head—so I've been told. Can't say the same for them but then again, what's the definition of a good blowjob? I've only met one girl who can completely satisfy me purely from a blowjob and she's stupidly in love with a complete moron so she's sort of off limits now anyway."
"Is the moron you?" Rosalie asked with a wide smirk instantly etched into her face.
I shook my head. "If it were, why would I be staying away from her? No. She's my best friend from childhood."
"Your best friend gave you head?"
I laughed again. "Why do you think she's my best friend?"
"So you grew up together then one day she just randomly put your dick in her mouth?" She asked, seeking further clarification.
"She's quite straightforward. We were watching Big Momma's House at her place one day then she suddenly crawled up into my lap and started making out with me for no apparent reason. Long story short, by the time the credits came, so had both of us and that pretty much set the ball rolling for half a decade of commitment-free sex."
I could tell she was judging but she clearly didn't see the similarities between herself and Vanessa.
Come to think of it, that explains quite a bit of why I didn't really push her away when she actively began manipulating me. Huh... I shook it off then focused back on her more clearly.
"How do you do that? Have sex with someone repeatedly and still feel nothing for them? Once or twice is one thing but for five years."
My lips tightened rather than opening to answer her. It wasn't like I didn't feel anything it was just... "Um... it's not a case of not feeling anything. I love her. It's just more like how you love your sis—... best friend. We just have sex occasionally. Well we used to anyway."
"Not anymore?"
I shook my head. "Nope. The infatuation and all that. It's awkward being with someone who you know would rather be with someone else."
"I can imagine." she said.
I turned and flashed her a quick smile. "Yeah. So what are you gonna do for the next week."
"I decide that as I go along. A holiday's all about spontaneous decisions and lack of obligations. I don't know anyone in England so there's no one to please or consider but myself."
I didn't plan it, really, but before I could stop it the words rocketed from my lips. "How's that different from New York?" I scrunched my face up as soon as I heard myself speak then cautiously peeked out after a long moment. "Sorry, habit."
She didn't look overly irate but the small glare was enough to make me feel guilty for teasing her—even unintentionally.
"Actually, I'm always having to do shit I don't want to. It's pretty rare that I don't have to worry about my decisions effecting others."
Apparently my mouth had violent diarrhea because, again, the words came out without my permission. "Did you think about how it would effect me when you came in here?"
"Yes," she answered promptly as if she'd been expecting it. "And I came to the conclusion that should I stay in here that you'd be fine. I left it up to you to decide what would happen otherwise. If you kicked me out then it was on your head if I got caught. I planned it so I wouldn't get you in trouble. Whatever you did that ruined that plan, well that's your issue."
"Well you're just lucky I didn't walk in, see you, and go off. I'd have been in no way at fault if I'd exposed you the second I found you."
"I had to take that chance, and it paid off. Besides... I saw the look on your face when you came in, you couldn't have spoken let along thrown me out."
I exhaled roughly, annoyed. "You're so arrogant." I muttered.
"You're so paranoid."
"You piss me off."
"You piss me off."
"This is my plane."
"And it's my father paying for the fuel and for you to fly it."
"You're right," I agreed with a nod. "And that's all he's paying for."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" she snarled through her teeth.
"Whatever you took it as." I replied.
"Why does everything turn into a fight with you? Are you completely incapable of carrying on a normal conversation? I was just talking to you like a regular person, and fucking insult me."
"Well maybe you should leave." Wait, what? No!
"Maybe I should!" Rosalie agreed then undid her harness and stood up.
Don't go, don't go, don't go, don't go! No matter how much I pleaded in my head I just couldn't manage to say it outloud.
With total disregard for who might have been outside the door, Rosalie pulled it open and stepped out then slammed it shut again. I flinched, knowing there was no way her father hadn't have heard that.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" I growled and banged my palm against my forehead with each word.
"I'm all right, I just twisted my ankle a little. I need a glass of water." Rosalie responded to a question I hadn't heard.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen... Fourteen... Fifteen...
... Nothing.
I waited a few more seconds in thoughtless silence for Charles Hale to burst through the door with a steak knife in hand to slash my throat, and when he didn't I was left in my stupor for several more seconds.
Maybe there was a rational part—correction, fragment—of her that realized that the situation was caused by her actions. Maybe she wouldn't try to get me fired, arrested and imprisoned.
Unless something actually happens when we land, just drop it. It was a booty call, a one... hour stand, nothing more and now it's over, I decided.
I took a deep breath then let it out roughly, rolling my shoulders in circles for a moment. "It's over now." I whispered to myself encouragingly.
Heh, yeah right.
Not even I believed myself anymore.
Jake and Rose fighting from the day they met. Doesn't it just give you a warm, fuzzy feeling inside? *giggles* Yeah, I'm deranged, I know. But it's still amusing/cute.
Things seem to be remaining on schedule and I'd just like to thank those who still review even though they already know roughly when the next chapter will be coming. It means a lot :D
Pics and sneek peeks on my blog as always. Let me know what you think, overzealousguineapigstories dot blogspot dot com
Reviewer Question of the week: Where's the strangest place you've got it on?
