11. Mix-Up

The credits were rolling and it was only then that Finley realized how little of the second half of the movie she'd processed.

"Let me know when you get home, okay," Pete told her as she was heading out.

"Will do, thanks again."

"Anytime."

She hesitated for a brief moment before drawing him close in a hug. His arms wrapped around her in return. "Thanks Pete, good night." And with that she headed on her way.

The ride home seemed to fly by, her thoughts so busy the entire time. The moment she stepped inside her apartment she made sure to text him so she didn't forget.

Finley: I'm home! Thanks again for tonight, I had a really nice time.

Finley: Also, thank you again for sharing

She considered adding a heart emoji, but quickly decided against it.

Finley: I appreciate it

She added instead.

Pete: Anytime! I had a nice time too :) I should cook more often, haha! ;)

Pete: Thanks for listening

Little did she know, he considered and reconsidered the heart emoji too.

The next day during her lunch break, her phone rang. MOM with the house emoji appeared on screen. She answered right away.

"Hi Mom!"

"Hi Finn!"

She and her mother chuckled as they had both spoken at the same time.

"How's it going?" she asked.

"Oh good, I just wanted to hear your voice, it's been so long. I thought it was your lunch break so I thought I'd try and I'm glad I caught you! How are you?"

"Good, busy. I told you I'm tutoring now, right?"

"Yes, that's great. How's that going?"

"Really well! Amelia's great and we connected really well." She didn't want to admit it, but it had been so long since she had talked to her mother last she couldn't remember exactly how much she'd updated her on. Oops... "And you remember my friend Bradley from when I was in college? The pilot? Well he's here for work again so we've reconnected in person, and that's really nice. I've made some new friends through him." She didn't mention the one friend she'd made through him that she was feeling a strong attraction to.

Her stepdad came over and shouted a greeting into the phone - he didn't mean to, but Finley still had to hold the phone away from her ear for a moment. "Hi, Nick."

"Finn we want to see you." Her mother had taken over the phone again. "We're thinking of planning a visit out there, or you could come back home?"

I am home. "Oh okay, yeah it would be nice to see you."

"This is all just talk so far, nothing's fully planned yet. Let us know if there's a time that's best for you for a visit or travel."

"Okay, will do." She knew that her mother would prefer her to go back 'home' to New Jersey.

Her lunch break was coming to an end, and soon her classroom would be flooded by teenagers, so they wrapped up the call, promising to talk soon - sooner than the last time.

This gave her just enough time to finish her sandwich before the bell rang, signaling lunch was over.

Just as her students were filing into the room her phone buzzed in her pocket. PETE with the motorcycle and plane emoji caught her eye on the screen. But she didn't have time right now.

Trying to push down the excitement, the thrill, that was suddenly charging through her from his text, she shut her phone in her desk drawer and addressed the class.

The period dragged by, all with Pete's message poking at her thoughts. She was thankful when the bell rang again and the classes changed, leaving her with her prep period and a whole hour to answer his text. She sat down at her desk, retrieved her phone from the bottom of the drawer, and opened up the message, eager to see what he said.

Pete: Hey if you're not busy tonight there's something I'd love to show you! :)

Her heart thundered. It had been so long since she'd had a crush she'd forgotten how fun it was - even if it was unrequited. But, they could still be friends, and for that she was grateful.

Finley: Does it involve planes?

Pete: How did you guess? ;)

She rolled her eyes and chuckled at his playful words.

Finley: Does it involve you and planes?

Pete: Kinda? Not really...?

Finley: Okay, now I'm curious...

Pete: Great! Meet me at the base after work

Finley: At the base? Am I allowed there? :/

Pete: With Captain's seal of approval ;)

Pete: I'll meet you out front so you don't have to deal with the intense guard guys

This made her laugh.

Finley: Okay, sounds good, see you then!

Arriving at the base she was a little nervous - she'd never been on armed forces property before.

But true to his text, Pete was out front with his own bike waiting for her.

"So this is work?"

He nodded. "This is work."

"Nice office."

"Yeah, it's not bad. Here, you can park your bike in here, it'll be well looked after I promise. We'll take mine."

"Okay. Where are we going?"

"Not far - you'll see." He winked.

She chuckled. "Okay."

He climbed onto his bike first, she on the back holding his shoulders.

"Do you feel the need?" he said.

His words threw her. "For what?"

"The need for speed?"

She laughed. "Sure."

"Okay-" He flicked his aviators down over his eyes. "Then hang on-"

And off they went. They were flying - no pun intended - down the road parallel to the runway.

"She's about to take off!" Pete shouted back to her, nodding to a jet beside them. They both cried out in a "woo!" as Pete picked up speed to try and match that of the jet; her arms flew around his waist and tightened and she threw back her head laughed. The need for speed is right!

"How was that?" he asked at the end of the long road.

"Thrilling!"

"How do you feel?"

"High on adrenaline!"

"Now there's one more thing I want to show you-"

"Oooo, there's more?"

He chuckled. "Yes: one of the best places to watch the sunset."

"Here we are," he declared. They were down by the marina.

"Nothing quite like a California sunset."

"Nothing." he agreed.

"Oh wow, yeah, that's beautiful."

"When I was at Top Gun, I used to come down here and sunset watch." He didn't add that Charlie had been with him a few of those times. It wouldn't be appropriate, especially not with what he was hoping to tell her tonight. But now that they were here, he was suddenly so nervous.

"Finley?"

She turned to him, smiling at him, bathed in the warm fading light from the sun, and suddenly, words were not enough. They just weren't enough.

And so instead of continuing with what he had rehearsed until his mind spun, he leaned in, aiming to kiss her.

She drew back - not because she didn't want to, but just out of sheer shock.

"Did I totally misread this?" he asked, also drawing back now, everything sinking inside him. "If I did, I'm really sorry-"

"I thought you were rekindling with Penny!" she blurted.

He blinked back. "Penny? No, we're done, romantically at least. But it's nice to be friends again."

"But I thought-" Had she totally misread all the signs? Had all that 'flirting' between him and Penny been something her own mind had conjured up after hearing Bradley speak about it? "Wait, so, you like me?"

"Yes..."

"I thought I had an unrequited crush!"

"No..."

"So would you like to go out with me?"

"Yes-"

"Okay." She grinned.

He blinked - had that really happened? That had been strangely easy.

"I'm fifty-eight, if that matters," he said, wanting to get that out of the way.

"Well I'm thirty-four, does that matter?"

"Age was never really a thing for me, but recently I've been feeling old."

He looked so adorably deflated she couldn't help but chuckle. "Aw, I don't think you're old."

"Really?"

"Really."

She was pretty short next to Bradley cause he was a giant, but she actually stood just ever so slightly taller than Pete, and, if she wore the right shoes, just a bit taller than that. She'd never had that with a romantic partner before and she found it kind of thrilling.

That and the way they were standing found them with her standing taller, which came in handy when she took his face in both hands and turned his head to look at her.

"Let's try that kiss again."

Yay, romance, haha! There'll be more of that to come! ;)

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)