Kissing Fire by A.M. Hargrove Page A

up. I’m pretty sure I cried for two hours
because one of those military guys came up to us and told us we
were about to land and that we needed to get off the floor and into
our seats.
    Well, didn’t that make me feel all proud of my
behavior?
    “Oh my God. Can it possibly get any worse?” I said
it out loud, not intending to.
    Preston, hearing my question, answered me. “Avery,
this is nothing honey. You should see some of the predicaments I’ve
found myself in.”
    Before we could make it back to our seats, the plane
hit an air pocket and we both went flying. Of course, hot DEA agent
recovered admirably, but not Extra Large Avery. I landed on my ass,
in front of God and everyone else. That was the whipped cream and
cherry on top of the other incident. I had finally hit the bottom
of the Avery barrel.
     
    ********
     
    Leaving that plane was the greatest feeling in the
world. I think I hit that ramp at a full on sprint.
    “Avery, wait up,” Preston yelled.
    I paid him no mind. I wanted to get the hell out of
that metal tube and go somewhere so I could hide my head in the
sand like an ostrich. Maybe it would make me forget all of that
stuff that happened. I doubt it. You don’t ever forget being
humiliated like that. I knew I would take that with me to the
grave.
    The pounding of feet got closer and then he grabbed
my arm, forcing me to stop. I was so winded, I would’ve stopped any
minute anyway.
    “Where are you going?”
    “Anywhere,” I gasped out between breaths. “Away from
here.”
    “We have to get on the next flight.”
    “I don’t want to. I want to go home. Back to
Charleston. I want to wake up and know this was some crazy dream
and that none of this awful stuff really happened to me. I want my
old boring and sad life back. In fact, I take back all the bad
stuff I said about it. It wasn’t that bad now that I think of it.
You can leave me here and I’ll get my own ride home. I’ll be fine.
Really.”
    “You know I can’t do that. You have to come with me.
Now Avery.”
    “Please Preston. If those men come and get me, I’ll
just tell them I don’t know you. I really don’t. I mean I only now
just learned your name isn’t Just Miles. Please,” I begged.
    “Avery, you know I can’t.”
    My body was really shaking all over and I couldn’t
seem to make it quit. I rubbed my hands together and then folded my
arms around me. My leg shook as I thumped my knee up and down.
    He turned me around and we headed toward a small jet
that waited on the tarmac with its door opened. It resembled the
jet owned by Middleton Enterprises, the corporation my family was
part owners of. We climbed the stairs and were met by a flight crew
of one. I asked for a glass of bourbon, neat, but the man just gave
me a strange look.
    Preston buckled my seat belt and we were airborne
moments later.
    “Is it possible to go insane in twenty four hours?”
I asked him.
    “I suppose so.”
    “Then you might need to check me into the mental
institution.”
    “That’s not even funny Avery.”
    “I’m not joking Preston.”
    He looked me hard in the eyes and then he lifted up
the divider between our seats. He put his arm around me and pulled
me as close to him as he could, considering we were wearing seat
belts, and hugged me.
    “I’m so sorry all this has happened, but I promise
it will get better.”
    “Do you really think so or are you just trying to
make me feel better?”
    The pause, the hesitation indicated what he was
going to say, even before he said it.
    “I think a little of both.”
    “Well, one thing’s for sure. I’ll have to get a new
job.”
    He laughed.
    “I didn’t mean that as a joke.”
    “I’m sorry Avery. I laughed because I wish I could
tell you how many times I prayed for the DEA to fire me. I can’t
get a new job and I really want one!”
    I sat up and looked at him. “I don’t understand. Why
don’t you just walk away?”
    He scraped his lower lip between his teeth. “I wish
it