just some egghead going along for the ride. She wondered, How could she say something so obnoxious to a perfect stranger?
“ What a witch.” Christina whispered to Hank. “Where does she keep her broom?”
“ I’m afraid you’re right,” he said. “Gilmore’s the creme de la creme of witchdom. Pretty much keeps to herself here in the office. Always on the phone, trying to horn in on my business. I understand she also has a charter today. Should be right behind us.”
Gilmore came back out of her office looking like a different person. She had two open Coke cans in her hand and a big smile on her face. “I must apologize for my rudeness,” she said looking at Christina. “I’ve been under a lot of stress lately.” She walked a beeline to Hank. “Here’s the Coke I owe you, buddy,” like they were old friends. “Guess I’ll have to quit betting against the Braves.”
“ But, I’m not all that thirsty right now.”
“ C’mon, you have to take it. A bet’s a bet. I insist. Here, I like to pay my debts.” She shoved it in his hand and walked back to her office.
“ Miss Matthews, would you like this? Ice cold.” He tried to hand it to her.
“ No, no,” she pushed it back, “not unless you’ve got a porta-potty in that Saratoga.”
Hank chugged the soft drink as fast as he could and hustled outside with a loud belch. As she watched him inspect his plane, Christina was pleased. It brought to mind something Furgeson had said.
You can always tell about the quality of a pilot by watching the preflight. Don’t ever ride with someone who just gets in and takes off.
Heather protested at first sight of the charter plane, a single engine, six-passenger Piper Saratoga. “I’ve seen this before. On the news. It’s the same plane that got all the bad press when John Kennedy, Jr. went down in the Atlantic.”
“ You got to be kidding me,” Jessica complained. Christina knew she didn’t like flying at all, much less in a small plane.
“ I didn’t want to tell you guys this, but I had a bad dream last night,” Heather sighed. “We were cramped in a tiny airplane that was spinning out of control over the ocean. Everyone was screaming, and we just kept spinning and spinning like we were falling for eternity.”
“ Thanks a lot, Heather. I feel much better now,” Jessica said.
“ Relax ladies,” Christina stated with confidence. “The Saratoga is a fine piece of machinery, the perfect plane for hopping the islands.”
The only obvious concern was all the luggage and equipment. Hank weighed every piece and shyly asked the girls if they would mind revealing their body weight. Both Jessica and Heather gave Christina a look of disdain. Delta Airlines never asked their weight. Hank ran through his weight and balance calculations and instructed that the wing tanks be filled “only to the tabs.”
“ A three-hour flight, with four hours of fuel in perfect weather, plenty of margin,” he said softly, talking to himself. “Now if you ladies’d be so kind to climb in and make yourselves comfortable, we’ll have you on Exuma in no time.”
“ Be there in a minute,” Christina ran for the phones.
Lazer answered on the first ring. “Glad you called. Bin trying to git hold of ya. Seems Weston has quite a track record with the young gals. My buddy hit the jackpot.”
“ What do you mean?”
“ Heather don’t wanna marry this ole boy.”
“ Give me a quick snapshot. We’re climbing aboard as we speak.”
Lazer had never said anything quickly in his entire life, and this would be a real challenge. “I’ll try. . .Married twenty years back, no kids. Divorced ten years later after his wife came home early from a family reunion and found him in bed with a seventeen-year-old freshman. Got that gal pregnant. Parents threatened to sue the school, but finally opted for a quiet abortion. After
“ What a witch.” Christina whispered to Hank. “Where does she keep her broom?”
“ I’m afraid you’re right,” he said. “Gilmore’s the creme de la creme of witchdom. Pretty much keeps to herself here in the office. Always on the phone, trying to horn in on my business. I understand she also has a charter today. Should be right behind us.”
Gilmore came back out of her office looking like a different person. She had two open Coke cans in her hand and a big smile on her face. “I must apologize for my rudeness,” she said looking at Christina. “I’ve been under a lot of stress lately.” She walked a beeline to Hank. “Here’s the Coke I owe you, buddy,” like they were old friends. “Guess I’ll have to quit betting against the Braves.”
“ But, I’m not all that thirsty right now.”
“ C’mon, you have to take it. A bet’s a bet. I insist. Here, I like to pay my debts.” She shoved it in his hand and walked back to her office.
“ Miss Matthews, would you like this? Ice cold.” He tried to hand it to her.
“ No, no,” she pushed it back, “not unless you’ve got a porta-potty in that Saratoga.”
Hank chugged the soft drink as fast as he could and hustled outside with a loud belch. As she watched him inspect his plane, Christina was pleased. It brought to mind something Furgeson had said.
You can always tell about the quality of a pilot by watching the preflight. Don’t ever ride with someone who just gets in and takes off.
Heather protested at first sight of the charter plane, a single engine, six-passenger Piper Saratoga. “I’ve seen this before. On the news. It’s the same plane that got all the bad press when John Kennedy, Jr. went down in the Atlantic.”
“ You got to be kidding me,” Jessica complained. Christina knew she didn’t like flying at all, much less in a small plane.
“ I didn’t want to tell you guys this, but I had a bad dream last night,” Heather sighed. “We were cramped in a tiny airplane that was spinning out of control over the ocean. Everyone was screaming, and we just kept spinning and spinning like we were falling for eternity.”
“ Thanks a lot, Heather. I feel much better now,” Jessica said.
“ Relax ladies,” Christina stated with confidence. “The Saratoga is a fine piece of machinery, the perfect plane for hopping the islands.”
The only obvious concern was all the luggage and equipment. Hank weighed every piece and shyly asked the girls if they would mind revealing their body weight. Both Jessica and Heather gave Christina a look of disdain. Delta Airlines never asked their weight. Hank ran through his weight and balance calculations and instructed that the wing tanks be filled “only to the tabs.”
“ A three-hour flight, with four hours of fuel in perfect weather, plenty of margin,” he said softly, talking to himself. “Now if you ladies’d be so kind to climb in and make yourselves comfortable, we’ll have you on Exuma in no time.”
“ Be there in a minute,” Christina ran for the phones.
Lazer answered on the first ring. “Glad you called. Bin trying to git hold of ya. Seems Weston has quite a track record with the young gals. My buddy hit the jackpot.”
“ What do you mean?”
“ Heather don’t wanna marry this ole boy.”
“ Give me a quick snapshot. We’re climbing aboard as we speak.”
Lazer had never said anything quickly in his entire life, and this would be a real challenge. “I’ll try. . .Married twenty years back, no kids. Divorced ten years later after his wife came home early from a family reunion and found him in bed with a seventeen-year-old freshman. Got that gal pregnant. Parents threatened to sue the school, but finally opted for a quiet abortion. After
Similar Books
