Chapter 8

"And this is the last one." Benny slides yet another sheet of paper into place, and I hesitate for only a few seconds before signing my name on it as well. It"s been over an hour of paperwork, guidelines, rules, learning what drives the "altitude and attitude" mantra of the company, and more.

Finally I crack my knuckles and lean back. "Thanks, man."

His eyes meet mine as he nods. "I"m truly glad to have you on board, Riggs. I"m not sure why it took a girl to convince you that a steady job is the right thing, but here we are."

Grinning, I stand and shake his hand. "Great opportunity, great company, yadda yadda yadda. And you know I love the planes you"ve got in your fleet."

Benny chuckles. "That I do. Oh – here." He hands me a business card. "That"s my Aunt Stella. She"s a real estate agent, and can find you a house, apartment, whatever you want. I"ve already told her to give you the royal treatment."

"Thanks."

Trudging out of the office and into the mechanic"s area, I find a chair where I can hide away for a few minutes. I arrange Olivia"s train home, and book a car to pick her up after her interview. I"d prefer to drive her to the station myself, but it"d be too hard to say goodbye and put her on that train.

Dammit. I miss her already.

How is that even possible? Yesterday when I woke up I didn"t even know who Olivia was. Now… She"s like a drug that I"ve already become addicted to. She makes me feel complete in a way I would have not thought possible even two days ago.

I"ve always put a mental and emotional shield up around people. They create friction, and I"m the sort to have little patience for others at the best of times. Now I can"t stand the thought of being away from this precious girl.

Looking up, I nod to the mechanic who walks by, carrying his lunchbox as he heads to a pickup truck. Looks like a nice, normal guy. Probably has a wife and kids. A home. That"s what everyone is supposed to want, right?

All my life I"ve wanted to keep my options open because I"m terrified of the day when, against my will, those options might become limited. Then Olivia needed me to sign my life away and I did so with less than sixty seconds of hesitation.

Her future is already more important than my own. Which means that she really is the one.

This should be my dream life: flying, adventure, and a gorgeous woman to come home to. But if Olivia doesn"t get into this program, what do I do? Just ask her to live with me and try again in another year?

It"s one thing to hope that we"ll end up living in the same city. It"s quite another to suggest that she move in with me immediately. I don"t even know if her father would allow that. I"ve noticed she gets extremely nervous whenever she mentions him. That"s disturbing.

My girl is going to discover that I will always treat her like a goddess. Running a hand through my hair, I shake my head. What the hell am I even thinking? How does she know she"s mine? I"ve never really said that outside of sex.

I check my phone for confirmations, then forward the email with the train ticket to Olivia before texting her.

Riggs: A car will be waiting outside of the main gate of the school. The driver"s name is Ted. He"ll take you straight to the train station.

Olivia: Oh! Thank you. I really appreciate it. They"re running late, but I"m up next.

Riggs: You"ll still have plenty of time to make the train home. I"ll send a note to Ted to grab you a sandwich and a juice that you can have on the way.

Riggs: You"re going to knock this interview out of the park. Just speak slowly, breathe calmly, and let them know how wonderful you"re going to be.

Olivia: I"m so grateful for all this, Riggs. Seriously.

I want to tell her how deeply proud I am that she"s jumping in with both feet. That I"m head over heels for her already. That I miss the feeling of her soft, delicate body against mine terribly. Instead?—

Riggs: Kick ass, baby!

Olivia: They just called my name. Bye.

I"ve just finished booking a hotel room near the airport when my phone beeps.

Benny: Are you still around? If so, I have a job for you right now.

Riggs: On my way. Be there in 60 seconds.

This is what I need. Throwing myself into my new job wholeheartedly.

It"s going to keep me grounded while I wait to find out if starting a relationship with the girl of my dreams is going to be a realistic endeavor, or a long distance nightmare.

Or…worst case scenario…over, as soon as her father catches wind of what"s going on. Or when she gets into school and realizes that she"d be better off with someone her own age. Or someone more cheerful, who doesn"t growl at the slightest inconvenience.

Ugh.

This whole thing began in the middle of turbulence. I don"t want that to be a theme for our entire relationship.