Under My Umbrella

Chapter Two

Two hours later, I’m racing through San Francisco airport armed with my passport and a hastily packed suitcase. Making this flight meant abandoning my party and risking my life by screaming at the cab driver to go faster. And I’m about to board a flight that will swallow a whole day with connections and time differences.

But it’s all going to be worth it. I’m going to save Rob from this crazy wedding. I’m going to fix everything.

After navigating my way past groups of people pushing trolleys of luggage, I finally make it in time to get on an airplane full of already-seated people.

Of course my seat is right at the back, earning me lots of rolled eyes and death stares usually reserved for people who take the last spot in the parking lot.

I get an aisle seat next to a rounded man who’s already sharing my seat before I’ve sat down and in front of a family with a seat-kicking, wining eight-year-old and a perpetually screaming baby.

God, I hate allocated seating.

I slide my phone out of my bag to find several missed calls and text message from Jenna, demanding to know where I am. God knows how I managed to sneak out of the house, get my luggage in the cab and get away without her noticing. I guess everyone was having such a good time they didn’t even notice I’d gone.

And I’m going to come straight back as soon as I’ve got everything under control. They probably won’t notice I’m gone at all. Factoring in the crazy flight duration, this trip will probably take me out of the country for three days, maximum.

I type a quick response to Jenna, telling her I’m going out of a town for a few days and not to worry about me.

And then I sit back and enjoy the flight.

Well, I would if this kid wasn’t kicking my seat and the baby wasn’t crying and the guy next to me would take his fat elbows off my armrest.

Actually, I think it would be much more enjoyable if I had a different seat. Maybe one nearer the cockpit so I could check how the pilot’s getting on.

“Excuse me,” I call a nearby flight attendant.

“Can I help you?” She beams at me.

I lean closer to her and lower my voice. “Are there any seats I could move to at the front of the aircraft? You know, near the cockpit.”

“Near the cockpit?” She rubs her forehead.

“Yeah for…safety reasons.”

“Miss, I assure you that you’re very safe in the seat you have.” She smiles again and moves as if to walk away.

“Okay.” I grit my teeth and force myself to smile back at her. “What if I wanted to see the captain?”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.” The smile on her face remains tight. “As I’m sure you can understand, if we allowed every passenger into the cockpit it would cause mayhem.”

I glance along the aisle straight ahead, trying to find an empty seat that will at least be nearer.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?” The flight attendant gestures to my seat. “Maybe I could bring you a pillow or a blanket?”

“Is there really nobody who would be allowed to see the captain? What about fellow pilots?”

“Fellow pilots?”

“I’m a pilot,” I blurt out in desperation. “And I think the captain would want to see me, don’t you?”

The attendant frowns. “I’m sorry, miss. I can’t change our policy. Not even for fellow pilots.” She raises her plucked eyebrows and straightens up, hurrying away to deal with somebody else.