Flight to the Horizon, page 18
“Thanks, Camille.”
Kerri was grateful Camille was watching out for her, and that the chief pilot was trying to protect her. Maybe some time off at home would be good for her. She was never able to spend as much time as she wanted to with her old dog, Brownie. She also had closets to clean out and movies to catch up on. Who was she kidding? She’d be miserable at home alone.
So many things were out of her control in her life. She couldn’t fly, couldn’t see Janine, and couldn’t fight back against outrageous accusations. She could only try to take care of herself and figure out how to get Janine away from Ryan.
The company put her on a plane to San Francisco, then to Los Angeles, to avoid the press. The crew on the flight to San Francisco was very kind. Out of professional courtesy, no one asked her any questions about the accident. Each of them knew an emergency could happen to one of them, on any given day they flew.
When she finally got home to her quiet, high-rise condo overlooking the ocean, her faithful dog, Brownie, greeted her with the same enthusiasm she always did. Kerri bent down to pet her sweet angel, and then she sat down on the floor with her dog. She held Brownie and ran her fingers through her soft fur as tears ran down her cheeks. Her dog had been with her through several breakups over the years and always gave her unconditional love and acceptance. Kerri was so thankful Brownie was still here with her, not judging her flying skills or her decision-making ability.
She looked out the big windows at the view she adored. Seeing the Pacific Ocean from her balcony always made her feel calm and centered. Today, however, the sea did nothing to calm her restlessness. She felt totally helpless.
But she had to be patient and wait for the NTSB investigation to run its course before she could clear her name and get her pilot’s license back. She also had to wait until Janine could message her. Waiting was Kerri’s least favorite thing. Suddenly a sharp knock at her door interrupted her thoughts.
A young man stood before her. “Excuse me, but are you Kerri Sullivan?”
“Yes. Who wants to know?”
“You’ve been served.” He handed her an envelope, turned, and quickly walked away.
Kerri closed and locked the door, then opened the white envelope. She read the contents. “Are you fucking kidding me? What’s next?”
David Shapiro was suing her for ten million dollars.
A dark cloud descended on her. The walls seemed to be closing in on her, and she had nowhere to run. She couldn’t even leave her own home without a pack of reporters following her. The NTSB had taken flying from her, Ryan had taken Janine from her, and now David Shapiro was trying to take her financial security. She couldn’t possibly afford a ten-million-dollar judgment against her. Kerri held on to Brownie, her only friend in the world right now.
* * *
Janine looked for George Cato in the hotel conference room filled with flight attendants. She hated leaving Molly alone with Ryan, even for a few minutes, but she had to speak to George.
The company emergency-procedures instructors asked the flight attendants about their actions during the evacuation, the ditching, and their time in the life rafts. All the emergency equipment had worked as it was supposed to, with a few notable exceptions. The instructors were stunned when they realized how far Janine’s raft had drifted away from the other rafts due to the loss of their sea anchor. By having the sea anchor in place, the other three life rafts had stayed fairly close together near the accident site. Her coworkers and their passengers were in their rafts for only a few hours before a nearby cargo ship picked them up.
When Janine told them about losing their emergency locator transmitter in the storm, the instructors couldn’t believe they’d been rescued.
“How in the world did that navy research ship find you?” the lead instructor asked.
“Captain Sullivan showed a young passenger how to use our signal mirror, the navy ship saw it, and then they found us.”
The entire room of airline professionals was silent.
“It’s a miracle your raft was found, and we’re so glad you’re all right. We will definitely implement some changes to better secure the sea anchor and the ELT to the rafts, now that we know how easy it is to lose this critical equipment. You all did an outstanding job, and you saved the lives of two hundred and fifty passengers. Thank you for your cooperation. We have counselors available if anyone needs to talk.”
Janine spotted George moving toward the exit and hurried over to talk to him.
“Janine, honey, I’m so happy to see you!” George put his arms around her neck and pulled her into a big hug.
“I need to talk to you. I need help.” She maneuvered him over to a private corner.
“What is it, darling?”
“How well do you know Kerri?”
“As well as I know anyone I’ve ever flown with.”
“Good, because we both need your help.”
“We? Are you two a thing now?” George smiled.
Janine paused but then smiled. “Yes, we are.”
“I’m so happy for you.” George grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into another hug.
“I need to see her, but my husband is very controlling, and I need to get away from him for a while. Can you help us out?”
“Maybe. When are you due for recurrent training?”
“Next month.”
“Good. I’ll call Dusty, in Crew Scheduling, and ask her to move up your training class. We can ask for the late class start time in San Francisco, so you have to spend the night to finish day two. Kerri could fly up to SF and meet you at the crew layover hotel.”
“That sounds perfect.”
Light entered Janine’s heart at the thought of being with Kerri again.
“What are you going to do about your husband?” George reached for her hand.
“I’m not sure. I still have to figure that out. Thank you.”
Janine bent down to kiss his cheek. By the time she got back to the hotel room, her cell phone was ringing. Ryan answered it.
“Who is this, please?”
He listened a few seconds, then handed the phone to Janine. “It’s the Crew Desk.”
“Hello, this is Janine. Just a second, let me get a pen. Recurrent training in SFO, start time three p.m., day after tomorrow. Got it. Thank you, Dusty.”
“What’s this about training? You’re supposed to be off duty until the investigation is done.” Ryan looked irritated.
“The Crew Desk said I will expire on recurrent training soon, so I have to go to San Francisco on Monday, for two days.”
“Well, Molly and I will just go to San Francisco with you. Maybe I’ll take her to the zoo while you’re in class.”
“No, Ryan. She needs to get back to school and to her physical therapy. She’s already missed several days. You could take her to school and meet her teacher. Or Rosa can take her and pick her up.”
Janine knew Ryan wasn’t comfortable being around Molly by himself for too long. She gave him an easy out.
“Well, if you’re sure this Rosa is a reliable person, it’s all right with me if she takes Molly to school.”
“Thank you, Ryan. I’ll only be gone two days.”
A tingle ran down Janine’s spine. She would see Kerri soon, and they would have a whole night together. She was breathless.
* * *
Monday, May 12
Kerri was enjoying herself for the first time in a long time. Driving north on the Pacific Coast Highway, with the top down on her blue convertible, she was listening to some of her favorite women singers, feeling the wind in her hair. She glanced at her watch—two hours to go. Kerri cranked up the tunes for the rest of her drive to San Francisco. She would arrive at the layover hotel an hour before Janine finished training, which would give her plenty of time to clean herself up and set the mood in the hotel room.
Kerri had been beyond happy when George Cato had called her last night to tell her about the rendezvous plan with Janine. She’d been struggling at being forced to hide out in her own home. Alternating between sadness and anger, she was going stir-crazy. A drive up the beautiful California coast to see Janine was just what she needed.
Kerri didn’t want to jinx anything, but she couldn’t stop herself from listening to some mushy, romantic music. She realized she was getting her hopes up, with a possibility they’d get crushed, but this was different. This wasn’t just another fling with a beautiful, hot woman. This felt like a beginning.
Kerri wasn’t sure what form this beginning would take, but she sensed it to be very special. Her feelings for Janine had only grown stronger, in spite of everything they’d endured. Maybe she desired Janine so intensely because they’d almost died together, but then she remembered their time in the skipper’s cabin.
She thought of the first time she’d touched Janine’s velvety skin, when she caressed Janine’s luscious breasts, when she pressed her thigh into Janine’s center—those sensations were real and powerful. She had to have more.
Kerri stood up at the sound of the key in the room lock, holding her breath.
Janine looked so beautiful when she walked into the room. She stopped, they looked at each other a moment, and then Kerri closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Janine. Their lips met, and they kissed like they’d been lovers separated for years.
“Wait. Let me catch my breath.” Janine stepped back and held Kerri’s face in her palms.
“You’re so beautiful, Kerri. I’ve missed you so much.”
Janine leaned in and pressed her lips to Kerri’s with long, languid kisses. Her tongue made slow lines across Kerri’s lower lip. She pulled Janine closer to her and pressed her breasts into Janine’s full mounds. Janine started gyrating her hips against Kerri.
“Let’s lie down. Can I help you out of your dress?”
Janine chuckled. “Why, yes, Captain. You certainly can.”
They quickly undressed, Kerri hung up Janine’s uniform, and then she turned down the bed for them. They pressed their naked bodies together, wrapping their arms and legs around each other. She shuddered with Janine’s satin skin and firm body pressed against hers. They exchanged slow, deep kisses while they explored the wonders of each other. Kerri kissed her and slid her tongue into Janine’s hot mouth, arousal spreading throughout her. The desire to make love with Janine was overwhelming, but did Janine really want this also?
“I know what you’re thinking. You’re afraid Ryan has damaged me, and you’re worried about me. I love that you care. I’m all right, and I really want to make love with you.”
Kerri had no more worries. They spent the rest of the night touching and tasting every square inch of each other. Kerri couldn’t keep her hands off Janine’s full breasts. They were so responsive, and Kerri loved the sound Janine made when she sucked her nipples. Their fears and hesitations faded into the night, as the last light of day changed from blue, to lavender, to dark purple. Nothing in the world existed but this space, with the two of them melding into one body, one heart, making their love become tangible and real. They felt safe with each other and brought each other to ecstasy over and over.
“You’re the most amazing lover I’ve ever had,” Janine whispered, her head next to Kerri’s on the pillow.
A slow wave rolled over her. It wasn’t scary but was light and magical. A thought, with perfect clarity, came into her mind. I love you.
Part of her feared it was too soon to say this, but a much bigger part of her was filled with joy. It had been so long since she felt anything real for another woman, anything beyond superficial attraction. She had enormous respect for Janine. Kerri admired her, desired her, and could see them having a future life together.
Janine rolled onto her side and snuggled her back against Kerri’s front.
“What are you thinking?”
Kerri hesitated, but the wave of emotion was too much for her. She had to tell Janine the truth, or she might combust.
“I love you.”
Janine froze. Then she rolled over slowly to face Kerri. “Really?”
“Yes. I really love you, Janine. I know I’m getting way ahead of myself, but I had to tell you, or I would burst.”
Janine gently kissed Kerri’s lips. “I love you too.”
Chapter Twenty
Tuesday, May 13
Janine woke up early, the soft light of morning peeking through the hotel window. She heard Kerri’s steady breathing and relished the sensation of being pressed against her body. Kerri snorted, put her arm across Janine’s waist, and pulled Janine closer to her. Kerri’s hand on her belly gave Janine shivers of pleasure, as she remembered their lovemaking last night. She wanted more.
Janine had been with a few people before she met Ryan. She’d always enjoyed herself in bed, but no one ever rocked her world like Kerri had. More than anything, Janine was attracted to Kerri’s kind heart.
Kerri rarely showed this side of herself, because she always had to be the calm leader at work, the fearless Captain Sullivan. Alone together, Janine saw how tender Kerri was to her during their lovemaking. She was an unhurried, considerate lover, who clearly enjoyed every moment, from the softest caresses to giving Janine powerful, mind-blowing orgasms. She had never felt so connected, both physically and spiritually, to another person. She was living in a beautiful dream.
Janine glanced at the clock radio. She had one hour before she had to get ready for class, and they had some important decisions to make. Kerri’s hand moved from her belly to the underside of her breast and started squeezing Janine’s fullness. She needed to discuss things with Kerri, but for now, only Kerri’s hot, powerful body was on her mind. She couldn’t stop herself from writhing against Kerri’s lap. Putting her hand on top of Kerri’s, she guided it to where she needed it most and whispered, “Harder.”
“Ummm,” Kerri replied. Then she moved her thigh between Janine’s legs and pressed into her center. Janine was very aroused as she rolled onto her stomach and spread her legs wide for Kerri. Janine hungered for her again. She wanted Kerri’s weight on her body, Kerri’s fingers inside her, and she didn’t hold back expressing her desire. She closed her eyes and let Kerri send her over a cliff with wave after wave of ecstasy until she was spent again.
“I don’t want to ever leave this room.” Kerri nuzzled her face into Janine’s silky blond hair.
Janine sighed. “Neither do I, but we have to talk about some things before I leave.”
Kerri climbed out of bed and made them two cups of coffee. “Here you go, babe.”
Janine liked hearing Kerri call her “babe.” “Thank you. We have to figure out a plan.”
“I agree. What do you want to do?”
“I want you to live with Molly and me, somewhere far away from Ryan.”
“How are we going to do that, if you’re still married to him? I thought you said he was your ex-husband. What do you want to do about him?”
Janine was quiet, then reached over to hold Kerri’s hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the full story. In my mind, he is an ex, even though we’re still legally married.”
“Why don’t you just divorce him?”
“Because I signed a prenup giving him control of everything. I was temporarily out of my mind because of my pregnancy hormones. I had to drop out of college, my parents didn’t want anything to do with me, and I had no money and no choices. It was the only way I could take care of Molly.”
Kerri squeezed her hand. “I’m so sorry. But how can we be free together with you still married to him? Why don’t you hire an attorney and be done with him?”
Janine hesitated. She wanted to be truthful to Kerri, but her fear held her back. If Kerri knew the full truth about how sick and twisted her relationship with Ryan was, she wouldn’t want anything to do with her.
Kerri held both her hands and looked deep into her eyes.
Janine gazed back at the beautiful brown eyes filled with compassion and love. She trusted Kerri with her life, so maybe she could trust Kerri with her awful past.
She grabbed a box of tissues, leaned back against the headboard, and let her mind unlock the dungeon of secrets about Ryan Jackson.
Janine let out a big sigh. “He hid his true self from me until after Molly was born. By the time I fully understood the depths of his depravity, it was too late. He had control over all my finances and every aspect of my life.”
Janine struggled to get the words out. As she recounted her life with Ryan, the shame and humiliation returned like it was yesterday. She tried to suppress her memories, but she wanted Kerri to know her full story. She held Kerri’s hand, took a deep breath, and continued.
“He drugged me. I was never sure what it was, but I think it was some type of roofie. I’d wake up the next morning covered with bruises and no memory of how I got them. That went on for quite a while, and then he started including other people in his sick games.”
“Why didn’t you get away from him?”
“I tried, Kerri. So many times. I was powerless. Whenever I started to leave, he would throw that prenup in my face. In the agreement I signed, if I ever divorced him, Ryan would have full custody of Molly. I decided to take whatever he did to me in order to protect Molly.”
Tears rolled down her face. All the awful feelings flooded over her again as if it were yesterday.
“Then there was that video.”
“What video?”
“He has a video of me.” She could barely choke out the words. “It shows me having sex with all these different men, one after another, when I was under the influence of his drugs.”
“Oh, my God, Janine.” Kerri held her hand tighter.
“Whenever I told him I wanted out, he would threaten to release that video. Then one day, he went too far, and I ended up in the emergency room. Apparently, he just dumped me off in front of the ER and drove away. I don’t remember much, but I do recall seeing the police at the hospital. Then Ryan’s parents showed up. They pretended to care about me, but they were really there to make sure there would be no official reports. They also reminded me of the prenup. I felt absolutely trapped.”
