It had been a long week. In a long line of long weeks.
Their college pledge—a promise made in the excitement of youth—would pay off in his thirties. A long-term bet that had come good at just the right time. A chance to escape from the month he’d had, the year he’d had, and the people who’d made it that way. And he was pleased Lincoln had covered his part of the costs without asking too many questions, although he needed to ready himself for when they came.
The flight attendant paced down the aisle, reminders about tray tables and seat backs delivered on autopilot. She nodded at Andy’s white knuckles. “Nervous flyer, sir?”
Andy gave her a grim smile. It wasn’t the flight he was nervous about, nor was it his late arrival that would make his connection to the Sydney flight a heart-pumping race against the boarding call. His nerves were primed for coming back into cell phone range. He fumbled for his phone and tried to switch off an already switched-off device. His stomach rumbled again. “I know we’re late coming into LAX. Are you able to check which gate I need for my Sydney flight? And do you have any more peanuts?”
“No to the peanuts, sir, we’re about to land, but I can check your gate. Are you flying with us?”
Andy’s simple nod shook free a bead of sweat that ran down his forehead and channeled between the jowls rolling out from under his chin. Another lurch. The ground inched closer.
The business-jacketed woman in the aisle seat nodded down at the death grip on Andy’s armrest. “You don’t fly much?” She offered her hand, a thick gold chain swinging freely under her wrist. “Sue Garland. I’m in telecommunications.”
“Andy Summers. I’m a”—he reached for his tried-and-true spiel—“risk management specialist.”
“Great to meet you, Andy. Where are you based?”
“Cincinnati.” He stared back out the window. Los Angeles and those who wanted to get in touch with him were now several hundred feet closer.
Sue’s lean ushered a thick waft of perfume over to Andy. “So, risk management. Who do you work for?”
Andy stared harder out the window. This was where conversations veered toward dangerous territory. He turned to his seatmate with a curt smile. “Myself.”
“Great, a freelancer. Going to LA for business or pleasure?”
Relief followed at the neutral question, one that didn’t require his answer to be measured for consequences. “I’m heading to Australia with some old college friends.”
Catching up with his old college gang was the icing on top of a much-needed cake—the chance to disappear for a while. He hadn’t spoken to the girls since the ten-year dinner, but following their online stories from afar had rekindled happier times, memories from an age ago.
“Sounds great! I’m on the way there myself. Who are you flying with?”
Andy hesitated. This answer might require measurement, and he needed to get away from people, not drag them with him.
Sue tightened her seat belt. “Sorry if I’m prying. I thought it might take your mind off the landing.”
Andy’s stomach growled as it continued its downward lurch, unhappy with a two-minute gorging on the airline’s snack, laughingly listed as “dinner.” Not for a big guy like him. He turned back to his seatmate. There was so much he wanted to unload, so much that would relieve the pressure if out in the open rather than trapped in a mind revolving in ever-tightening circles. “Thanks, it’s . . .”
Sue raised her eyebrows in the uncomfortable silence that settled onto the empty seat between them. But Andy’s words wouldn’t come—they were well trained to stay where they were.
The eyebrows fell. “It’s okay, I used to have an anxiety about flying too. Listen, if you need any help on the flight over, you come and find me and I can help you through it.”
The flight attendant leaned across Sue’s seat. “Mr. Summers, it looks like we’re landing at gate 56 and you’ll be boarding at gate 58. You’re in luck.”
Andy sunk back into his seat. The patchwork of suburbia gave way to skyscrapers and commerce.
That was a nice piece of luck. It had been a long time since he’d had any.
Five
Eliza studied Lincoln over the top of her cell phone, as she fired off her final emails before boarding. For a guy seemingly happy to splash money around on cars and sailboats, he was too invested in losing the money he’d lent to Andy. But the bigger thought was both a worry and a relief. The man who’d snapped at Bree was no longer the compassionate idealist who was generous to a fault.
“Pacific Australia flight 8779 will be boarding in ten minutes.”
Lincoln angrily pocketed his phone with a huff. He glanced into Eliza’s gaze before plastering another false smile over it in a hurry. That was the relief. Her gut was right back in college. He wasn’t the right man for her, and Africa wasn’t the right place either.
Two gates away, a crowd trickled from the Jetway. First came the business suits and expensive smart casuals. Then singles and couples without children strolled off the flight without a care in the world. The crowd poured out as economy took its turn to empty: tall, short, fat, and thin. The everyone else of travel. Among the crowd, a disheveled man pushed his way into the airport, his portliness straining a creased dress shirt at the buttons. Thin wisps of sooty hair poked out from under a battered fedora as the man frantically scanned the boarding queue at gate 58.
Eliza nudged Lincoln and pointed. “You can relax about your money now.”
The man who looked like he needed a good wash and iron had filled out further since the ten-year reunion dinner.
Lincoln raised a hand and whistled. “Andy!”
The disheveled man acknowledged the wave with a tired smile and made his way over to them, dragging his oversized, bulging suitcase, and his smile broadened. “My favorite Flagstaff College alumni. I can’t believe I made it.”
Bree pushed aside his offered hand and embraced him. “You always did cut things close.”
Andy laughed it off, but it looked like his eyes hadn’t gotten the memo to join in. He stood back from Eliza. “You look amazing, Lize.” He quickly moved toward her. “I’m sorry, I hope you’re not offended by that and it’s okay for me to—”
Eliza dismissed his apology with a kiss on each cheek. “Not at all. I didn’t think you were going to make it. Lincoln was freaking out that he would have to chase you for money.”
Lincoln pulled him into a backslapping man-hug. “So glad you could make it, man! You really were cutting it fine.” He raised a hand to the flight attendant behind the counter. “Now that we’re all together, I’ve got a surprise. I’ve arranged upgrades for us all at the gate.” Bree squealed as Eliza smiled. So that’s what he was angry about. Still . . .
“I wanted to mark our reunion with something special. When I get back, I’m going to be made a partner in my stockbroking firm, so it’s the least I can do.”
Bree’s eyes welled. “Lincoln, you don’t have to—”
“But I want to. Think of it like Andy helping Bree get to her audition in New York.”
Eliza again put her hand on his arm. “That’s a lovely gesture, thank you.” Bree winced, and Eliza shook her head. Bree’s audition might have been fifteen years ago, but clearly the nerve was still raw. Lincoln led them to the counter and handed over their boarding passes with a beaming smile.