Page 49 of Friendly Skies
Taking a deep breath, Luis nodded. “Paul said something similar while we were in Brussels.”
“Then maybe you should start believing what people are telling you.” Greg took a big bite of his pizza, chewed, and swallowed. “How is he? I haven’t flown with him since Holden and I got together. I kind of miss his mother hen routine with the younger FAs.”
Luis laughed, and they spent the next half hour or so trading stories about the older flight attendant, while Luis turned over everything they’d talked about. He’d almost resolved that he would tell Darius about Andrés as soon as he could when Darius emerged from the bedroom. One look at his grim expression, and Luis knew he couldn’t burden Darius with this right now.They needed to get through this crisis, and then, he vowed, he’d tell Darius everything.
Chapter twelve
Darius
Darius stepped out ofthe bedroom clutching his cell phone in his hand, as he made his way to where Luis was sitting at the table.
“Ry wants to talk to you,” he said, holding the phone out for Luis.
“Me?” Luis swallowed hard. “Right now?”
“Better now than later. It’s okay. He just needs to know what I’ve said to you about the incident so he knows what to expect if you’re called in for a deposition, that’s all.”
“Okay.” Luis held his hand out for the phone and took it from Darius as if he were expecting it to bite him. “Hello?” he asked as he raised the phone to his ear, his voice as timid and unsure as Darius had ever heard it. He winced as Ry’s greeting came over the speaker to introduce himself.
Luis got up from the table and headed for the bedroom while Darius took his place at the table.
“You doing all right?” Greg asked.
“Define all right.” Darius shook his head and picked up Luis’ unfinished slice. “I might have whiplash from the fucking roller coaster the past twenty-four hours have been. My head is spinning with the conversation I just had with a lawyer. I’m crazy about my best friend, and my dreams about us being together just came true. And I’m scared out of my wits that all of it is going to turn into a nightmare because what I’ve been accused of is a crime by someone I was trying to help and protect. I don’t even think I’m in the same area code as all right.”
“I can understand that. I can’t even imagine what you’re going through.”
“It’s unreal. My mom’s trying to get me to come down to San Diego until this blows over, which I can’t do even if I wanted to.” Darius took a bite of pizza, then made a face and put it back on the plate. “I’m also concerned about Luis and how this is going to affect him. Did he talk to you about what’s going on?”
Greg nodded. “He’s worried about you.”
“I hate that,” Darius said. “I wish I could keep this shit away from him because I don’t know how to protect him from it.”
“You know beneath that twink veneer, he’s tough as nails, right?”
“I do, but he doesn’t.”
“And protecting him all the time isn’t going to help him figure it out.”
Darius glared at Greg. “This isn’t the time for me to tell him he’s got to deal with shit on his own.”
“I’m not saying it is, but I am saying maybe you should give him a chance to be the one you lean on for a while instead of the other way around.”
Still glaring at the other man, Darius shook his head. “It fucking sucks having roommates who know you so well.”
Greg drained his beer and grinned at Darius. “Then thank God we’ve got Ricky.” He stood up and waved his empty at Darius. “You want one?”
“Only if it’s got something in it.”
Darius sat at the table while Greg got them another round of beers and picked at his pizza. They’d finished off less than half of it, but Darius supposed it was because neither he nor Luis were very hungry at the moment. He could only imagine what was going on in the bedroom between Ry and Luis and what Luis was going to be like when he emerged.
His own call with Ry had been equal parts hopeful and frustrating, not to mention scary. The worst-case scenario was that the woman’s accusations would result in criminal charges being filed against him. Federal charges because the incident had taken place on a plane. Ry had told him it was fortunate that the woman hadn’t made these accusations until a few days later because that meant the FBI hadn’t been waiting alongside the LAPD, which meant Darius would have his own lawyer present when he was questioned. But Ry also thought it was likely the case wouldn’t go anywhere.
“The videos don’t show anything except you doing your job under hazardous circumstances. And those were likely taken by the passengers with the best view, so I can’t imagine there’s going to be anyone who can corroborate her story. Plus, let’s face it, there wouldn’t be because you didn’t do anything, and that’s what you have to remember. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“But there’s always the possibility that I did touch her,” Darius said. “It was so bumpy, and I was completely focused on getting her back into a seat it might have happened.”
“It’s a question of intent, Darius. She has to prove that you intentionally touched her.”
