Page 16 of Billionaire's Fantasy
“What? Why would I say that?”
“Because that is how the saying goes, Jackson.”
I like the sound of my name on her lips. I wonder what it would sound like if she was moaning… nope, too far!
“Who says that?” I ask, shaking my head and trying to stay on topic, despite the subject being utterly confusing to me.
“Everybody.”
She has got to be lying. “That’s simply not true.”
“It is.”
“Well, it’s ridiculous.” Then I turn back to face my dials, but from the corner of my eye, I can see her smiling, and it causes my chest to go all warm inside.
She is too quiet, too contained. I don’t think I enjoy that at all.
I start pointing out the different instruments on the control panel. “This is the altimeter,” I say, gesturing to a dial with a needle that indicates altitude. “And this is the airspeed indicator,” I continue, pointing to another dial that shows the plane’s speed through the air.
Amber nods, looking impressed. “It’s amazing how all these dials work together to keep the plane in the air,” she says.
I nod in agreement. “It takes a lot of training to learn how to fly one of these planes,” I say. “But once you get the hang of it, it’s like second nature.”
I show her how to use the radio to communicate with air traffic control and the different knobs and levers that control the plane’s speed and altitude.
“First, let’s take a look at the primary flight instruments. The large display in front of us shows the airspeed, altitude, heading, vertical speed, and attitude. I use these instruments to keep the aircraft stable and on course. Moving on to the center console, there are a few important switches and knobs here. The first thing I’ll show you is the power lever. This controls the thrust from the engines, so it’s what I use to make the plane go faster or slower. Next to the power lever is the flaps lever. These are panels on the wings that help to increase lift and drag, which I use during takeoff and landing.”
I turn to her to gauge her reaction. She still seems engaged, so I continue.
“Above the center console, there’s a panel with a bunch of buttons and switches. One of the most important is the landing gear lever. This raises or lowers the wheels, which I use when taking off and landing.”
She listens intently, nodding along as I explain each one.
“To the right of the landing gear lever is the engine start button,” I point out, “This is what I use to turn on the engines before we take off. Finally, there are the autopilot controls. These allow me to set a course and altitude, and the plane will fly itself in a straight line until I need to make adjustments. Well, that’s a quick rundown of the Embraer Phenom 300 cockpit. There’s a lot more to it than that, but hopefully, that gives you an idea of what all these buttons and levers do. So, what do you think?” I ask her, trying to break the silence.
“It’s amazing,” she says, her eyes wide with wonder. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
I feel a twinge of pride at her words. “Yeah, it’s a pretty impressive piece of machinery.”
“It is. I am definitely impressed.”
“Good. I know understanding the basics of how it all works helps alleviate the stress and jitters of flying.”
“I really hope that it worked.”
“Don’t worry,” I say with a smile. “I’ll be here the whole time, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Her beautiful green eyes dance with amusement at my declaration. “I hope so.”
I let my eyes drink in her face, the way her pupils just dilated a little, the way her plush lips trembled in anticipation, the way she is looking at me like she is expecting something from me.
“Look,” I say in a low voice, “we should”— but my best friend chooses that exact time to come barging in.
I jump back guiltily, and Amber does the same.
Liv eyes us suspiciously but does not say a thing.
“We should get you back to your seat. Everything back here is ready for takeoff,” she says.
