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Freddy wasn’t really worried about their work. He knew Sabrina could handle that. Hell, she was a fuck of a lot better at writing the manuals than he was. But he also knew how much she hated storms, and she was about to get hit with a doozy. A system that spawned countless tornadoes and destroyed almost half a dozen towns across the Midwest was colliding with the remnants of a hurricane that devastated the outer banks of North and South Carolina. Airports from Raleigh to Pittsburgh were shut down as models predicted the two systems would crash into the Appalachian Mountains at the same point and around the same time. Forecasters were warning the two could spin together while high enough in the atmosphere that the mountains wouldn’t break them up.The worst of it was expected to hit along the Virginia and West Virginia state line–where Sabrina was located.
“What’s going on?” Renner asked, trying to peer over Freddy’s shoulder to see his phone.
“Personal updates, if you don’t mind.” What was with this guy? Freddy was hoping for just one seat to get some space from Renner.
At least the man had the decency to look slightly embarrassed. “Right, of course. I should do that too.”
After more than a week of dealing with the US Navy, the Chinese Navy, and his counterparts at Dynamic Solutions, Freddy was sick of playing the part of a professional representing Taylor Industries. His need to peel away the façade and set himself free clawed at his insides. He just wanted to go home. Well, not to his home necessarily. That place felt as cold as a professional magazine spread.
He wanted to go home to his best friend’s house. He and Sabrina may have met as coworkers, but she’d quickly become his person—the one who knew him without any masks or pretenses. Her place didn’t try to hide its age, and there were always dirty dishes on the counter. The blankets on her loveseat often migrated around the house. They were soft fleece, covered in pop culture, and never folded or arranged.
More importantly, he hated the thought of her going through the storm alone. When they first started gaming together, they’d swapped all kinds of stories. At one point, he’d asked her about her scariest memory, expecting a story about getting lost in a store or watching a movie that caused nightmares. Instead, she’d taken the question to heart and answered seriously enough that he’d paused his game and watched her face as she’d told him about a group of high school girls inviting her to a party only to leave her stranded, alone, in a field during a storm. She’d kept leaping and whistling her way through Assassin’s Creed as she spoke, but her energy had changed, and her face was pale. Freddy suspected the girls were a bigger fear than the storm, but she still tensed up anytime the weather got bad.
Shaking the worry from his mind, he sent her an update.
Freddy: Im on all standby lists but earliest has me landing at Dulles @5am
Sabrina: ouch red eye? Really?
Freddy: renner is making me nuts and lily is sexting her wife
Sabrina: seriously?
Freddy: renner yes. Lily i dont know but she was looking lovey dovey when she left for a hotel for the night
Sabrina: be honest. Youre sick of suits
Freddy: yes that and more
Sabrina: weathers not bad here just rain
Freddy: supposed to get worse. you okay?
Sabrina: *eyeroll emoji* im fine
Freddy sighed and checked that Renner was ready to keep moving before continuing to the gate. As they got closer, he turned to the other man. “Let me talk to them and see what I can find out.”
“Works for me,” Renner agreed. “Want me to hold onto your bag?”
It was a nice gesture, but if the gate worker offered him a seat right that minute, he would sprint down the jetway without giving Renner a second thought. He’d feel guilty as hell about it later, but Future Freddy could sort that out.
“I’m good thanks,” he said and strode up to the gate.
The woman standing there looked professional, competent, and like she had no qualms with putting unruly passengers in their place. Pulling the slip of paper from his pocket to check the name, Freddy asked, “Are you Margie?”
“I am. How can I help you?” She looked less abused than the poor guy at the ticket counter, whose name Freddy never got. Shit.
“Uh, I was at the ticket counter because my flight was canceled, and the guy sent me here. I didn’t think to get his name.” He winced apologetically and held out the slip of paper he’d been given.
Margie must have recognized the handwriting because her face transformed into genuine happiness when she saw it. “You must have been nice for Kevin to send you to me. The flight is fully booked, but we often have a no-show or two. I won’t know until right before departure, though.”
“I’m good to do whatever makes it easiest for me to get home sooner,” Freddy said.
“In that case, be back here when we start boarding around seven. Wave or say hi, so I know you’re here. After everyone else has checked in and boarded, we’ll see what we’ve got.”
“Great. I do have another guy going the same direction, but we do not need to stay together. If there’s only one seat open, I’m happy to take it.”
Margie gave him a sly smile. “Coworker?”
