Crash Landing

“How old are you?”

“Did anyone ever tell you that it’s not polite to ask a woman her age.” She maneuvered the plane through puffs of late-afternoon cloud.

“I’m thirty-two,” he volunteered.

He was older than she would have guessed. “Twenty-six,” she admitted.

“And you’re still not ready to settle down?”

“Are you?”

He chuckled. “No, no, I’m not.”

That killed the conversation.

Good. She needed to concentrate on what she was doing. They were about to cross over into Nicaragua. She radioed the nearest air tower with her intentions and was cleared. They were cruising along at seven thousand feet and a hundred and thirty knots per hour.

But soon, the silence got to her, which was odd. Normally, she was happy as a clam when she was in the air and nothing upset her equilibrium. She canted her head, studied him from the corner of her eye.

He was handsome enough to be a movie star, especially when he flashed that grin. He was such an enigma. On the one hand, a serious workaholic, underneath though, there was a playful side he’d buried long ago to please a stepfather who, from Gibb’s account, withheld affection while at the same time, freely gave him material things. Such mixed messages must be very confusing.

“May I ask you a personal question?” she asked.

“Nothing has stopped you so far,” he said.

“You do not have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“Let’s hear it. What’s on your mind?”

“What is it that you want most in life, Mr. Martin?”

“Gibb,” he said. “You can call me Gibb. Maybe you should tell me what I want, Sophia, since you just did such a good job of reading me.”

“Ah, but if I do it for you then you don’t have to do any soul searching.”

“Soul searching is overrated. I’m more goal oriented than emotive.”

“You’re avoiding the question.”

“You said I didn’t have to answer.”

“I’ve changed my mind. Emote.”

“Anyone ever tell you that you can be a bit bossy?”

“In other words, you have no idea what it is that you want from life?”

“I want for nothing. I’m living the dream.”

“And yet, you do not seem happy.”

For a long time he said nothing. “What do you mean?”

“Never mind. I don’t know you. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“No, really. Go on. I want to hear your thoughts.”

“It’s just that…”

“What?”

“When will you have enough money to earn your stepfather’s love?”

“That’s not what I’m doing.”

“All right.”

“It’s not.”

“You never did answer my question about what it is you want.”

“Food. I’m starving. I forgot to eat lunch. You got anything to eat?” he asked.