Chapter 1: Cruise Altitude
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Miami International Airport. Local time is 3:45 PM, and the current temperature is a clear 95 degrees. For your safety and comfort, please remain seated with your seat belts fastened until the captain turns off the fasten seat belt sign...”
The sound of Zoie’s voice over the cabin intercom was smooth, polished, and effortlessly attractive—like music to my ears every single time we touched down.
We had flown this exact Atlanta-to-Miami leg together at least thirty times over the past year. I’ve been a pilot since I was twenty-one; at thirty-eight, single, with no kids, I knew my way around the nightlife in Atlanta, Miami, and the DMV. But out of all the crew members I’d worked with, Zoie was the one who always kept my attention. Smart, refined, and effortlessly stunning, she maintained a strict line between professional courtesy and personal privacy.
The night before our flight, I had caught myself scrolling past a post on her Instagram—a picture of her at a high-end, low-lit Miami lounge from the previous month. I’d thought about what it would take to break past that composed exterior and actually step into her world outside the uniform.
During pre-flight prep in Atlanta, I’d made a casual move to break the ice, bringing up a viral video that was trending online. That turned into a brief conversation about our respective plans for the Miami layover. She’d kept it simple, mentioning a small gathering at a friend's private residence in the hills just outside the city. At the time, I assumed my chances of crossing paths with her after duty were next to none.
After the final passengers deplaned, I gathered my flight bag and prepared to close out the flight log. Zoie was stepping off ahead of me, her uniform sharp and tailored.
She paused at the jet bridge exit, looking back over her shoulder with a knowing smile. “Jason, have a great weekend.”
“You too, Zoie,” I replied, stepping out beside her. “See you Sunday.”
“Same place, same time,” she teased gently.
“Same place, same time.”
