FlyGirl - The First Edition

Chapter 33: Easy Victor

I NEVER told Alex about trip to the Federal Building, or my encounter with Detective Stephen Reilly, my new law enforcement liaison.

I'm a big believer in secrets. The way I see it, my relationship with state and federal law enforcement was my business was my business and my business alone. Besides, Alex had a lot on his mind lately. Something at his work was bothering him, and I figured if I told him about any of this he would stroke out. I mean, the guy's nearly forty. My not telling him was as much for his own benefit as it for my own. I'm thoughtful like that.

This whole halfway in love thing bugged me, though. I had no idea what it meant. So once I got back to training I asked Frances. "Do you know what it means when somebody says that they're half in love with you?"

Frances and I were sitting next to each other, crouched over, braced for impact with our upper bodies over our knees and our arms around our legs.

"Huh?" she grunted. "What was that?"

"What does it mean to be halfway in love with somebody?" I repeated. "It doesn't make any sense to me."

"Heads down, stay down!" shouted the trainee in charge of the evacuation. "Grab ankles, grab ankles!"

Frances glanced over at me from her brace position. "Can this wait until after we evacuate?'

"Oh my God." I rolled my eyes. "It's not like it's real."

Before she could answer Hector shouted, "Easy Victor!" Easy Victor was airline speak for evacuate.

"Unfasten seat belts, come this way!" shouted the trainee in charge of the evacuation.

"Focus." Frances nudged me. "We're evacuating. We should pay attention."

I pushed my way around the fake luggage and other obstacles in the simulator aircraft aisle for a more realistic training experience and followed her to the nearest emergency exit. "We've done this five times already."

"It's important," Frances told said as we approached the entry door. "It might even save your life."

"Fire! This exit blocked!" shouted my fellow trainee. "Turn around, go that way, use that exit."

Frances and I turned around. "I'm just confused," I told her. "I don't get what it means to be half in love." We reached the window exit and climbed through out onto the fake simulator wing. "The way I see it, you're either in love, or you're not."

We hopped together off the wing and walked away from the simulator. Today was land evacuation drills. Once this was done, our FAA requirements would be satisfied.

"Alright. Obviously, you're fixated." She led me over to the cinderblock wall by the life vest practice inflation station. "It's like this. Some people fall in love, and other people wade into it."

I played with a life vest. "Go on."

"Halfway in love is an expression for the waders. It means there's some attraction and interest, but there's problems that have to be worked out as well." She crouched down and leaned against the wall. "Why do you want to know?"

"No reason," I said. I put on a life vest, inflated it, and then deflated it.

"You're not a wader, so I know you're not halfway in love with somebody," she mused. "But you're definitely in love with somebody. You got that all in love glow."

"I do?" I rubbed my face. "Is it off?"

She looked up at me with a knowing smile. "Alex."

"What?" I looked around. "Where?"