Kade - Before

I’d spent all my free time in the computer lab in Wiley Tower for the last two days. 

Yes, I had to admit, I’d been stalking Madison.

I only knew her name because I’d seen it written on one of her papers. I didn’t have a last name though, so that made it a bit more difficult.

If she didn’t show back up to the lab soon, I’d have to resort to more active methods of stalking.

I wasn’t sure what that was going to be just yet, but I’d figure something out.

Louisiana Tech was a big school, but not that big.

I knew what time her math class was, so I could find her.

I just preferred that she either show back up or even better, she could call me.

I could have made everything more simple by getting her number, but I hadn’t wanted her to say no.

As long as she didn’t come right out and tell me to get lost, I figured I stood a chance.

Unfortunately, I did get a phone call two days after I’d met Madison. Just not the one I was wanting.

My mother had called to tell me that my father was in the hospital.

So I had to get from here to Houston as soon as possible.

I had a car, but driving would take too long.

I needed to fly.

What I didn’t have was an airplane.

Going on instinct and sheer adrenaline, I raced back to my dorm, threw a few things into my overnight bag, and drove to the airport.

I didn’t have a plan. 

Not exactly.

Somehow I thought that if I just showed up at the airport, something would work its way out.

As I parked my car at the little airport, I noticed a Learjet sitting there that I hadn’t seen before.

Tech had a nice fleet of prop planes, but the university didn’t own anything like this brand new jet sitting on the tarmac.

I went inside the office and checked the schedule.

Bobby was sitting behind the desk. 

Bobby was in charge of keeping up with the planes.

He was a nice guy, but he’d washed out of the aviation program early on. The boss had let him keep his job. It was supposed to have been for just a little while, but Bobby had been there since I’d been become a student.

“Hey Bobby,” I said. “Any planes available? I need to get to Houston.”

“You know I can’t approve you taking a plane. You don’t have the hours yet.”

He was right. I didn’t have the flight hours yet that would allow me to take a plane out on my own. 

“The boss around?” I asked. I was feeling desperation start to well up in my gut.

“Nope,” he said. “Sorry.”

I walked to the window. Looked out. That was one fine looking Learjet.

“Whose plane is that?” I asked.

Bobby knew exactly what I was talking about.

He shrugged. “Just showed up.”

Maybe driving was my best option yet.

I hated spending all those hours on the road when I needed to be at the hospital.

A pilot, wearing a pilot’s cap, stepped out of the Learjet and looked toward the office.

He was waiting for someone.

I’d be like him someday.

I needed to leave, to get on the road. 

But I was fascinated by the Learjet.

It was curious that I hadn’t seen it here before.

I heard someone, a girl, talking to Bobby.

At first I just ignored it, but something about her voice caught my attention. 

I turned around. 

It was her.

It was Madison.

She hadn’t seen me.

She looked… different.

She was wearing a tight pencil skirt that showed off her figure and an emerald green silk blouse. She was wearing low heeled pumps.

A completely different girl than the college student I’d spent the afternoon doing math problems with.

“Thank you, Bobby,” she said as Bobby took her luggage and carryon bag, both a high end, high quality brand.

Maybe it wasn’t her.

Maybe it just looked like her.

I took a step forward so I could see her better.

“When are you coming back?” Bobby asked.

“Not sure.” She seemed preoccupied.

And didn’t look up as they headed toward the door leading out to the tarmac.

The phone rang just as they were about to go outside.

She stopped. “You should get that.”

Bobby shrugged. “They’ll leave a message.” 

But she didn’t budge. “It could be important.”

Bobby frowned, but turned around and went back to the desk to answer the phone.

Madison turned around and looked right at me.

She just blinked as though she wasn’t sure she knew me.

I grinned. 

Of all the gin joints…

“Hello Madison,” I said.

“Hi,” she just looked at me. “It’s kinda odd. I have your phone number, but I don’t know your name. Yet… you know my name, but not my number.”

I shrugged. “That’s what I get for trying to be smooth.”

She smiled then. And I saw the girl who’d captivated me in the computer lab.

“Going somewhere?” she asked, glancing down at my beat-up bag.

“I have to get to Houston,” I said. “Family emergency.”

She had a funny expression on her face.

“How odd,” she said. “I’m headed to Houston, too.”

“That is odd,” I said. And quite unbelievable how this girl suddenly kept showing up in the places I frequented. “What about class?”

“I’m out until Tuesday.”

“You only have Tuesday Thursday classes?” I thought back, putting together the time line. Made sense.

“And Wednesday.”

“Huh.” I waited for her to explain. 

She was obviously about to get on that Learjet.

The question was why.

“I work in Houston on the weekends.”

I nodded.

My thoughts swirled with possibilities. 

Maybe she was a flight attendant.

Or a call girl.

She didn’t look like either.

She looked like a wealthy as fuck young lady. 

But she was a college student just like me.

I decided to go with flight attendant.

It suited her better.

And it suited me better.

Her brow was furrowed as she looked at me.

“I should get on the road,” I said, suddenly remembering why I was here. I needed to get to Houston. To the hospital.

“You’re driving?” she asked.

Bobby came back. “You ready?”

She held up a hand and Bobby stopped where he stood. 

“Are you driving?” she asked again.

“Looks like it,” I said, with a quick glance toward Bobby.

“Do you want a ride?” she asked.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bobby’s jaw drop.

I just grinned.

“You’re kidding right?”

She just shrugged.

“Up to you.”