A Wing and a Prayer

A Short Story by: Ginger Simpson

Genre: Romance Suspense

RATING: L= 0    S=0     V=0

Release: January 2011

Editor: Lea Schizas

Line Editor: Penny Ehrenkranz

Cover Artist: Delilah K. Stephans

Word count: 4,077

Pages: 19

ISBN: 978-1-926931-14-2

E-book price: $0.99

Blurb:

First Impressions aren’t always what they seem. Just ask Callie Corwin.

On a 747, Callie Corwin, buckles up for her first day as a flight attendant. The full jet carries two passengers who stand out from the others, but for totally different reasons. The handsome cowboy promises to be a pleasant distraction from her performance anxiety, but the dark-skinned gentleman a few rows back sends her up her hackles. She’s been trained on how to recognize a terrorist, and he fits the very description. Will she see jolly old England or the bottom of the sea?

Excerpt: 

Callie Corwin passed down the aisle of the 757 one more time before takeoff. Her heart thudded in her chest like the jet engines. Hopefully, she’d done everything by the book. This was her first flight as an attendant, and everything she’d learned during training seemed to have gotten lost in her muddled thoughts of the training manual and its long checklist of things to do.

Making her way back to her own seat in the front of the plane, she halted at a huge pair of cowboy boots blocking the aisle. “Excuse me, sir.” She jostled the muscular shoulder of a person in repose, most of his face hidden by a black Stetson.

He lifted the hat higher on his head and pulled his long, lanky legs back into place. “Yes?”

She swallowed hard, seeing eyes bluer than a Montana sky staring back at her. “Y…you’ll have to buckle your seatbelt for takeoff.” Her gaze drifted down the length of him and rested on his bag. “And you’ll have to stow your carry-on under the seat in front of you.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He doffed the brim of his hat and nudged the black case forward with his foot.

She tried to be professional and not chuckle at his adorable accent. With a smile and a fluttery stomach, she turned and continued to her jump seat in the galley. That cowboy certainly was a piece of eye candy. Too bad there wasn’t time to get better acquainted. Still, the eleven hour flight from California to England would certainly offer another chance.

She harnessed herself in and smoothed her hands across her skirt. So far, so good. No one had gotten angry, everyone found their allotted seat, and the safety instructions had gone off without a hitch. Of course, no one really followed along with the pamphlet in the seatbacks, but at least she managed her safety belt demonstration without dropping her prop. She never expected to be so nervous. Her palms dampened even now as her fellow flight attendant announced they’d been cleared for takeoff.

Flying backward always bothered her. Why couldn’t they have put the crew’s seats on the opposite wall? As the airplane picked up speed, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, planting both feet firmly on the floor. On the climb, turbulence swayed the fuselage, and Callie’s fingers clenched into a knot in her lap. “Bumps in the road,” she muttered, reminding herself of the words her instructor had shared. She’d flown many times in her twenty-two years, but she’d never get used to the roughness caused by air currents. As she often did as a passenger, she counted backwards from one hundred. Usually before she got to twenty-five, things smoothed out. This time was no different.

After a cleansing breath, she opened her eyes and then fidgeted to find her gaze locked with those Montana blues again. Just her luck. The aisle seat of row four had a perfect view of her seating area and at this moment, her. She managed a weak smile and prayed for the captain’s signal to begin in-flight service. Diverting her attention, she turned to chat with the attendant sitting next to her but warmed from the heat of seat 4C’s blazing stare.

As soon as the plane leveled and the buzzer sounded, Callie flexed both fists on the armrests, took a deep breath, and unfastened her safety belt. Pasting on a smile, she rose, and forcing herself to take calm, measured steps, crossed the aisle back to the galley.

Behind the privacy divider, she pulled sodas from the icebox and prepared them for the orders her fellow crewmember was already taking in the plane’s forward section. The aft handled their own. As she lined the cans by type, she mentally ran through her list of duties. Once the drinks and light refreshments were served, she’d pass through the cabin, offering pillows and blankets. Maybe she’d heat a bottle for a baby, or help an elderly person to the bathroom. Whatever was needed for the passenger’s comfort, she’d do.

Unbidden, the image of that angular jaw and those piercing blue eyes filled her head, and she cut herself on a pop-top. She quickly pressed her finger against her lips, winced, and then grimaced at the salty taste of blood. After dipping a napkin into melted ice, she dabbed at the painful slice. Methodically, she moved to the first aid kit, found a band-aid, and applied it. Darn, why couldn’t seat 4C have been 28B instead of the constant distraction he’d become?

Reviews:

This is the second book that I have discovered by Ginger Simpson, and I can guarantee her writing style is one that will keep you highly entertained. READ FULL REVIEW BY Romance Junkies-Suzie Housley reviewer

A very short story with a very good moral. Four stars. Book Babe - 4 stars READ FULL REVIEW

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Customer Reviews:

An enjoyable read. I'll look for more from this author.

A quick and enjoyable read. Looks like romance, but something more might be going on in the not-so-friendly skies.rn

Good read. As usual the talented Ms Simpson holds holds you spellbound.