Falling at 30,000 feets

Chapter Eleven: Ground Stop

Michael trailed behind Jayden in the polished corridor, his footsteps echoing loudly against the tile floor. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest, his face flushed with agitation.

“Jayden,” he snapped, catching up and walking beside him, “you got married and didn’t tell me? That’s just cruel. We’ve been friends since we were seven years old—you told me when you got your first pimple, when you failed your driver’s test, when you decided to join the air force. But you can’t tell me you married Captain Harley?”

Jayden stopped mid-stride, his hand already on the door handle to his office. He turned slowly, his expression unreadable as always—his eyes dark and focused, his jaw set in a firm line.

“Last time,” he began slowly, his voice low and measured, “you dragged me into that empty meeting room..”

Michael stared at him for a second—then burst into laughter, doubling over slightly as he clutched his stomach.

“Oh, that?” he said, straightening up and stepping closer, wiping tears from his eyes. “I didn’t even know she was your wife then! And besides…” he added with a wide grin, clapping Jayden on the shoulder, “if I hadn’t stepped in.., she would’ve been set up”

Jayden’s gaze hardened slightly, his hand tightening on the door handle. “So,” he said coolly, his voice carrying an edge of steel, “you see yourself as the hero? Rescuing my wife from a bad assignment?”

Michael’s smile faltered. He clenched his jaw, his playful demeanor fading slightly as he realized he’d struck a nerve. Jayden had always been protective of those he cared about—even if he rarely showed it.

Before he could respond—

“Polar Cargo,” Jayden said flatly, turning to push open his office door. “They need a pilot for their Anchorage route starting next week. Report there tomorrow for orientation.”

Michael froze, his mouth falling open in shock.

“What?!” he shouted, following Jayden into the office. “It’s minus fifty degrees there! How am I supposed to survive that? I can barely handle the cold when we fly over Canada!”

Jayden walked to his desk, setting down his briefcase and beginning to sort through the stack of reports waiting for him. “The aircraft is climate-controlled. You’ll be fine.”

“Wait—!” Michael ran around the desk to block his path. “You’re jealous over this, aren’t you? Because I flew with her and you didn’t? Because I almost asked her to dinner?”

Jayden stopped again, his hands hovering over a folder. Without turning to face Michael, his shoulders tensed slightly.

“New assignment,” he added calmly, not looking up. “Effective immediately—you’ll be responsible for scrubbing and sanitizing the toilets on all domestic flights for the next month.”

“Ah!” Michael cried, throwing his hands up in the air. “You’re abusing your power! This is harassment! I’m going to file a complaint with HR!”

Jayden turned sharply, his chair spinning with the movement. His expression was no longer calm—his eyes were dark with seriousness, his jaw tight with barely contained frustration.

Michael immediately realized his mistake, his playful anger vanishing as he took a small step back. He’d never seen Jayden this upset—not even when he’d accidentally crashed their model airplane into Jayden’s father’s prize rose bushes when they were kids.

“…I was joking,” he said quickly, forcing a nervous laugh and holding up his hands in surrender. “Totally joking. HR would never believe me anyway—everyone knows you’re the most fair-minded person in the company.”

He stepped forward and grabbed Jayden’s hand, shaking it dramatically with exaggerated enthusiasm.

“My boss. My dearest, most wonderful boss. I was wrong,” he said, his voice dripping with false sincerity. “I should’ve known better than to tease you about your personal life. Don’t worry—I’ll write a full incident report about today’s flight. Eight thousand words. Handwritten. In calligraphy, if you want.”

Jayden exhaled slowly, closing his eyes briefly as if gathering his patience. When he opened them again, the anger had faded, replaced by his usual calm composure.

Then turned to leave—heading toward the window that overlooked the tarmac—

But paused.

“And the cafeteria food is terrible,” he added, glancing back at Michael with a slight frown. “It’s affecting pilot performance. Fix it.”

He walked off toward the door, pausing with his hand on the frame.

“I’ll cover the cost from the executive budget.”

Michael stood there, stunned for a moment—then quickly nodded, clasping his hands together in exaggerated gratitude.

“Yes, sir! Right away, sir! “

Later – Cafeteria

The atmosphere was completely different from just a few hours ago. Where the room had once been nearly empty and depressing, it was now bustling with activity, the air filled with the delicious scent of fresh food and happy conversation.

“Wow!” one air hostess exclaimed, her eyes wide with delight as she looked at the buffet spread. “Seafood today? I haven’t seen lobster in the company cafeteria since I started working here five years ago!”

Another leaned closer, whispering excitedly as she piled grilled salmon onto her plate.

“I heard the Chief Pilot personally approved the menu change,” she said, glancing around as if sharing a secret. “Said pilots need a high-protein diet to maintain focus and physical stamina during long flights.”

The first beamed, picking up a small bowl of shrimp scampi. “I love our Chief Pilot. Whoever he is—he really cares about us.”

Across the room, Jane stepped in, pausing just inside the doorway as she took in the transformation. The gray, institutional decor seemed brighter somehow, the tables had been wiped clean and set with fresh napkins, and the buffet line stretched nearly the length of the room with an array of colorful, appetizing dishes.

She paused.

Looked at the spread—lobster tails, grilled fish, steamed vegetables, fresh salads, even a dessert station with chocolate-covered strawberries and miniature cheesecakes.

Then smiled—genuinely. A warm, wide smile that made her eyes light up. She’d been dreading lunch after her terrible meal earlier, and this was a welcome surprise.

She picked up her tray and made her way through the line, loading up on grilled halibut and roasted asparagus. As she reached the end of the line, the cafeteria worker handed her a bright blue voucher.

“Complimentary meal for all captains today,” the worker said with a smile. “Courtesy of management.”

Jane sat down at her usual corner table, clearly pleased as she arranged her food on the table. Before eating, she took out her phone, holding it up to capture the colorful spread.

Lunch today is amazing at the cafeteria! Come get freebies while they last. I even got a ‘relatively’ free meal voucher—“

She sent it.

To Jayden.

Moments later—

A reply came in.”I’m busy”with a photo

Taken from the cockpit of what looked like a private jet, with the camera pointed out the window. Buildings stretched beneath a clear blue sky, the city spread out like a miniature model below. No caption was needed.

Jane stared at it for a moment, a soft smile touching her lips. She knew that view—

Then shook her head lightly and returned to her food, taking a bite of the perfectly cooked fish and closing her eyes in satisfaction.

Jayden’s Office

Jayden sat at his desk, typing a quick reply to Jane’s message before locking his phone screen. He’d taken the photo just minutes ago, banking the plane slightly to get the perfect angle—something he never would’ve done for anyone else.

The door creaked open quietly. Michael slipped in, his shoes silent against the carpet as he sneaked closer to the desk, holding his phone up like he was about to take a picture.

“Jayden,” he whispered, leaning over the desk dramatically. “You need to see this.”

Jayden didn’t look up, continuing to sign documents from the in-box. “If this is another photo of you making silly faces in the cockpit, I’m not interested.”

“Guess who’s smiling in the cafeteria today?” Michael added, waving his phone in front of Jayden’s face. The screen showed a candid shot of Jane laughing as she talked to another pilot at a nearby table.

Jayden immediately locked his own screen and turned to him, his expression sharp with focus.

“Polar route transfer paperwork is in your inbox,” he said flatly, reaching for his phone again. “You have until the end of the day to sign it.”

Michael froze, his smile dropping instantly.

Then gritted his teeth, setting his phone down on the desk.

“Hey,” he said, leaning in dramatically with his elbows on the desk, “I’m invested in your love life. It’s not every day my best friend marries a total badass like Captain Harley. You secretly upgraded the entire cafeteria menu just to make her happy—does Jane even know it was you?”

“She doesn’t need to,” Jayden replied calmly, returning to his paperwork. “I did it for all the pilots. It’s about performance, not personal reasons.”

Michael clicked his tongue, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

“What a secret admirer,” he teased, wiggling his eyebrows. “Should I… accidentally tell her? ‘“

Jayden turned his head.

Slowly.

His eyes met Michael’s—cold and steady, with just a hint of warning.

Michael stiffened immediately, sitting up straight and clearing his throat.

“…I’ll go write that eight-thousand-word report now,” he said quickly, backing away from the desk toward the door. “Handwritten. In cursive. I promise.”

He turned to leave—

“Wait.”

Michael stopped, his hand on the door handle.

Jayden’s voice was quieter now, softer than before.

“…Did she say anything? About the food?”

Michael paused, his back still turned to Jayden. Then he turned slowly, a slow, knowing smile spreading across his face.

Got him.

“Want to know?” he said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the doorframe. “You’ll have to beg me.“

Jayden closed his eyes briefly, clearly losing patience. He reached for his phone again, his thumb already hovering over the Polar route transfer email.

“Oh—no, no, no—wait—!” Michael blurted out, jumping forward and waving his hands to stop him. “She loved it! She stared at the lobster like it was her long-lost love—even took a picture”

Jayden’s hand stopped, his fingers still hovering over his phone. A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips before he quickly hid it, returning to his serious expression.

He set the phone down.

“Announce this,” he said, standing up and reaching for his jacket.

Michael blinked, confused. “Announce what?”

“I’m treating all captains to a seafood dinner tonight at the seafood restaurant downtown—La Mer.“

Jayden buttoned his jacket and walked past Michael toward the door.

He walked out, leaving Michael standing in the middle of the office, staring after him with his mouth slightly open.

Michael exhaled heavily, placing his hands on his hips and shaking his head.

“…How did this guy even get married?” he muttered to himself, picking up his phone and scrolling through his contacts to make the reservation. “He can’t even tell her he likes her, but he’ll remodel the entire cafeteria and buy out a restaurant just to make her happy.”

He shook his head, typing quickly on his phone.

“Life is unfair,” he said aloud, grinning despite himself. “But at least I get free lobster out of it.”