A Surprise Favor – Chapter 1

“Skylar, this means war.”

I gasp and sit up, sweat snaking down my chest, and my nightshirt clinging to my body.

Where am I?

Marcelo’s voice echoes through my dream into the reality of being awake. I groan as I clutch my head. Skylar, what were you thinking last night?

That you can find comfort at the bottom of a wine bottle, that’s what.

And goodness knows that I searched for it… hard.

The room is dark, but light from the hallway shines through the gap at the bottom of the door. I’m in my tiny bedroom on Vivian’s estate. And it’s no wonder I’m hot because Saif is on one side of me and Kalvin is on the other, both dead asleep and emitting the heat of a miniature sun into this closet of a room. I’m surprised we all fit on the bed.

I breathe out a small chuckle. So much for these two never sharing a bed. But it was entirely platonic. We all passed out around the same time with no funny business.

I kick Kalvin. Lightly. He’s out, can’t feel a thing.

Good. I’m not proud of the drunken state I was in before I came here to pass out. No need to relive it with these two men right at this moment.

Why am I always showing up at Vivian’s and drinking like there’s no tomorrow?

I know the answer to that.

It doesn’t matter.

My eyes can’t focus in the dark bedroom. A sliver of light shines through the doorway and the glow of the green numbers on the alarm clock aren’t enough to illuminate the space. It’s early, just past seven in the morning. What time did we go to bed? Can’t remember.

I pull back the covers and sit up, the room spinning for a moment before I force myself to stand. Yep. Too much wine last night. Way too much. My feet hit the cold wood floors, sending a chill up my legs. I lean down and rummage around in my knapsack until I find clothes. Well, these are all dirty, but they’ll have to do. I slide on a pair of thin black workout pants and a V-neck sweater, take a deep breath to settle my stomach, then I’m off.

Vivian’s house is a monochrome dream of muted grays, whites, and wood. The glossy floor reflects the morning light streaming in from the windows, and I squint my eyes against the glare. I sniff the air as I come to the top of the stairs — lavender, sage and other herbs, a combination of incense… and coffee. I take in a deep breath and my mouth waters. Thank all the gods for coffee.

In the kitchen, Vivian is seated in a chair at the table, her slender figure silhouetted against the windows. A mug of steaming coffee is between her hands. She’s pulled her dark hair back, revealing her intense and focused expression.

“Morning,” she says through a croak in her throat. She laughs as she coughs it away. “I am in rough shape this morning.”

“I think we have Mat to thank for that.”

Mat opened way too many bottles of wine. Not that anything would have stopped me from drinking myself into oblivion.

The memory of Mom’s face as she told me she was going to sue me punches me in the gut and I wince. I never cry in front of others like I did with Saif and Kalvin. I’m on tenterhooks wondering how they’ll both deal with me. Will they run? I wouldn’t blame them if they did. They both went into this relationship believing I’m a tough, independent woman. I’m neither of those things now.

I’m still about ninety-five percent sure that I’m about to lose everything. That destitution is right around the corner. It’s not a peaceful place to live because I trust nothing. I certainly didn’t give the guys the time to think twice. We left Rio in a rush, got a jump ring slot so fast my head spun, and then started drinking as soon as we landed on Ossun.

I don’t like to waste time.

I make my way to the counter and start making myself a cup of coffee. I like it sweet, so I grab a mug from one of the cabinet shelves, along with cream and sugar, then walk over to where Vivian is sitting. She looks up as I approach and gives me a warm smile. “His wine is too good to say no to,” she says as she takes a sip from her mug.

“You’ve got that right.” I take a seat across from her at the table. We both enjoy our coffee in peace — the light sound of spoons stirring creamer into our mugs filling in any silence between us. The house is quiet, but outside I can hear birds singing and the wind in the trees. It’s bound to be another beautiful winter day on Ossun.

I never dreamed I would adore being on a planet as much as I adore being here with Vivian. I glance across the table at her, and her eyes meet mine. She’s my best friend and cousin, rolled into one. I’d love to spend all of my time here.

But that’s not my job, and my passion is flying.

Still… A home on a world is super tempting.

“So, when do you leave for Laguna?” Vivian asks. She stretches out her neck, left and right. “I was wondering if we should send Lia to town for groceries or not.”

Lia and Carlos stayed on the Amagi last night, opting for quiet time at home instead of a raucous night of wine and pizza. Now that I know they’re dating, I’m more willing to give them the space they need.

“I have a jump ring slot scheduled for later tonight, close to eleven. Then we’re going to sleep over on the ship until our dock becomes available in Ciudad Paloma, around eight in the morning local time. So we’ll be out of your hair after lunch.”

I sip my coffee and stare out the window. Jinzo is returning from an early morning walk with Ilaria in the stroller. Her head is to the side and her little mouth is open, her eyes closed. She must have woken up before dawn.

“You are never ‘in my hair,’ Sky. Do you need money for fuel or fees?”

“Nope. India paid me. There’s enough in the bank for the next few months and to hire a lawyer before I go back to Rio.”

“Okay. Well, I’m jealous you’re going to Laguna without me. The Lee villa is gorgeous. Just wait till you see the updates to the garden out back. A new pool, bar, grill, cabana, the works.” She sighs as she rubs her face with her hands. “God, I feel like crap.” She laughs. “I need an egg breakfast with hash browns.”

“Printed bacon, or the real thing?”

“Printed. The next farm over has pigs and once I got to know them…” She shrugs.

“Yeah.” I laugh and sip my coffee.

“Wanna come with me to the hen house?” She stands up and dusts off her pants. “We’ll bring our coffee, of course.”

“Of course.” No objections here. Maybe some fresh air will make this headache go away.

We gather up sweaters and scarves by the front door before heading out. Winter has come, but the weather is still tolerable. It never gets too cold or too hot here.

On the front porch, we wave to Jinzo, parking Ilaria’s stroller off to the side.

Vivian drops her voice. “There’s more coffee inside.”

He steps in and kisses her on the cheek. “Music to my ears. I’m going to get a cup and then sit out here with her.”

Mug in one hand, Vivian and I walk towards the hen house, talking about the farm and Vivian’s progress — the upgrades to the watering system, the new fence for the animals, and the plants which are doing well and need more attention.

We approach the hen house, and Vivian smiles wistfully. “Every morning is just like I remember,” she says as she plucks an egg from a nesting box and adds it to her basket. I savor the moment with my coffee cup in hand — this place brings me joy.

“We used to get eggs from here when I stayed over.” I reach in and nab one, adding it to Vivian’s basket.

“My mom loves the chickens. It may be her favorite part of the farm.”

“How’s your mom and dad?” I turn and look in the direction of the cottage. It’s a little three-bedroom place off a side road to the front of the property. The bank left it alone when they seized the estate a few years ago, but now it’s where Vivian’s parents live.

“They’re good. They help on the farm every day.” She sighs as she comes upright again. I find another egg and add it to her basket. “They still feel guilty for what happened, so they’re paying me back in hard labor. I’m not complaining.”

“Put ‘em to work!” I mimic snapping a whip and she chuckles.

“Damned straight.”

Wind rustles the dead grass, and chickens contentedly eat their grain around the ground.

“Fourteen eggs!” Vivian peers into the basket with a smile on her face. “We’ll all eat well this morning. Thanks, ladies!” she calls into the coop.

We fall into step next to each other, and she threads her arm through mine.

Vivian looks at me with a sparkle in her eye, and I can already tell what she’s going to say. Here it comes…

“I wanted you to be the first to know, outside of my network, that is.” Her smile grows, and my stomach clenches. “I’m ready to get pregnant again. Last night was my last big night of partying for a while.”

My breath catches in my throat. She looks at me with so much hope and joy in her eyes, I can’t help but smile back.

“That’s fantastic news! Are you sure you’re ready?” I pull her close to me and squeeze her. I can’t believe how fast things are moving, and I just want everything to slow down so I can take a breath and get my head around my situation.

“Definitely,” she says without hesitation. She quickly adds, “You should think about it too, you know. Our kids can grow up together and be life-long friends. Wouldn’t that be amazing?”

Vivian squeezes my arm. I want to build a future with her, but life’s uncertainties complicate things — my mom suing me, my job on hiatus, and new relationships with Saif and Kalvin. I want children, but there are many things I can’t have.

That’s been the story of my life so far. I wanted a normal childhood. Couldn’t have it. I wanted a loving mother and father. Nope. I wanted a fun and fulfilling career as a pilot for my family business. Double nope.

But I want to turn everything around, make a life for myself without my mother’s men and the business. My only way out is staying the course — finding men for my network and starting a new business.

I watch the ground as we amble along.

“You know, there’s nothing in this universe I want more than that,” I tell her.

“Really?” Her voice is filled with hope.

“Yeah. I like it here. I could live here and still fly. But…”

Vivian nods. “But we need to work some things out first.”

My voice quivers as I speak. “Yeah.” Nothing is certain, and dread overwhelms me. “I mean, I’m on the brink of losing the Amagi, Kalvin and Saif, the dreams I’ve worked tirelessly to bring to life.” Failure looms ahead of me, and I shudder at the thought of it all slipping away.

She squeezes my arm. “No. That’s not going to happen. You will never lose me. Never. Hear me?”

A small smile tugs at my lips. “I hear you. Thanks.”

“And while you’re gone, I’ll work on reverse engineering and breeding your plant.” Her voice rises with excitement. “Oh, I’m so excited for you. What a find! Time traveling.” She rolls her eyes. “You’re so lucky.”

“It’s quite the head trip. I hope you’ll be able to reproduce it. I only have a little left.” I keep it with me in a tiny container in my bag.

“Now, you’re going to go to Laguna, have the best time, and a crapload of sex, okay? Don’t disappoint me. I want you to have the vacation you deserve.”

“Of course,” I say, nodding. “Beach, food, and lots of sex. Got it.”

We walk to the house in silence, grateful for our new life. Jinzo hums on the porch and chickens cluck. Everything seems perfect, but one wrong turn could ruin it all.

I hope things work out for us.