High Flyght – Chapter 11

Marcelo’s shuttle is just as inviting as it always is, except now Marcelo is even more relaxed. He’s taking his impending retirement seriously, more intent than ever to see me settled and back on my farm.

The trip across space from Ossun to Rio was uneventful, filled with good conversation and meals with everyone in attendance. I did the right thing, and I slept alone the two nights during the crossing. It was Jinzo’s idea. He said, “Take a few nights on your own to figure out how to juggle more than one man in your relationship network. We’ll come up with a plan once you’re done on Rio.”

“Okay,” Marcelo says as he sits down across from me. “I have plenty of information to go over.”

Rio’s sunlight streams in through his shuttle’s front windows, a brief break in the predicted rain for the next week. Why do I always seem to return to Rio during rainy season?

I lean forward to grab a cracker and slice of sheep’s cheese from the plate in front of me. Lia has outdone herself this time. She made sheep’s cheese like it was second nature, and it’s creamy and rich. A real treat.

“Augusto Han Correa is the third child of our previous Flyght clients, Lady Nina Correa and Lord Faron Correa. Lady Nina has a total of five children, three with Lord Faron and one each with two other husbands not worth mentioning. They’re both living well on Sonoma but have little to do with Lady Nina’s life.”

Marcelo pops some cheese and crackers in his mouth and hums. “This is delicious.”

Frogger, who I thought was sleeping under the table, lifts his head, hoping for cheese. I steal a piece and feed it to him while rubbing his soft and furry face. He’s been happy to not have to share the bed with men too.

“Everyone loves the cheese. I think bringing sheep aboard was an excellent idea. So, Gus is the youngest son of Lord Faron, then?”

Marcelo nods. “Yes, his youngest but not her youngest, though there are not many years between him and his network siblings. Lady Nina took to childbirth like it was a military mission. She birthed her five kids all within nine years while still climbing the ranks.”

Marcelo swipes a photo library to me, and it pops up in my Estrela view. A smile tugs at my lips as I flip through the photos and videos of Gus’s family. They seem to be close. All the pictures of them at family gatherings are cheerful and festive.

“The older sister, Tiffani Correa, is marrying her first husband in a few weeks, and the event will be the talk of Ossun,” Marcelo continues. “It’ll be one of the most sought after tickets to social stardom there is for this year. Plenty of networks have been invited, and everyone is hoping to make contacts there.”

Marcelo clears his throat.

“No, I haven’t been invited,” I provide, knowing this is what he’s getting at. “But it’s early days.”

His smile is wry. “Okay. Well, I can’t find anything about him that strikes me as being particularly bad or off-putting except…”

Marcelo’s hesitation is concerning.

“What is it?”

He sighs and pushes back from the table. “I think, maybe, you should save room in your relationship network for men who are influential and wealthy.”

The light, airy happiness in my head releases in a puff, and darkness takes its place.

“There’s nothing wrong with him, and I like him so far as a person. He seems amiable and friendly, plus he’s proficient in his chosen profession. Everyone at the hospital spoke highly of him when I contacted them. But…”

“He’s not influential or wealthy.” I cringe. “I hate that I have to think of these things now. It feels wrong, vain.”

Marcelo reaches forward to pat my hand. “Ms. Vivian, this is why you have me. It’s not that you want to be stuck up and pretentious. It’s that you need to get your farm back, and the only thing standing in your way right now is money. Cold, hard credits could solve all your problems.”

He’s right, of course. This was poor planning on my part. I need to be thinking and planning strategically. And while I thought this was a good plan because we need a medic, it’s not as if he’s good network material.

Gus’s story about the old woman with dementia pops into my head, and my stomach twists. He wants that kind of life for himself, a caring and loving wife and fellow network husbands. Have I led him on?

“I’m sorry. I totally fucked up. I thought his family might be a boon to our cause. They do seem to be pretty influential.”

They have titles, for fuck’s sake.

“And I bet they are, for their daughter and oldest son. I’m not saying Gus gets the short stick in their family. It appears they do well by him. But wealthy? He is not. Sorry, Ms. Vivian.”

I sigh, and Frogger, sensing my tension, rises from the floor and lays his snout in my lap to nose at my hand. I stroke his ears and let the motion settle me.

“What am I going to do?” I hate when Marcelo has to dig me out of trouble. I’m sure it won’t be the last time, though.

His chin lifts in surprise. “Nothing. You didn’t offer him a spot in your network, did you?”

“No. I did flirt with him, though. I suggested he should take me out on dates, but he didn’t take me up on it.”

Marcelo nods. “He probably already knows that you’re out of his league. But he wanted the job, so he took it. Don’t worry about it. You’re allowed to employ men who won’t be in your network, just like you employ me.”

My head bobs absently as I assess what this means. It means I’m back to square one with two men who both have problems I have to deal with.

“Okay.” I scratch Frogger’s neck and plant a few kisses on his head. “And Ken and Jinzo? What about them?”

“I’m gathering you some profiles on Jinzo’s family so you can get to know his mother, father, and siblings better before we go visit them.”

A visit to Lee Shipyards is coming, and I’m both excited and nervous for it. Jinzo’s family is so big, and they’re successful beyond all reason. What will they think of me? The trip is at least a week or two away, but these thoughts sit in my head like a stubborn goat.

“And I’m pulling together more information on Flyght for you — profit-and-loss statements, grants they’ve gotten, people who have invested in them. I want you to walk into those offices in Concord City and show those board members that you understand Mr. Mata’s business and care about it. That you don’t want to see it sunk because of you. It’s not your business, so you’ll be supportive and hands-off as much as possible.”

My throat is so dry, it’s hard to swallow. I gulp at the glass of water on the table. This is a major stumbling block for us. I don’t want to presume that I’m a part of Flyght. Flyght has nothing to do with me. It’s all Ken’s idea, one he had after we had broken up. But with Ken linked to me, his company will assume I’ll take a guiding interest in its path to success. But really, I don’t plan to get involved with Flyght. It’s all Ken. I just need to show I care and leave the rest to him.

“Lots of reading material. Got it.”

I stand up and stretch my legs. A bank of clouds moves across the sun and darkens the inside of the shuttle for a brief moment. Marcelo glances over his shoulder at the outside.

“Looks like a storm is moving in. Where are you going again?”

“Marquise Estate. We’re meeting a guide there, a guy named Darmit Hoggard. But he’s been in the jungle for weeks and hasn’t checked in.” I imagine some creature from the depths of the impassible trees jumping out and eating this man alive, and I shudder.

“Marquise? I thought it was closed in rainy season.”

“It is, usually.” The knot in my stomach tightens.

“Don’t most of the ocean animals migrate to land at this time of year?”

I nod, not opening my mouth to tell him I’m terrified of the squid now, and the dragonsnakes, and the jellies, and the eyebirds that are so-called because they pluck your eyes out if you don’t cover your head while you sleep, and, and… Yeah, there are a lot of creatures on Rio who love the taste of humans.

“This sounds like it might be a dangerous trip. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I have to find out why Tomu had those seeds, or I’m a dead woman. I have to do this.”

Marcelo rises from the table and wraps his arms around my stiff shoulders. “Just be careful. I have more men for you to meet. We can’t have you eaten alive now.”

“No,” I say, patting his arms and stepping away from his embrace. “No, I don’t think that will do. Hopefully, I’ll see you soon.”

Hopefully.