Page 136 of Fly with Me

Was that true?

Olive didn’t have the emotional energy to respond, so she ended the call. She couldn’t stay here anymore. It felt like a weight was pushing against her chest. She needed to talk to Stella, but she was also afraid of that conversation. Part of her just wanted to run.

Her heels clacked against the ground as she moved back to the ballroom door from the loading dock.

A grizzled voice came from around a corner ahead. “Always thought women in Tupelo were the most adventurous. Tell them you’re from the big city. They beg for it.” Raucous male laughter echoed over the bricks.

Grimacing, Olive scanned the alley for an escape route, but to get to the other side of the building, she’d have to pass them. The air was frigid, but she hardly felt it on her bare shoulders.

Jack O’Halloran and Kevin, the pilot from her flight with Stella, stood leaning on a wall of gray cinder blocks, smoking cigars. They both held whiskey in their other hands, each with the red cheeks that spoke to the number of whiskeys that came before.

“There you are. One of my favorite lesbians,” Jack slurred. “Not that I know too many lesbians. But I can say you’re probably my favorite. You know how it is with men—or maybe you don’t. Always want what we can’t have. Just makes you all the more thirsty for ’em.” He slurped more of his whiskey.

Olive stopped dead. “What did you say?” This was too much. She needed to be alone for a second. But the CEO of a company couldn’t say gross, fetishizing shit like that. Obviously, it would be pointless to correct him and say she was bisexual and not a lesbian, but the rest of it… ugh. Olive’s head swam. She hadn’t eaten more than a few bites during dinner.

Before Olive could decide how to respond, Jack checked his watch. “I better head back inside, though. Lady will be looking for me.” One of his gnarled hands petted her shoulder. He stomped out his cigar on the ground before heading back inside, leaving Olive alone with Kevin.

Olive took a step around Kevin, but he grabbed her elbow. “Come join me. Want a cigar? Just because you like women in your bed doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate with me. I bet the right man could turn you.” Celebrate seemed to have an entirely different meaning.

“Get off me.” She shot him a look and wrenched her arm away. No, this could not be happening now.

Stella came out the back door, eyeing Kevin’s hand, which had been reaching out toward Olive again. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing. I offered her one of my dad’s cigars. Being generous.”

His dad? Being a nepo baby explained a lot about why his behavior was tolerated.

“I asked what you were doing with your hands on my girlfriend.”

“Stop being emotional, Stella. Never could take a joke.” Kevin narrowed his eyes. He sipped his whiskey. “You know, I always thought you’d be more like a man.”

Olive stood to her fullest height, which meant she barely reached the shoulder of the man in front of her. “I’m sorry. What does that mean?”

“Lesbians. Should be able to appreciate a nice pair of tits with the boys.” He narrowed his glassy eyes at Stella.

Olive folded her arms over her chest, anger pushing away the stress over Lindsay and the grief over Jake. “Actually, being a lesbian might mean she’s even less interested in being ‘one of the boys.’”

Kevin chuckled, giving her the look a circus attendee gives the dancing monkey. “She’s so spunky, Stella. Standing up for her girl like a man. No wonder you like her.”

Stella took a step forward. “Actually, Kevin, I don’t need a man or have to act like a man to stand up for myself. And this behavior is unacceptable.” She pointed at him, pressing a perfectly manicured finger into his chest. “And you’re being rude, homophobic, and sexist all at once. You should be ashamed of yourself. I don’t appreciate your condescending tone or your words.”

He nearly cackled in response. “Oh, don’t act so fucking self-righteous. Like this is the first time you’ve seen me act like this. We’re all like this. Never bothered you before. You always understood what you have to do on this team.” His words slurred. “Does she even know what you’ve always put up with?”

Olive had no idea where to begin to parse that statement.

Stella’s eyes widened at whatever she saw on Olive’s face.

Olive was just so tired.

“Now acting so scandalized. Is your sweet little girlfriend so precious”—he affected an exaggerated tone—“that she can’t handle a little innocent teasing?” Kevin held out his whiskey to Stella. “So uptight tonight. Have a drink. Have mine.”

Then Stella did something that Olive never expected.

She took the drink from him. “Stop being a fucking asshole.”

And Stella threw a drink in the face of the CEO’s son.

Chapter 49