Surrender 01 - Surrender

his flight bag and suitcase positioned neatly beside him. Since he’d been flying out of the Seattle airport for the better part of six years, he knew the ins and outs and had his daily routine down to a science.
    It was almost a choreographed event as he showed his identification, passed through the screening checkpoint, and headed for the upstairs coffee shop where he was to get his daily shot of caffeine. He grinned in anticipation, hoping the attractive barista was working. His day seemed to start off on a better note when he managed to get a reaction from her.
    He’d been trying to charm her since she’d started, each time failing miserably. It was a first for him and he found he liked the challenge. He crested the top of the escalator, straining to see into the cafe, while hoping to catch a glimpse of his mocha-making crush.

    ***

    Monica had just signed into her register when a man in a clean-pressed, button up shirt, impeccably tailored even to the most stringent of military standards, walked into her field of vision.
    His gleaming gold pilot's wings adorned the left side of his broad chest with a bright name plate boldly stating, “Captain Gallo, Trans Pacific Airlines,” located just above his right chest pocket. This pilot stood about six-foot-two, with piercing blue eyes. He wore a captain's hat, embroidered with gold leaf and his airline insignia centered above the visor.
    Peering out from the underside of the visor and on the visible side of his temple was jet black hair, well-trimmed and styled. His skin was slightly darkened, perhaps a hint of a Mediterranean heritage. His face was clean shaven, showcasing his incredibly full lips.
    His physique was a sight to behold, with broad shoulders and a muscular, well-defined chest, and arms filling out his tailored dress shirt. Monica’s eyes followed the natural progression of his impressive physique, dropping to the black belt fitted perfectly at his hips.
    She’d been drooling over him for months, though she was pretty sure she’d maintained a cool façade, not letting him know of her obsession. He was just too good-looking, but like all the other pilots, and she wasn’t under any delusions of why he flirted with her. Still, it would make any girl feel a bit giddy to get his undivided attention, even if she knew he probably did the same thing with every female in the airport.
    “Wow, you don’t look so hot. Rough night? You might get a better night's sleep if you laid off the booze and turned the fellas away once in a while.”
    “What? Excuse me!” Monica gasped as she looked at Robert. It took her brain a minute to compute his words. Did he really just say what she thought he’d said.
    “Oh, don’t try to hide it, it’s written all over your face. I haven’t seen you this beat-up in a while,” said the airline captain, grinning and clearly impressed with his attempt at friendly humor. He was failing if he thought he was funny.
    Monica, now fully offended, let her frustration be known and decided to strike back and shock the arrogant pig at the same time. “You’re just jealous that it wasn't with you.”
    Monica was stunned once the words popped out of her mouth. It was only because she couldn’t figure this pilot out. He came in and flirted, or she assumed it was flirting, though he wasn’t doing too well at it, and then was back again a day or two, sometimes three, later. She alternated between wanting to flirt back and wanting to smack the smug look off his face.
    One thing was for sure, though, he was drool-worthy, although she was sure he knew that, which took a bit of his appeal away. Her face began to heat and she felt her lips slightly quiver as her eyes gazed deep into his and she attempted to verbalize her next response to the comments of the brash and dangerously handsome pilot.
    “Um...well...um…” Monica stuttered as her mixed emotions were confusing the words in her head.
    “While you're trying to re-learn the English language, can you get my coffee started?”
    Monica's scattered thoughts now became one, and anger gave her words a voice. It was a bad enough day and she’d about enough of Captain Gallo. She looked him up and down, trying to find a negative fault in his looks so she could return the rude favor. Nothing. She could find absolutely zero faults with him, which infuriated her all the more.
    Monica continued looking for anything, when her eyes were drawn to his nametag. “Trans Pacific Airlines? I