She raises an eyebrow, the barest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “You’re making it interesting by buying me a drink? Wow, Ash, you really know how to live on the edge.”
Her tone is so dry it could spark a fire, but I am not about to back down. “Alright, fine,” I say, shrugging. “You can pick the stakes. What’ll it be?”
She tilts her head, pretending to think about it as she reaches for a dart. “How about this? If youdon’thit three bull’s-eyes, you stop flirting with me and go back to your table.”
I laugh, more out of surprise than anything. She has a sharp tongue; I’ll give her that. “And if I hit them?”
She steps up to the line, lining up her throw with infuriating precision. “You won’t.” She throws the dart. Bull’s-eye.
“Confident, are we?” I ask, watching as she grabs another dart, her movements smooth and deliberate.
She glances at me, her eyes sparking with something I can’t quite pin down. Amusement? Challenge? Maybe both. “Let’s just say I’ve met your type before.”
That catches me off guard. “My type?”
“Cocky, charming, thinks his smile can get him out of anything.” She throws her second dart. Another bull’s-eye. “And, oh yeah—completely clueless.”
I frown, trying to figure out if that is a dig or a joke. “Clueless? Clueless about what?”
She turns to face me fully now, leaning against the edge of the table. For a split second, I think I see her soften, like she is debating whether to say something. But then the smirk is back.
“Figure it out, flyboy,” she says, stepping past me to grab her darts. “Maybe you’ll surprise me.”
I watch her walk away, completely thrown. It isn’t until I turn back to the dartboard and line up my shot that it hits me—I have seen her before.
But where?
I am still standing there, staring at the dartboard like it holds the answer to some unspoken question, when Knox sidles up beside me, a beer in hand and a grin on his face that tells me he saw everything.
“Smooth, Carr.” He claps me on the shoulder.
I roll my eyes, aiming my dart and throwing it just to have something to do. It misses the bull’s-eye by a mile. “What are you talking about?”
Knox lets out a low chuckle, shaking his head. “Oh, nothing. Just that you’ve been trying to charm Amelia Maddox for the past fifteen minutes, and she didn’t even break a sweat shutting you down.”
I frown, the name clicking into place like a puzzle piece I didn’t realize I was holding. Maddox. Why does that sound familiar?
“Wait,” I say slowly, turning to him. “Maddox? As in… Amelia ‘Phoenix’ Maddox?”
Knox raises his eyebrows, clearly enjoying this way too much. “There it is,” he says, gesturing to me with his beer. “The moment you realize that the dark-haired woman you’ve been shamelessly flirting with isn’t just a pretty face.”
Something shifts in my chest, equal parts dread and disbelief. “Okay, spit it out. Who is she to me?”
Knox’s grin widens. “Only one of the best female pilots in the country. You know, the legend they write textbooks about?” He takes a sip of his beer, pausing just long enough for the suspense to kill me. “Oh, and your new boss, by the way.”
I stare at him, feeling like the floor just dropped out from under me. “You’re joking.”
“Wish I were,” Knox says, leaning back against the wall like he has all the time in the world. “Commander Maddox. She’s here to whip you rookies into shape. And judging by the look on her face earlier, you’ve got your work cut out for you.”
I run a hand through my hair, a groan escaping before I can stop it. “You couldn’t have mentioned this before I made a complete idiot of myself?”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Knox says, laughing. “Besides, you’re the one who went full-on ‘flyboy charm.’ I just sat back and enjoyed the show.”
I glance toward the bar, where Amelia is now laughing at something one of the other instructors I know said, completely unfazed by our interaction. My boss.
Knox claps me on the back again, his grin practically splitting his face. “Good luck, Carr. You’re gonna need it.
Isettle into my seat at the instructors’ table, letting the noise of the bar wash over me as I sip my beer. Around me, conversations carry on—talk about new recruits, stories from the field, the usual banter that comes with being part of this world. But my mind? My mind is still stuck at the dartboard with the newest member and resident flirt, Ash Carr.
