Blue Skies (12 page)

But all she could think of was
going for it.

“No way I'd come up here, move my family, give up my seniority at Aries for anything less than chief pilot. And that's only because you think you've filled VP of Ops.”

A little voice inside her screamed,
Are you crazy? Taking on something like that before thinking it through? What if the men pound you into a bloody pulp before you even get this outfit airborne? What if the kids balk at moving?

“You want to think about this?” he asked. “I've known the guys to be a little…Well…Sexist?”

“Hah!” she said aloud. “After ten years of having the cockpit called the box office when I'm in there, you're going to scare me off the boss's job with
sexism?
Shit, Joe. You must think I'm some kind of candy ass.”

“You want it?”

A huge, insane grin broke over her face. “I'm going to be their worst nightmare,” she heard herself say. Then she gathered her common sense, cleared her throat and said, “I'm sure the pilots and I will have an excellent relationship.”

He looked at his watch. “All right, then. You should see Paul, say hello to some of the people who put this business plan together, and get a bona fide tour. Tell you what, I got a ten-thirty. It shouldn't take long. By the time you're done with Paul, I'll be free again and we
can talk compensation.” He stuck out his hand. “Welcome aboard, Nick. You're going to like this New Century.”

“I bet I will,” she said. But someone inside her, some woman who'd had more than her share of rotten luck, was screaming,
Holy shit! You're the chief pilot! How'd you pull that off?

 

It didn't take much to sweep Nikki up in the energy of the place. Paul DeLeon gave her a brief explanation of their plan to offer a nonscheduled charter service in and out of Las Vegas to major U.S. cities and scheduled service to a few others. Included were presold seats to corporations that needed dependable, comfortable travel. Not only was Las Vegas the number-one tourist attraction in the United States, the Grand Canyon being second, but it was the number-one convention center.

After successfully launching that service and slowly adding planes, New Century would add cities to its scheduled air service. Their 757s, reconfigured to hold larger first-class sections for lower prices, would lure both the business traveler and group charters like professional ball teams, entertainment groups and political and governmental junkets. The airline also hoped to certify for international passenger carrying to be ready to launch any charter service out of the country.

Paul then walked her around the building, introducing her to people. The only one she knew was Mark Shows, the Wrench; she had met him at her dad's fixed-base operation in Phoenix many years ago. The minute Mark saw her, his ruddy face lit up. A burly man of about sixty, he chewed on an unlit cigar that looked like the same one he'd been chewing on for the last twenty years. He pulled her unceremoniously into his big, bearlike em
brace and shook her a little, like an animal does to his catch before biting into it.

“Finally that good-for-nothing kid in the front office listened to me,” he said. “Riordan called you, eh?”

“No,” she said. “I called him.”

“Either way—at least we got you on board.”

“Well, that seems to be a fact,” she said.

“What are you gonna do for us, Nick?”

“Chief pilot,” she said almost weakly. She was going to have to practice saying that; she couldn't afford to sound unsure.

“That's fine, that's just
fine!
” he replied, no doubt in his voice. “And how's your old man?”

“Ornery. Where'd you come from?”

“I helped certify Universal and was there when Riordan came on board and had to shut her down. I took a little time off while he poked around, trying to decide what to do next. I figured it'd be something like this.”

She took his ham paws into hers. He was the VP of Maintenance, not the mechanic, but like always, his big, callused hands looked like they'd been working on an engine.

Mark had been all over this industry, having started at American Airlines. He'd worked for at least three of the major airlines in different capacities under the maintenance umbrella, and had also put in time in smaller, deregulation start-ups. Of everyone she knew, next to her father and Riordan, this was the man she trusted the most. He had a down-to-earth, basic common-sense approach that always proved true.

“What kind of chance do you give this operation?” she asked him.

“I'd give us a better chance than any of the big guys right now. They can't even make their low-fare spin-off
regional carriers work. They're so big and ungainly and have so many labor issues, every day's a struggle.” He stuck the cigar back in his teeth. “But that doesn't mean this'll be easy. It'll be tough.” He grinned around the butt. “It'll make you feel like you
did
something.”

 

Nikki had a folder full of confidential planning materials when she made her way back to Joe's office. The Gatekeeper's desk was abandoned and the doors to Joe's office stood open. She heard men's voices within and decided to wait for them to finish rather than to interrupt.

“I had someone else in mind for that position,” she heard a man say, and she knew that voice. Deep, distinguished, the merest touch of the South…Who was that?

“Did I lead you to believe you'd be filling all those positions without input from me?” Riordan asked the man.

“If she's going to report to me…”

“Shows will also report to you, and I hired him before I even talked to you. So will the director of flight control. I'm using the same airline-executive-search agency that I've used before, the one that recruited you. If you bring on anyone with promise, he or she will have a chance to move up the ranks.”

“Look, if you'll excuse my candor, this one could be a problem.”

Silence followed this last remark, Nikki drifted closer to the doorway.
This one could be a problem?
Who was this guy? He obviously knew her, though apparently not very well.

“First of all,” he went on, “I don't know how well you know pilots, but their
wilfulness
to work for a woman is questionable. And this one—well, I don't
mean any disrespect—but she lacks that necessary air of command, if you know what I mean.”

“I hear nothing but praise about her air of command,” Riordan said. “And she worked in management when I was at Aries. She impressed everyone. She's smart, capable, experienced and loyal. You're the one I know very little about.”

Thank you, Joe! she thought, a smile coming to her lips. She looked around guiltily.

“I'm just saying, this could open up a
madrid
of problems with the boys,” he said.

Riddle! It was Riddle!
Oh, God,
she thought.
I can't answer to Riddle! Can't can't can't!
She let her head drop soundlessly against the wall three times, as if bashing it.

“What about with the girls?” she heard Riordan ask. “Because we might be hiring some of them, too.”

“What I mean is—”

“I know what you mean,” Joe said. “The fact is, we need her kind of skill, experience and ethics. You see,” he said patiently, “I
think
you're what I want. You certainly have the qualifications on paper and that particular headhunter hasn't let me down before, but I happen to
know
Nikki Burgess is what I want. We clear on that?”

That's when she knew—he had played her. From the moment she called him, if not before, he meant to have her in that job. His slight hesitancy to give her the position was only to make her insist on it. Well, fine then. She'd show him.

“Just thinking about your interests, boss,” Riddle said.

“That right? Well, rest easy. So am I.”

But there was no question, she would not have pitched for the job had she known Riddle was the VP. When
Joe had given her a chance to name any person she'd refuse to work for, it had never in a million years occurred to her that Riddle could be an executive here. Talk about making your bed…

A toilet flushed in the distance and Nikki looked around in confusion. The door behind Jewel's desk opened and the magnificent blond stepped out to spy Nikki, but she looked curiously unsurprised. “Does he know you're here?” she asked, one side of her mouth curling up suspiciously. For all Nikki knew, the Gatekeeper might have surveillance cameras in the john.

“Ah, no. He seems to be with someone….”

Jewel tapped on the open door and stuck her head in. “Captain Burgess is here.”

“Send her in, send her in!” Nikki stepped through the portal and faked surprise at seeing Bob Riddle. She stuck out her hand and shook his. “I guess the cat's out of the bag, Nikki. Bob has agreed to take the position of VP of Operations. And according to him, you two are acquainted.”

“Congratulations, Bob,” she said.

“And to you,” he returned. If she hadn't overheard him, she might almost think he welcomed her.

“Well, Nikki and I have a few things to discuss, so if you've concluded your business…?”

“Ah! Yes, sir. I guess I'll start getting settled in my office and see both of you later.” With something that resembled a courtly flourish, he quit the room.

Then the doors were closed. Nikki had the distinct impression that opening or closing those doors was never accidental. During her time with Joe, they only opened once, when Jewel brought in a tray that bore coffee cups, glasses, cream, sugar and a bucket of ice. Nikki had a cup of coffee. After roughly two hours, they had ham
mered out the bare bones of a deal that included her pay and benefits. By pushing on Riordan a little here and there, giving him one last chance to look further for his chief pilot, she had ended up making a great deal for herself. Her compromise was that she'd get back to Las Vegas as quickly as possible to concentrate on completing the certification process and hiring the pilots.

Deal made, Joe went to a cabinet against the wall and retrieved a bottle of Scotch from the lower cupboard. He poured two fingers in each glass. Nikki helped herself to a couple of half-melted ice cubes while he took his neat. He raised a glass. “Welcome to the best experience of your life.”

“Thanks for the opportunity, Joe.”

The opportunity that will change my life, whether I like it or not,
she thought.

On her way out, she passed by the office that would be hers, and stood in the doorway. By the time she returned to Las Vegas, this room would hold a desk, credenza, small conference table and four chairs, computer and phone. The reception area outside was for her yet-to-be-hired administrative assistant, and soon would be populated with everyone from pilots to job applicants to vendors from aviation suppliers.

“Excuse me?”

She turned around to see an attractive man in his forties standing behind her. He held a folder in his large hand. “Yes?”

“I read about this company in
Aviation Week
and wondered if anyone could tell me when hiring would begin.”

“For what position?” she asked.

“Pilot. I'm qualified in the Seven-Five.”

“Interviews should be starting in about four weeks.
Training will begin in about six weeks for a November 10 start date.”

“Is there anyone around to give my résumé to?”

“Yes,” she said. “I'll take it from you.”

“Thanks, but I was hoping to meet someone in pilot management.”

She stuck out her hand. “Captain Burgess,” she said. “Chief pilot.”

He was startled for a moment, something she decided she'd better get used to. But then he broke into a big grin. “Awesome,” he said. “That's awesome, a woman chief pilot.” He shook her hand vigorously.

“Well, I wasn't expecting that reaction,” she said. But his smile was infectious and she immediately found herself smiling back.

“I don't know that you'll always get that reaction, but I'm the father of two daughters, nineteen and twenty-three. We dads like to see our girls break the gender barrier.”

“I suppose my dad feels exactly that way,” she said. Then, thinking
This is going to be fine, absolutely fine,
she said, “How about a cup of coffee?”

They went to a restaurant around the corner, a place that would likely hold many impromptu meetings and lunches in the days and months to come. The pilot's name was Sam Landon, he was fifty, had worked for one of the smaller airlines that failed after 9/11 and had been out of work for a couple of years. He was a retired military pilot, a widower with one daughter recently married and the other a full-time college student, so he was very flexible about starting work. And he was very eager to get back into the cockpit.