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and pulled me from his chest in order to look down at my face.
    “I’m happy staying on the ground. So thanks, but no thanks.” The fascination to travel into Space resided in everyone but me. I liked the challenge my job demanded in designing Outer Space living quarters but never felt drawn to experience it firsthand. He remained silent for a moment before he pulled me closer to continue dancing.
    “Did you know that I was a pilot in the Air Force before I became an aeronautical engineer? Actually, I still fly with the reserves,” he said, waiting for my reaction.
    “Oh, really, that must be exciting.” I tried to be convincing, but it was too late. It came out sarcastically. I had already let my true feelings be known.
    “I fly an F-22 Raptor. It’s such a rush. It’s an amazing craft, packed with raw power. It has stealth technology, integrated avionics, and supercruise,” he said, probably trying to impress me. If he wasn’t so beautiful, his comment would have fallen on deaf ears.
    “What’s supercruise?” I faked an interest out of courtesy.
    “It allows for sustained supersonic flight without the use of an afterburner,” he answered happily as he succeeded in gaining my attention.
    “Wow, you’re kidding. You go that fast?”
    “Absolutely. I live for it. Hey, I would love to help you get over your fear of flying. I could take you out on a small plane sometime,” he said.
    “I’d rather not.” I shifted uncomfortably at the thought.
    “I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said softly into my ear like he was making a promise.
    “Great,” I said sharply. “Would you trust me?”
    “Maybe,” I said, wanting to keep him guessing. “After all, you are still here. You must know how to land a plane.”
    He laughed at my sarcasm and then twirled my hand and spun me around, only to turn me back to face him again. He smoothly pulled his arm in on my lower back and brought me into his chest. His moves had finesse. We continued dancing, but not speaking. I snuggled in closely to his body. I occasionally glanced up at his face a few times, only to have him look back at me with tender eyes. We danced until the band took their break.
    We returned to the table. Tess was there talking to a man dressed in a business suit. He barely took his eyes off her to say hello to us when we sat down.
    “Sami, we were thinking of going to get a bite to eat. Do you want to come with us or I could take you home first?” offered Tess politely.
    “I could take her home,” Jack quickly volunteered and then looked at me, awaiting my answer. I didn’t know what to say. We’d just met. Our eyes met as I tried to determine if I could trust him.
    “Oh, okay, sure. Thanks, Tess, but I’ll be fine. I’ll just get a ride with Jack. Don’t worry about me.” I didn’t want to be a third wheel and wasn’t ready to leave. I really wanted to spend more time getting to know this interesting man.

CHAPTER 4

    MAGIC
     
    Jack and I continued to ask about each others passions. “I want to know everything about you,” he said with sincerity.
    “What you see is what you get.” I shrugged my shoulders.
    “ Fine , I’ll go first,” he responded, probably sensing my discomfort. He told me he was raised as a military brat. His father was in the Air Force and had moved around a lot when he was growing up. He sadly told me of how his mother died of ovarian cancer when he was only twelve. He and his little brother basically grew up in military school after that. I felt like he was carefully editing his past because he was embarrassed by his lack of family life. Jack graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering while he completed his military obligations for the Air Force. I could see that he would be an asset to his field and why he was offered a job by NASA after he completed his degree. He joined the SIG when rumors of budget cuts threatened potential layoffs at NASA. He said he loved the challenges his job offered