Flight To Paradise Ch 17

Immersion Playground

Book #3: Flight to Paradise

Chapter 17

"You ready Professor?" Mac asks.

"I don't know," Everett says looking at Mac. "You're sure this flying antique will make it all the way?"

Mac chuckles. "Yes, Professor. You of all people should know that just because you're old doesn't mean you can't get the job done."

"Touché," Everett chuckles. It's the first time he's ridden in the cockpit of an airplane and he has to admit he's looking forward to the flight, even if Mac did stiff him on the beautiful hostess with long legs to wait on him hand and foot for the trip.

Mac watches Everett out of the corner of his eye as they lift off and begin their climb to altitude. It's going to be a damn long flight, the longest single flight he has ever made in the

Beauty

, longer even than the flight from his home in California to Hays. He's filled the tanks to brimming before taking off, and if he can catch some favorable wind, he

might

be able to make it all the way with just two stops, but that's going to be cutting it fine, damn fine.

"We're into the cruise, Professor," Mac says twenty minutes later. "Feel to get up and move around if you like. The seats in the back are more comfortable, and there are drinks and food in the fridge if you want it."

"There's a fridge in here?" Everett asks, looking to the back of the plane.

"Yep. Bottom of that center cabinet," Mac says nodding to the back of the plane.

"Bathroom too?"

"Uuuh... no. For that one of us will have to drink one of the waters," Mac says with a grin. "But we're going to have to stop for fuel about every three hours so..."

"Good thing I went before we left. But if it's okay with you, I just as soon sit up here with you. In case you need help or something," Everett says with a smile.

"No problem. I'd enjoy the company."

***

Twelve hours later Mac touches the

Beauty

down in Dallas. He had run out of nerve and made a third fuel stop with less than an hour to go in the flight. According to his calculation he could have made it, just, but he decided he'd rather make the extra stop than sweat bullets the last few hundred miles.

After the second stop Everett had moved to the back of the plane, since there is nothing to see in the dark anyway, and has slept the last leg of the trip, his headphones on, but unplugged, to cancel out the drone of the engines.

The plane secured, Mac touches Everett on the shoulder. "Everett?"

Everett jumps at Mac's touch. "Jesus. You scared the shit out of me. Wait, who's flying the plane?" Everett asks, and then pulls his headphones off, trying to shake off the fog of sleep. "We're here?"

"We're here," Mac confirms. "Welcome to Love Field. Greg is waiting to take us to your apartment."

"I still think I could have stayed in a motel," Everett grumbles as he gets up, Mac offering a steadying hand as he wobbles on his feet.

"Cheaper this way," Mac says before hopping out of the plane and setting the steps down for Everett. "I think you're going to be here a while, if this startup goes anything like most."

Mac helps Everett off the plane, and carries his two bags, as they amble toward the terminal where Greg is waiting.

"Greg," Mac says as they approach, "Professor Everett Dill. Professor, Greg Ryder."

Greg extends his hand. "Nice to finally meet you Professor," Greg says, shaking the man's hand, careful to not squeeze too hard. Mac has warned him that the Professor is in failing health and will need to be handled gently.

"Nice to meet you, Greg. But we are going to have to get one thing straight. My name is Everett. I let him," he says with a head nod to Mac, "call me professor because he's too damn big to argue with."

"Yes sir, he is," Greg says with a smile at Mac. "I have a wheelchair here, in case you want it," he adds sheepishly.

"How about it, Everett?" Mac asks. "You want to walk or ride?"

"I've been sitting all day. I think I'll walk."

"Very good. Lead on Greg," Mac says hefting the bags. As they walk Mac notices that Greg lets Everett set the pace then moves out to slightly front, weaving slightly, clearing a path, putting a bubble of space around Everett, Mac doing the same from the rear, using his size and the two bags to force the faster moving people to detour around. Ten minutes later they arrive at a new Chrysler that Greg unlocks before opening the trunk for Mac.

"This your car, Greg?" Mac asks, remembering the Toyota Greg was driving the last time he met him.

"No sir. This is the pro... Everett's car. I thought he'd be more comfortable in it than my beat-up POS. I left my car at his apartment."

Mac chuckles. "Understood. Good thinking," Mac says as he swings the two bags into the trunk, mentally approving of Greg's forethought.

Mac squeezes in the back, sitting sideways behind Everett with his feet on the floor behind Greg, as Greg drives them through the evening traffic. "Here we are," Greg says forty-five minutes later.

"How far are we from the office?" Mac asks.

"About ten minutes, depending on traffic. I did a run when I came to get Everett's car and it took about fifteen minutes, but that was during rush hour. I didn't even know this place was here until Dana pinged me and asked if I could collect the keys and stuff," Greg says before looking at Everett. "Your daughter, she's, uh, very good at her job."

"Yes she is," Everett says with a smile.

As Everett unpacks, Greg catches Mac's eye. "May I speak with you for a minute?" he asks, leading him outside into the small backyard.

"What's up?"

Greg clears his voice and shuffles his feet briefly before launching into the spiel he's been practicing all evening. "It's the professor. I was just thinking that maybe it would be helpful if he had some help," he says in a rush. "Strange town and all, and considering his health. Anyway, I was thinking that maybe it would be helpful if I, uh, moved into here with him. There's two bedrooms, and I could, uh, help, you know? I'd be happy to help with the rent and..."

Mac breaks into a smile as soon as he gets the drift of Greg's proposal and begins to wave his hands in front of Greg to trying to get him to stop.

"Greg," Mac begins when Greg finally stops for a breath. "That's very generous of you, but you have your own life. I'm not going to ask that of you."

"Mr. McMillan, let me tell you about my life. I live for school and work. If I'm not at school I'm at work, and if I'm not at either of those two places, I'm at home, living with two other guys, one of whom I don't care for very much. I have no girlfriend and I have no social life. Trust me when I tell you this, moving in to help the professor will be a huge improvement."

Mac looks at Greg, thinking over his proposal. It'll be a huge weight off his mind to know that someone will be around to help look after Everett. Everett isn't so feeble that he can't take care of himself, but as Greg points out, this is a new situation. If nothing else, Greg can help keep Everett from working himself to death.

"Are you sure about this?" Mac finally asks.

"As sure as I can be. I've been thinking about it for the last few days. It'll be nice to have someone to talk to that's interested in something other than hunting, football, or women."

Mac chuckles. "Are you not interested in any of those things?"

"No," Greg says with a shy grin. "Well, not football or hunting anyway. But even still, there are more things to talk about than that."

Mac smiles. He really likes Greg. "Okay. We need to run this by Everett, if you're sure. You realize that this is strictly temporary, right? Just until we get the lab up and running and the professor goes back to Oregon."

"I understand," Greg says. "But I don't have a lot and maybe by then I can afford a place on my own, or at least find some better roommates. Maybe I'll keep this place and have someone to move in with me. I don't know, but anything beats what I have now."

Mac smiles at Greg as he takes him by shoulder and steers him back into the apartment. "Let's see what the professor has to say."

***

Over the next three days Greg gets himself settled into the extra bedroom. Since the apartment is furnished, he only has to move his personal belongings. With Mac's help, and the use of the rented Chrysler in addition to his Toyota, he manages to get everything in one trip. He and Everett also begin the task of setting up Dana's new home. Mac helps where he can, mostly fetching and holding, but working together the three have Dana's new home assembled, if not powered up, in just one day. Greg expresses curiosity over why they need so much computing horsepower. Everett attempts to deflect him by explaining how the software they will be running has a lot of overhead because it runs a large number of probability scenarios simultaneously. The explanation sounds good to Mac, though he isn't entirely sure Greg is buying it, but Greg doesn't press the point.

By Wednesday evening the computer center is wired and live, though Everett still needs to load the interface software that allows Dana to live on a computer, and then begin the task of replicating the DANA code to the site. Those tasks are so far over Mac's head he knows he will be of no help at all so over dinner Wednesday night he announces his intention to leave the next morning.

"You don't want to stay and help with the software install?" Everett teases after Mac announces his plans. "What if we run into problems?"

"If you want it to work tomorrow, the safest place for me to be is

anywhere

other than in that room helping you," Mac says with a smile. "I felt pretty comfortable holding a computer while you plugged stuff in, but that's about the extent of my help."

"Don't kid yourself," Greg chimes in. "For what we've done to this point, you were as much help as any of us. Starting tomorrow, when Everett starts loading the software and configuring the servers, that's when it's going to get complicated. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does."

Mac is about to remind Greg that there are some things he isn't going to be privy to when Everett begins to speak.

"I don't know how much good it'll do you to watch, Greg. The first thing I will be doing is loading a custom operating system, so it isn't going to look like anything you've ever seen before, nor will see again, probably, but you're welcome to watch if you like," Everett says. "After that I will download the software from my test server in Oregon. That's going to take a while. Then I'll just need to check and make sure the software installed properly. Pretty boring stuff actually. While I do that, I might have you begin testing the robotic arms. We may need to tweak their interfaces a little to work with our software."

"Whatever you need Everett," Greg says cheerfully. "I've done some of that, but I'd like to do more."

"I'm sure you'll have the chance," Everett says with a smile before he looks to Mac. "What are we paying him?"

"Ninety-six," Mac says.

"After we get this place up and running, he'll need a raise or someone is going to hire him away. I'm just warning you," Everett says.

"I understand Professor. Just keep me in the loop."

Greg smiles. He's not going to say no to more money, but having Professor Everett Dill as a personal tutor is worth a lot more to him in the long run than changing jobs to make a few extra bucks. "I promise I won't accept any offer without telling you about it first," he says to Mac.

"I'm not going to try to hold you to that Greg, but I would appreciate the chance to at least match their offer before you quit."

"You have my word, sir," Greg says, and he means it.

"That's good enough for me then. Thanks."

Everett holds his glass aloft. "To new friends and coworkers."

Mac and Greg touch their glass to his in agreement.

***

Thursday morning Greg drops Mac off at Love Field. "Mr. McMillan," Greg says, intentionally using his full name. "I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me."

"Just do your job and learn what you can from the professor. That's thanks enough. Once Everett is... gone... we're going to depend heavily on you."

"I'll be ready sir, if anyone can be."

"I'm sure you will, but do me a favor. Don't let Everett work too hard. He's looking better, eating better, but let's keep it that way, okay."

"I will. I promise. I have a lot to learn from him and it's not every day you can have one of the greatest minds in computers as your personal instructor. I'll take care of him. He and I are going to start going to the gym, I think. I asked around and a physical therapist I know at school suggested it. It'll help keep his strength up." Greg then smiles and rubs his stomach. "It won't hurt me to go either."

Mac grins. "If you can get him to go, and it helps, bill it to the company. Anything we can do to help him is a business expense as far as I'm concerned. If you need anything,

anything,

ping me, okay?"

"Yes sir," Greg says holding out his hand.

Mac takes Greg's offered hand. "It's been a pleasure working with you, Greg."

"Same here, sir."

***

Eight hours later Mac touches down in San Diego, California, to pick up Kate, so they can leave for their trip to Hays Friday morning. She's finishing the last day of her three-day photo-shoot on an advertising campaign for the San Diego zoo. Kate, along with two other women, three men and a half dozen children, are taking spontaneous family photos at various locations around the zoo. Spontaneous if you discount the two to three hours of prep work at each location before the photos are taken, and family if you don't count the fact that none of the group had even met each other before the shoot began.

He pings her, telling her of his arrival, and she suggests he meet her at the motel where she's staying.

He's waiting in the lobby of her motel, thumbing through a magazine, when Kate and two other women, along with two men, arrive. All are beautiful and between the ages of 35 and 45. With a big smile he stands and greets her with a kiss.

"Missed you," he says, turning to walk with Kate and the rest of her party.

"Missed you too," Kate replies, leaning into Mac as they crowd into the elevator. "I thought you were going to meet me in LA tomorrow?"

"I changed my mind. I figured you're packed. We'll just leave from here."

When they arrive at their floor, he starts to follow her into her room, but she turns, putting a hand on his chest, stopping him at the door. "Huh-uh. We have to change."

"He can come in!" calls one of the women from inside the room, causing the other to laugh.

He simply steps around Kate, pushing the door wide, entering the room. "Thank you, ladies," he says before turning to Kate. "Where's your bag?"

"Over there, why?"

"You need to pack," Mac says picking up her case and tossing it on a bed.

"I do?" Kate teases as she gathers her few things. "Where am I going?"

"The Andaz."

"The Andaz! Can I come too?" one of the women giggles.

"Sorry, Michelle, but we're going to be busy," Kate says with a smile as she snaps her case shut.

"Yes, I bet you are," the other woman says with a smile.

He hefts the case off the bed. "Ladies," he says in goodbye as he turns for the door, holding the door for Kate then following her out into the hall.

"Holy shit! Did you see him?" a voice exclaims from the room as the door swings shut behind them. He pretends he doesn't hear, but Kate's smile gives her away.

He leads her out and tosses her bag in a tiny car. She looks the car over then giggles. "Not your normal style."

He grins and then folds himself inside. "It's one of those city rental cars that you pay by the mile and just leave wherever. I'm only going to be driving it twice. Well, three times, if you count from the airport to here and then from here to the Andaz as two trips. It isn't worth the hassle of renting a car for that."

She looks at him crammed into the tiny car and giggles again, her smile bright and mischievous. "I'm thinking dinner will be either in the hotel, room service, or within walking distance."

"We have reservations for seven in the restaurant."

"How did you know I'd be done in time?"

"I didn't. I also have reservations for seven-thirty, eight, and eight-thirty. By then I figured it would be too dark for pictures," he says as he pings the hotel and cancels the later reservations.

Kate giggles in delight. "You're always thinking ahead."

"Sometimes. Like now. I'm thinking ahead to what we'll be doing after dinner."

Her grin threatens to split her face. "Funny, so am I."

***

After dinner they stroll through the gaslight district, enjoying the ambiance and the wonderful night air, her arm linked through his with their fingers intertwined. "Mac?"

"Yes?"

"What are we going to do?"

"Well, I thought we'd walk for a while, enjoy each other's company, and then I'd take you back to the room and make love to you all night."

She giggles briefly. "I like your idea, but that's not what I was talking about," she says before becoming serious. "I'm talking about the distance. I don't think I can live like this."

"What do you mean?" he asks, mildly alarmed at her words.

"I mean, seeing you only once or twice a month for a few days at a time," she says, pulling him to a stop then stepping in front of him and turning to face him. "I travel, you travel, and I can live with that, but I want to be there when you get home and I want you to be there when I get home. My house, my life, is too empty without you in it." She looks down so he won't see the tears in her eyes.

"Kate," he says quietly. "I told you, we can work it out. If I have to I'll move to LA and—"

"No!" she says firmly as they begin to walk again. "I know you don't like it there and I won't ask you to do that. You belong in your house, in Paradise."

"Then what, Kate?"

"I don't know. I just know there's empty place inside when you're so far away."

This time he pulls her to a stop. "I understand, and I feel the same way, but if we want this to work, we can make it work. We'll find a way. You have to trust us."

She looks into his face, her face scrunching up as she struggles to not cry. "I just love you so fucking much I don't want to lose you," she says, then sniffs, pushing her fears down.

"Kate," he whispers, tipping her face up. "I'm here for you. I always will be," he says softly before kissing her gently on the lips. "Don't cry. I love you, Kate. We... will... work... it... out," he says slowly, clearly enunciating each word. "You could move Paradise with me. It's only ninety minutes to Sacramento. Three hours to San Francisco. They must use models there."

"But my home is—"

"Your

house,"

he interrupts, "is in LA. Your home is where your heart is."

Kate looks at Mac and smiles. "Yes. My home is in Paradise, if you'll have me."

"It's only Paradise to me when you're there," he says as they begin to walk again.

She leans in tight to him, thinking. Most of her work is in the LA area, but there's nothing to say that it can't be in San Francisco. She could drive down the day before the shoot and drive back that evening, or the next day if she had to. But at least she'd be home, with Mac.

"It could take a long time before I can support myself. How would I live?"

He stops, turning her to face him. "Really? That's what you're worried about?"

"Mac, I don't want to be a kept woman. It's important to me."

"That's fine, and I admire that, but do you really think I'd let you starve until you get on your feet? Kate, I don't want you

near

me, I want you

with

me. In my house. In my life. You don't have to work at all, but I know it's important to you. Please, don't make this harder than it has to be. Keep your house, but move in with me. Rent it out for income if you want. If it doesn't work out, you can always move back to LA. But if it does..."