Cure for the Common Breakup Read Free Page A

musician to ever fly commercial?”
    â€œAnyone written a song about you that people have actually heard?” He grinned gamely. “Won Grammys? Gone platinum?”
    â€œSounds like someone could use a big glass of ice water.”
    He leaned into the aisle until the side of his head grazed her hip. “What’s your name?”
    She gave his perfectly coiffed hair a pat. “I’ll be right back.”
    â€œWhat’s that?” Kim asked when Summer squeezed into the galley to dispose of the magazine.
    â€œOh, 4C found it in his seat pocket.” Summer glanced at the photo on the cover: a quaint seaside village featuring golden sand dunes and gray cedar-shingled houses. The headline read:
The Best Place in America to Bounce Back from Your Breakup
.
    â€œBlack Dog Bay, Delaware.” Kim peered over her shoulder. “Never heard of it.”
    â€œMe, neither. I don’t think they even have an airport in Delaware.”
    â€œBlack Dog Bay. Where all the stores sell Ben & Jerry’s and Kleenex.”
    Summer laughed. “And multiple cats are mandatory.”
    â€œAnd the official uniform is sweatpants and a ratty old bathrobe.”
    â€œAnd
Steel Magnolias
is on TV twenty-four/seven.”
    Kim tossed the periodical in the trash. “What you need is a magazine all about awesome honeymoon destinations. Because when Aaron Marchand says, ‘Will you marry me?,’ you say, ‘Yes.’”
    â€œWe’re number two for takeoff,” Aaron’s voice intoned. “Flight attendants, please be seated.”
    Summer buckled herself into the jump seat by the bulkhead, facing the passengers in coach. As the plane began to taxi, she automatically “bowed to the cockpit,” tilting her head in the direction of the flight deck as a precaution against whiplash.
    As always, she devoted the last moments before takeoff to conducting a mental inventory of the emergency medical equipment and glancing around the cabin for ABAs—able-bodied assistants—who could potentially help out in a crisis.
    Then they were lifting off and she was thinking about Aaron. Visualizing a diamond ring and fighting back the sour taste of bile in her throat.
    It wasn’t that she didn’t love him. She did love him, more than she’d meant to.
    But could she keep his heart without wearing his ring?
    Thump.
    She heard a loud bang and felt the plane shudder.
    â€œWhat was that?” A woman gasped. Passengers started murmuring in both English and French.
    Summer put on her best flight attendant face, striving to convey both competence and nonchalance as the passengers looked to her for guidance. Her job was to keep everyone calm and safe. And to figure out what the hell was going on.
    The plane continued to gain altitude, but something about the alignment was off. Her stomach lurched as the cabin tilted suddenly.
    â€œOh my God!” someone screamed. “Fire!”
    Summer saw the bright streak of flames out the window and knew, with sickening certainty, that an engine was on fire.
    We’re going to die.
    Every muscle in her body locked up, and for a long moment, she was frozen. Her mind went blank.
    And then years of training overrode her panic. She grabbed the gray plastic interphone next to her seat and dialed the code for the flight deck.
    She pressed the receiver to her ear and waited to hear Aaron’s voice, telling her that everything would be fine.
    The pilots didn’t pick up.
    As soon as she hung up, Kim rang from the galley: “Did you feel that? What’s going on?”
    â€œI’m not sure.” Summer was acutely aware of the panicked gazes of the passengers. “It’s possible one of the engines is damaged.” She lowered her voice. “Fire.”
    Kim sucked in her breath. “What did the pilots say?”
    â€œNothing yet. I tried to reach them, and they’re not picking up.”
    Kim didn’t respond