A Likely Story: A Wayward Ink Publishing Anthology (24 page)

CHIMERA AIR was an airline that never had been, nor ever would be classed as a regular flying taxi… they were a little straighter talking. Many found the statement quite ironic, considering
all
the full-time staff was gay. On Chimera flights, the customer was
not
always right. The crew’s experience indicated that in the confines of a few tons of aluminum, carbon fiber, and reinforced plastic, human brain cells frequently vacated their usual anatomical borders and ventured elsewhere—usually their ass.

The man at the top was the obscenely rich CEO and owner, Connor Leighton. He had more money than a harem of shopaholic wives could spend. That being said; no woman could tempt him. He was a happily settled man with his husband of many years, Laurie.

Connor developed the idea and policies for Chimera Air after taking a myriad of flights where he witnessed the attendants having to bend virtually over backward to pamper, calm, and soothe downright obnoxious passengers. He put together a business plan, worked for his commercial pilot’s license, and then bought a few aircraft.

After promising his employees they could speak their minds upon encountering vile passengers, there soon emerged a waiting list of personnel eager to become regular staff.

Mr. Leighton’s company policy didn’t mean he employed just anyone. He wouldn’t contract people who purposely set out to verbally abuse customers, or a person with an axe to grind. Extensive background checks and evaluations mostly took care of that. At the end of the day, he had a business to run.

Once employed, all new recruits were read Connor’s version of the riot act. If any attendant with an agenda slipped through the net, Connor told them, in no uncertain terms, the pilot had the power to strap a parachute to their backs and launch them out of the cargo hatch. It wasn’t a threat either. It was a promise backed by video of one such unfortunate employee.

Every flight had a bouncer aboard too. He was there for the safety of crew and guests alike. Given the orientation of the staff… the pool of possible anti-social passengers was bigger than on other more commercial flights. Not that the crew couldn’t take care of themselves. For them, his presence was more a visual thing for any would-be troublemakers, as another company policy was self-defense lessons. Many employees were black belts in martial arts.

Trip Advisor, along with other forms of advertising, ensured those daring to fly with Chimera should know what to expect. Unfortunately, despite the amount of blurb, or
read this before you continue
warnings, a few remained unaware. Some flew with the airline once and never came back. Others loved the company and wouldn’t fly with anyone else.

Along with the usual health regulations, a flight with Chimera had restrictions, and a series of questions needing yes/no answers was required when booking.

The main condition was no children below the age of five on
any
flights. The minimum age increased to twelve for long haul flights. It wasn’t so much that he objected to small children. In fact, his reasoning was quite simple: little people didn’t understand what was happening to their bodies during flight—in particular, during take-off and landing. It wasn’t a child’s fault, but within a confined area, when children cried, it affected everyone. So, on short haul flights, it was a case of sacrifice the one to save the nerves of the many.

On long haul flights, Connor believed it was too much to expect children to sit still for any length of time, and the aircraft wasn’t a fit playground. The few who played up spoiled it for everyone else, and not all parents were willing to deal with their children in the way they would at home. There were a few complaints, but at the end of the day it was his airline, and there were plenty of people who preferred an ankle-biter free zone.

The child policy alone brought the airline an absolute ton of business. Other factors too, turned a small business into a fast growing, profitable enterprise.

Occasionally Chimera Air had what was dubbed a Ruse Flight. These were journeys where the staff either entertained or played tricks on the passengers. To ensure the ruse wasn’t a budding court case, Connor stipulated all mischief had to be pre-registered and approved by him and his husband. The men had their own fun too, as no attendants knew more than twelve hours in advance when a ruse was going to happen. Often it was as short as an hour. Notification depended on the hoax and Laurie was responsible for gathering the appropriate equipment and getting it aboard to surprise the crew.

Over the years, various pranks had been pulled. One crew gave their customers blankets and pillows, announcing they were on a ten-hour transatlantic flight when in actuality they were on an hour-long internal hopper. A number of passengers panicked, quickly gathered their bags, and headed for the exit. Fortunately, the doors were already closed. People seemed to have forgotten the flight call and ticket check which got them on board in the first place. Although the idea was sound, the crew lost their mojo and couldn’t continue the deception.

Another crew served fillet mignon and champagne to all the customers before serenading them Italian style. It wasn’t exactly a hoax, but it was different and unexpected. Needless to say, the vegetarians on board got drunk, but everyone left the flight happy. Any passengers seriously stoned were provided with transport at the other end.

Crews dressed in various garbs from aliens to zombies. Others took on musicals. During one very good year, the crew performed
Chicago
. The recording was on replay for much of the Christmas party. Andre, dressed as Velma Kelly, singing
All That Jazz
, was Oscar-worthy. There was no denying the man had fantastic legs to match his damn good voice. Irrespective of orientation, Andre probably turned a few straight passengers gay that day. At the very least, he made them curious.

On high jinx flights, all passengers either received refunds or were given the option to use vouchers on future flights. Ultimately, it made the airline a ride to experience.

Several confused souls mistook the straight-talking policy as being part of a fun flight. They took it in good spirits while in the air. However, when they reached solid ground and nothing happened, they voiced their discomfort to management. All complaints were followed by an investigation—some more brief than others. After receiving reports from all involved, Mr. Leighton usually sent the former passengers a letter outlining support for his staff. On the other hand, if evidence proved that a passenger had a case, the attendant was canned. Connor was flexible and a game player… but no fool.

On to the day’s flight.

It was a seven-hour night flight from Chicago O’Hare to London Heathrow, and the plane being used was Connor’s new toy—an Airbus A380, called Baby. He and Laurie arrived in Baby earlier in the day. As soon as the crew saw the distinct bird on final approach they knew they were in for a treat. Baby was a beauty. Outside, his upper section was powder blue, the under carriage a dark, rich, vibrant zaffre blue. Then, running from the left tail to the right nose was a rainbow. Connor maintained at the end of every rainbow lay a pot of gold, or cock of gold, if you listened to Laurie. Hence, the spectrum started in the rear and finished in the aptly named cockpit.

Laurie often made the observation, “The cockpit should be in the rear of the aircraft. Then again, I suppose there’s no reason it can’t be at the mouth instead of the butt.”

Inside, there were two levels. Downstairs, all seats had trays, radio, video screens, a small amount of recline, and lumber support. Upstairs was something else. Other airlines used the upper deck for first class and business passengers. Not Connor. Baby was his first A380, and he made him special—he was his and Laurie’s personal toy. Upstairs was dedicated to private parties and his on-board staff. It resembled a luxury hotel suite with extra bedrooms. The security area resided towards the rear of the upper deck, too. Connor installed a surveillance hub to keep an eye on anyone who may cause trouble or flout airline rules.

Connor treated his staff like family and protected them accordingly—Laurie looked after Connor.

Before every flight, the crew met in the airport employee lounge. There were teams from many airlines in the area. The Chimera crew were all experienced males, and all
acquainted
. Given their familiarity to each other, they didn’t bother with one-armed greetings. They said hello with a full hug and a kiss.

A healthy percentage of the crew were members of the Mile High club, and there were many rumors as to who had fucked whom. The men understood things for what they were—crews with benefits—somewhat like the Roman army. Robin and Taho were the exception. They were a long term item and also the Chimera sex in the skies record holders. They joined the airline together and since then hadn’t been separated on a flight.

The door to the lounge opened and in walked Connor with Laurie closely following. Everyone cheered. The crew knew what it meant when they were on site, especially as they’d arrived in Baby.

“Hello, boys, care to follow me?” He purred with an undertone of sexy.

The men blew kisses to their colleagues from other airlines before following their boss out of the door. It was usual for Connor to give them a pep talk before a flight.

Gathering in a side meeting room, Connor stood before everyone and called for quiet with a quick, shrill, two-fingered whistle. “Sit down, sweeties.”

The crew parked their asses on the couches scattered around the room.

“Good to see you all in jovial spirits. I brought you together for this voyage because… well, I think you’ve already guessed why. You’re intelligent men and understand what this flight is about. I’ve already garnered from the passenger list that there are no under eighteens on board today.”

The men gave a whoop. It made life easier when teenagers weren’t aboard a flight. There was less of the routine to adjust.

As the banter died down, Connor continued in a very businesslike manner. “Well, boys, as well as the fun, we add a new member to the family today. I will be piloting Baby. But,” he paused for dramatic effect, “this time Laurie will not be copilot.”

Connor’s words created murmured speculation around the room. Eventually, the din subsided, and all focus was on Connor again. “Laurie, will be supervising you miscreants. He’s gonna make sure you don’t take up all the spare space, adding another notch to your Mile-High cards. Robin, Taho, be warned,” Connor jested with a cheeky smile.

The couple returned looks of wide-eyed innocence, which morphed into sassy grins as they blew kisses to their Captain. All in the room laughed.

“Who’d you get, boss? Is he a hottie?” Emanuel excitedly inquired.

A hand appeared atop Emanuel’s. “Don’t worry… no one can outshine you, darling. Besides, what makes you think it’s a man?” Sam chided.

Looking at Sam with a duh face, Emanuel reasoned, “There’s not a female in the room, dipstick. It’s gotta be a man.” Then turning to Connor, he pleaded with hands clasped, “Please tell me it’s a man.”

“Yes, it’s a man, Emanuel. As for his hotness… I’ll let you judge that for yourself. May I introduce my copilot and newest member to the Chimera family.” Connor held his hand out to the door. “Mr. Jonathan Jet Stone.”

At the sound of the name, Anthony froze. His palms started to sweat, and his mouth went dry. The man himself walked in, all six feet of him. He oozed charisma and authority. A small whimper escaped Anthony as Jonathan walked by and glanced his way.

Laurie had mysteriously moved from his husband’s side and appeared beside the young man. His hand softly grasped Anthony’s shoulder, “You approve, Anthony?” The only response was a muted nod. There weren’t many things capable of silencing the stud.

Mr. Stone may have been new to the company, but he was a well-known pilot. The crew had pictures of every pilot from all the major airlines, ordered into a league table of hotties. The NFL deliciousness had nothing on these men. Ball players were wonderful to watch, and they scrubbed up brutishly smart, but muscles aside, the pilots on the list had brains, beauty,
and
a uniform—there was no topping that.

Jonathan was in the crew’s top ten. His short-shaped into the neck dark hair, green eyes, figure-hugging suit, and full luscious, pouting lips had formed part of Anthony’s fantasies for many nights. In fact, they had done so since the day his picture entered the flight attendant’s pilot hall of fame. Hell, his name alone… Jonathan… did unspeakable things to Anthony’s body. Seeing him live firmly put him at number one on the man’s private list. The photo in his album had nothing on the real thing.

In flight attendant circles, only the basics was known about Mr. Stone. The man was in his thirties, originated from Texas and flew B1 Lancers in the United States Air Force until four years ago when he left to fly commercial aircraft. In the forces was where he received his handle—Jet. Other than that, the man kept himself to himself.

By the time Mr. Stone reached Connor, Laurie had re-joined his husband.

After shaking the hands of his bosses, Mr. Stone stood before everyone. “Thank you, Connor, Laurie. Howdy everyone, I’ll keep this short.”

“From what I’m looking at, you ain’t short, Mr. Stone.”

“Emanuel!” Robin dug his friend hard in the ribs.

With a cough and a blush, Jonathan continued, “Thank you for such a warm welcome. I can honestly say I’ve never heard such enthusiasm before. I’ll do my best to keep y’all safe in the air, and I look forward to working with, and getting to know y’all better. Any questions?”

Emanuel raised his hand. “Sir, are you a permanent member of staff?”

“Please, y’all can call me Jet, and yes I am.”

At Jonathan’s answer, Emanuel’s muscled arm punched the air. “Oh yeah. He’s gay, yessssss! We
will
want to get to know
you
better, Jet.”

Jonathan’s face flushed even brighter, at which point Connor stepped in to save him. “Calm it, boys. Put ‘ur dicks on down mode. It’s time to get this flight prepped. Robin, will you go see to the front desk, please? There’s a flu bug going around, and the airport is short staffed. You know the drill.”