Top Gun: Phantom

Chapter 3.

21 May 2024

     Growing up I never worked in customer service, I always worked on jobs given to me by professors or by my dad. Those tended to be a variety of different things from painting houses to building a playset. Let me tell you, working at a diner is not as fun as working at a bar, that's for sure.

    At the Hard Deck, it felt like I was still a part of the military. I was one with my people there, but at the diner, it was so diverse with pilots, teachers, barbers, and whoever else you could think of.

     I was almost on hour seven of my eight-hour shift, just begging for a familiar face such as Penny or Amelia to show up to talk to but that wasn't the case.

     "Ding" the doorbell rang as someone walked in.

     "Welcome to Bobbi's Diner," I said while gathering a few items together, "Is this for here or to go."

     "Here." a deep, masculine voice I recognized spoke. I swiftly turned around looking at the man.

     "Bradley? What are you doing here?" I looked behind him to see a couple of his friends.

     "Well, I heard that this diner had pretty good food. It also has a very beautiful woman that's a waitress here." He leaned in and whispered the last part.

      "Do you talk to all women this way?"

      "Only ones that intrigue me." He smirked.

      I rolled my eyes, beckoning them to follow me to their table. The business has been slow today so I knew I would have some time to talk to them once I take their orders. Once, I took their orders, I put them into the system and I went to go sit with them.

      "So, I know Rooster here but what's the rest of your guy's names," I asked, I knew who most of them were, but they didn't know that.

      Rooster, whom I'm sitting with, pointed to each of them telling me their call signs, "That's Bob, Payback, and Fanboy, fellow fighter pilots on our squadron."

     "Nice to meet you three, I'm AJ."

     "We've heard a lot about you, heard you're quite a wit." Fanboy leans on the table.

     "Well, unlike you boys, my career allows me to think." All three boys looked at me weirdly.

     "What do you mean?" Payback asked.

     "Well, you boys don't have much time to think up there. If you think you're dead!" They looked between Rooster and me confused.

      "She grew up in a military family and she knows Mav. She knows a lot about being a fighter pilot." Rooster clearly answered their questions because confusion was wiped off their face.

      "Enough about me, how was Top Gun?"

      All of us talked for hours and hours upon the food arriving from the chef, My shift had been over for hours but I refused to leave from the sitting position I was in. Enjoying every moment with these boys, it's been hard over the years with my secret Identity. Now I felt I was back with my old self, but every time I glanced at Rooster reality would hit.

***

     It was my first day off in a long while and I decided to go to Top Gun and talk to my dad in his office. Maybe work on a few planes and actually watch some of the pilots that will possibly be flying on this mission.

     As I was walking on the tarmac I saw that most of Mavericks squadron was there. If I knew today was an actual lesson day I wouldn't have come, but I'm already here so it's too late. I walked to the first plane and touched it, it's been a while since I'd seen the beauty of a hornet. God, I missed flying.