Ghost • Tom Kazansky

• Chapter Four •

The night had continued on with Kara and Terence both finding themselves at the pool table.

A couple of rounds into their game, they were joined by another pilot and RIO who introduced themselves as Rick Neven and Leonard Wolfe - better known by their callsigns of Hollywood and Wolfman.

Kara took a liking to the two immediately as they, much like Terence, had no problem with a female pilot. In fact, they found her to be pretty badass.

They had wound up playing a round of pool together in a game of 2-versus-2. As to not have an unfair advantage, they had decided to switch up partners - with Leonard becoming Kara's partner while Terence had become Rick's.

A little while into the game, Kara had excused herself from the men and made her way towards the bar, placing her empty glass on the counter top.

"Can I get another Mermaid Mimosa, please?" She asked the bartender with a polite smile, only for him to nod and turn towards the spot beside her.

"Ice-water, please." A smooth voice spoke which caused the female pilot to turn, only to scoff softly to herself as she was met with, none other than, Tom Kazansky.

"I don't think we've formally introduced ourselves to each other." He said as he leaned against the bar.

"What makes you think I'd want to introduce myself to you?" She quizzed with a tilt of her head, her hazel eyes silently challenging him.

His icy blue eyes filled with amusement as a smirk glittered across his lips. "Tom Kazansky, but you can call me Iceman." He said. "And you are?"

He was persistent, Kara had to give him that - despite having her brother just introduce her to him earlier.

"Kara Bradshaw." She replied after a moment. "Ghost."

"Ghost." Tom repeated with a smile. "So, are you a RIO?"

"Pilot, actually." She corrected with a small smirk. "Neo's my RIO."

The ice-cold pilot's smile faltered slightly as he stared at the woman before him with an impressed look.

Before anything else could be said, their drinks had arrived with both pilots thanking the bartender with a smile before the woman took a sip of her mimosa.

Tom stared at her with interest and opened his mouth to speak when all of a sudden, the sound of someone singing had interrupted him.

Kara internally cringed as she closed her eyes with a groan. "You have got to be kidding me." She muttered.

"Hey, Kara, Nick and Pete are--"

"I know." The pilot said, cutting her RIO off with a scrunch of her nose as he had joined the duo at the bar.

"Those two are quite the characters, huh?" Tom stated as he watched the scene unfold.

"You have no idea." Kara mumbled as she watched her brother and the dark-haired pilot pull off one of their famous stunts by singing The Righteous Brothers' 'You've Lost That Loving Feeling'.

It wasn't that the pilot and RIO were terrible singers but bless their souls.

Soon enough, the entire bar had joined in on the pilot and RIO's antics, singing their hearts out at the chorus to which Kara had simply shook her head in disbelief.

All this just for Pete Mitchell to impress a girl he was after.

She truly pitied whoever she was.

She soon felt the heavy gaze of her older brother on her and locked eyes with him from within the crowd.