As Brooke glided down the aisle toward me, her chipper grin shifted to rolled eyes. The call button must’ve yielded a doozy of a request. As soon as we were in earshot, she angled a cart so no passengers would be able to get into the galley. “Wait ‘til you hear this one,” she said, exasperation dripping from her breath.
I could barely contain myself, I was dying to know what happened. Getting to hear the inside scoop made me feel like I got into a flight attendant sorority without being hazed. Two other flight attendants inched in closer, just as eager as I was to get the scoop. To see the three of them huddled together in their navy blue uniform dresses with daintily tied scarves, reminded me of a human Neapolitan sundae. Although Brooke is anything but vanilla, her creamy porcelain skin and flowing blond hair fit the bill. Ebony was just that. A chocolate goddess. Flawless with full red lips and a wavy dark brown mane elegantly swept up into a classic chignon. A delicate silver chain necklace hung down her décolletage ending in a sweet pave diamond ball to match her stud earrings. Only a couple inches taller than Brooke’s average height, she towered above their strawberry redhead counterpart, Paula. While she was undoubtedly the curvaceous one of the trio, it was definitely in a Norma Jean voluptuous size sixteen, hourglass sort of way. Batting long lashes and a va va voom pout, I most certainly was the plain Jane of the lot.
Brooke jumped right in, “Oh Lordy be. Remember that lady with the little chubby baby in 26C?” Ebony and Paula nodded in agreement. “Well, she just asked me to…wait for it,” she said for effect as she covered her heart, feigning shock. “She just asked me to help her pump her breasts.”
“No, she didn’t.” Ebony and Paula gasped simultaneously in utter disbelief.
The breath might as well have been ripped from my chest. How could people be so out of it that they think it was okay to ask someone to get in on the pumping action. It was already controversial enough to pump in public, with or without a cover.
Brooke continued despite our blatant shock, “Apparently her husband holds the breast or the pump for her while she pumps.” A roar of laughter rumbled from the group, followed by an abrupt shush to ensure the passengers didn’t get any ideas of coming back. No one heard us.
“So how’d you get out of it?” I asked, still trying to catch my breath.
“I just told her it was against company policy and she had the audacity to look at me as if she was peeved that I refused. I could just see it now, sexual harassment suit, accusations of contaminating the milk and making her baby sick. You never know what they’ll cook up. Anna Marie based out of Chicago, got spit on by some crazy loon on a flight and she got sued by the passenger. I’m not signing up for that crap. Shoot. They never cease to amaze me.”
With the sound of yet another call button dinging, we all looked at each other wondering what could possibly follow that one. It could’ve been psycho-mom with another crazy request.
Paula peeked around the corner, released the air she’d been holding, held her hand to her chest—It wasn’t 26C, but 2B instead—and said, “I’ll take this one.”
Brooke didn’t have to say a word, but Paula knew she dreaded having to walk past the crazy mom again.
“Okay, you’re not off the hook yet, missy.” Brooke pointed at me accusingly while I pretended to be confused. “So, you get to his house to do the layout stuff and…?”
“And we picked out a great photo package for Lena. End of story.”
“Oh no you don’t. Please tell me you finally had passionate lusty one-night-stand sex with him?”
“Wouldn’t necessarily say one-night-stand?” I cowered and blushed.
“So you admit that it was passionate and lusty?”
Everything in me wanted me to lie, but I was tired of feeling ashamed. I wanted to brag and gossip with my best girlfriend, who would be just as happy for me. “It was so hot. I had no idea that’s what sex could be like. Ethan was so structured about it. He practically had a freaking schedule with start and finish times mapped out in his head. And heaven forbid we deviate from it. All hell would break loose and we’d spend an hour or so talking about the importance of his time. Ugh! Just thinking about it pisses me off that he was so selfish.”
“Then don’t think about it and get back to the unstructured bliss because I need to know what happened.”
“When the photography business was over, Myles invited me to sit at the dining table. He poured me a glass of Riesling while he prepared a culinary masterpiece. I’m talking butternut squash soup with sage, broiled filet mignon with steamed asparagus and hollandaise sauce served with parmesan potato puree. I really wanted to try the chocolate torte, too.”
“Who cares about the food? I don’t want to hear another word about the food unless he licked it off of your body, Laila. Now go on.” Brooke can be so pushy and impatient, but I’m the same way. Get right to the good stuff.
No sooner did I attempt to get on with the story did Paula sashay back down the aisle with eyes bugged out and mouth agape. “Brooke…” she teased in a prolonged singsong way.
“What?” Brooke hesitantly asked “What happened now?”
“It took all my strength not to read it, but I have a note that I was asked to pass along.”
We were practically on top of Brooke as she opened the vomit bag that’d been folded a bazillion times into a small little origami-like square. Corner by corner, she unraveled the paper puzzle until ballpoint script peeked through. The words were tiny and about as neat as it gets on a crumpled bag meant for bodily fluids.
“What’s it say?” The curiosity was killing me.
“All right, let me read it.”
Brooke, when I saw you as I boarded the plane, I knew I couldn’t get off this plane without asking you for your number or at least giving you mine. I know that I would regret it and always wonder what would’ve happened if we had the chance to meet—
“Wait a minute. How did he know your name?”
Eager to continue with the letter, she only pointed to her name badge and resumed reading.
… And see what could’ve happened. Usually, I just sit on the flight and read or finish up some work, but I can’t concentrate. I know that you’re working, but if I could introduce myself to you in person, that would be great. Not to worry if you’re busy.
Looking forward to meeting you,
Drew
(212) 555-8763
“Oh my gosh! This is so ridiculous. You know that I don’t date passengers. Period,” Brooke blurted out, failing to contain even a smidgeon of her repressed excitement.
Paula smiled smugly. “You wouldn’t say that, if you saw what he looked like.”
Brooke was so funny, and stubborn. I knew she was dying to hear his description, but her own rule stood in the way. She was red with embarrassment. And after all the years I’ve known her, embarrassment almost always meant that she was dying to know.
Many passengers had tried to tempt her unsuccessfully. But then again, none of the passengers before knew how to tug at her curiosity with originality. I knew the wheels were turning in her head. Without a doubt, I knew she’d find a way to get up to 2B, if only to get a glimpse of him.
By the dinner service, I stood to the side out of the way while the three of them stocked their carts. Brooke was pretty quiet, but Paula and Ebony couldn’t stop running off at the mouth. After every few words, they’d peek at Brooke and continue. I knew they were up to something.
Now Ebony was a capable woman who would rarely need help with anything. But suddenly, she asked Brooke for her help with the first-class service. Brooke agreed, but as Ebony smiled back at Paula, I knew what they were doing, and I had no intentions of ratting them out. Sure, 2B was in first class, but Brooke was none the wiser of their conniving plan, which wasn’t like her at all.
She took orders and distributed the meals. After the last meal had been placed on the tray table in the first row, she eased into the first-class galley. I found my way up there to check on her just as s
he busied herself, discarding empty cans and bottles. While she tidied up, I slipped into the lavatory. On the other side of the door, I heard someone enter the galley.
“I don’t mean to interrupt you, but I was hoping you got my note and that’s why you decided to work first class,” a resonating baritone bellowed, every bit completing the fantasy.
“Don’t worry. You’re not interrupting me at all. I’m just relaxing until it’s time to clear everything. Drew, was it? I did receive your note and it was really sweet. You seem like a really great guy, but I have to tell you that I don’t date passengers.” It took every bit of my willpower not to burst through the door and yell at her. It wasn’t the time to be sticking to her principles. He sounded hot from where I stood.
“I knew there’d be a ‘but.’ Brooke, I’m not asking you to marry me…yet. I just want to take you out to dinner and get to know you. Really that’s it. You have to eat, right?”
“Yeah.” He had her on that one.
“Then please, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to a nice meal, in a well-lit public restaurant, of your choice.”
“I don’t know.”
Say yes. Say yes.
“If the dinner is overwhelming, then what are you doing tonight after we land? We could just have a drink at the bar in the airport and you can call me later, if and when you’re ready to take me up on dinner. How’s that?
Atta boy!
“I’ll have one drink with you.”
Aha. A loophole. A drink at the airport couldn’t really be considered a date, so it wouldn’t technically be dating a passenger.
“That’s all I’m asking.”
After he left, I finally eased my way out of the lavatory and back into the galley. Ebony, Paula, and I were giddy with excitement, but Brooke remained silent. Or so we thought. She looked sick to her stomach. The non-date that was supposed to be no big deal, had become a major to-do. A drink with a random hot guy wasn’t intimidating, but fifteen minutes to an hour with a man who had his crap together, seemed daunting.
“Maybe, I should cancel.” She cowered.
“Uh, Maybe you’re a whacky loon!” I scolded her, knowing she was ready to chicken out. It was just like her to cancel on a guy with potential, but fall all over herself for some mooching loser with a cute smile. Any single woman would be a fool to let a beautiful available man with a head square on his shoulders, pass them by.
Just the thought of what a mistake it would be for Brooke to brush Drew off, reminded me how I almost made the same misstep with Myles. He awakened every one of my senses. The sound of his voice calmed me like no one or nothing ever had. Just lying on his chest last night was like coming home after being away for far too long. Still, I knew I needed the distance for a few days to clear the haze.
Once the plane was fully debarked, I stayed behind to help Brooke and the other flight attendants neaten up the seatbelts, collect trash, and ensure the safety cards were properly stowed in each seatback. I straggled off the plane with the flight crew before the next flight began boarding. There he was. At the gate, magazine in hand, stealthily posted against a wall in the corner. Quiet in his demeanor, but his presence demanded attention. Part of me knew Brooke hoped Drew wouldn’t be there, but the spark that ignited as their eyes met was undeniable. Despite Brooke’s eyes cutting in my direction pleading for me not to leave her side, I hung back to give them some space.
The two of them sat at the Hangar bar chatting and getting to know each other, while I wandered aimlessly through the terminal.
When I returned, they were in the same spot. Already, they seemed smitten. With thousands of people coming and going around them, it was only the two of them. I was beginning to know that feeling. Beginning to long for the feeling. With my mind halfway across the globe, I dug into the corners of my purse to find my phone and disabled the airplane mode. Hinged upon the sinking of my heart was the empty screen reflecting no missed calls.
fifteen
Our hotel wasn’t the Waldorf, but it could’ve been for all I knew. The entrance was grand with a golden awning and vast Italian marble floors. A doorman greeted us like we were royalty. It made me want to straighten my posture, and speak the King’s English. It wasn’t my first trip to New York, but I’d never been with my best friend and had all accommodations paid. It didn’t get better than that. If we hadn’t come in on the redeye, I would’ve made Brooke go shopping with me before we even checked into the hotel. And by the looks of things, she couldn’t wait to unwind and unload. On the ride over, she wouldn’t let me forget that I hadn’t finished telling her about Myles, so I shouldn’t have been surprised that she was already on me as soon as the door closed.
“Okay. Go.”
“You go first, Brooke, since yours is fresh.”
“No, Laila, we’ve been trying to finish your story since last night and finally there’ll be no interruptions.”
“I promise. I’ll get to it right after you. I don’t want you to forget anything. Like you said, there won’t be any interruptions, so it doesn’t matter if I go last.”
“Ugh, I’ll go, but only because you’re stubborn and we’d probably end up going back and forth all night and neither one of us will get to our stories. Okay. So—”
Before she could start, her phone pinged, alerting her to a message. Whether she knew she was or not, she was smiling.
“Aw. He just wanted to make sure I made it to the hotel safely. He enjoyed not going on a date with me tonight.” Another ping. “He hopes we’ll be able to go on a date soon.”
“That’s so sweet.”
“Yeah. He’s sweet and funny.” She sighed. Not a swooning sigh, but a sigh of exasperation.
“What?”
“This is just so not me. I don’t do this whole giddy schoolgirl act. I think he’s nice, but it just isn’t going to work.”
“Because…” I wanted her to say it aloud, so she could hear how ridiculous she sounded. There was no real concern, just her nerves.
She tried to fall back on her old fail-safe, “Because he’s a passenger and I don’t date passengers.”
“Good, because it wasn’t a date, it was just a drink, right?”
“Ugh. I like him, but I don’t want to like him. I used to be so good at casually dating with no strings attached. Now, here I am at a slumber party in cupcake pajamas picturing what it would be like to be with this random guy I met on a plane, for goodness sake,” she said putting her other leg into the pink pajama bottoms and shimmying them up.
“Well, at least you’re being honest with yourself for once. You don’t want to like him, but you do. That doesn’t mean you have to run off and marry him tomorrow. Enjoy his company. Savor his touch. Geez, let me live vicariously through you for a little while. Just stop trying to plan every step of your life, and let it happen. As soon as you stop thinking about it, it’ll happen.” With my face covered with a green seaweed mask and my hair clipped up on top of my head, I’m sure I looked as crazy as I sounded, but she needed to hear it. “And I like slumber parties for your information.”
She fluttered her eyelashes and poked out her bottom lip apologetically “I wouldn’t slumber with anyone else.”
“Tell that to Drew!”
“I will, if I decide to go out with him.”
“Stop stalling. Get on with the non-date first.”
“All right, all right…so, first it was awkward. He ordered drinks for us. Two Bud Lights.”
Brooke was still rattling on and on about his pros and all I wanted to know about were the cons. I refused to ask though, so I listened for the infamous, “but.” Just as important as the checks on her list, are the deal-breakers. I really wanted to weed out the sociopaths and sycophants. Everyone has a vice, but what was important was where he fell in between vigilante and chain-smoker. To find out took a clever skill set, which Brooke had never quite mastered. The small details she could gather in abundance, but it was the big picture with which she struggled. Right
after she gets past looks, it had always been on to the type of car, career, sense of humor, and finally to chemistry in the bedroom before ever finding out the last name and intentions. It was just part of her—a hopeless romantic.
Brooke’s rambling slowed down to a breezy chatter, and I knew she was finally wrapping up all the sordid details on her brush with Prince Charming. “So we laughed at my horror stories about the unfriendly skies. Drew couldn’t believe all the stuff we have to go through. He even said, he could understand why I had a rule not to date passengers.” She giggled. “But then, he winked and hinted that he hoped I’d make a one-time exception for him. What’s really funny is that I’m actually considering it. I had such a good time with him. It was just comfortable, you know. Like we’d known each other for years. But yeah, that’s really all that happened with us.” Brooke turned to me and I knew the floor was mine.
After Ethan, I was ready to throw in the towel, but then Myles happened. I kept telling myself to just have fun and not think about a future that neither one of us could predict. It would have been better if it was a one-off, but somehow it kept happening with him. “It started off innocently enough,” I began. Even telling the story, felt like I was reliving it. At Myles’ door, he welcomed me in with a soft kiss on the cheek and offered to take my jacket. The house was quaint with a stylish fusion of masculinity and modernity. From the outside, the beige color and slate trim meshed well into the cookie-cutter design of the homes in the master-planned community. Though, inside, my eye was instantly drawn to clean lines, black and gray décor, stainless steel appliances, and pops of color strategically splashed about. There was no mistaking that a man lived there, but knickknacks were dispersed here and there, giving hints of a woman’s touch. I kept looking for the telltale signs—bobby pins, earrings, lingerie—but my wondering eyes only found him. Myles prowled from one room to the next, and though it was exciting to see where he lived, I was much more enthused to be there with him.
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