Boeing Flight 143

I sat down quickly, barely able to contain my excitement as I buckled my seatbelt and took out my magazine. I smiled as the voice over announcement started. “Good Afternoon ladies and gentleman and thank you for choosing to fly with us, our flight time today is six hours and forty minutes….” Only seven hours till I would get to see him. Seven hours till I would finally tell him how I felt. Only seven more hours…

James and I met three years ago at a party when I was visiting my cousin in Seattle. It was not at all a fairytale beginning. In fact I found him rather obnoxious…

He sat by the bar the entire evening, surrounded by four different ladies for most of the evening. He tried his luck with me too, but I was too distracted by the likes of Peter, I barely noticed James’ advances until he pulled me to the dance floor. He was such a good dancer, I think that was what intrigued me about him.

There was just something about the way he twirled me across the linoleum floors that made me feel like we were the only two people in the room that night. Even though I barely knew him, I felt safe and comfortable in his arms. But I kept myself at a distance, knowing all too well that I was not the only girl he had been flirting with that night. But he had me smiling and laughing for what felt like hours before exhaustion kicked in and we finally made our way back to a table where conversation ensued.

“So what’s your name?” he asked beaming as he struggled to catch his breath. “Lana” I said smiling back at him. “Wow. Beautiful name, for a beautiful girl. I’m James.” He put out his hand. “Nice to meet you James” I nodded, ignoring his hand. “Uhh. So can I buy you a drink Lana?” I thought about this for a minute and decided to just go with it for now. Nothing would ever come of this. But what harm was there in letting him get me a drink? “Sure.” I said finally. He smiled and disappeared into the crowd, leaving me a little confused. Wasn’t he supposed to ask me what I wanted to drink first?

He soon came back with a very familiar fluorescent green drink in his right hand and an even more familiar shot glass in the other. Understanding that the Midori cocktail was meant for me and the tequila shot for him, I took the shot glass from his hand before he could put it down. When I put down the empty shot glass, his expression was somewhere between shocked and turned on. I giggled lightly and took the lime from his hand too.

“Wow. I’m impressed. Looks like I’m having a Midori lemonade then.” “Sorry, did you want another shot?” I smiled. “No no, that’s fine. How about I’ll stick to the light stuff and you go all out tonight?” Was my stress that visible? Peter had been prancing around with that new show piece girlfriend of his all evening and it was becoming harder and harder to watch. Romance was the furthest thing from my mind that night. I would have been happy to drink and dance the night away with my favourite cousin Sally. But it seemed fate had other plans for me.

I think he sensed that I was not exactly open to much romance that night because his advances stopped there. We continued talking the rest of the night, and I came to discover that those four girls were cousins and not girls he was after. By the end of the night he had officially shaken the “player” persona that I had unfairly given him upon first impression. He was just a nice guy. I really appreciated that he wasn’t flirting with me. It showed me that he understood and respected that I was not interested in that way. But I didn’t decline when he asked for my number and asked to catch up again before I left.

I met him for coffee a few days later and soon went back to reality in New York. Communication continued as we got to know each other better. Although we both led busy lives we managed to keep the conversation flowing via email, working around our tiresome schedules although it felt like we spent more time arguing about meaningless unimportant nonsense than anything else.

I woke up one morning to the harsh ringing of my phone. Without opening my eyes, I grabbed the blasted device and placed it against my ear. “Hello?” I croaked, groggily. “Wake up Lazy!” James’ chirpy voice greeted me. I tore my eyes open a fraction to peer at my alarm clock, seeing that it was six fifteen am on a Saturday morning. “James, there had better be a good reason for you waking me at this godforsaken hour!” I gritted through my teeth. “Of course there is! What kind of coffee would you like?” “What are you talking about?” “I’m at the coffee shop across the street from your apartment Lana, and I’m almost at the register, what would you like?” My eyes shot open. “Wait! You’re in New York?” I half screamed at him, stumbling out of bed. “Yes silly! I’m in New York. Quickly! What coffee?” I struggled to think straight. “Umm. Skim Cappuccino. One sugar.” I finally said. “Great. See you in ten minutes.” He said before hanging up. “Crap.” I knocked my knee into my bedside table as I ran for the bathroom, rushing to make myself and my apartment look remotely decent in a matter on ten minutes.

I took the fastest shower in the history of the world and fell over multiple times as I attempted to tidy up the mess of my living room, and finally collapsed on my couch in exhaustion before my unexpected visitor finally knocked on the door.

“Excuse me miss, would you like the chicken or the fish?” the air-hostess tore me from my reverie. “Oh. Umm. Chicken please.” I put on my headphones and turned on the entertainment to help pass the next four hours by.

We had spent the long-weekend together in Manhattan, getting to know each other better and what an amazing weekend it was. Before I knew it, he was leaving. He had quickly become one of my dearest friends and someone I trusted and valued completely. So it was understandable that I would miss him, but what I couldn’t comprehend was why I was so sad to see him go. It seemed as though he wasn’t too keen on going home either. He held me really tight with no sign of letting go before he left for the airport.

“I’m really going to miss you Lana” “I’m going to miss you too James.” I made an effort to smile as we parted ways at his hotel lobby before he headed off to the airport.

After that the phones calls became a daily occurrence and we only grew closer and closer. However it wasn’t until my cousin’s engagement last year, when I went to the West Coast again, did I realise that I had fallen for James, and boy had I fallen hard! Throughout the days leading up to the big engagement party I spent some time with Sally and her fiancé Shaun, who just happened to be an old childhood friend of James’, which of course meant that I spent a lot of time with James during my trip as well. I noticed blood rushing to my cheeks and little butterflies fluttering in my stomach every time he looked at me. I couldn’t believe how exceptionally high school it all felt and I prayed that it went un-noticed.

Soon it was time for me to head back to real life. Struggling to fight back the tears, I stayed silent while he sat with me at the gate before I had to board my flight. He took my hand in his and we both sat there in silence till they called me to board the flight.

James hugged me tight and whispered “I wish you didn’t have to leave” before kissing my forehead and disappearing into the crowd of people. My breath caught in my throat as a few stray tears ran down my cheeks.

I had spent the last year wondering what that moment was, because it seemed as though time had stood still for that moment and as though there was no one else in the room. It felt so right being in his arms. My heart raced and my skin burned at the touch of his lips on my forehead. I felt as though my heart was being ripped out and taken with him when he walked away, but I also felt as though I was maybe taking his with me.

When we had spoken last week about his upcoming birthday he said that his birthday wish was that I could be there to celebrate with him. After many excuses and reasoning we hung up, and I spoke to my boss and managed to get a few days off, so I booked my flight. He had no idea that I was coming. Every time he mentioned it, I simply apologised and said I had to work.

Sally and Shaun were picking me up from the airport and taking me straight to James’ party to surprise him tonight. This was it. Tonight, at his party I was going to tell him how much I loved him and that I wanted to make this work somehow.

I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I thought about how long I had been waiting for this. I couldn’t believe that I was finally going to tell him how I felt and we’d finally be together. My heart fluttered frantically while I watched the latest comedy flick on the in flight entertainment system and I soon dozed off.

-xXx-

“James? Where are you taking me? I think we should head back, I mean this is your birthday party, don’t you think people will notice if you just disappear?” I asked as James lead me towards his back garden, away from the party.

“Lana relax, they can mingle amongst themselves for a few minutes. You came to surprise me? I can’t believe you did that! You have no idea how much that means to me Lana!”

“I wouldn’t have missed it.” I smiled as he took my hand. “Actually while we have a little time alone, I have something to tell you.”

“I have something to tell you too, but you first.” He picked me up swiftly and made me sit on a stone ledge so I was facing him.

Unable to stop the heavy drumming of my heart, I blushed. “James I…” my stomach trembled with butterflies as I started to rethink telling him. I took a deep breath and swallowed my fear. I had to know.

“James I have feelings for you. In fact, I think I have fallen in love with you. I’m sorry if this seems too forward. I don’t really expect you to do anything about it. I know this is probably very overwhelming and you probably don’t know what to say, but I just had to tell you and I thought you deserved to-” before I could finish my incessant rambling his lips crushed into mine in a kiss filled with passion and longing.

I felt my eyes moisten as my heart raced even faster than before, it beat so loud I feared it would burst through my chest. He felt the same way! He loved me too! I could feel it in his kiss.

“Lana that is pretty much exactly what I wanted to tell you! I love you too.” he smiled after pulling away.

“Really?” I said as the tears began to escape my eyes. “Yes really! Silly! In fact, I also have something to ask you.” He said as he wiped the tears away with his fingers.

“What is it?” I mused, slightly confused. James smiled his beautiful gleaming smile before he slipped down onto one knee and reached his hand into his pocket.

I felt my breath catch as everything around me seemed to be shaking. I must have been feeling faint because it felt as though the entire garden was shaking. Was it an earthquake?!

I felt my throat constrict as I heard screams of panic ring through my ears. Muffled voices played over and over and I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder shaking me. James began to fade away.

“I love you” he whispered to me before fading away completely.

My vision blurred as the controlled voice of panic in my ear became louder and louder “Ma’am I’m going to need you to put on your oxygen mask and life vest and stay calm!” everything around me was dark., till suddenly the blazing light from the fire was in my face. It was hot and strong. I couldn’t even form coherent thoughts. I couldn’t pull myself away from this nightmare. I kept trying to blink it away and go back to James, but it wouldn’t work. The heat got stronger as it somehow became hot and cold at the same time. That’s when I felt the crash…

“I love you too James.”

Author's Note:

I wrote this a few years ago and at the time I was really proud of it. I feel as though I have grown so much as a writer and as a person since then though and now this feels somewhat childish. Not the story itself, but the writing. I know I am a better writer now, but I wanted to share this anyway because once upon a time, this story was my best work and it represented some real pain in my life. Some real endings. So forgive the lack of descriptive language and the slightly rushed feel of it... It was written by a nineteen year old girl who had yet to come to terms with many of her emotions and was still learning to show rather than tell.

#flashback #flight #love #romance