She stops in front of the departures for United and I’m thankful that the outside isn’t too busy. We exchange a quick hug and I bolt. The automatic double doors open like they were made for me. Looking around, I spot the electronic kiosks, pull my phone out to get the confirmation from my email, and check in as fast as I can. This is way better than dealing with the lines of people waiting to check their bags.
Once my boarding pass prints, I have thirty-one minutes to get through security and board the plane. I take off sprinting across the terminal. I opt against a train and just run, my legs moving me as fast as I can go because there is no way I can miss this flight. I have to make it. My heart is pounding, all because I have to get to Bain. Once I finally reach the terminal, I check my ticket again and start to frantically look around for gate seven. Seven, seven, seven. Fuck, where is it? Then I spot it tucked in the back corner. An attendant calls over the intercom as I run with all my might. “Calling all passengers for flight 274 to Memphis. This is your final boarding call.”
My legs can’t seem to move me fast enough. I’m moving on pure adrenaline, then finally make it, winded. My chest is heaving and all I can think about is Bain. This is how he gets when we fuck, winded just like this.
The attendant scans my boarding pass and as I walk down the jetway, I can breathe. I made it, thank God. Upon entering the plane, I head straight for my seat. Finally I find it, tucked a few rows up from the center exit row, between two older females. “Excuse me,” I politely say, squeezing in and then sliding my bag under the seat in front of me. Glancing at my text messages for the first time in God knows how long, I’m shocked. There are thirty-eight unread text messages from Bain. Scrolling to the bottom, I type out a text. I’m ready to talk.
My finger hovers over the keys, then hits send. Resting my head back, I close my eyes and pray he responds.
The flight attendants close the cabin doors and begin their departure procedures, walking about the plane. Then my phone chimes, You have the worst fucking timing. I just boarded a plane back to Memphis. I’ll have to turn my phone off any minute.
My heart almost jumps out of my fucking chest – he could be on this plane. I text him back, Me too. When I hit send, I listen and swear I hear a phone chime that sounds just like his. Anxiety courses through me. I’m too afraid to stand up, but I begin looking around, and…I see Bain. There he is in the front row. I can’t believe I missed him when I boarded. He’s so tall, leaning on the back of his seat and scouring the plane. His eyes move frantically and I’m not sure what to do. I want to run to him, but the captain turns the fasten seatbelt light on, so I text him, I see you. He looks at his phone, sitting back down. Come up here right now! I have an extra seat.
With heavy breaths I reach down and unbuckle my seatbelt. Reaching for my bag, I know there is no going back now. He knows I’m here, plus I’m flying to see him.
The plane starts to move as I get up. The moment I’m on my feet, he sees me. I watch all the wind leave his lungs. His face changes, he can’t believe it just as much as I can’t. But the flight attendant stops me. “Ma’am, I’m sorry. You need to get back to your seat.”
“I am,” I tell her, and point to Bain. She must know he has an extra seat and I practically run to him and into his arms. Our eyes never leave each other’s. He tightly holds my face, pressing our lips together. Kissing him back, I wait to wake up, because this can’t be real.
“All right you two, you have to sit down and buckle up,” the same flight attendant who tried to stop Arion from coming up here tells us. Reluctantly, I pull my lips from hers. We both sit and I lean over, buckling Arion’s seatbelt, then mine. Being this close to her is unreal. She smells so unbelievable and looks even more beautiful than I remember.
Looking at her, she hasn’t taken her eyes off of me for a second while I get us situated. The guy next to us is also staring, but I couldn’t care less. In all honesty, I can’t even fathom what is going on right now, is this for real? Looking at her, with her clear porcelain skin, she’s here. She’s really right here, next to me, on this plane, and the only reason that she would be flying to Memphis would be for me.
Both of us stay quiet, neither saying a word, and I wrap my hand around hers, bringing those sweet fingers to my lips. “Bain,” she whispers as I set our hands back down. “I’m sorry.”
I shake my head, just feeling thankful to have her in my hold. The last thing that I want her to feel is regret. “I’m sorry.”
“Why?” she asks turning in her seat.