Chapter 17 #2
And I follow her only a few steps until there’s a seat across the aisle and one row up from Reid. She gestures to it with a flourish. “Is this all right?”
I gape at her. “You’re kidding, right? This is a first class seat.”
“It is, yes”
“This is the backup seat you’re offering me?”
“It’s open and you just got thrown up on, so yes. Did you not want it?”
“Of course I want it. I’m just curious about the upcharge.”
She waves me off. “Just take it. You’ll have to go back for your bags, but the seat is yours if you want it.”
“Yeah I want it.” I slide into the large seat immediately, feeling immensely more comfortable.
I sigh as I stretch my bare legs out. My new seat mate—a man in a suit wearing little white earbuds—gives me a quick look before turning back to the movie on his screen.
“No wonder people pay more to be up here,” I say to no one in particular.
The flight attendant’s lips barely twitch. “I’ll come back with a blanket. I know the vents can get kind of cold for some people. Let me know if you need anything else.”
I shut my eyes and relax when something soft bounces off my face.
My eyes fly open and I notice the crumpled paper napkin with the airline logo sitting in my lap.
I look around to see where it might have come from and find Reid smiling at me.
A smile that gives my heart an extra beat every few seconds.
It’s wide and warm and bright and I think I could stare at it this entire ten-hour flight.
He gestures for me to open it and without any ounce of hesitation, I do.
Do you want to watch a movie together?
I turn in my seat to face him across the aisle. “You know we’re, like, two feet apart, right? You can just talk to me.”
“I didn’t want you to get a neck cramp turning around to look at me the whole time.”
“How thoughtful.”
“And I was trying to be romantic,” he adds. “Just answer the question.”
I roll my eyes playfully and turn back in my seat. Realizing I left my carry-on back in Vomit Central so I don’t have my phone, earbuds, or even a pen to reply to him. I turn backwards again.
“Sorry to ruin your romantic plan, but I don’t have a pen to circle ‘yes.’”
“Shoot,” he mutters. He quickly unbuckles his seatbelt and gets to his feet. “You were, what, 17B?”
“I think so? Why? What are you—” But before I can even finish my question, he strolls off to the back of the plane. He’s back in a moment with my bag, depositing it gently in my lap.
“Here you go. Now grab out your headphones and your phone, pick a movie, and we can start it at the same time. Text through it. Pretend we’re sitting together.”
“Awe, our first date.”
“No, sweetheart. Our first date will be much more unforgettable.”
My stomach starts swirling with excitement. “Will I still be ending the night wearing your shirt after our first date?”
His expression darkens. My stomach bottoms out. “I hope so.”
“Well then you better woo me like you mean it.”
“Oh trust me,” he says, resting his hands on my armrest so he can lean down. The smell of rosemary and lemon fills my senses and I suddenly can’t form any coherent thoughts. “I plan to.”
His eyes dart to the man next to us and some new resolve passes over his face. I watch his expression switch slightly as I imagine a plan forms in his mind. Then he leans over me and taps the man on the shoulder.
The man sighs impatiently, plucking an earbud out of his ear. “What?”
“Trade seats with me,” Reid demands of the man. I find my pulse kicking up a notch at the command in his words.
The man scoffs. “No.”
Reid digs in the pocket of his joggers, pulling out a wallet and a crisp twenty dollar bill. He extends it wordlessly to the man. “Sorry, I should’ve said please.”
The man eyes the bill, then looks back up to Reid.
I can tell he doesn’t want to give Reid the satisfaction of accepting, but he really wants the money.
Finally, the man sighs and snatches the bill out of Reid’s fingers, then gathers his few belongings and gets to his feet.
Reid’s smile is pleased as he steps into the aisle, waiting for the man to move, then sliding into his seat.
“Don’t you have things in your own seat you need to grab?” I ask him, still processing the entire situation.
“No, I’m good. So what do you say about that movie?”
I tap the screen in front of me and start paging through options. “How do you feel about musicals?” I ask without looking over at him.
“I’ll watch literally anything that makes you happy. Which is your favorite?”
My fingers pause their search and I turn my head to look at him. “Seriously?”
“What?”
“You’d watch a musical with me?”
He shrugs. “I want to know about the things that you like. That’s how dating works, isn’t it?”
“I thought we weren’t going on a date until we got back home.”
“I say we are adults and we can do whatever we want without apology.”
He’s right. I know he is. But just picturing the rage on my sister’s face if I unveil a new relationship right before her wedding, she’ll never forgive me. And I’m already fighting an uphill battle just for her to include me in things besides doing all her tasks and wedding planning things for her.
I loosen a breath as I think over my next words. Then I finally say, “How about we do whatever we want in secret until we get home, and then we do whatever we want without apology?”
A triumphant grin spreads across his lips. Then he leans in, resting his elbow on the armrest between us so he’s only a breath away as he whispers, “As long as I get to make you smile every day, I’ll be happy.”
His eyes never leave mine as he watches me collect myself, catch my breath, and realize I’m absolutely starting to fall in love with him.