Frequent Flyer (MYG 18+)

First Class

The flight to New York should take a little under six hours and you are anxious to get there. You really need the chance to get away from Los Angeles and your newly ended relationship and get back to a city that makes sense, that has a strong center like a heartbeat, fueling your creativity. You were in LA for two years, long enough to know California isn't where you belong and your Ex was not who you want to spend your time with.

The break wasn't ugly, but there were tears; his tears.  All your tears were long since dry by the time you finally said you were done and it was over. He didn't even beg you to stay which was just fine with you. He will be better off with one of his other girlfriends and you are now free to go find out what you really want out of life, back in the place you feel most connected. 'New York or Nowhere'. That bumper sticker was on the Uber that took you to JFK airport two years ago when you moved to LA, you should have listened.

You settle in for the preflight check the from the flight attendants, and you've heard it a hundred times. You sit back in your large first class seat already holding a glass of champagne in your hand before you've even left the gate. The flight doesn't seem to be too crowded for being the last flight of the evening, but it means you will arrive in NYC around 2am EST, not a problem since the city never sleeps.

As you settle back, you notice the last passenger to board is a man you saw in the airline club lounge before the check in. He's young, Korean, and is carrying an LV duffel bag that caught your eye since you know that particular bag is not sold anywhere and is in fact a gift from the designer. His eyes met yours across the buffet of fruits and drinks as he sat alone working on his laptop. You wondered who he was and what he does, noticing the sheen of his designer ripped jeans and his layered shirts. His lips formed a wry smile and he looked you over with a cock of his eyebrow. He had earbuds in so you didn't bother to try to speak to him, which is probably for the best. It's too soon to get involved with anyone else even though his jeans fight tightly in all the right places and his eyes were beautiful and seemed to shine through the dim light in the lounge as they connected to yours, teasing you with a hint of interest. He smiled at you again, briefly, his lips plump and pink, before you passed by him to find a place to charge your phone.

That same man is standing at the door to first class looking at his boarding pass. You watch him, wondering who he must be to ignore the industry standard rule of 'no ripped jeans' in first class. The attendant doesn't look like she is willing to point out the airline policy and he glances up at you and smiles before saying something to her, leaning close. She looks up directly at you and you turn away, trying not to make it obvious you are watching them.

When you look back up, he is standing in the aisle next to your two seats, and he's smiling at you with a big gummy smile. You sit up taller in your chair and watch as he pulls out his earbuds and looks down at you.

"It looks like we are seat mates," he says and he sets the LV bag down on the floor in the seat next to yours. You know why he's there. You smile broadly, trying to keep a secret you might share with him later. He drops into the large seat beside you and he notices your glass of champagne. He looks up to get the attendants attention and he motions for 'two.' He's keen. He's already 'buying you a drink' you laugh at the thought. The attendant brings the bottle over and a glass and pours one for him, refilling yours, before she smiles and steps away. He turns to you, almost ready to toast your glass.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain," the voice over the PA interrupts your toast. "We will be standing on the runway for just a few minutes more, thunderstorms over Chicago are delaying our take off but we should be moving soon, or we will try to fly around it if the storms don't pass." The few people in the cabin let out groans at the idea of being late but he turns back to you and smiles.