One Long Flight 💙

Hour Three

The silence that followed was marked by an undeniable awkwardness, a stark contrast to their previous banter. Eventually, she let out a sigh, breaking the silence with a mischievous remark. "It's a good dick, Chris."

He groaned in response, his tone a mix of frustration and embarrassment. "Oh my god. Just stop talking. And laughing."

She couldn't help but giggle, finding humor in the situation. "I'm not laughing at the dick. I'm laughing at the situation. Like I said, it's a good dick. Besides, who doesn't have nudes of themselves on their phone?" She glanced at him, noticing his closed eyes and the second groan that escaped his lips.

"Please stop saying dick, Aisling."

Giggling again, she playfully lowered her voice, "You don't like dick? What about cock? Banger? Willy? Mickey? Peen..."

Her attempt at humor finally broke his facade, and he chuckled while shaking his head. "Alright, alright. Please stop talking."

"Give me your phone, Christopher."

He was initially hesitant, but he handed over his phone. She quickly navigated through the settings, demonstrating how to hide the photo. "Now no one will stumble upon it when they go through your pictures. Welcome to the 21st century, old man. We hide our nudes."

He chuckled, taking his phone back. "Thanks. I didn't know you could do that."

She nodded. "No problem. As I said, who doesn't have a few spicy pictures on their phone?"

He smiled knowingly. "Do you?"

She shrugged playfully. "Maybe."

He grinned, teasing her. "Bubble of honesty, remember?"

With a laugh, she admitted, "Yes, I have pictures. But no, you can't see them."

Chris playfully lamented, "You just saw my dick."

She giggled in response. "And it's a very nice dick, by the way. Thanks for the blessing to my eyes. But still, no."

He let out a mock exasperated huff before resting his head against the back of his chair. Sensing an opportunity to alleviate his embarrassment, Aisling decided to share an equally embarrassing story of her own. "One time in 5th grade, I had a terrible case of food poisoning at school. I ended up soiling myself in front of the entire cafeteria."

Chris burst into laughter, causing fellow passengers to shush him. "Why are you telling me this?"

She shrugged, a playful smile on her lips. "You're embarrassed, even though you have no reason to be. So, I thought I'd offer an embarrassing story to balance things out."

He laughed even louder, causing more irritated glances from nearby travelers. "Well, I appreciate the effort. But I'm not sure it's quite on the same level as showing your dick to a complete stranger."

Aisling chuckled. "We're not strangers anymore, Chris. We've been friends for almost three hours now. And believe me, it was mortifying as a kid, thank you very much."

He nodded, his amusement evident. "Fair enough. So, what did you do?"

Aisling shrugged, a hint of defiance in her tone. "I waited until a boy tried to tease me about it, and then I punched him in the face. After that, kids left me alone."

Chris laughed heartily, receiving more irritated glances. "So even as a child, you were... charming."

She chuckled in response. "I guess so. I thought you said I was annoying."

He shrugged with a playful grin. "You can be more than one thing, Aisling. Although, there's one thing that would make me feel less embarrassed right now."

Aisling raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "And what's that?"

He leaned in, his tone teasing. "If you showed me your breasts."

Her playful demeanor quickly turned into mock outrage, and she playfully swatted his arm. "Get out of here. I'm not doing that."

Turning in her seat to face him, she settled into a more comfortable position. "So, you're from Boston? Have you always lived there?"

He nodded, mirroring her posture in his own seat. "Yes, born and raised. I spent some time in LA, but Boston is my true home."

She smiled. "And you love it there?"

Chris nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely. Like I said, it's where I feel most secure. How about you, Aisling? Where in the world do you feel secure?"

As Aisling contemplated her response, Chris observed her closely. Eventually, she answered, a hint of nostalgia coloring her voice. "Probably London. It's home to me."

Almost instinctively, Chris reached out and delicately tucked a loose strand of Aisling's hair behind her ear, a subtle gesture of connection. "Not New York?" he inquired.

Aisling let out a sigh, her fingers finding their way to rest on his on the armrest. Chris allowed his hand to remain still, hoping the touch provided her some solace. "No," she admitted softly.

Intrigued by her curiosity about Boston, Chris posed a question. "Why were you asking about Boston?"

A shrug followed from Aisling. "I've been there a few times. I really like it. I wanted to hear the perspective of someone who was born there."

With a sincere smile, Chris shared his feelings. "Well, I love it. Are you considering a move to Boston?"

Aisling exhaled slowly, unveiling another layer of her plans. "Maybe. I've been interviewing for a position as an Art History professor at Harvard."

The revelation surprised Chris, his curiosity piqued further. "Really? Will you take it?"

Aisling's response was uncertain, marked by a shrug. "I don't know yet. I think it might depend on how things go once I'm back in London."

Chris nodded, respecting her boundaries. "But you are thinking about it?"

Aisling nodded in agreement. "Yes. As I said, I've been visiting Boston a few times over the past few months. I'm starting to feel a connection to the city. And you? You don't like LA?"

Chris couldn't help but scoff at the thought. "No, not really. It serves its purpose for work, but I prefer the east coast over the west. I still have a place out there, though. It's practical for when I have filming commitments and such. But my heart belongs to Boston. It's where I want to settle down, eventually get married."

Aisling revealed a personal yearning in her voice. "I always wanted a big family. But I grew up without any siblings. Just me and my parents."

Understanding her sentiment, Chris nodded. He retrieved his iPod and extended a headphone bud toward her. "Want to listen with me?" he offered. Aisling's smile brightened as she accepted the offer, settling back into her seat. Chris handed her one bud while he played "I'm Not OK" by Rhodes.

As the music filled the space around them, he felt her reach out and grasp his hand, interlocking her fingers with his. With a contented smile, Chris allowed her head to rest on his shoulder. He leaned in, resting his head gently against hers as they sat in a companionable silence, lost in the melodies of the song for a while.