Between Clouds and Closure

Seatbelts and Airplanes

Furiously tackling the seatbelt that had refused to budge, I gave out an exasperated sigh. To say this was embarrassing was an understatement.  This wasn't the first time I was boarding a plane. You'd think  that being a air hostess and having attended to people who struggled to clasp or un clasp their seatbelts, I would have the skills necessary to unclasp my own damn seatbelt but unfortunately, the thing remained stuck.

Right about now, everyone was waiting for their row to be given permission to alight the plane. And here I was,  still struggling to get this contraption off me. I could see the lady in the row in front of me get up, signifying that it was her rows turn to get off the plane. Damn! Going back to fighting with my seatbelt, the passenger beside me, who I failed to pay attention to throughout the flight coughed way too loudly in my ears and I rolled my eyes.

A neatly manicured masculine hand reached out to where I was holding the seat belt  and asked, "Can I?". It would have been stupid to decline, considering that everyone on my row had started getting off the plane, including my sleazy seat partner who had just dragged his snot-covered  hand on the seats as he was walking out. Making a mental note to sanitize and scrub off my hands with scalding water when I got home, I looked up.

It would have been a crime not to describe  his eyes, every other feature on his face could have gone unnoticed, but not his eyes. They were a specific shade of green and staring into them was like getting lost in a forest. I couldn't say what specific shade it was, but I know that as I looked at them, I thought about trees, healthy green trees. He had the kind of lashes that most women would be jealous of, myself included.

Notwithstanding the beauty that was his eyes, my eyes swept the rest of his face. He had a prominent nose and his full lips were sporting an easy smile. I cleared my throat, when I realized I had been staring. I muttered a "Yeah, sure". With a single flick of the seatbelt, it came off. It didn't make sense but I told thanked him.

Getting up to remove my bag from the overhead cabinet, I noticed that the plane had cleared out, with the exception of the cabin crew, who seemed to be patiently waiting and this man who had acted as my saviour. He was still standing on the aisle waiting for what, I didn't know.

"Is your bag in the cabinet?" I asked him
"Uh, no," he'd replied still standing there. I resisted the urge to ask what he was waiting for.  I'd thanked him, hadn't I? I looked towards the exit of the plane and saw the cabin crew still standing there. I knew that despite the smiles plastered on their faces, they were definitely annoyed or pissed. Being one myself, I had mastered the act of hiding my emotions behind thin veiled smiles.

When I had pulled out my bag from the cabinet, thankfully without any problems, Mr saviour gestured for me to walk in front of him.

"So, is this your first time flying?" He asked, as we walked to the exit.
"Uh... yes," I said, because it was mortifying to admit that I was in fact, an air hostess that just couldn't manage to unfasten my own seatbelt.
"That explains it, it happens to the best of us," he replied. I rolled my eyes and was grateful he couldn't see it because I was walking ahead of him. His hand placed on the small of my back, another thing that made me want to roll my eyes again. What did he want?

"What brings you to California?" he asked.

Finalizing an ongoing divorce settlement with my husband, selling the house so I don't have to ever come back here.

"Vacation," I replied instead.
"Nice, trying to get that summer tan, uh?" he said and I could tell he was smiling.
"Yeah, what about you?" I asked, making conversation out of politeness.
"Pleasure," he replied but I didn't miss the second of hesitation before he did.

We were walking towards the main exit building of the airport now. My sister had said she'd have a driver pick me up and I'd told her not to worry. But knowing her, I'd be surprised if I didn't see my name on a placard with a driver waiting for me. The thought made me smile.

We were walking in silence for a couple minutes before either of us spoke up.
"I was thinking...," he started to say but I cut him off when I saw my name boldly typed on a white paper, held by who I presumed to be one of my sister's drivers,  just as I'd predicted. I waved in his direction to get his attention. He saw me and started walking towards us.

Turning to face Mr saviour,  "This is me," I said with a shrug as the driver got to me, proceeded to collect my bag and load it on a trolley.

"Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight? Or to get drinks?" He asked then.
"Look, I really appreciate you helping me with my seatbelt but I hardly know you," I replied. Hardly? I didn't know anything about him, not even his name.
"You're right, my name's Bryce. And it doesn't have to be tonight. You said you're here for vacation, why don't I give you my number and whenever you're free or interested, you can give me a call and we'll do whatever you want. Even just sit down and watch the skies, if that's what you like," he said.

God, I hated the name Bryce and I hoped I wasn't showing it on my face. I looked over to where the driver was waiting and although he wasn't looking in our direction, I knew he was listening in on our conversation. I dragged my eyes back to Mr S, deciding to collect the number even if it was just to put an end to the conversation.

Motioning for the driver to lead the way, I started to walk behind him, when Mr S called out, "I never caught your name". Ignoring the part of me that wanted to say 'because I never threw it', "Ava," came my reply instead, without so much as a glance back at him, as I walked out of the airport.