A Bump in the Road -- Watty Awards 2011 --

Chapter 13: New Adjustments

Six hours later, Nicole woke up to a brilliant sunrise; the sun’s perfect light birthing a cover of pink and mauve clouds over the earth like a baby’s blanket. She also awoke to the all too familiar feeling of pressure on her spine that felt like a lead weight was lying against her back instead of a baby.

Despite her dismantled ponytail and smudgy mascara she propped herself up on the armrest and smiled with her head cocked to one side at her husband whom she had inadvertently in sleep pinned to his chair with her legs that appeared to be stretched out over him.

“Good morning my darling – do you suppose you would mind freeing me now?” His dark eyes teased her as she stuck out her tongue and pinned him back jokingly again before assuming a more ladylike position, well as ladylike as it could get being over 6 mos. pregnant and not able to touch her knees together.

They had another hour before landing, and where once they might have been tempted – okay they were still tempted but now it was physiologically impossible – to sneak into the airplane bathroom’s mile high club, they now sat sideways in their seats just talking with one another. From politics and world affairs to what colour the baby’s room would be and if Nicole would have an epidural.

As Joseph talked more about what made his decision to go into his line of work and about his family life Nicole watched as his strong assured profile became animated. It would seem that this husband of hers wasn’t fazed by a lot, he took the world like he owned it and worked at it until he did. Just his formidable presence commanded respect just as his shrewd business sense and work ethic did.

As the plane taxied down the runway, the first class flight attendant entered their private cabin and informed them they were to leave the plane first. The bright fake plastered on smile faded as her gaze landed on Nicole, still semi-seated in Joseph’s lap – a place that that the attendant looked as if she would prefer to be.

She looked down her nose disdainfully and not a little confused that this rich muscled businessman – who could almost certainly have any woman he wanted flat on her back in seconds, including her – was gazing so adoringly and was so obviously in love with the unimpressively clad and deeply curvaceously pregnant albeit very pretty tousled brunette.

Her fellow flight attendants had fought over who got to approach this airborne Adonis. She had won and had sauntered over confidently with her uniform top shimmied down past her cattily chatting counterparts who were avidly discussing, and with good cause, why this man was so taken with this woman even if she was knocked up with his baby and heir. She tossed her hair one last time and exited the cabin, leaving the couple to untwine themselves before landing.

Herself not immune to her husband’s considerable charms and good looks Nicole watched appreciatively as Joseph reached up and over her to grab the overhead bags in the bulk overhead. He turned – “coming darling?” he bit his lip mischievously – “or are you stuck?” He then burst out laughing earning a few muttered remarks from his wife – who was indeed slightly stuck.

She stuck out her tongue and replied haughtily, “I’m not stuck – however my physicality is such that at the present time I am not completely able to get up of my own volition.” “What have I gotten myself into?” he teased, pulling her to her feet and into his arms so that she was barely resting on tiptoe as he kissed her again – delighted with the fact that he could do this whenever he wanted after all the time they had spent fighting and apart.

 Already the cool fresh air of the coast of Paris seemed to have revived Nicole and Joseph watched happily as the colour of her cheeks grew as the baby did – swelling her bigger with every passing day. He longed to roll over in bed each night and discover her transformed body, revelling in the changes that just impossibly made her even sexier and more appealing and he longed to let her know and feel that too.