I walked to my seat on the plane and sat down. The migraine behind my tired eyes was absolutely killing me and I was so ready to go home. California here I come. Traveling for work used to be fun, but now, I just needed a break.
It wasn't too long of a flight, thank God, and by mid afternoon I could be asleep in my own bed. Staring out the window, I wasn't even paying attention to anyone or anything around me. The high pitched, annoying voice of a woman asking the man in the seat in front of me to take a photo with her had me rolling my eyes. All I could see of him was his long hair, flowing down his back, but she seemed mesmerized for some reason.
Finally, she moved on down the aisle and he sat down. I just wanted to turn my music on and relax, maybe if I was lucky I'd fall asleep during the flight. Unfortunately, being gone for almost two weeks, I knew that I had to go shopping as soon as I got home. After all, I wanted to eat a nice hot meal at home. Just the thought of everything waiting for me at home was overwhelming.
About two hours into the flight, I wasn't feeling well and rushed to the bathroom. My stomach was turning and I was sure that seeing AJ again had my nerves on edge. He and I had been dating for a little over a year, but I wasn't entirely sure that the relationship was working out. We weren't on the same page anymore and I knew it was just a matter of time before it ended.
When I opened the door, I ran directly into someone. He began to apologize repeatedly and backed up, tilting his head to the side. "Carrie?"
"Oh my God!" I almost didn't recognize him and I probably wouldn't have even looked him in the eye had he not said my name. "Wow! Jared!" His arms immediately encircled me.
It was as if he hadn't aged a day in ten years. His chest vibrated against my ear as he spoke. "So, how have you been?"
Rendered almost speechless, I searched nervously, hoping the words would come to me. "I've been good, can't complain. How about you?" I couldn't take my eyes off of him. Little flashes of memories popped into my head of our past and a smile quickly spread on my lips. Damn, he was attractive.
"I'm good, great now that I've run into you. Let's exchange numbers so we can keep in touch. I would love to get together and catch up." He admitted, looking me up and down. That smile was my most favorite thing about him. Well, almost...
"Sounds good." I took his phone and typed my name and number before handing it back. "I.... better get back to my seat." I couldn't stop smiling at the fact that it was him seated in front of me and I didn't even realize it.
We parted ways and I went back to my seat as he entered the small bathroom. The flight seemed longer from that point on and he even got the guy next to me to switch seats. Conversation flowed easily and I was glad to have someone to chat with. When we finally landed at LAX, he followed behind me, off the plane and into the airport. We carried on casual conversation and I was genuinely happy I ran into him.
"There's Shannon." He pointed to his brother, smiling. I couldn't see his eyes due to the stylish shades he was wearing, but I knew he was staring back at us. When we got closer, Jared called out. "Shannon, I'm not sure if you remember Carrie."
"Of course, how could I forget. So, tell me, how's Sara?" Damn, big brother got HOT. Ugh.. Talk about two handsome men!
"She's doing great, married with two daughters. I'll have to tell her you asked about her." I laughed, knowing they had a few turbulent encounters back in the day. She wouldn't be the slightest bit amused that he mentioned her.
Shaking his head, he chuckled. "I'm sure she'll love that." He took my hand, kissing the backside of it. "It was great seeing you again Carrie." He said, with a sexy grin as he bit down on his bottom lip. "Let's not wait so long to see each other again." Good God, both of them smelled like heaven and I couldn't stop checking both of them out. I knew that I needed to get away before I embarrassed myself.
Jared's hand moved from the small of my back, to around my waist and he planted a sweet kiss on my cheek. "You have a great day Carrie."
"It was great to see you both again. Jared, call me." Fuck! Why did I just say that? I just couldn't stop myself.
"Oh, I absolutely will." Jared gave me a wink and they both waved as they turned away from me.
Thank God I turned around when I did, or I would've taken down a little old lady. "Oh shit, shoot! I'm so sorry." I kept going, too embarrassed to turn back to see if they witnessed what just happened. I knew I'd embarrass myself before making it out of the airport. Getting into my cab, I recalled how I met Jared ten years ago.
