Falling In Like

Chapter One

“This is your captain speaking. We are now beginning our descent into Atlanta. Um, we’re about thirty minutes behind schedule due to weather, it’s a chilly fifty degrees this evening and absolutely pouring rain. The local time is 5:37 p.m. We’ll be landing in about nine minutes. Thank you for choosing Southwest Airlines. It’s been a pleasure flying with you.” The intercom clicked dead.

I yawned and pulled my earbuds from my phone. Carefully, I would them around a cord clip, then tossed them into my bag. I pushed up the window shade next to me and stared out. It was early, and summer, but the sky outside was so dark that if I hadn’t known better, I would have thought it was the middle of the night. I pulled down the shade and pulled a stick of gum from my bag. Sticking it in my mouth, I began chewing as the plane started to descend.

The noise got louder and louder as we neared the ground. I usually liked to look out and watch the plane land, but it was so dark that I didn’t bother. I braced myself against my cushy leather seat as the plane touched down and waited for the wheels to stop. When they finally did, I grabbed my bag and slung it off my shoulder. The people in the front row got off first, then the middle-aged businessman next to me, and finally me. I exhaled with relief as I walked down the jet way. Halfway done, I thought to myself. I had an hour and a half layover here in Atlanta, and then I’d get on another plane.

However, two things caught my attention immediately when I stepped off the jet way: One, the airport was strangley empty, and two, there was an unusually long line of people at the desk next to the jet way. An exhausted-looking flight attendant was doing her best to calm down a man who was screaming at her. Poor girl. I stepped out of the way and dug through my bag for my boarding pass. I was at gate twelve, but was supposed to be at gate one.

I walked for about five minutes to get to gate twelve. When I arrived, I was perplexed to find that there was no one sitting around, just a flight attendant behind the desk and a woman in a black and crème blouse who was arguing with her. Not wanting to eavesdrop, I sat down, stuck my earbuds in, and closed my eyes.

After about five minutes, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see the flight attendant, who gestured for me to take out my earbuds.

Her smile was strained. “Miss,” she addressed me in a heavy southern accent, “Are you by any chance planning on taking the eight o’clock flight to Charlotte?”

“That’s the plan,” I replied.

The smile on her face became so tight it turned into a grimace. “Miss…”

“Cartare. Taren Cartare.”

“Miss Cartare, I’m afraid that you won’t be able to take that flight today. Or any flight for that matter.”

“Excuse me?” I asked, confused.

“Ma’am, this is the worst rainstorm we’ve seen in over ten years. There are no planes leaving from Atlanta, and any plane that hasn’t hit the storm yet is landing elsewhere.”

I stared hard at her and asked, “Are you kidding me?”

She swallowed anxiously. “No.”

I sucked in a breath as I recalled the money I had in my bag. 60 dollars exactly. And then I did something I wasn’t proud of. “What the hell?” I screamed. “When has pathetic rain ever stopped planes from flying? Where am I supposed to go tonight?”

“Miss Cartare, I’m truly very sorry but there’s nothing we can do.”

“Bullshit!” I yelled

The flight attendant took a deep breath. I glanced at her nametag, which read I’m Kristie. I’m delighted to have you with us today! Your first bag flies free. “Ma’am, I can help you find a hotel room…”