Page 51 of Last First Date

It was like stepping into a miniature version of a luxury hotel suite. Richard had a nice plane too, but compared to this, it was outdated. Plush cream-colored seats lined one side of the cabin, with a polished mahogany table stretching out in front of them. A flat-screen TV was mounted on one of the walls, and behind a partition, there looked to be a small kitchenette. The silverware on the countertop sparkled under the overhead lights. I was expecting basic seats in blue and a cold environment. This was like a flying living room complete with carpet.

Knox stepped up behind me. “Not too shabby, huh?”

“Not too shabby,” I said. “Am I supposed to sit somewhere? I mean, is there an assigned seat?”

“No,” he said, laughing. “Pick one.”

He moved around me and sat down. I sat across from him, cautiously running my fingertips over the armrest. The leather was cool and buttery soft beneath my touch. He casually adjusted the seatback a little and looked over at me. I was sitting up straight and feeling a little stiff.

I hesitated before following suit. The leather seat conformed perfectly to my back, and I found myself sinking into the luxury of it. Allowing myself to relax, I took in the surroundings once more. Everything gleamed. I could smell the clean. Knox was right. This was better than smelling the body odor of the stranger next to me or the bag of Doritos some kid spilled in the walkway.

A woman came into the cabin wearing a black suit and a blouse tucked in. I wondered who she was. Was she flying with us? Was this his girlfriend? She smiled at me. “Hello.”

“Hi.”

“I’m Alexa. I’ll be taking care of you on the flight today.”

“Hi, Alexa,” Knox said easily.

That was when I realized she was the flight attendant.

“Are we ready to go?” Alexa asked.

“We are.” Knox nodded.

She smiled and moved back to the front. The daylight was blotted out as she closed the door. The engines were running, and my panic was starting to kick in. I could hear the steady hum of the engines, a sound that wasn’t as comforting as I wished it could be. The plane began to move, a gentle rolling sensation that was still enough to cause my heart to lodge into my throat. My imagination was running wild, coming up with all kinds of disaster scenarios.

Knox noticed my discomfort and leaned across the aisle, reaching out to grip my hand. His fingers were warm and sturdy against mine. “You okay?”

I took a deep breath, squeezing his hand. “Yeah… yeah, I’m okay.”

“Good,” he said, settling back into his seat but not releasing my hand. “Just remember to breathe.”

The plane moved more quickly now, and the engines began to roar louder in my ears. I could feel my heartbeat rising in tune with the whining engines, my grip on Knox’s hand tightening just a little more. As the ground fell away beneath us, I closed my eyes, reminding myself to breathe.

“Look,” Knox coaxed after a few moments of silence. I hesitated before opening my eyes to see him pointing out the window.

The thrum of the plane’s engines started to level off. The feeling of being plastered to the leather chair eased.

Knox flashed me a smile as sparkly as the interior of the plane. “We’re not dead, and statistically, take off is the most dangerous part of flying. Well, that and landing.” He winked, knowing exactly what he was doing, messing with my head like that. “Kidding.”

I dropped his hand, feeling a little silly for being afraid of something millions of people did every day, and wanting to act tougher in front of him. I took a few deep breaths and felt myself relaxing just a bit. Knox unbuckled his seatbelt and reached for his laptop. He was so casual. He was acting like we were in the office or he was sitting in his living room. I was still gripping the armrests and pushing my belly out to make sure my seatbelt was fastened nice and tight.

Alexa came into the cabin carrying a silver tray with bottles of water. “What can I get you to drink?”

“Water’s fine,” I answered. Now I had to figure out how to reach for the water. I needed a third hand.

“We have soda, tea, coffee,” she went on.

I shook my head. “Water.”

She stared at me. I knew she wanted me to reach for the bottle, but I couldn’t do it. Knox reached up and took both. “Can I get a coffee?” he asked. “And we’ll take the sandwiches in an hour.”

“Sounds good,” Alexa said, smiling, and turned.

Knox reached out and touched my hand. “You can let go. Would you be more comfortable on the couch? You can watch TV. There are probably some magazines in the cupboard.”

“Are there seatbelts on the couch?”