Page 19 of Big Sexy Love
I ammid-air.
Argh. I am mid-air. I’m stuck here,mid-air!
I do notlikeit!
Shiiiiiiiiiiit.
OceanofPDF.com
ChapterEight
Text from Colin:I am well. I hope you are too. I can see your flight taking off from here! I am waving at you. Hi,Olive!
Ifeelmyself start to gasp for air. I do it quietly because everyone else is super calm. One woman further down the aisle is putting on a face mask, a man over there is reading a magazine and eating peanuts joyfully. The queue jumper is tap tapping away on his laptop with a half-smile on his face. Meanwhile I’m completely malfunctioning over in my fancylittlepod.
Why is the champagne not working? I felt much more tranquilbefore.
I squeeze my eyes shut and as the plane rumbles and tilts its ways into the air I let out a tiny squeakoffear.
I grip the armrests of my luxury chair tightly when someone grabs my hand. I look up sharply to see queue jumper leaning over from his pod, still buckled into his seat, his arm outstretched across the aisle to hold my hand in his. It vaguely occurs to me to snatch my hand back because this seems very intimate and weird. But… it’s helping, so I just leave itthere.
‘Not long until the bad part’s over, Fanny Pack,’ he says with a small smile. ‘And then another nine hours until we land and it happens again. Justbreathe.’
I seize onto his hand like it’s a life raft. The plane sways a bit more and with my free hand I clutch my champagne bottle in the hopes there are a few drops I’ve missed. Nope. Nada. I look over the aisle. Queue jumper has three drinks. A mini bottle of champagne like I had and two mini bottles ofwhisky.
He notices me eyeing them and passesthemover.
‘Whatever you gotta do.’ Heshrugs.
I grab the drinks and down one after theother.
‘People usually take Xanax when they’re this scared of flying,’ he says, one hand still holding mine, the other continuing to tap out onto his laptopkeyboard.
‘It’s my first time,’ I explain in a weird high-pitched voice. ‘And last minute. I didn’t have time to prepare, mentally orphysically!’
I focus on queue jumper’s hand, squeezing it extra tight when all at once, the clunking sounds settle down, a gentle ding tinkles out and a woman’s confident, soothing voice comes through the speakers of thecabin.
‘Good morning, I’m Anna Cooper and I’m your pilot today. After a smooth take-off the fasten seatbelt sign has been turned off and you are free to move around the cabin. We will arrive at JFK in approximately nine hours. The cabin crew will be with you shortly with snacks anddrinks.’
I look up to find that the seatbelt light above me has gone out. I think I will keep my seatbelton,ta.
‘That’s better, right?’ queuejumperasks.
I notice I’m still gripping onto his hand. I let go quickly. ‘Thanks forthehand.’
He shakes it with a grimace. Eek. I must really have squeezed it. ‘No problem.’ He points at his laptop. ‘I should get back to it, Iguess.’
‘Oh!’ I nod. ‘Yeah, of course. Sorry.I’lljust…’
I don’t know what to say, I’m feeling a bit embarrassed about my freak out, and so I spin my pod seat round to face awayfromhim.
Rummaging in my bumbag, I pull out the Rescue Remedy I carry with me everywhere and squirt a couple of drops under my tongue. When, five minutes later, the flight attendant comes to take our drink orders, I order anotherchampagne.
‘Of course! What size wouldyoulike?’
Um. I don’t know… I look at the cart. There are small bottles like the one I just had and full-size bottles. If I get the full-size one it could keep me slightly tipsy for the whole flight. I wouldn’t have to worry about asking for more… And I still have that money that Taller Joan gave me. I didn’t spend at theairport…
‘A… full-sized bottle, please?’Iask.
