Episode 11: “He was thinking about me…too…”
June had arrived like a summer thunderstorm and exited just as quickly.
When the calendar had flipped to July 1st, another surfing event had been completed.
Another destination checked off my life’s travels map
And another flight boarded for a new tropical location.
Besides the four days I’d spent on the beach watching the surfing competition and interviewing the competitors, I’d spent most of my time inside my hotel room fighting the old deadline fight.
But thankfully, there’d been a few glorious moments that had allowed me to enjoy Eastern Cape’s splendor. The country, the city, the picturesque coastline that deserved to be painted and photographed and adored by the world, it had taken me by surprise.
Its beauty would always hold a special place in my wanderlust heart.
And thanks to Ollie, I’d learned how to swim there.
I’d also learned just how glorious it was to dive into a sea with waters so deep my feet couldn’t touch the ground.
I’d experienced memories in South Africa that would last me a lifetime.
I also experienced a kiss I couldn’t seem to forget…
“Can I get you anything before we take off?” the flight attendant asked, and I shook my head.
“No thank you.”
She offered a friendly smile and went about her way, greeting passengers as they boarded the plane and asking the ones who were already seated if they needed any assistance.
One-by-one, the rest of the first-class seats started to fill, and I couldn’t stop myself from staring down the aisle and toward the cockpit door in the hope that I’d spot a familiar pair of brown eyes.
[sighs]
Yeah, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
I’d replayed our kiss in my mind a thousand times, and with the way my mind was so fixated on him, so drawn to him, it was safe to say another thousand replays were in my future…
But instead of brown eyes, I’d spotted blue, and a soft, adorable smile matched their jovial light.
“Unlucky Lucky,” Jordy greeted as he made his way down the aisle. “Fancy seeing you here.”
I swallowed down my disappointment and grinned. “Pretty sure we’re heading the same place.”
“Is that so?”
“Unless you’ve changed careers overnight, I’m pretty sure it’s a certainty.”
“No career change.” He winked and shrugged his backpack off his shoulders and pushed it into the overhead bin. “You ready for Tahiti?”
“The flight to Tahiti?” I shook my head. “Not so much. But the destination itself? Well, it’s been on my bucket list for a while now.”
“You’re going to love it,” he said just before sitting down two rows in front of mine.
I was certain he was right about that.
And I briefly even found myself lost in the visuals my mind had already conjured of Tahiti.
But eventually, it drifted back to him.
Back to Ollie.
And I couldn’t shake the confusion of why I’d yet to see him board the plane.
Once I noted that coach passengers were well into the boarding process, I started to feel antsy.
Had he missed the flight?
Had he overslept?
Was he okay?
And before I knew it, I pulled my cell phone out of my purse and sent him a quick message. Where are you?
He responded a mere thirty seconds later. I’m eating breakfast.
In the airport? I asked.
And he answered with, No, why would I be in the airport?
Our messages went back and forth. Me, questioning his sanity. And him, basically teasing me with knowledge I wasn’t privy to.
When I’d asked him if he was drunk and why he wasn’t on the flight, he finally gave in and let me know he’d had to switch his flight to accommodate a few business meetings.
That definitely made a lot more sense and was a far better reality than the worst-case scenarios I’d conjured in my head.
Ollie, of course, didn’t miss a beat…
That’s sweet that you were thinking about me, little fire.
I tried to deny it. Even blatantly told him I wasn’t thinking about him, but the man didn’t drop the fact that I’d texted him.
But you sent me a text message asking me where I was. So, obviously, you had to think about me before you sent the text message, yeah?
I refused to take the bait. So, instead, I offered a little white lie and told him the plane was about to take off.
Have a safe flight, Lucky, he responded and then followed it up with, Oh and, Lucky?
Don’t ask me why I responded, but I did.
I couldn’t help myself.
I needed to know what he wanted to say.
Yeah? I asked.
I’ve been thinking about you too.
My heart flip-flopped around like it was on a trampoline inside my chest.
Ollie was thinking about me?
Jesus Christ, I probably shouldn’t have been that excited about it, but I was.
When my phone pinged again with a message, I couldn’t stop myself from checking the screen.
It was him again. Only three words, but they sure as hell packed a punch.
Especially that kiss.
[sighs]
I blushed. From head to fucking toe.
And then I told him to stop texting me.
Of course, the smartass responded with Stop reading them, then.
And his last message before I shut my phone off for good? See you in Tahiti, little fire.
See you in Tahiti. It was as simple and complicated as that.
[audible pause]
I had no idea what any of it meant.
Or what in the hell was happening, for that matter. But as I sat in my seat, staring out the window and watching the plane pick up speed down the runway, butterflies floated around inside my belly.
They had nothing to do with takeoff, though.
No. There was only one reason for the excitement and nerves and a thousand other emotions prickling at my senses.
It started with the letter O, ended with the letter e, and had been a constant thought inside my head since I’d first laid eyes on him inside an airport in Australia…