Tyler
My flight was grounded due to technical difficulties. I had no choice but to buy a ticket on the next commercial flight to Costa Rica. The constant reminder of her scent was no longer suffocating me. It didn’t matter how many times I had the sheets and pillowcases washed. It was still there like it was ghostly mocking me. I couldn’t even scrub myself raw.
“Hi Mr. Moore, I’m Cindy. Can I get you a glass of champagne?” I was going to need all the liquid courage I could find to control my latent tendencies to seduce with a smile.
“Thank you Cindy. I’m going to need the bottle.” She smiled sweetly with those white teeth giving me the idea of how easily I could give her a reason to scream my name.
“I’ll see what I can do for you, Mr. Moore.” My heart sank at how her eyes lit up like the 4th of July when she was in the presence of money. “We also have coffee, tea, and me if you’re interested in joining the mile high club.” She winked and had a crooked devilish smile. She was rather blatant and bold with her request. Normally, I would find it refreshing of a woman to know what she wanted and go for it.
“The champagne will suffice for now. I will certainly let you know if there’s anything more you can do for me.” There was no point in making her feel awkward and embarrassed.
“The invitation is open-ended. I have been following your career since I was a sophomore in college. Your rise up the ladder of success was dizzying. I would love to pick your brain about business. I can make it worth your while.” She was touching my arm in an obvious attempt to draw me into the gravity of her flotation devices. There was a part of me not connected to my rational thought stretching to its full form.
“Hard work and determination are my secrets for success. Find something you love to do and make money doing it. People lose sight on the fundamentals of happiness. The foundation has to be built under something you consider your passion.” I was avoiding making direct eye contact with those wonders of the world. Silicone was her stock in trade to make men fall head over heels in love with her.
“I have this love of art bordering on obsession. My paintings are a little dark, but I have been toying with putting on my own exhibit. You have given me a lot to think about. It’s nice to know a woman like me can still get ahead without giving head. I don’t like to brag, but I’m very good and I never leave until everybody is satisfied.” Those words made me almost jump at the opportunity. She was looking for the road paved in gold and I didn’t want to be one of her victims.
“Excuse me Cindy, but I think I’m in desperate need of some cold water splashing against my face. For obvious reasons, I’m not going to invite you to join me.” She seemed disappointed, but she would no doubt turn her attention to someone more deserving of her talents.
The seatbelt sign had been turned off and people were free to roam the plane. I saw this woman sitting a few rows back with a polished off glass of champagne sitting at her hand. She looked so peaceful like an angel sent down from the heavens above.
Her eyes were covered by a mask, but her crimson lips could easily warm me with one touch. I was a little unsteady and I had to grab the seat next to me for support. I was fighting the feeling to introduce myself. I could see the slight hint of her cleavage. It was enough to make me want to uncover all of her secrets.
Taking a deep breath, I moved to the bathroom and took one last glance at her hair fanning out behind her. The intoxicating aroma of her perfume was hypnotizing me into a trance. It drifted into the air and there was no escaping it.
I entered into the lavatory and I looked at myself in the mirror. My reflection was of a damaged man. There was no confidence in my smile. The only reason why the flight attendant proposed her naughty idea was because of the money I exuded from every pore of my body.
“This is your captain speaking. We are entering into some turbulence and we request that you all return to your seats. There is nothing to worry about and we should be coming through it in a few minutes.” His voice did not give any indication of something frightening. It was a natural occurrence and happened to any flight including my private plane.
I came out to find she was still out cold. Her seat belt was off and I reached over and clicked into place. Her hand touched me and my heart stopped in my chest. I looked at her painted fingers and the way she squeezed me. I couldn’t seem to move and I didn’t want to lose the feeling of complete wonder. This wasn’t like me and I never believed in love at first sight.
“I hate to interrupt, but the captain was very clear with his request.” I could hear another flight attendant talking to me, but I couldn’t stop looking at ‘her’ hands touching me. “I don’t think she’s awake to know of your interest in her. I saw her take a couple of pills when she got on board. The combination of the liquor must have knocked her out.” I blinked back into focus and realized how disturbing it was for me to stand there blatantly looking at her.
“I was…was…helping her with her seat belt.” It was a lame excuse and one I wasn’t expecting this flight attendant to believe for one second. Her name tag said Candice, she had this endearing southern accent. “I would have done it for anyone.” It was a boldfaced lie, but it was my story and I was sticking to it.
“I could arrange a meet-cute kind of thing at the end of the flight. It wouldn’t be any trouble at all. I’ve always been somewhat of a cupid when it comes to love.” It was tempting and not because I wanted to get into the woman’s pants. I certainly wasn’t going to rule it out. The world seemed much smaller with her in it.
“I do appreciate the offer, Candice. But I am more than capable of making my own dates.” I was getting angry at myself for letting this mysterious stranger get underneath my skin.
“I’m no stranger to when the love bite gets you. Cupid’s arrow has you in its sights. You can try to run away from it, but this is a power bigger than the both of us. I can see you have been hurt in the past and maybe quite recently. Don’t let past indiscretions prevent you from seeing what is right in front of you.” I didn’t want to be seen as someone desperate for female companionship. I could easily pay for the pleasures of a 1-hour layover.
“I can’t seem to pull myself away from her. I won’t let any woman find me in a vulnerable position again. I’ve already gone down that road and had the truck back up over me. The skid marks are still fresh.” Candice was easy to talk to. I was thankful this woman sitting no more than a couple of feet away was oblivious to our conversation.
“We’ve all had heartbreak one time or another in our lives. We always manage to dust ourselves off and do it all over again. It only takes that one to make you forsake all others.” Candice was probably in her early 40s; her uniform fit her like a glove.
There was just enough skin to make men think improper thoughts. It was the tease for more to come which made me consider her suggestive comment.
“I hope you don’t take any offense, but you flaunt what God gives you. Some women don’t know the effect they have on the male gender. Others like you wield the power like it is an extension of your body. With great power comes great responsibility.” The recognition in her eyes told me she was an aficionado of anything to do with Spiderman.
“I use my power for good and not evil. Sometimes I forget how easily I exude my sexuality. Forgive me and I didn’t mean any harm. I still say there’s something to explore between you and this woman. Do yourself a favor and don’t let this opportunity slip through your fingers.” I could barely see her features, but something more than her body was drawing me to her.
I returned to my seat, but I kept thinking about how hard it was to meet someone able to see past the dollar signs. Money was the root of all evil. It certainly made meeting the right one more difficult with how they perceived me. I was the cash cow.