Every Girl Does It(20)

Closing my eyes, I feel the plane start to taxi to the runway. Preston’s eyes bore into my skin as I peek around my black eyelashes. “What?” I ask in annoyance knowing if I say anymore my voice might start shaking.

“Are you ok?” He looks shocked as if he thinks I’m not scared of anything except for irrational things like birds and caffeine.

I shrug. “I just don’t like heights.”

Before I know it Kristin turns around in the seat and gives a brief history of my flight experiences to Preston, the puke bag and all. I hide my head in my hands hoping that the plane does crash then I feel us start to take off.

There’s no way I could have helped myself, and I don’t think what I did next should be held against me.

Panic rises in my chest and before I know it, I’m clinging onto Preston like a crazy person and breathing heavily into his chest all the while gripping his hands so hard that I lose feeling in all fingers.

After about five minutes, I pull back realizing that I just attacked the poor man but see no hint of smugness on his face, which confuses me. I mean one minute he’s…well, you know and the next he’s….This!

I’m mortified. At least in other plane rides I held on to complete strangers or weird old men who oddly liked the embrace. I would’ve welcomed anything but this. And he doesn’t even seem the least bit affected by my presence! How is it fair that I find myself staring at him like some love sick teenager while my presence does nothing but make him want to be more irritating?

Ducking down to get my carry-on, I get a book and start to read. If there ever was good advice Grandma Ned gave me it was to take funny books on plane trips. She said it helped calm her down and keep her from getting mad at grandpa’s incessant snoring. If it can get rid of grandpa’s snoring, it can get rid of the annoying person next to me, and my humiliation.

To my surprise, I find myself enthralled in the book until I smell that all too familiar peppermint smell.

“What are you reading?” His eyes sparkle with interest.

“Please don’t’ talk to me,” I grumble.

He looks momentarily hurt then smiles and says okay. The next thing I know, he’s passing me a note. I should have known.

So, what are you reading?

Oh just a book about this plane ride where a girl beats this annoying man to death for talking to her too much.

Fun.

Yeah, I’m thinking of using it as an example.

I think I’d like that.

You would.

Was that a statement or a question?

If it was a question, I would have used a question mark.

Just checking……You look pretty when you read.

Is this a trick to try to get me to be uncomfortable?

Nope just honesty. You want to look at me right now, don’t you?

No…

Yes, you do. I can tell. You want to look at my face and see if I’m kidding. Don’t worry though, I’m not.

Interesting.

Isn’t it though?

What?

That such a simple compliment would have the power to make you blush.

It doesn’t take much to make a girl blush if you put meaning behind words…..then again a guy like you should know that.

What do you mean a guy like me?

An attractive man like you should know the power he has over women.

Hmm…just like an attractive woman like yourself should know the power she has over men.

And then I break summoning up the courage to look up into his gaze. Our eyes lock in a moment of pure electric tension. It’s shortened by the flight attendant stopping to see if we needed anything to drink.

I ask for water as does he then sit there in silence with my book still in hand.

“Hey, do you want to watch a movie?” Preston asks taking out his headphones.

“How?” My eyebrows furrow in confusion.

“Well it’s cool, see they have these things called TVs and if you plug in the—”

“Ughh I knew it was too good to be true,” I whine.

“What?” He smiles.

“You being nice and…” I couldn’t find the words.

“And?” He prompts flashing a wicked grin.

“Nothing, let’s just watch the stinking movie.” Tugging at the headphones in my bag, I duck as they break free after the final tug.

“Ouch,” Preston yelps. They struck him in the face, but this time it wasn’t on purpose, promise!

“And I should have known.” He rubs his head.

“Known what?”

“That you’d try to threaten my life yet again. Do you even realize how many times you’ve hit me with either your own hand or other flying objects?”

At this I giggle, I know giggling is girly but it cracked me up, he was so right! He had to think I was some sort of violent lunatic!

“Sorry,” I mumble as I look at his strikingly handsome face. It could take girl’s breath away. His dark hair, green eyes, tan skin, strong jaw, and perfectly straight white teeth all melted together to make a masterpiece of God. He noticed me daydreaming again and raised an eyebrow in question. So I turned toward the screen to watch the movie he picked.



Chapter Eight



I don’t remember when or why, but somehow about halfway through the flight my body decided it was exhausted and fell asleep on me. The last thing I remember is slurring my words as I asked Preston about the Disney movie we were watching.