Author's note: The first part of the story mainly sets the background. More are about to come. Please do not forget to vote and comment. Some grammar and syntax errors could be found as I'm not a native English Speaker.
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I sat on my seat and closed my eyes. My tiring three-day trip had come to an end but I had a four-hour flight to get home. I made sure no-one else sat behind me and reclined my seat. My earphones isolated me from the rest of the aircraft; I opened my eyes once or twice just to check out if the flight hostesses offered us drinks; I could definitely use a beer.
The alcohol helped me relax a bit and the music almost made me fall asleep. But then I flinched; my heart rate elevated and my knees weakened. The unmistakable scent of her. Silently, I took a deep breath and confirmed my suspicion. Reluctantly I opened my eyes; I didn't know if it was her and if it wasn't, I didn't want to ruin my dream. But it was, she was sitting on the aisle seat and she was typing on a MacBook. Her hair was shorter than I remembered; it looked even better on her. She was dressed in a pantsuit, something I had never witnessed her wearing. She looked professional and classy.
"Alex." I said and she immediately turned her head my way; no one called her Alex, everyone used her full name, except for me.
"Wow, I couldn't tell it was you." she told me and her eyes shone, "Clean shaven, a suit."
"I didn't have such problems, you haven't changed much." I chuckled, "Except for the suit, obviously."
"We're both pros now, aren't we? Let me finish my essay and I'll be with you in a minute."
I turned off the music and packed my earphones; my stomach still had butterflies but I tried not to show it.
"So, why do I find you in a flight to Manchester?" she asked when she closed her laptop.
"I could ask you the same thing. Last update I had on you was when you lived in Dusseldorf."
"That was a long time ago."
"Didn't say it wasn't."
"Explain first." She smirked.
"At first I went to Berlin, my sister lives there and we shared a flat for a year because I had a low-paying job. But it's been four and a half years now that I live in the North-West."
"I assume you now have a job that pays better."
"That would be a correct assumption."
"My turn then. I did my Master's in Dusseldorf. Worked there for a year but I didn't like the job. I started looking for a doctorate and that's how I ended up in this grey city."
"You're being too harsh, it's not bad at all."
"At least I can watch BBC. I don't have to download British series."
"I think we should add it to expat guides about Manchester."
"Stop being sarcastic." She laughed.
"How was life in Germany? Why did you leave?"
We could have reached New York without knowing it; we got carried away with our conversation. We had so much to tell each other; we had been apart for over six years and there was no single day that I didn't think about her. She was the first woman I really loved and only after I lost her I understood how much I wanted her in my life.
We got off the plane and then headed for the car park to pick up my car; I offered her a lift home. On our way, she asked to stop at a local Italian place to pick dinner to go and so we did but when she came back I noticed the bag had significantly more food than she could eat.
"Were you starving in Athens?"
"Funny, but you're a gaffer now and had I asked you to go out and eat, you would be all "no I can't, I'm too tired". So, I bought dinner for you without asking you."
"I think you sometimes forget that you're a year older than me."
"I'm forever young."