The plane touched down softly on the tarmac while I gazed out the window next to my seat. The flight, or should i say flights, had been an absolute mess and I was exhausted. Despite this i hadn't slept at all for the entire trip. 21 hours since i left Sweden, but I was finally here. South Africa. Durban, South Africa, to be more specific.
I had never been to Africa before. I'd always wanted to go, but there had always more pressing destinations before. France, Germany, the US. Africa had always been away in the distance, a "I'll get there eventually, no rush" sort of place. That all changed a few months ago. Suddenly, getting my butt on a plane to South Africa seemed very urgent indeed.
The plane made its way to the gate and my pulse quickened. What if nothing would happen? What if I came all the way here for nothing? The lurch of the halting airplane matched the lurch in the pit of my stomach as the thought flashed through my head. I was nervous like a kid in high school!
The process of disembarking from the plane was as slow as it always is, people milling about being confused as if they'd never done this before. I felt my irritation and impatience rise before my part of the plane finally got moving. I stepped off the plane, and was surprised by the heat. It was December, which for me meant winter. The thought that the seasons down here were opposite to what I was used to was of course something that I knew, but the high temperature still confused my body. I was firmly set to winter mode, and i felt the sweat coming immediately. This only increased my worry, since I didn't want to be a sweaty mess once the time came.
Passport control was quick enough, and I managed to pick up my luggage without any incidents. I was about to enter the "Arrivals" section, and was about to find out if the trip was for nothing. Despite the cooler interior of the airport, my sweating had not stopped. If anything, it had gotten worse, and my stomach seemed to be filled with rabid butterflies. I mean, talking online was one thing but this...
-Erik?
The word knocked me back to reality and I looked around. There, among the people receiving friends and relatives, I saw her. She was shorter than I had imagined, but that dark hair, those eyes and that absolutely gorgeous face? There was no mistaking that. It was her. She actually came.
-Lisa?
My face immediately broke out in a smile and hers did too. I moved towards her, dragging my suitcase along behind me. My mind worked furiously. What would I do when I reached her? What was she expecting? A kiss? A...hug? Surely not just a handshake...The distance became shorter and shorter and I was almost on the verge of panic. I stood before her...
-Well...I'm here.
She saved me by putting her arms around me in a hug. I dropped the handle of my suitcase and responded in kind. Despite the heta, her warm body against me felt very, very pleasant. I'd thought about this moment many times, and it was finally here. I held her close to me and, for the first time, felt her smell. Flowery and sweet, and despite being exhausted I felt some stirrings in my groin. Damn it, calm down! You just got here. She let go of me and took a step back. She looked at me
-So...what now?
-Well, I just got here and I'm tired as hell. But I'd really like to eat something before I do anything else, preferably as quick as possible. Are you hungry?
She thought for a second before replying.
-I could eat, no problem. Pizza?
I rolled my eyes with a laugh.
-Of course, what else?
-What? You know me, I like pizza!
-I do know you, and the entire server knows that particular fact about you. But yes, I would love a pizza. But could we grab something here? It's late, I've been travelling for over 20 hours and I'm starving.
She nodded with a smile and we set off, walking next to each other, me dragging my suitcase along after me. It wasn't a long walk, and we spent it chatting. She asked me about my trip and I answered in a way that I hope made me seem calm and confident. On the inside, though, I wasn't, and I was wondering how she could be so serene. We ordered and sat down in a cubicle in a generic chain pizza place. I sat down first and to my sat down next to me, not opposite as I had expected. We started eating in silence, me very aware of her leg pressed against mine as we sat. I had waited for this moment for so long and now that it was here, I felt uncertain. I mean, she had agreed to meet, but we hadn't talked about what we would do once I arrived. Did we both have the same expectations and hopes? I figured i just had to find out.
I moved my hand under the table and placed it gently on her leg. She stiffened and I almost removed my hand and apologized, but i stayed for a second. She relaxed, but didn't say anything. Instead, she kept eating, but I thought I could see a small smile on her face as she chewed. I pretended like nothing had happened, left my hand on her leg and kept eating with my free hand. I felt a bit more confident, so I started to slowly caress her leg with my hand. We continued to eat, in silence, while my hand slowly moved along her jeans, from her knee up to her lower thigh, then down again. Still, she hadn't done anything to dissuade me or make me stop. The feel of her leg under my hand was enough to get me excited, and I felt myself getting bolder. This woman had driven me insane during the talks we'd had online, and I knew I'd had the same effect on her. But this was real, this was physical. I had to see what effect we'd have on one another when we were both physically present.
I leaned over to her and softly whispered in her ear:
