"You haven't forgotten your promise, have you, Hailey?"
My best friend Jessica grinned at me as I turned to look at her, playfully flipping her off as I did.
"Ooh, somebody's cranky!"
"Well, what is it, 5am? And we were up until what, 2am? Yeah, I guess I'm a little cranky. Plus my friend keeps reminding me what I agreed to last night."
"Oh, well, forget it. With your luck, it'll probably be some little old lady."
We both giggled, and started picking up our bags as we heard over the airport PA system that our flight was ready to board.
Sorry, let me give you a little background. Jessica and I had been best friends since we were little kids, and most recently, had been college roomates. That is, until yesterday, when we'd walked across that stage to collect our diplomas. Today, we were off on a trip my grandparents had surprised me with as a graduation present - an all-expenses-paid week in Hawaii.
It had been a whirlwind afternoon and night, packing, making arrangements to go away on such short notice. And then there was our sudden realization of the fact that neither of us had ever been on a plane. A few glasses of wine later, Jessica was fine with that, but I was still nervous. Maybe that's what happened when you'd never been on a plane and you'd watched the movie 'Airplane' a few too many times. Those jokes were funny as long as you didn't have to actually, well, fly.
That was when Jessica came up with a creative new method for overcoming a fear of flying.
"How about this, Hailey. I've got an idea to get your mind off the flight. Promise me, if there's a hot guy seated next to us, you'll give him a blow job."
"What? That's ridiculous! I could never do anything like that!"
"Oh, really? I've seen you bring home a guy on the first date, how's this any different?"
"Jeez, it was just the one time, am I never going to live that down?" Sometimes having a friend who knew everything about you could really come back to bite you.
She laughed. "You have to admit, thought, it's gotten your mind off of flying, hasn't it?"
"Yeah, really! OK, fine, I promise. If there's a hot guy seated next to us, I'll be all over him."
So, that brings us back to that morning, working our way onto the plane, down the aisle past first class and into the zoo that was coach. I looked up at the seat numbers as I walked, slowly, stuck behind an extended family with little kids and older relatives to get seated before I could move on. Ah, finally, I thought to myself as I saw row 36 appear just ahead. Let's see, which direction was it, right or left?
And that's when I saw him. In the window seat, 36A, just next to the empty seat which I soon realized was mine. His handsome face was the first thing I saw, chiseled features and tan skin with just a hint of travelers' stubble. I guessed he was in his early 40s, and quickly assumed from his finely-tailored suit and the laptop on the tray in front of him that he must be traveling on business. He looked up when he sensed my presence, smiled, and moved his jacket off my seat. I blushed as his deep blue eyes met mine, and sat down.
Jessica snickered as she took her seat across the aisle from me. I looked past her to see - no joke - a little old lady seated next to her. Some luck.
"You sure you don't want to trade?"
"Hell no, Hailey, I can't wait to see how this one turns out!"
The hot guy had gone back to working on his laptop, and did so without looking back at me until the plane finally got ready for take-off and the pilot gave instructions for people to turn off electronic devices. At about the same time, any thought of my naughty promise to Jessica had left me, and I was back to worrying about plummeting from the sky.
My neighbor must have sensed my tension, as I felt his hand on my arm and heard his voice for the first time, "Hey, are you alright?"
"Hmm? Oh, um, yeah. Just my first time flying, that's all."
"Well, don't worry. I fly all the time, and it really is true what they say, that you're safer in an airplane than on the highway. My name's Jeremy, by the way." He reached out his hand, and as I shook it, I noticed that my hands were cold and my knuckles were white from clutching the seat. Yikes, I really did need to find a way to relax.
"I'm Hailey. And over there," I said, pointing across the aisle, "is my best friend Jessica."
"Nice to meet you, Hailey. So, what brings you and Jessica to Hawaii?"
The story spilled out of me - from graduation, to my grandparents, to how long I'd known Jessica and what good friends we were, to what my major was, to why it was that I'd never flown before. By the time I stopped talking, I realized that we were in the air, levelled off, and cruising comfortably.
"Wow, Hailey, that's a bundle of nerves you brought with you this morning. Are you feeling more relaxed now?"
"Yes. Um, thanks for listening! Sorry, I should let you get back to work."