I recognized him as soon as he got on the flight, of course. Everyone flying home would, especially with burly security guards following him close behind. Senator Rhett Wyatt, known for his fitted navy suits, cowboy hats, and charming accent. During the campaign and after he was elected, CNN described him as a modern cowboy, a political disruptor, a presidential hopeful someday, the most popular young democrat to seek office in my home state of Wyoming. I voted for him, even, and so did most of my friends back at college. It was exhilarating to see someone wanting to make real change, and it didn't hurt that he had a killer jawline, baby blue eyes, and curated masculine scruff.
Then he was involved in one of the biggest scandals in Wyoming history -- which, to be fair, wasn't saying much. It was a fairly buttoned-up state, all things considered. But he'd cheated on his wife while away on a vacation, and it managed to hit national headlines when all the texts -- and photos -- came out. Even blurred, you could tell he was packing heat underneath those navy slacks. The girl was way younger too, still in college, and definitely infatuated with him.
We were from the same hometown of Metwitch Springs, a few miles outside of Cheyenne. Right where the town became prairies and rivers far as the eye could see. All that to say the news hit hard. The gossip spread like wildfire; he'd been a high-school golden boy and favorite of everyone in the area. My mom mourned over his corruption at the breakfast table while my father said he loved seeing a man act like a man. Or whatever. That was dad for you.
So Senator Wyatt was still working on bouncing back, to say the least, and I imagined part of that image rehabilitation was returning to his hometown for some events or something. I didn't keep up with the local news much these days. I was more interested in international affairs.
I'd taken a job as a flight attendant during the summers between semesters at college. I had just finished my last year at Columbia -- yes, the good one -- graduating early with a degree in Political Science. Honors. Fast-track to their master's program. Who knows, maybe in a few years I'd be cleaning up Senator Wyatt's mess and taking his job out from under him.
I wasn't greeting at the front of the plane today but preparing carts at the back, so I was able to ogle him a moment while he reached up to stow his carry-on in the overhead compartment. He was casual today, or at least as casual as someone in politics got. White button-down with the sleeves rolled up around his elbows, blue jeans that tried to be all-American but were too well cut around the ass to pull it off, black baseball cap to hide his face a bit. He had gorgeous forearms and the shirt pulled around his shoulders, showing off the built frame underneath the sleek facade. I imagined the gym was a good place to get the stress out.
I pulled my eyes away from him and ducked into the plane's rear bathroom to freshen up a bit before the pre-flight instructions. I'd been on back-to-back flights for the past 18 hours with only enough time between to grab airport fast food. Every flight, I was wiping off and putting back on my makeup. I liked to do a series of flights to rack up hours before I took my mandatory rest days. This weekend, I was using my days to go to a high school friend's wedding and see my younger siblings.
In the bathroom, I straightened out my skirt and blouse. I'd applied to this airline specifically because they didn't demand the ascots and little hats; instead, I got to wear a stylish navy dress that wasn't too long or too frumpy for my 21 years. It buttoned all the way from bust to hem down the front. I kept the buttons low enough to be borderline inappropriate. Otherwise, I felt a little too covered up for my taste.
Admittedly, I didn't mind showing off. I had a nice figure and wasn't ashamed to admit it; in my first college years, I gained weight that filled me out in all the right places. Now I was in the low double digits size-wise, with breasts and hips and an ass like a grown woman. Much better than the rail-thin girl I'd been before moving to New York. And at least if they were looking at my tits, they weren't looking at my eyebags.
I liked to keep my makeup light; when I wasn't in school, my tan skin cleared up nicely and didn't need any foundation. This was one of the few airlines that didn't require makeup, even in the damn 21st century, so I took full advantage. Just a touch of tinted mascara to brighten up my golden-brown eyes and some blush and highlighter on my high cheekbones to keep me looking alive even when I was positively zombified from long nights in the air. I made sure to do a regular sugar scrub so my round lips stayed soft and rosy pink. "Kissable lips get tips" was a favorite refrain of one of my work friends; when we worked for first class, even though it wasn't expected by any means, we often ended up with a few bucks from stuffy businessmen who'd been chasing vodkas for hours.
When I unlocked the bathroom door and opened it, I was face-to-face with the senator himself, about to knock. A small gasp slipped out and I took a step back.
"I'm sorry, little lady," he said in that slow, sweet Wyoming drawl, "looks like the, ah, the light that says if it's occupied is out."
I averted my eyes and stammered, "I-I'll make sure to tell the airport next time we land in the hub. Thank you."
I tried to skirt around him in the tight quarters, my breasts brushing against him for a moment. He acted like a real gentleman, though, holding his hands back and leaning as far away as he could.
"Let me just say-" I found the words tripping out of my mouth without my control "-it's amazing to meet you, Senator. Your work on the Safety for Wyoming Women act was inspired, plus that address you gave about how to support local economic growth...gorgeous."
"You'll have to thank my speechwriter for that one; she's brilliant, as I'm sure you know already." A smile played at the corner of his mouth. "You're a law student, right? Not typical someone's actually read the bills we pass."
I glanced up briefly from my high heels. "Political science, heading to Columbia law in the fall."
He smiled earnestly. "Good school. Better than mine, for sure." For a moment, Senator Wyatt took in every millimeter of my face; I could see his eyes moving in tiny increments, mentally tracing the lines of my thick eyebrows, my long lashes, my strong nose and jaw. His gaze returned to meet mine. "You're from Wyoming, then? Whereabouts?"
I laughed a little. "Actually, I'm from Metwitch Springs, too. My brother was in your graduating class at MS East."
"Go Bulldogs," he chuckled as the engines on the plane started up, signaling for him to sit down and me to go up for the safety demonstration. He added, "Well, I'll look forward to drink service and getting in a few more words with you. And maybe I'll see you around town this weekend."
"Sure, yeah, that would be awesome."
Senator Wyatt ducked into the bathroom and I practically squealed at the closed door. Even if he was a bit of an asshole according to local papers, he was still a brilliant policy writer and someone it could be valuable for me to connect with. You never know what moments can be career-making. Plus, he was cute, and I didn't mind looking at him close up. He had a smattering of freckles right under his eyes and well-maintained eyebrows. With the baseball cap off, his hair was clean, neat, and shiny.
I shook out the image of him examining the details of my face and got to work. Once he was back in his seat, I went into the aisles with my fake seatbelt and oxygen mask. For the next few minutes, I performed the memorized hand motions while one of my coworkers spoke the emergency instructions over the speakers. After we finished, I drew the curtain between first class and the cockpit, strapped into my takeoff seat at the front of the cabin, and took a few deep breaths. I didn't love takeoff but had learned to breathe through it and relax until we were up in the air.
I reached over and nudged Marta, who was supposed to be working for first class today while I took care of the other passengers with our boss. I whispered, "Can I trade with you? You can have my tips."
She eyed me suspiciously. "Why would you want to do that?"
"There's this senator from my state in first class; I would love to try to talk with him even a little to-"
"Blah blah blah law career ambitions blah blah blah," she finished. "Yeah, I don't care. And keep half your tips."
I squeezed her arm and thanked her.