Nikki's POV
I hurried out of the transportation the airline provided for all in-flight crew members that had to travel back and forth from the airport, and walked quickly to catch my flight. Sometimes being on reserve or on-call was a bitchy thing to be on, especially when I had to wake up to catch a flight that a more senior flight attendant couldn't show up for. But I still loved my job. It had always been my dream so despite the grueling hours and shitty shifts I get handed, I get up, dress up and, tired as I may be, I show up.
It was three in the morning and people of different races and ethnicities were shuffling around like it was already 10 am. I held on tightly to my bag and weave my way expertly through the crowd. I already knew my gate number and was assigned this morning to an international flight. I had three hours to get to the airport from the time they called and since I had an apartment close to the airport I was saved the problem of winding up stuck in traffic, and yes, there was traffic even at three in the morning. Some people just didn't sleep.
As I came closer to my gate number, a familiar face in the crowd grasped my attention. I stopped immediately, forgetting completely I had a flight to catch. I stared hard at the person to be sure I wasn't seeing things and my heart began to race. It was him. Though his head was bowed, I couldn't mistake the beautiful dimensions of his face for anyone else's. He couldn't even hide in a crowd if he tried because of his six foot five inches. His shoulders looked wider and the grey long sleeved Henley he wore, covered his dark chocolate colored arms and clung snuggly to his biceps that looked big and muscular.
My feet, having a mind of their own, started moving in his direction. It was like he had some sort of magnet that drew me to him. Never in a million years had I ever expected to see him again. Not here at Pearson International Airport. The last thing my best friend told me was that he had gotten married and was the new CEO of his father's company. She knew all of that because she worked for him. To her surprise I became very upset and angrily told her I didn't want to hear anything else about him. I wasn't angry at her though, but the truth of the matter is I had allowed my fear to dictate the rest of my life and I was angry with myself. He would have been mines if I had only been brave enough to given it a chance. And seeing him now for the first time in forever, my heart started to ache as I became overwhelmed with nostalgia.
Tears pricked the corners of my eyes the moment I stood only a few feet away from him. He looked nothing like the young boy I used to know, he looked like a man. His entire physique screamed he was a man. I used to always joke and tell him he had a striking resemblance to that self-motivating author Derrick Jaxn. He would always laugh and tell me he was better looking. He would then revert to teasing me and say that I looked just like Amber Rose with long hair. When I started rocking my hair short, everywhere I went people would tell me the same thing. Especially when I had a whole lot of hips and ass to go along with it.
He had no idea someone was watching him. His eyes were intently focused on the cellphone in his hands. My mind told me to leave it alone. Leave him alone and just get to my pre-flight briefing. But my legs wouldn't move and I knew deep down inside I wanted to hear his voice again, see that gorgeous spaced teeth smile again.
"Nicholas?" I said, surprised that my voice didn't crack as I was expecting it to.
Nicholas looked up and his eyes scanned everywhere else but down at me. He then frowned in confusion and then as if sensing there was someone watching him, his eyes finally settled on me. His brows furrowed and I assumed he didn't recognize who I was and disappointment filled me. He looked behind him to be sure it was him I was looking at. I immediately smiled remembering I must've looked different. My hair was cut very short, I had on makeup and I was in my flight attendant uniform. His eyes then widened in recognition and I knew he remembered me.
He made a step towards me and halted, "Nikki?" he said, still unsure.
"Hi, Nicholas." This time my voice cracked.
Nicholas's face broke out into a wide smile. His eyes crinkled at the sides. The small gap between his two front teeth was just as perfect as I remembered.
"Oh my gosh! Nikki, baby, it's you!" He exclaimed. Nicholas closes the small distance between us, wrapped me up in his strong arms, lifted me up and then spun me around. I was so shocked, I had to grab on to his shoulders for support.
I was overwhelmed with happiness that he looked so elated to see me and I giggled like a school girl. Nicholas finally set me back down on my feet, and looked me up and down with admiration. His hands were yet to leave my waist. I didn't think his smile could have gotten any wider.
"Nikki. Oh my gosh, Nikki." He said shaking his head in disbelief. "I never thought I would ever see you again. And here of all places." He gestured around him.
I chuckled. "I know. I never thought I would see you again, either."
"Look at you," he twirled me around. "You cut off your hair, put on a little extra fat from the last time I saw you and I don't mean that in bad way. It looks good on you. Damn girl, you are beautiful."
If I hadn't been caught up in the moment, I would have detected the same hint of nostalgia in his voice but I was mesmerized by the man he had become. Though he had never lacked in the looks department, he was more handsome now. I had forgotten how infectious his smile was and got so caught up in it that I didn't hear the last thing he said.
"Hhhmm? What did you say?"
"I said, what are you doing in Toronto? Business? Pleasure?"
I laughed. "No I'm actually working."
His brows furrowed in confusion again. "You live here?"
I shook my head. "I'm a flight attendant."
He looked down at the airline's company uniform I was wearing and his face broke out into another wider smile again as he recognizes the company's colors.
"Wow! Go Nikki! I'm so proud you went after your dream, baby girl."
No words could explain what I felt after he said that. I was happy now I hadn't quit when everybody else wanted me to. I remembered telling him what I wanted to do and his response was to go after what will made me happy, at all cost. Now I was glad that I did.
"What about you, I'm not the only one that has been keeping it together. I heard you are now the CEO of your father's company."
He blushed and just as he was about to say something a woman almost the same height as me came up to his side and entwined her hands into his. She smiled up at him and said, "Hey baby, I just checked us in, are you ready to go?" Either she didn't see he was talking to someone or she completely ignored the fact that he was.
He gave the woman a small smile and then directed her attention to me.
