Chapter 6 – Distant Storms
"You're looking great," Joel complimented. He was enjoying breakfast on Tuesday morning with Melissa Ferry, the flight attendant he resuscitated on the catnap flight. They were seated in a crowded restaurant at the Boston Hilton Airport hotel.
"Thanks," she smiled. "Thankfully, the scar isn't that noticeable," she felt the upper left portion of her forehead, where the stitches had gone in. It was the first time they had met since the press conference. "I hear you're flying all the time," she offered.
"What?" Joel asked. "You're keeping track of me?"
"No," she smiled, "nothing like that. You're a bit of a celebrity among American flight attendants. Every time you're on a flight, someone posts it to our private Facebook group."
They chatted about that famous catnap flight and their experiences since. Except for a nearly invisible scar, Melissa reported she had no lingering aftereffects of her injuries. She took the three weeks off to look at school programs. Melissa had never gone to college, and she was wondering about going back to school. At twenty nine, she wasn't a kid anymore, but she still had time to pursue a new career. She was thinking about a hospitality or business diploma.
On the Sunday earlier, Joel flew with Jenny to DC, which was an event in itself. Jenny was expecting to drive, and she made a scene in the restaurant on Saturday night when Joel announced they would be flying to DC. Jenny protested it was too much – he was already doing enough for her. She wanted him to turn the tickets in, which of course he couldn't do.
They were dining at a downtown Boston restaurant with an out-of-town friend of Jenny's, Victoria, who chimed in and told Jenny to relax. "Let Joel spring for the flight," Victoria opined, "it's not as though you have to fuck him for it." Jenny didn't appreciate Victoria's crass remark. First it was vulgar, which Jenny didn't care for, and second it cut a chord too close to home.
"Look, Jenny," Joel offered, "it's safer than driving, it's more comfortable, and you will arrive feeling more energized."
"I don't know about being more comfortable," Jenny protested. "They pack you in pretty tight." Joel didn't mention she would fly business class – he wanted to keep that a surprise. Eventually Jenny yielded under the weight of Victoria's and Joel's persuasions.
Joel picked Jenny up at her home on Sunday after he retrieved his mail from his old apartment. Valerie looked sad, but then again Joel had never known her to be happy. Val asked how he was doing – he said fine without sharing details. He realized how much of a drain she had been in his life energy – what a mistake it was marrying her in the first place. Then again, Joel was a much different person when he met Val. Back then, he thought of Val as a catch – or if not a catch, at least she was better than nothing – hardly a couple made in heaven.
At the airport on Sunday afternoon, Jenny was already fidgety, but then she was outright shocked to learn Joel had purchased business class tickets. Jenny flat out refused at Joel spending so much money on her. It was bad enough her first night with Joel spun horribly out of control and ended with her fucking and then sexting him. Now Jenny was sliding down a slippery slope of indebtedness to Joel, and she felt herself losing grip on the relationship again.
Joel insisted it cost him nothing extra – he always flies this way, thanks to the president of American Airlines. Jenny would not consider it until the American Airlines check-in agent showed Jenny the upgrade allowance, and attested Joel did not actually pay the business class fare. In fact, she commented, Joel managed to get the cheapest fare possible on this flight.
"Jenny," Joel said, "you know I have the money for cheap tickets. I'm doing this because, frankly, I didn't want to drive all that way. And I want you to know I expect nothing in return from you, except for you to attend this conference, get a better job, and have a happy life." Jenny saw the check-in agent give Joel one of those sad puppy dog faces. With no options other than walking away and booking her own economy class ticket, Jenny relented.
Once she agreed to fly business class, Jenny realized she had never flown business class before, and was intrigued to see how the jet set travelled. She had never been in a business class departure lounge, and Jenny worried she would be arrested for shoplifting pretzels each time she took another handful from the complimentary bar. She was especially tickled by the luxurious seats at the front of the plane, not to mention the lavish attention the flight attendants fawned all over Joel, and thus upon Jenny by association.
Maybe this isn't so bad after all
. Once they reached level flight, Jenny relaxed as the uneventful flight took its course.
Joel accepted that Jenny did not want to feel beholden to him. Given their raucous first date, he understood why Jenny needed to feel in control of their relationship. Or maybe she was just a prude. Perhaps this is how all her relationships went – slow and steady until they fizzled out from hypoxia. Joel smiled at the irony. He just might be the one for Jenny. He was perfectly happy to let her set the slow pace. He didn't need to rush the relationship when he could get sizzling sex anytime, anywhere, from anyone else. Meanwhile, Joel grew fonder of Jenny's genuine warmth and passion for life.
As they flew to DC, Joel's thoughts dwelled on Jenny. He was really beginning to like her, but he knew they lived incompatible lives. Eventually, the truth about the catnap men would come out, and Jenny would reflect upon their first date, and confront Joel. Even before that, there was a risk their relationship could collapse if Jenny found out about all the other girls. The irony was not lost on Joel. The one thing that let him be caring and attentive to Jenny was the one thing that could ruin them.
How long could he keep Jenny in the dark about his other life? Joel was certain it was a matter of when, not if. How badly will it hurt Jenny when the truth breaks? Would she ever speak to him again? It probably would not happen today, so he could start worrying about it tomorrow. That's what Joel told started telling himself about Jenny.
Not today
.
Joel took an Uber taxi to the conference hotel with Jenny, over her protests. He said he promised to take her to the conference, so he was taking her all the way to the conference. She felt his efforts were excessive – he had already done too much with the business class tickets. At the same time, Jenny was tickled by his old fashioned chivalry. She liked that in Joel.
They said their goodbyes in the hotel lobby. Joel wished her good luck, and he promised he would check in with her on Wednesday, and they went their separate ways.
While Jenny settled into her hotel room, Joel acted on his ulterior motive for accompanying her to the hotel. He had researched the HR conference online, and found it was chaired by a woman called Susan Wenderson.
Joel commanded a young woman at reception to tell him which room Susan Wenderson was staying in. Against strict policies, the clerk told Joel Ms. Wenderson was in room 2102, which was on the second floor of the sprawling, low-rise hotel. He found room 2102, which took fifteen minutes of searching and a mile of walking. He knocked on the door, and was not surprised to find Susan was not in.
Joel found the main conference room where hotel kitchen staff were setting up round dining tables, and he asked several women if they knew Susan Wenderson. One finally said yes, and Joel commanded her to introduce Susan to him. He followed the woman to a much smaller conference room where Susan was meeting with her organizing committee, applying the finishing touches to the upcoming conference.
