"Where to, Miss?"
She hesitated. "The airport, please."
"I got ya." He looked at her in the rear view mirror. It was obvious she didn't want to talk.
She had her attention focused on the world outside, her eyes following the patters of the trees and the roads as they drove past.
It was getting dark, she noticed. It was round about the time the sun was setting, and she watched as the sky turned from blue to a bright shade of yellow and red. Then, eventually greying as the moon prepared to surface.
He spoke again and interrupted her gaze. "Would you like the radio on, Miss?"
She saw him make eye contact through the mirror so she shook her head gently then turned her interest back to the window.
It was darker now and she had to strain her eyes to see properly.
She folded her hands into her lap and tapped her foot. The journey was taking longer than usual and that annoyed her.
She turned from the window to look out of the front of the car. The driver was slowing his speed, and for good reason. The long trail of cars in front of them answered her questions, they were in a jam.
She sighed audibly, loud enough for her driver to hear her.
"Sorry about this, Miss. I didn't know the traffic would be this bad."
She didn't know what to respond, just nodded. But she didn't want to seem rude.
"Is there another route?" she asked softly.
He appeared to think for a minute. He scratched his bald head. "There is, but it'll be extra. Is that okay?"
"Yes," she smiled. "That's fine."
"Okay Miss, it's just a bit further."
The journey to the detour took an extra five minutes. Her driver turned the car promptly when he reached the turn off.
"I should get you there in around ten minutes, Miss." He chuckled.
"Thank you," she leaned forward so her driver could hear her. "I appreciate it."
He grinned. "No worries at all, Miss."
She leaned back to her sitting position. She liked his demeanour. She would be sure to tip him when she got out of the cab.
She glanced at the watch on her wrist. It was just after 5, early for it to be dark.
"We're here, Ma'am."
She gazed up to the sky, they were in fact here.
There were numerous airplanes above her, circling the sky. She smiled. That would be her soon.
"How much?"
"It's 15 dollars please, Miss."
She reached down for her purse, producing a 20 dollar bill from the side pocket. She thought for a second before taking out an extra 10.
"Here," she took the bills and put them in his tray.
She saw his face light up. "Well that's very kind of you, Miss."
He opened his door to get out before making his way to her side of the car.
"Thank you." She allowed herself to step out gracefully.
He opened the trunk to get out her bags. She followed his movement to the back of the car and stepped onto the sidewalk.
"Thanks, again." She laughed.
"Hey, no problem Miss. Have a great flight." He lifted her baggage towards her. "Oh, and happy Valentine's Day."
She forced a smile at his last comment and made her way inside the building pulling her bags behind her.
The amount of people, couples, inside made her uneasy. She hated this holiday, and now she remembered why.
She ushered herself through the crowds of loved-up people and headed towards the service desk.
She reached the front and a young man smiled up at her.
"Good evening, how can I help you?"
"I need a flight."
He chuckled. "Well you've come to the right place. Where would you like to go?"
She studied the board, there were so many options.
She narrowed down her search: she needed somewhere that spoke English, but she also wanted to get away. Her eyes were drawn to one destination in particular.
"Are there any seats left on the 7:30 to Ireland?"
The man looked away as he tapped at his computer screen.
"You're in luck, Miss. I have one seat left. Do you want to take it?"
She looked at him and smiled, quite impressed with herself that she was being so spontaneous.
She reached down for her credit card.
"I'll take it."
Opening her purse, she retrieved her passport and handed it over to the guy.
She waited patiently as he filled in her details, then presented her with her ticket.
"Have a safe flight, Miss Lindsay." He relieved her of some baggage, lifting them on the belt.
She turned her back, beginning to walk away as he said something else.
"Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!"
She grimaced and waved at him before making her way to clear security.
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She wished she hadn't worn heeled boots. After all, it wasn't like her. She would have much rather have been wearing sneakers.
She felt like her feet were about to drop off. She prayed she would find the airport lounge soon.
Her eyes scanned the room until she found it. The idea of a rest and a beer was so appealing to her. Or maybe wine. She could try and be classy.
She almost ran to the entrance of the lounge dragging her cabin allowance behind her.
She was greeted by another young man sitting at a desk.
"Can I help you Miss?"
She presented her ticket and it took him a minute to study it.
He placed it back on the desk and gave her a grin.
"Yes, well. Right this way, Miss Lindsay."
She followed him through into a small room, decorated with lounge chairs and coffee tables. The desk clerk motioned for her to sit.
"Would you like anything to drink?"
There was a drinks menu in front of her. She studied it for a second, deciding to treat herself again.
She leaned forward and put the menu back in its place. "I'll have a Bourbon, please."
"Certainly, Ma'am."
He walked away leaving her to her thoughts.
Ireland. She'd never been there before, but always wanted to. And the accent was to die for.
She was excited. Something new, something different.
Her eyes looked over the other people in the lounge, mostly all couples. Probably going away for a romantic vacation or something.
She rolled her eyes. There was a time and place for PDA and it certainly wasn't in an airport lounge. She'd much rather be here alone.
"Here is your drink, Miss. Do you need anything to eat?" He placed the glass on a mat in front of her.
She gently shook her head and passed him a $20, dismissing him from her table.
When he was gone, she drank her drink in one gulp and sucked on her lips. This stuff was strong.
She craved another. But she knew, at the back of her mind, that she couldn't fall back under that barrel.
She was sure she could wait, it would be free on the airplane. She sat back in her chair and got out her cell.
7 missed calls and 17 new messages. And she didn't want to read any of them.
Her phone went back into her pocket and she checked her watch.
She had 15 minutes before boarding time.
She didn't realize how impatient she was, she was restless.
She picked up her luggage and walked towards the gates.
The line was already long, and she sighed as she realized. She joined at the end and waited for it to move.
There was a couple in front of her, with a small child. The child was looking her up and down, and she smiled when they made eye contact.
She returned the child's grin.
"Are you going to be on my plane?" the child asked.
"Yes, I think so." She replied, still looking down at her. She wasn't one to really speak to children, but this one was cute.
"I like your dress," the little girl spoke again, outstretching her tiny hand to the hem of Erin's dress. "It's real pretty."
"Why thank you! But it's not as pretty as your dress though! Look at you!"
Her reply caused the child to twirl, showing her new friend her dress even more. Erin laughed loud and the child's parents turned around.
"Madison, stop disturbing this nice lady!" Her dad's tone was low as he scolded her for her disturbance.
"Yes, I'm sorry." Her mother mouthed towards Erin, and pulled a face.
Erin bit her lip. "No, it's fine. She's a cutie." She smiled down towards the girl.
She was about to speak again but the line started moving suddenly. She was almost on the plane.
The child and her family moved forward before Erin. They were almost out of sight before the girl turned back. "Oh, Happy Valentine's Day! Enjoy the airplane, lady!"
Although it was the child that spoke, the mention of the day again made her scowl.
"Ticket please?" the clerk shoved her hand forward to retrieve Erin's ticket.
She handed over the paper and waited for it to be handed back to her.
"Here," the lady placed it back in her hand and she made her way onto the airplane.
It seemed to take a while to find her seat, the line was moving so slowly. And, just her luck, she was right at the opposite side of the airplane.
She counted down the letters as she saw them, looking for where she was seated.
She eventually reached the right row and stopped to put her bag overhead.
Once it was closed, it was only then she paid attention to the guy sitting next to her.
Her heart dropped into her feet.
She recognized that hair, she recognized his eyes and she definitely recognized that jaw line.
"Oh, you've got to be joking."
The sound of her voice caused him to look her way. He took out his headphones and his jaw dropped to the floor.
His jaw, too, dropped to the floor. "Well well, Erin Lindsay, long time no see." He flashed one of his stupid little grins, one of the ones she convinced herself she didn't miss at all.
She glared at him as she sat in her seat. Just her luck she was seated in the middle and he had the window.
She pretended to ignore him but it was clear he wanted to strike up conversation.
"You're headed to Ireland too?" He moved to put his face in her view. "Small world" He muttered.
She swore to herself in her head. "And yet I never run into Leonardo DiCaprio…" she said under her breath, not particularly caring if he heard or not.
She tried to make herself look preoccupied with the screen on the seat in front. If you look like you're doing something, maybe he'll take the hint she thought.
It didn't appear to be working. All he was doing was talking crap in her ear.
"You know, it's an 8 hour flight. You may as well talk to me."
She could feel herself going tense. He was acting like a child who wasn't getting attention.
She spoke but couldn't bring herself to look at him. "I don't want to talk to you, Jay."
I can't sit here she thought, not for eight hours.
There was still a line of people though, waiting to find their seats.
She turned away from her seat and stared down the aisle.
Everyone appeared to be finding their seats so she got up to speak to the airline staff.
There was nobody around so she made her way to the rear end of the airplane.
"Excuse me, can I ask a favor?"
A lady turned around and smiled at her. "How can I help?"
"I need to swap seats. Or sit somewhere else."
The woman's smile dropped. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Miss. All the seats are taken. Now, if somebody doesn't show, I can see what I can do but-"
Erin spoke through gritted teeth. "Please, you don't understand I can't sit in the seat I'm assigned."
"I'm sorry Miss, you'll have to."
She wanted to argue but didn't want to be thrown off from the flight. Reluctantly, she made her way back to her seat.
He made an educated guess as to where she had been.
"Trying to get rid of me?" He laughed.
"I'm glad you find this funny." Her tone was short, she didn't even want to satisfy him with a reply.
She flopped down in her seat, careful to stay as far away from him as possible.
She'd been looking forward to this flight, she loved being in the sky. Now, not so much.
She studied the travel pack the airline workers had left for her, pulling out an eye-mask.
Maybe covering her face would make him take the hint.
"Ignore me all you like, Erin Lindsay, but you'll be talking to me by the end of this flight."
She tried to block out the sound of his voice.
How could he act like this, as if they had spoken to each other yesterday?
How could he think things between them were okay?
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She felt a tap on her shoulder.
"I have to pee."
She chewed her lip and got out of her seat to let him out.
Within seconds, he was back.
"So how come you're headed to Ireland?"
He seemed to have no knowledge of personal space, leaning over to her side of seat.
"I don't think it's any of your business."
He scoffed. "Suit yourself."
She thought he would retreat to his side, but he didn't move. She turned her attention to the screen in front of her, picking a movie.
She just needed something she could focus on, and not have to think about him.
She picked a thriller and tried to stare directly at the screen.
But the more she stared at the screen, the more she could feel his eyes burning into the side of her face.
The more she tried to ignore it, the more she wanted to turn around.
"Listen," she spoke through gritted teeth. "Do you want something?"
It all seemed to be a big joke to him. He laughed. "Nope, nothing."
"Then can you quit staring? Seriously."
He didn't seem to be getting it.
"I swear, Jay I'm gonna-"
He raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to finish the sentence.
But she didn't know what to say: she didn't know what she was going to do.
"Just, leave me alone."
"I want you to talk to me." It didn't help that he was staring at her with his big green eyes, the ones it was so easy to get lost in if she wasn't careful.
"I don't have anything to say to you." She folded her arms across her chest: clearly he wasn't going to give up easily. She forced herself to look away.
She noticed how cold her tone was and she felt him retreat a little.
"Erin-"
"Would you like anything to drink?" the air hostess cut him off.
Erin thanked God. She did need something to drink, and she needed something strong.
She raised her arm to get the woman's attention. "I'll have a vodka, double."
The woman obliged and handed over her drink. "And for you, sir?"
"Just a beer, please."
She handed over his request and looked at the pair before she moved onto the next aisle.
"Well I must say, you guys are a good looking couple. Happy Valentine's Day."
Erin opened her mouth to protest and rolled her eyes.
"See that? She thinks we're a couple. Cute." He whispered in her ear.
She leaned away from him.
She finished her drink in two gulps, the flavor of the vodka hurting her throat.
She grimaced, and he saw. She waited for a sarcastic comment, but his face softened.
"Take it easy."
How dare he. How dare he tell her what to do.
She knew another drink would help to drown out the sound of his voice, so she left her seat and went in search of the drinks trolley.
It was at the front of the airplane, so she went to the back instead to ask for another.
"I'll have another vodka, please. Two." She thought ahead, if the last drink was anything to go by the next one wouldn't last two seconds.
"Certainly, Miss." The woman presented her with two glasses filled with her desired drink and she took them back to her seat.
Jay was already staring into the walkway of the plane, waiting for her to return.
"Two? Am I really that bad company?"
She didn't satisfy him with an answer and lowered herself into her chair.
She gulped down the first drink as quickly as she did the one before.
He repeated what he had said before, placing one of his hands on her free one. "Take it easy."
The concern in his voice was clear but it just annoyed Erin even more.
"You don't get to tell me what to do, Jay." Not anymore she added, though not out loud.
He sighed, still not moving his hand. "I know that. Just don't do anything stupid."
She scoffed. "What am I going to do? I'm on a fucking airplane!"
His eyes widened as she raised her voice. "I was only saying."
"No, you weren't. So spit it out, Jay." She didn't want to talk to him but she was sick of the looks he was currently giving her. "If you've got something to say, say it."
She hadn't meant to sound so rude, but it had come out as a low blow. She looked at his face, he looked hurt.
"I just don't want you to go back to that place again."
She knew what he was referring to.
"I'm not. I just want to drink on my flight and enjoy my vacation time."
He smiled from one corner of his mouth. "Okay. But we still have four hours left. Can we talk?"
She somehow wasn't in the mood to argue anymore, she needed to relax. "Fine."
"So, Ireland? How come?"
"I just picked it off the board. I got the last ticket."
He edged closer again. "Liar." She frowned at him. "You didn't just pick it. You've always wanted to go."
She leaned her head against the back of her chair. He was right.
"True. I wanted to see what it was all about."
"Me too. And you're going alone?"
She nodded. "It's the best way to go."
"Well now you don't have to go alone."
She frowned at him, not knowing what he was getting at. Then realized. "Absolutely not. No way. No."
"What? You don't even know what I was going to say!"
"You were going to suggest we spend it together!"
He smirked. "Well, not exac-"
"Yes you were. Jay, I haven't spoken to you in three years. How can you expect me to spend my vacation time with you?"
"Well, we'd have lots to talk about."
She glared at him. "Not the point. There's a reason we haven't spoken for some time, Jay. I can't, we can't do this."
"Do what? I can't even talk to you now?"
"Not really, no."
He snatched his hand away. "But why?"
The drinks lady was back again. Erin felt like she had to order another two vodkas, Jay a beer. And a shot.
He put them on his tray and turned his attention back to her. "I know I have some explaining to do-"
"Explaining? I don't need or want an explanation, Jay. You cheated on me!" She temporarily forgot where she was, her voice getting louder and louder.
She downed her first vodka and looked at him as he spoke.
He opened and closed his mouth several times before the words came out.
He dropped his eyes to floor. "No, I didn't."
She frowned. "What? Yes you did."
Jay rubbed his head. "No, I didn't." He repeated.
She was sure he was lying. "Yes you did."
He turned in his seat so he was facing her. "Listen. I did not cheat on you. I said that because-"
"Because?" She was impatient.
"Because I didn't want to hurt you when I left."
"So you lied and said you cheated on me? Instead of just breaking up with me?"
He looked ashamed. "Yes."
She felt embarrassed that this was occurring on an airplane. "It would have just been easier to break up with me. I wouldn't have hated you for three years. Well, maybe not as much."
He stared at her. "You hate me?"
"I do. I did."
"You did?"
The look on her face softened. "Well, now I don't know. You have to explain yourself." She closed her mouth and took her drink in her hand, waiting for him to start speaking.
He groaned, knowing he was going to embarrass himself. "Well it wouldn't have been easier for me. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to leave you? I was in love with you, Erin. Completely in love with you. When I had to leave, I had no idea how I was going to tell you. I had to think of something that would make you think I was a bad guy. So you wouldn't miss me." He struggled to get the words out. "So I could give you a chance to move on, and not think of me."
She felt her jaw drop. "Wait, you- how-" She couldn't form a sentence, her mind replaying what he had just said.
He knew what he'd just said to her would shock her. At the time, he didn't think he'd see her again.
While he was deep in his thoughts, she finally managed to speak.
"It didn't work."
"Huh? What didn't work?"
"Your plan to make me forget you and hate you. It didn't work."
He was confused. "What do you mean?"
"What I mean Jay is I was still thinking about you a year after you were gone. So your plan to make me hate you didn't work. Yeah, I thought you were an asshole but you making out with somebody else doesn't make me hate you." She bit on her lower lip. "It made me feel sick and kinda want to hurt you," She raised her eyebrows and looked at him from the corner of her eye. "But it didn't make me hate you."
Jay's eyes dropped to look at her hands. He wanted to do nothing more than hold them in his own. "Oh."
"Oh? I tell you this and all I get is an 'oh'?!" She'd expected more of a reaction, and she didn't get one. She'd even tried to crack a joke and he hadn't laughed.
She drank the last of her vodka and suddenly wanted another one. They were going straight to her head. She felt tipsy and realized, anything she said she could blame on her alcohol intake.
She returned with two drinks for herself and a shot for Jay. He still had his beer.
"Oh, thanks," he notioned to the shot and downed it. "I think we got the awkwardness out of the way."
Erin laughed. "You think?" She brushed his hand with the slightest touch of her own.
She felt him jump a little, probably shocked because she'd moved to touch him. "Don't you?"
"I guess." She drank some of her vodka before offering it to Jay. She was shocked herself at the gesture.
"Woah, you're sharing your drink with me. I'm shocked."
"You told me to be careful. This is me being careful."
"By getting me drunk instead? I don't like your scheming, Erin Lindsay."
The hairs on her arms stuck up. It always did something to her when he called her by her full name. All the more because she hadn't heard it in several years.
"Well I'll drink it if you don't want it," she teased.
"No, gimme." He took the cup from her, his fingers wrapping around Erin's own.
He didn't rush to move his hand back again, slowly taking his fingers away reluctantly one by one.
"You know, you're the reason I've always hated this day."
"What?"
"Me. Hating Valentine's Day. It's all your fault."
"Um, how?"
She raised her eyebrows at him. "Jay, you are aware of the date you broke up with me on aren't you?"
His eyes went wide and his hand shot over his mouth. "Shit! I didn't think."
She laughed. "It's fine. I'm over it."
He looked at her. "No, you're not."
"What? Yes I am!"
"No, you're not. You wouldn't have brought it up if you were over it."
She groaned, he had a point.
"So that's why you wanted to get away?"
She nodded. "And I went in the lounge and there was just couples everywhere. It sucked."
He moved his face dangerously close to hers. "Well, I'm sorry."
She could feel his breath on her face, it was hot.
For the first time since she started speaking to him on the flight, she remembered how they used to be. He was right, they were in love. They had been good together.
She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol, or if it was spur of the moment. But all of her feelings came flooding back to her.
She wanted to know if she still felt the same, so planned on trying to kiss him.
But he got there first, his soft lips closing tenderly over her own. He pulled back before she had a chance to deepen it.
He shifted awkwardly in his seat. "Sorry, I uh probably shouldn't have done that."
It was her turn to lean in his direction. She was almost on his seat. "Yes, you should."
He didn't have time to say anything back before her lips made contact again with his.
Jay moaned from the back of his throat, temporarily forgetting his surroundings. The sound from his body made her giggle.
"Jay! We're on an airplane! You have got to shut up!"
He opened his eyes slowly, disappointed their lips weren't connected anymore.
He shrugged. "I guess I can't help myself. You have no idea how much I thought I'd never get to do that again." He blushed.
She turned to face the seat in front again, so as not to be tempted to get carried away on the airplane.
"Hey!" He spoke up. "You can't do that, you can't just leave me like that."
"We're on an airplane!" she gestured to the people around her. Although a lot of them were sleeping, she wasn't going to let herself get carried away on a plane.
"Soooo-"
She tried to make it seem as though it was because they were on an airplane that was the reason she didn't want to kiss him more. But there was something else she'd always wanted to ask him, but never thought she'd see him again.
"Was there ever anyone else, Jay?"
"What?"
"When you left, was there ever anyone else?"
"Are you serious? You just kissed me like that and you're asking this?"
She gazed at him. "Well, was there?"
He moved to cup her face. "Are you crazy? Of course there was never anybody else. Not even for a second."
She felt elated, but didn't want to show it on her face so disguised her feelings in a small smile.
"And you?"
She shook her head and finished the last of her vodka.
She was about to swallow the last of it when he grinned. "So now that's all cleared up, shall we um- you know," He pointed towards the on-board toilet.
She spat out the rest of her drink when he said it. "Are you crazy?! I am not joining the mile high club! Who said I wanted to have sex with you anyway?"
He opened his mouth and threw his hands on his chest. "Wow, ouch.." He pretended to be offended. "If you're not going to join me, I'll go myself."
"Ew, gross!"
"Kidding, I'm kidding I'll get us some drinks."
He climbed over her this time, positioning himself so his crotch came inches from her face.
"Not helping, Jay." She shot him a glance as he walked off up the aisle.
She leaned back against her seat as he left, allowing herself to breathe for a second. She could hear her heartbeat as it raced against her chest.
How had she started this journey hating Jay Halstead's guts, not wanting to set eyes on him again and now here she was, she was sitting next to him and kissing him?
It was hard for her to disguise the fact that she had missed him, and it hadn't hit her until she'd come face to face with him again.
There was just something about him that she couldn't seem to let go of.
He returned and interrupted her thoughts.
"So there's only an hour left in the air, Er. We seemed to have passed the time away pretty quickly," he smirked.
She laughed, thinking back to how much she had been dreading sitting next to him for 8 hours. "You're right," she grabbed a drink from his hand. "Thanks."
"You'll probably not be thanking me when we get off this plane. The alcohol will hit you like a brick wall," he laughed.
"Maybe so, but I can always sleep it off."
He frowned. "Oh, you're planning on sleeping? I thought you'd want to see Ireland."
"I do. But I won't remember any of it if I'm intoxicated, will I?"
He let his hand slide down to her knee. "That's true. We'll probably be jetlagged when we get there anyhow. How about we nap it off then explore? It'll be the best vacation you ever had, Erin Lindsay."
She gently put her hand on top of his and giggled. "Okay, maybe."
She was teasing him, she had every intention on spending most of her trip with him. But he didn't need to know that yet.
Jay glanced down at his watch and noticed the time. He grimaced.
"Okay," he kissed the top of her head and smiled as they prepared for landing. "I'm a day late but Happy Valentine's Day."
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