Juliet settled into her seat after putting her bag up in the overhead compartment above her seat on the plane. Her flight into Denver from Miami was delayed because of weather, so she missed her connecting flight and couldn't get home until about 11 PM Pacific Time. Considering that'd feel like 2 AM for her because of the change in time zones, she was not very happy with Denver at this moment.
She wiped the tears from her eyes, having been crying ever since she waved one final goodbye to her mom at the airport hours before.
She sighed as the woman in the window seat next to her let out a snore. Who falls asleep before the plane takes off? she asked herself. I hope whoever sits in the aisle seat is at least bearable.
"Something wrong?" a voice asked next to her. "You look unhappy."
"Oh, I just left my family."
He plopped down next to her, his suitcase blocking the aisle and holding up a huge line of very tired people.
"Um... your suitcase is blocking-"
"Yeah, I know," he interrupted again. "They can wait; the plane isn't going anywhere yet. You're also upset because your flight was delayed, I'm guessing?"
She nodded.
"It must be nice to have family that loves you so much. If the drawing stating 'I love you Auntie Julie' sticking out of your purse is any indication, that is. Julie, huh?"
He stood up and put his bag in the overhead compartment.
"Juliet. Actually, only the people in Miami ever call me Julie."
He sat back down and extended a hand. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Juliet."
"It's nice to meet you, too," she replied, shaking his outstretched limb.
"Care to venture a guess as to why I'm here?"
"Hmm... you felt like blowing some cash, so you flew to Denver just for the thrill of a plane ride?"
He shook his head.
"Well, I guess I don't have your guessing skills," she told him.
He laughed, "Actually, I noticed the ticket from the last plane poking out of your purse."
She nodded and laughed. "So why are you here?"
"This friend of mine needed me because of her grandpa."
"Ah, and he lives in Denver?"
"No. He passed away. My friend is just in California."
"So you live in Denver, then?"
He shook his head.
"Then you're in Denver because...?"
"My cousin just married the guy she's been dating for her entire adult life. Who dates for 10 years?"
She laughed. "Hey, maybe they were just making sure they liked each other."
"Trust me, they liked each other quite a lot," he replied with a shudder.
She laughed and was about to retort when a large and frankly smelly woman tapped the man on the shoulder.
"Sir, you're in my seat."
The man shook his head. "I think it's mine. If you notice, I am currently sitting in it."
She pulled out her ticket stub from her far-too-big purse and shoved it in his face, sweeping her long brown hair behind her shoulder. "See? Mine."
"No, he can't see," Juliet cut in. "It's not possible to see something that close to your face."
"Keep your girlfriend out of it!"
Juliet and the man both began to laugh.
"She's not my girlfriend," the man replied to her confused stare. He pulled out his own stub from his back pocket. "Listen, how about we trade?"
"No way, idiot, I'm not going to-" the woman stopped as she noticed the seat number of the ticket the man held.
From her brief glimpse Juliet could tell it was a First Class ticket.
The woman promptly switched stubs and scurried off.
Juliet chuckled at the prospect of the man proving himself to be Jenny Muskowitz in the event that the airline suddenly decided to start checking passengers already on the plane for their correct seat.
The man shot her a questioning glance, but she just shrugged in responce.
"So, if you're supposed to be in First Class, why are you back here?" she finally asked.
He shrugged. "First Class is overrated. Trust me, I've heard stories."
She laughed.
"Besides," continued the man, "The only reason I've got a First Class ticket is because there were no more seats left in Coach. I gotta be there when my girl arrives, after all. Moral support and such. Her flight changed, but my cousin told me not to worry. Both she and Rick are engineers and apparently they get payed a lot. So, they bought me a First Class ticket."
She nodded. "I see."
They sat there in comfortable silence until the safety video.
"That always drives me crazy," the man whispered.
She looked at him. "What drives you crazy?"
"The safety video. They show it every time!"
She laughed quietly. "It's necessary."
He shook his head. "Yes, but nobody actually watches it anyway no matter how many times they show it."
"I do!" she protested.
"So do I, but you seem much to young and pretty to be concerned about the technical things I enjoy about it."
She blushed.
He smirked. "Besides, if you'd been watching, you would have realized the video already ended."
Sure enough, the video was done.
The plane started to speed up in preparation for takeoff.
Juliet closed her eyes. "I hate takeoff. Makes me dizzy."
"I have a trick for that," the man assured her, grabbing her hand and squeezing it lightly in reassurance. "Where's your favorite place to be?"
"The beach, I guess."
"You got a special guy there, or just like the ocean?"
"Well, there is one guy... He's married, though."
"Oh, so he's off limits."
"Yeah. He actually works with me. I missed my chance by waiting just a little too long."
He smiled. "Too bad. His loss."
"Yeah," she replied with a smile.
He turned her head toward the window. "Open your eyes."
"Hey, we're off the ground!"
"Neat trick, huh?"
She nodded. "Thanks, you helped a lot!"
He let go of her hand and reached into the seat pocket in front of him to retrieve the headphones.
She pulled out the new mystery novel she was in the middle of.
He waved a hand in front of the book and pointed to his laptop. "Watch a show with me?"
She shrugged. "Sure, why not?"
She only expected to watch for a few minutes, but was surprised to realize he had cued up an episode from the last season of her favorite show. She found she couldn't turn away. She also couldn't help but admit to enjoying his running commentary. When the put a bookmark in her book and set it down. Then she realized how much her neck was hurting and started to massage it.
The man patted his chest. "I've been told I'm very comfortable and give great massages; care to test the theory? I hope I'm not being too creepy..."
She laughed and put up the armrest. He was right, and she soon felt all her tension flow out.
Juliet looked at the screen in front of her.
He flipped around until they found the USA Network shows. "Rerun of Monk. Interested?"
"Yeah. I love that show! I'm so sad it's over! Ooh, Season 1 episode!"
She fell asleep within 5 minutes.
He carefully rang the button to call for a flight attendant.
"Can you get me a blanket?" He pointed at Juliet. "I don't want her to get cold."
The attendant nodded. "Right away, sir. Anything else?"
"Yes, when does the complimentary beverage service come around?"
"I don't know let me go ask."
He tucked the blanket she'd retrieved around Juliet, careful not to wake her in the process. She looked so peaceful and adorable.
10 minutes later he was woken by the sound of the drink cart.
He lightly shook Juliet. "Want anything from the drink cart?"
"Cah you as fer sa coffee?"
"You want coffee?"
"Yeah. What're you gonna get?"
"I'm thinking I will pay the five dollars for a coctail. Sure you don't want one? I'd buy."
She picked up her head and yawned. "No, but thank you. When in this flight over?"
"Not for a while," the man replied.
"What would you like to drink?" the attendant asked the man.
Juliet put her head back on the man's shoulder.
He smiled, and gave her his order, "and a coffee for this young woman."
She laughed, "I'm in my thirties; I'm not that young. You can't be that much older than me, handsome."
The flight attendant rolled her eyes at his blantant enjoyment of Juliet's slight blush, as the man took the liberty of explaining how the coffee should be done.
"You didn't have to say that, you know," the man told Juliet, "I'm not the most attractive man."
"I know. I wanted to. It's true." She took a sip of the coffee the flight attendant had just brought back. "This is actually not bad!"
"I have good taste."
"Definitely. So what's on the TV?"
They watched, sharing the headphones again.
When the pilot's announcement came - "Flight attendants prepare for landing"- the man shook her awake again.
She yawned and lifted her head. "What's going on?"
"Landing."
She nodded slowly, then buckled the seatbelt she didn't remember taking off.
The man put his seatback into its full upright position.
Juliet put her book into her purse, yawned, and tiredly cheered, "I'm home!"
When they landed, the man carefully got both their bags down. She accepted hers and they walked out together. When they reached the terminal, he shook her hand and said, "Well, it was nice to meet you." He then turned to the right and started to walk away.
Juliet rolled her eyes. "That's the emergency exit." She pointed left. "This way."
He smiled and turned back to her. "Just making sure you're paying attention."
They walked out to the parking lot.
"I suggest you we hop right into bed when we get home," he suggested as he put the suitcases in the back of her car.
"Carlton, I think that's the best idea you've had all day."
He climbed into the drivers' seat.
Juliet got in the passengers' seat and rested her head against the head rest.
"Oh, by the way," he reached into his pocket. "Here's your wedding ring."