Walking Everywhere With You

The Valentine's Challenge from the Emily Waltham Group

He only just made it on to the plane. If he'd missed it, he didn't know when he'd have been able to get another one. He didn't know why, but every flight from Berlin to New York was full. He had been at a conference, which had just come up at the last minute. Not the conference itself, that had been planned for months, but he had not been going to go until his superior at work suddenly found that he couldn't go.

It had been no joke getting through the airport. Things had changed so much since 2001. Not that long ago – fifteen months ago and the world was still unsettled. He should be reassured that the airport security was tighter, but all he could do was feel annoyed, and try to suppress that annoyance.

Finally, he was walking down the aisle. He had an aisle seat so he wouldn't have to clamber over anyone. Then again, whoever it was in the window seat would have to clamber over him to get out to the toilet and then they – she would have the window.

It was a she, her face turned to look out the window so that all he could see was the back of her head, adorned by a loosely arrange chignon. That was all he registered as he put his bag in the overhead locker.

'Please do up your seatbelt,' the air hostess said, 'We'll be taking off soon.'

'Okay,' he said. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the woman in the window seat look round sharply. He stared in return.

It was Emily. They'd put him on a seat with Emily. He was going to be flying all the way back to New York, with Emily. Her expression was appalled.

'You?' he managed.

'What are you doing here?' she demanded.

'What does it look like, I'm sitting here, on a flight to New York,' he retorted. 'Where I live.'

'You must be mistaken, you must have the wrong seat number,' Emily asserted, eyes blazing.

'You're the one who's got the wrong seat number.' After all the trouble he'd been through getting here on time, he was not going to be the one at fault no way. This had to be her fault. He brandished his boarding pass in her face, she did the same with hers to him. Then they slowly put them side by side. They had been allocated seats next to each other.

'That's all right, we can get it changed,' Emily said coldly. Ross looked about for a hostess, stopping one as she was coming down the aisle checking that the overhead lockers were properly secured.

'We'd like to change seats,' Ross said.

'I'm sorry sir, this flight is full, there are no spare seats,' the hostess said, continuing to check on the lockers.

'Then I'd like to swap,' Ross insisted. He had thought of insisting that Emily swap but that would mean she'd have to climb over him to get out and he didn't want that.

'I'm sorry sir, you're going to have to wait until after take off.'

'Terrific,' Emily said, 'If you'd arrived on time, we could have got this sorted out.'

'Don't you talk about arriving on time,' Ross said.

'Oh, I always arrive on time,' Emily snapped. 'In time to find out the truth.'

'You were wrong,' Ross said.

'Shh!' said someone from the seat in front as the safety demonstration began. Ross glowered. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Emily in angry profile. As she had said, terrific. Terrible.

Once the plane levelled out, Ross repeated his request. At first the hostess had thought the two of them wanted to move, but even when she realised that it was only one, she said it would be impossible.

'I'll ask, but most people on this flight are in couples or family groups,' she said. He sunk back into his seat. This was a nightmare people joked about. Being stuck next to someone you didn't like on an airplane. Sure, it wasn't as though he was next to a technobore, a bible basher, someone who smelled, took up all the arm rest, or made funny noises. But he wouldn't be able to relax.

A different air hostess, all smiles, came down the aisle with a basket.

'I've got roses, since it's Valentine's day,' she said, proferring one towards Emily.

'Don't give it to her, she mulches them,' Ross said.

'That's what cheap gestures deserve,' Emily said. The airhostess moved on and Ross said,

'It wasn't cheap.'

'You were charged an awful lot of money for wilting roses.'

'They were not wilting.'

'They were when I got them – you know, it would have been nice if – no never mind.' She had been sitting up, turned in his direction while she had been speaking but now she settled back in her seat and stared at the back of the seat in front of her.

'What?' Ross demanded.

'It's ancient history and nothing to do with either of us any more.'

'You don't want to tell me? Fine,' Ross said. He could stared at the back of the seat in front of him. He could do it just as well as her – no he could do it better. He could show her that he didn't need to know what she was going to say. It was just as much ancient history to him as it was to her. More so in fact. He was the expert on ancient history – so ancient that it was pre history. The bones of their relationship were so old that they weren't even bones, they were fossils…

The silence was getting to him.

'What?'

'I didn't say anything,' Emily said.

'Yes you did,' Ross said, 'Before.'

'Let's not talk about the past, let's talk about the present. How's your marriage to Rachel?' Emily asked. Ross frowned.

'How did you know I got married?'

'Lucky guess?' Emily offered sarcastically.

'Oh. No we got divorced.'

'Seems to be the fashion,' she said blankly.

'You too?' He glanced at her left hand, belatedly. It was ring free.

'It was only to be expected,' she said, sounding resigned. 'There's only one thing crazier than marrying an American after two and a half months and that's a marriage to a Frenchman on the rebound. At least we didn't have children, that would have made it so much harder.'

'Yeah,' Ross said. Children made things so much more difficult when things broke down.

'Did you?' Emily asked.

'What?'

'Have children?'

'We have a daughter called Emma, but, but, it's complicated.' It wasn't exactly the sort of situation she had been talking about.

'It would be,' Emily said.

'Do you have to keep snapping at me like that?' Ross retorted.

'Don't you raise your voice to me,' Emily began, when the person sitting in front of them turned and said,

'Will you two just shut up? You may as well be a married couple from the way you carry on.' Outraged that someone was listening to a private conversation, Ross stood up to give the nosy man a piece of his mind.

'Oh yeah, well let me tell you something - ' He felt a restraining hand on his arm. Emily was trying to pull him into his seat.

'Don't,' she said with a frown.

'Don't what?' Ross asked, giving the man a glare before sitting down.

'You could get into serious trouble if you cause trouble on the plane.'

'But he – '

'You might get arrested, you'd get a criminal record and you'd be banned from flying anywhere – you don't want that do you?' He had to admit that he didn't want to get into trouble.

'I guess not.' Suddenly they both realised that her hand was still on his arm and she removed it hurriedly.

'Let's have something to drink, calm down,' she said, pressing the call button. 'We might as well get used to the fact that we're sitting together. It's going to be a long flight.'

'I've been on longer flights,' Ross said, 'I've been to China.' At Emily's look, he said, 'Good idea! Drink.'

When the hostess arrived with the trolley there was a good deal on champagne.

'Champagne. We'll have some champagne,' Ross said.

'Champagne?' Emily queried. By this stage, all the air hostesses knew that the pair were not a couple, definitely not, and she asked warily,

'Do you want to share a bottle?'

'Yes,' Ross said, looking at Emily. The air hostess opened the bottle and left. 'Just because we're sharing a bottle doesn't mean anything. You'll have your glass, and I'll have my glass. We'll be having champagne from the same bottle and drinking at the same time but that doesn't mean that we are having champagne together.'

'That's right,' Emily said, reaching for the bottle. Ross stopped her.

'No, I'll pour.'

'Thankyou.' They each drank half a glance in silence.

'Oh,' Emily said.

'What?'

'I really should have had something to eat first. This is going right to my head.'

'Yeah. It's good stuff.' Ross picked up the bottle and turned it so that they could both read the label.

'Oh,' Emily said, this time more quietly.

'What?'

'That was the champagne that… Never mind,' Emily broke off.

'Never mind? You've got to stop doing that, ending sentences prematurely. It's just so disconcerting,' Ross said. Sounding upset, Emily said,

'Oh where do you have champagne Ross?' she turned herself away and faced the window, looking out.

Ross began, 'Well parties – New years eve parties, office parties, celebrations like birthdays, christenings – Wed -' Looks at her. Oh, the memories were coming back fast. They could argue forever about whose fault various things were but on one thing they had to agree – it hurt. 'This is good stuff,' he said at last. Great choice for wedding alcohol. Now what was he was going to do? 'Do you want a chocolate?' He'd been given some as a parting gift, and it wasn't something he was that keen on eating himself.

'Alright.'

'I've some here,' he said, reaching into the bag he'd tucked into the pocket of the seat in front of him.

'Pass them over,' Emily said, turning back. She selected one and then asked, apparently composed. 'So how are everyone else?'

'Everyone else? Monica got married to Chandler.'

'Did she? Wow.' She was sitting up straighter.

'Yeah. They got together in London, although they didn't let me in on the secret for a while.

'They got together in London? At our wedding?' Emily asked.

'Yeah. Do – do you mind?' Ross asked. The new relationship had begun at the event that had caused the other relationship to fall apart, on one view of it anyway.

'Why in the world would I mind? It's traditional – bridesmaid and best man. That explains a lot.'

'What?'

'Why Monica didn't call me. She was supposed to be my bridesmaid you know and she didn't lift a finger to help me like she should have – but now I understand. Anyone can get carried away in a situation like that. I'm glad to hear something went right for someone. I guess the only person who didn't have sex after the wedding was me,' she said with a brittle laugh.

'And me,' Ross said.

'No, I suppose not,' Emily said soberly.

'Not for a long time,' Ross insisted, 'You would have done it before me, seeing how quickly you got engaged.'

'That's not a race I'm happy to have won, all in all,' Emily said.

'It wasn't a race.'

'When you get rejected by someone, you need someone to show you that you're attractive. As soon as possible,' Emily said.

'Rejected?' Ross demanded.

'You chose her over me, what can I say? What can you say?'

'It was just that you should have trusted me,' Ross said.

'I should have trusted you?' Emily said, staring to get wound up again, 'The fact that you went back to New York so quickly and just phoned me and sent me tack– sent me stuff, didn't make me feel very confident in you – look it doesn't matter any more does it?' She sat back in her chair, hand on her lap.

'No. I felt rejected too,' Ross said. 'But like you say, it doesn't matter any more.'

'No.'

In the silence, he thought of how he had imagined meeting Emily again. He hadn't thought about it much, after the first few months. Those thoughts had all been about him getting together with someone – not Rachel – and showing a repentant Emily that she had been unjustified in her suspicions. And that it was too late.

Yes, it had been a special pain to hear that she had moved on before him. It wasn't a race he'd realised existed until she'd won it – although now, taking the long view, where were they now? Both single. He was a father, but he'd been one when he met her.

So meeting her again was unexpected. He had expected her to stay in London forever and that their paths would never cross. Why would they? Yet, she'd been in Berlin and now she was going to New York. So she travelled a lot. And of all the planes in the world, she had to travel on his…

She was still turned away from him. The champagne needed drinking.

'More champagne?' he asked.

'All right,' she said, sounding subdued. She watched in silence as he poured her glass.

'So,' he said, trying for brightness, 'Are you coming to New York to visit your uncle?'

'No, I mean, yes, I'll see him, but I'm not visiting. I live there now.'

'You live in New York? How long for?'

'Two years.'

'You've been living in New York for two years and you never told me?' He was amazed. New York might be big but surely they would have cross paths?

'Why would I tell you that Ross? You - you didn't want to speak to me.' The phone call.

'Oh. Well, it was over.'

'Yes.'

'So why did you come?'

'I got a job at the Metropolitan,' she said.

'Oh wow, how did that happen?' he asked.

'Through my ex husband actually. It's a long story. He only got me the job because he thought I'd hate it so much in New York that I'd fail miserably.' She gave a small smile of satisfaction. 'I've been promoted twice.'

'Good for you. Where are you living?'

'In the flat we were supposed to have.' That was one reason he wouldn't have run into her. It was so far away from where he lived. 'I didn't want to go there at first, but you can't pick and choose, and I've made it all my own now. It's nice. How about you?'

'I'm still near where I was before. Not the same flat.'

'It doesn't sound as though much has changed.' Ross felt stung. She made him sound as though he had no imagination.

'I changed my job. I'm a University Professor now.'

'That's great.'

'Yeah, quite a few things have changed actually.'

'Good. How's Ben?' He felt pleased that she remembered him.

'Oh he's great,' and he told her three stories about things that Ben had done.

'He must be quite big now,' Emily said.

'Yeah, I've got photos here.' He opened his wallet. There were other photos there, some of Emma, pictures Emily also looked at, although she made no comment.

'It's good that you've been able to keep a good relationship with Carol,' Emily said.

'I wonder if…' He broke off. He had been wondering what would have happened if somehow she'd become pregnant in the short time they were together. But he couldn't say that.

'What?'

'Nothing.'

'Now you're doing it,' Emily accused. 'Saying things and then breaking off without finishing the sentence.'

'Infuriating isn't it?' Ross said wickedly. Emily pinched him lightly. He pinched her back and after a bit of toing and froing Emily said,

'Ow!' Ross rubbed her arm.

'Sorry'

'It's my fault, I started it.' He was still rubbing her arm, not in any particular spot. It somehow seemed important to maintain physical contact and as she looked at him inquiringly, they started to kiss. When they broke off, she said breathlessly, 'Oh. I don't know whose fault this is.'

'Yours,' Ross said.

'What?'

'I couldn't help myself. I still can't.' They kissed again and this time, he allowed his hand to move from her arm. 'I'd forgotten how good this could be.' They kissed again. Emily had been fairly restrained the first two times, but she was a lot more like her old self with the third kiss. Suddenly she broke away.

'We can't,' she said.

'Are you seeing someone?' Ross asked.

'No,' Emily said.

'Neither am I so there's no problem,' he said. Thank goodness she wasn't seeing anyone. His life was complicated enough.

'But we had problems before. I don't want to get hurt again.' She drew back from him. Of course there were things that had to be settled first, he realised.

'Yeah. You know I can't stop seeing Rachel.'

'Of course not. That doesn't worry me any more,' Emily said.

'It doesn't?'

'You tried marriage and a baby with her and it failed, so I don't see how she could still be a threat. But we tried marriage and look what happened to us. It's doomed.'

'Did we really try marriage? Did we really? We weren't even together after it. We can't say we tried.' He could say the same thing about Rachel, but this was different. 'We hardly knew each other. We can't say that we tried a relationship properly married or not.'

'I know.'

'I mean the circumstances – I know why we had to get married then,' Ross said.

'I don't suggest that we do it again.'

'Not yet,' Ross interjected. 'But there's plenty of things we can do together.'

'We should walk before we try running, but I don't know, can we do it.'

'Yes,' Ross said firmly. 'I want to walk with you.'

'Where?'

'Everywhere.'

At New York, as the passengers disembarked, one airhostess said to another,

'I thought we were going to have trouble with those two.'

'Yeah, from the way they were at the beginning, who'd have thought they'd have wanted to join the mile high club,' said the other.

'They did,' said the first.

'You let them?' the other airhostess said. They weren't supposed to let couples get into the toilet together. The first shrugged.

'It's Valentine's day, and they needed it.' The other shrugged. She'd be meeting her own honey soon…