Disclaimer: I do not own Red Eye or any of its original characters, setting, or plot. However I do own any new characters that I may add to this fanfic.
Summary: what if Jackson Rippner wasn't an assassin? And what would happen when he and Lisa first met.
Chapter 3: "Buy you a drink."
As Lisa walked down the Airport to her gate, she noticed the nice man she met earlier that day, sitting at the bar counter of what she assumed to be Tex Mex, she decided since she had nothing better to do, she go and sit with him. As she approached him, he turned his head and faced her.
"Hello." He said pleasantly, trying to seem friendly.
"Hi. Is the seat taken?" she asked.
"Oh no, it's all yours. So what'll it be?" he asked.
"Oh no thanks I'm good." She replied.
"If I can guess." He said flirtingly.
"Alright then, if you can guess." She said, almost seductively.
"I'm thinking Vodka, definitely sweeten. Ah, Cosmo. No way too common. Ah, Screwdriver? No way too boring. So that leaves me with, the Baybreeze or the Seabreeze. I'm gonna go with…ah…Seabreeze."
She leans in to take her order, and he thinks he's right until… "Can I get a Baybreeze, please? Thanks." He looks at her, with disbelieve that he got it wrong. "Impressive talent though, very close." She said trying to make him feel better.
"Yeah it breaks the ice. Oh forgive me, I'm Jackson by the way." He says, giving out his hand to her. "Lisa Reisert." She says, graciously taking his hand and shaking it. "So is it "Jack" for short?" she asks.
"Oh no, no. No I haven't gone by Jack since I was ten." She gives him a look that tells him she doesn't understand. "Last names Rippner." He says.
"Rippner? Jackson Rippner, Jack Rippner. Jack the… Oh." She says realizing what he meant.
"There you go."
"That wasn't very nice of your parents."
"No, no it wasn't, and that's what I told them… before I killed them." She looks at him as though she though he was serious, then realized he was kidding, and laughs. "So, are you in Texas on Hotel business?" asked Jackson, trying to keep the conversation going. For some reason he enjoyed talking to her, he was being more open with her, then he had ever been with anyone in his whole life.
"No, I'm here for my grandmother's funeral. She passed away a few days ago." She said, with a sad look on her face.
"Oh I'm so sorry to hear that." Jackson replied trying to make her feel better.
"Oh it's ok, she was 91."
"91." Said Jackson, rather impressed. "So what was her secret?" he asked still trying to keep the conversation going.
"Grape nuts… and a guy named Duke." Said Lisa.
"I'm sorry?" said Jackson, a little shocked about what she had said.
"Yeah. She said the Grape nuts helped keep her arteries clean, and Duke… helped with the rest." She said with a small laugh escaping her as she thought of just how this Duke person helped with the rest. "Nothing ever fazed her. 'Always look forward' is what she'd say." Just then, an announcement went on, informing everyone that the flight to Miami was now ready to go.
"Well, I guess we should head for the gate now. Here let me get this." Said Jackson as he went to go pay the bartender.
"Thanks." Replied Lisa with a smile.
"No problem. Would be all right if I escorted you to the gate Miss?" asked Jackson, giving Lisa a friendly yet seductive smile, as he took her hand and kissed it.
"Of course." Replied Lisa, smiling back at him.