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 6: Morning
As Lisa woke up she looked out her window and noticed the sun was up.
"Well good morning sleepy head."
Lisa turned around and found Jackson reading a book. It must be an interesting book since he didn't look up from it when he said good morning to her.
"Morn…Morning…" Yawned Lisa. "What time is it?" She asked.
"6:00 am, you've been asleep for six hours now." Replied Jackson. Just then, everyone on the plane could hear the flight attendant's announcement.
"Attention Ladies and Gentleman, The captain is pleased to inform you all that we will be landing in Miami Airport in 3 minutes, so please remain in your seats. Thank you."
"So what do you say, when we land, I buy you a Latté from Starbucks." Said Jackson.
"No thanks, I don't really drink Latte's." Replied a sleepy Lisa.
"How about a coffee then? No? Hot chocolate then?"
"Maybe just some juice or water."
"Alright then." Said Jackson.
As soon as they landed Jackson and Lisa exited out of the plane and into the airport with their luggage. They reached Starbucks and Jackson and Lisa both just sat their quietly drinking what they had ordered. Jackson felt it was too quiet so he started up a conversation.
"So, uh, do you have a ride home Lisa?" he asked.
"No, I was actually thinking of calling my Dad and asking him to come pick me up."
"Oh and wait? Pfft. Ok, since I have nothing to do this Friday night, how about this. You agree to go out to dinner with me, and I'll give you a ride home, and let you pick any music you want to listen to on our way to your place. Sound fair?"
"I really don't know you all that well, so how do I know your not just gonna knock me out and turn your car around and drive to a motel, rip off my clothes and tie my hands and feet to all four corners of the bed, and get your sick, twisted pleasure from me?" Replied Lisa with a small grin on her face that showed Jackson she was about to laugh at her own question.
"Cause I don't do that to a girl till the second date." said Jackson in a joking manner.
Then he began to laugh, and Lisa couldn't help but laugh with him.
"So what do you say Leese? You go out with me this Friday and I give you a ride home."
"Alright, but your gonna have to meet my father first." Warned Lisa
"If he's anything like you Leese, then I'm sure he and I will get along just fine." Said Jackson.
"Alright, since your willing to take that risk. Why don't we leave in, uh, lets say, 45 minutes?" Asked Lisa.
"Why the wait?"
"Cause I want to go to the gift shop. I want to get you something as a thank you for all you've done for me so far."
"Oh I haven't done much really."
"Except for buying me a few drinks, comforting me on the plane, and letting me use your shoulder as a second pillow."
"Yeah, well, I was just trying to be nice, and give you a good first impression before I asked you out."
"Well, you definitely passed my 'good first impression' test." She giggled a bit after saying that and Jackson chuckled.
"Yeah, you know just knowing that you've agreed to go out with me this Friday is thanks enough." Replied Jackson as he smiled at her.
"You sure?" Asked Lisa
"Yeah I'm sure."
"Well, then how about I at least make you some breakfast when you take me back to my Dad's."
"Ok then, if you want to, then I'm not gonna stop you."
"Ok, well then lets go now." Suggested Lisa.
"Alright." Replied Jackson, as he and Lisa got up from their table and headed for the Airport exit. Lisa climbed into Jackson's 1994 Blue Mustang.
"Nice car Jackson."
"Thanks, it's about 5 years old. But it runs like it was just recently made."
"You could never tell it's that old." Said Lisa, as Jackson started the car and got o the road.
"You should've seen it when I first got it. It was two years old then, and it was a total wreck, the front was completely rusted up, both bumpers were falling off, the door on your side was totally crushed in. there were no tires at all, and it was a disgusting yellowy/green kind of colour."
"Ewww, then why did you buy it?"
"Because I wanted a car that I could fix up, using my creative skills in Mechanics."
"Oh so your a mechanic?"
"No, but I did take a mechanic shop in high-school and college. I never really though of mechanics as a career for me, more as a hobby and an artistic talent."
"So then what do you do for a living?"
"Well, right now I'm a student who works on the campus of his college."
"How old are you?"
"I'm 27."
"And you're still in school?"
"Well not 'still in school' I'm back in school, you see when I finished college 5 years ago, I still wasn't sure of what to do with my life, so I decided to join up with my uncle in a junk yard for 3 years, and that's how I got this car and the parts to fix it up. You see, I took off the rusted and bent parts of the car, and I took some parts off of a few other mustangs, that were still in good use. I fixed them up a bit, I painted them dark blue, and I painted the rest of the car dark blue and when the paint was dry I put the parts on the car, and I got this engine form another car that was also in 'still working condition' and put it in this car. 2 months later, I had this beautiful dark blue car that you're sitting in right. And 3 months later I got the insurance and license plate for it. And yeah, 5 years later, I decided to go back to college and try other courses."
"So your telling me you practically made this car from scratch?"
"All by my self, and with my own two hand. You wouldn't believe how long it took me to wash off all the oil and paint on my hands when I was finished, I literally almost had a tattoo, because some of the paint had sunk into my skin."
"Wow, that must have really grossed you out."
"It did, especially when I saw the awful big gash in my hand from the surgery. That's why my palms are so pale. So what's your Dads address?"
"Oh, I'm sorry I completely forgot to tell you."
"It's alright."
"The address is 9321 Blossom Palm Street."
"Thank you. So Lisa, how old are you?"
"I'll be 26 in 2 weeks."
"26? How long have you been the manager of the Lux Atlantic?"
"About three years now. It all started when I worked at the bar at the Hotel when I was 16 years old. One night the manager came to the bar to interview me, because he got a lot of complement from other people about me, and how I was always so polite to them, and how I recommended certain thing, like what activities are best there at the Lux, and which suites were the best and what not. And so then after talking with me for about an hour or so, he asked me to be there at the Lux the next morning wearing a white Lux Atlantic outfit that the hotel workers wear, and he assigned me for "welcome committee" or whatever he called it then. It were we stand by the door all day and say 'welcome to the Lux Atlantic.' And we tell the guest what activities are available that week, and I added in a few thing of my own."
"What kind of things?"
"Like which meal is the most excellent off the hotel menu, what type of drink is the best choice. Stuff like that."
"Oh, ok" said Jackson, as he just turned onto Blossom Palms Street, and began look out his window trying to find 9321."
"9321 is farther down the road Jackson, it'll take us a fair 4 minutes to get there."
"Pretty long road Leese."
"I know. So where was I again?"
"You were at the part where you said you recommended a few things to the guests when you welcomed them."
"Oh yes. So after the manager got a few more compliments about me, he asked me if I'd be interested in taking up assist' manager when I turn 18."
"You said yes didn't you?"
"Yup, so two years later, I became assist' Manager of the Lux Atlantic at 18 years, my parents were both so proud of me. So then I decided to go to college for a Business and Manager Course and then 4 years later, the manager retired, but before he did, he called Corporate, and said that when he retired, he would like for them to hire me as full time manager of the hotel. It was an offer I couldn't refuse, so I accepted it, and that's how I became the manager of the Lux Atlantic at such a young age."
"Impressive, well. Here we are, 9321 Blossom Palms Street." Jackson then pulled into the driveway, hoped out of his car, ran to Lisa side, and opened her door for her and offered her his hand, which she graciously accepted.
Hope you all enjoyed that. My longest chapter so far.