I shake my head. “It’s nothing.”
“Don’t be afraid. Turbulence happens all the time. We’ll be on the ground soon,” Deb assures me.
Except, right now, turbulence is the last thing on my mind. In fact, I’m not even afraid, which is a total shocker. All I can think about is the humiliation of grabbing a strange man’s cock in the middle of a plane aisle. God, I hope I never see that man again. I think the embarrassment would kill me faster than a plane crash.
The plane finally lands in London soon after the bout of turbulence passes. Safe and sound. The landing is an easy one, thankfully. Far better than I thought. I probably wouldn’t have even noticed if the landing were rough, though. I was far too distracted by the embarrassment of falling on top of that sexy stranger. A couple of times I chanced a glance back to see if I could spot him, though I wasn’t sure exactly where he was seated. I thought it would be simple to find him. A man that stunning should be hard to miss. But I scanned over the dozens of tired and washed out faces in the plane, and I never spotted him. It’s for the best, I tell myself. Part of me believes that. A little.
My knees are only slightly shaking when we get off the plane. I practically kiss the ground once we we’re in the airport. I follow my friends in a daze through the maze of the airport until we arrive at the baggage carousel. I look around as the suitcases spin in lazy circles on the conveyer belt. People jostle for space, lugging huge bags away. I quickly find my smaller valise with all my toiletries and odds and ends. I pull it from the belt with ease and then stand back, waiting for my other bag.
As I wait, my eyes automatically scan around the airport, seeking out a head that towers above the rest, wide shoulders, and a face that women would literally cage fight over. No sign of the mystery man I groped on the plane. Again, I tell myself that’s a good thing and if I saw him again it would just ruin this vacation. The mortification would wash over me afresh if I looked him in the eyes. I mean, just the thought of what happened in the aisle makes me cringe with embarrassment. And yet, a part of me kind of wants to see him again—but more like behind a two-way mirror. I want to see him, but I don’t want him to see me. You don’t see faces like his very often, and I wouldn’t mind being able to study it for a while without being noticed.
I shake my head, still unable to believe I groped him like that. Thank goodness it was on a transatlantic flight and not my daily commute to work. Having to come face to face with him again would be the worst possible scenario. God, if my friends found out, they would never let me live it down. I would be utterly humiliated. The chances of seeing him again are slim to none.
Lillian and Deb stand a few feet from me with their bags, and I notice they’re looking at the belt with growing concern. That’s when I realize the conveyor belt is now empty. Shit.
“Have you guys seen my purple suitcase?” I ask, although there’s little hope in my voice. The bag is hard to miss; bright purple with pink polka dots, a gift from my mother for the trip. She’s travelled the world and knows a thing or two. She said it’s always best to have busy, one of a kind luggage so no one accidentally walks off with it. And if someone tries to steal it, the bags would be easy to spot by security.
Deb and Lillian both shake their heads. I close my eyes and sigh. This can’t be happening. Why is my luck such shit? Of all the bags to lose, that’s the one that is the most important. It’s the one with all my clothes in it. I could easily replace everything in the bag slung over my shoulder, but it would take a lot of time and money to buy an entirely wardrobe for this trip.
Everything in me wants to freak out, but I’m not about to ruin this trip for my best friends. Instead, I go to the counter at baggage claim and make the report of my missing bag. They give me a tag and tell me they’ll call or deliver it to our rented flat when it’s found. I speak very sweetly and calmly the entire time, despite the pounding headache that’s brewing behind my eyes. I will not let this bring me down. I’m in England!