Place To Be

Place To Be

By Tracy Johnson

Copyright 2013 Tracy Johnson

Smashwords Edition

Cover Art: Laura Shinn

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Chapter 1

Pre-boarding for Flight 1148 is now beginning at gate 12. All passengers with small children, or those needing assistance, please begin boarding now.

The boarding announcement broke into his reverie. He was almost home free. Once on the plane he would be safely homeward bound. It was getting on the plane that was his biggest hurdle. The way his body ached, the mere thought of moving exhausted him, let alone the act of boarding a plane. He glanced at the gate entrance a few steps away from where he sat. It looked miles away, and at this point in his journey assistance sounded like a good thing.

His grand plan of escape wasn’t particularly grand now. He loved his sister, but a man could only take so much mothering and still live to tell about it. He didn’t fault her though. It was a role she’d played since he was twelve when their mother died. He was thirty now way past time to cut the apron strings. It was sad to think that after enduring Desert Storm, he was actually running from a woman, and she was only armed with love.

The illness began as a persistent cough acquired while tracking a security breach at a small electronic company. He’d found the breach within four days, but the cough had gotten progressively worse. Over-the-counter cough syrup failed to cure it offering only temporary relief from the chest-racking bouts. The last of his strength was spent finishing a report for the CEO. He’d planned to crawl into bed and die a slow miserable death. In stepped his big sister, Cyn, to the rescue.

It was his habit to return all family related calls. His failure to do so raised the sibling alarm. Cyn became worried, and stopped by to check on him. That was the beginning of the mothering. Her dragging him to the doctor was reminiscent of his childhood. Then he had been too young to stop her, now he’d been too weak. The persistent cough had transformed into full-blown influenza. The doctor was ready to admit him to the hospital due to the severity of his symptoms. Seth managed to persuade him against that action with the promise of two weeks total bed rest at home.

Cyn and his niece, Johanna temporarily moved into his loft. Weak as a kitten, he gladly allowed them to dispense medicine and fluids to him. He rested and took his medicine diligently. They stayed until he was able to medicate himself. It took almost the full two weeks to reach that point. Feeling much better, he was ready to resume working; Cyn thought he should rest longer. Rather than argue the point with his sister, he’d hatched a plan to free himself of her care.

It was a simple plan of hiding in plain sight. A quick jaunt to LA and back would achieve his goal. To keep her from worrying too much, he’d left Cyn a false message about being out of town for a short time helping a friend. He’d already made arrangements with Rhys, his best friend, to care for his dog, Myles, hoping to crash there too when he returned from LA. He would only be out of touch for a couple of days, just long enough to prove to Cyn he was healthy again. She wouldn’t like it, but what could she do? After flying to Los Angeles on one airline he was in the process of boarding another back to Vegas.

It was the plan from hell. The return plane was delayed an hour, and the smog in LA irritated his throat. His coughing returned with a vengeance, compounded by chills that wracked his aching body. The shuffling noise of people and equipment echoing off the terminal walls was unusually loud to his pounding head. He couldn’t decide which was more annoying, the voice on the loud speaker or the screaming child at the adjacent gate. He would gladly give anything if both would be quiet. He would undertake the task himself, if he weren’t sure dizziness would overtake him the moment he stood up. What seemed like the great escape this morning had turned into an exercise in stupidity! Maybe, and he wasn’t ready to concede the point, but maybe, Cyn was right. He was still ill.

Now boarding rows one through fifteen, the gate attendant announced.

At least he’d had the sense to purchase a first-class ticket. Something about squeezing six feet-two inches, two hundred and twenty pounds into a small coach seat did not appeal to him. Seth rose gingerly, hoping to stave off dizziness. He lacked pep in his step, but he wasn’t stumbling either. If he could just make it to his seat he would be all right, or so he believed.

The passenger in seat four was asleep. She’d noticed him during a head count of the passengers. His face turned toward the window with arms crossed over his chest. He must be truly tired in order to sleep through such confusion and noise. As far as she could tell, he hadn’t moved a muscle during the safety instructions. The plane was leaving the terminal for the runway, and his seat belt wasn’t fastened. She could see the end of one side on the empty seat next to him. Should she wake him, or fasten the belt for him?

Seth woke the instant he felt something touch his waist. Reflexes kicked in and he captured a hand. What are you doing? He asked the question before his eyes opened. Having successfully tuned out the noise of the plane, and the seat beside him unoccupied, the touch was unexpected. When he finally pried his eyes open he couldn’t believe sight. His fever was creating illusions. Surely, the beautiful woman kneeling before him wasn’t real.

She’d knelt just to the side of his outstretched legs. Trying to fasten your seat belt. The plane is about to take-off. He’d captured her hand holding the buckle end. His touch was soft, with the promise of steel if she tried to pull away.

It took a moment to register that the illusion had spoken. He looked down at the hand he held dangling the buckle, and then released it. She had to be real. Illusions didn’t talk, and you couldn’t touch illusions. He watched with a child’s curiosity as she finished the task.

The feeling of intimacy with the passenger took her by surprise. She fastened and adjusted seat belts all the time. Why should this time with this passenger be any different? While he was asleep the task hadn’t been different from any other time, but with him watching, it somehow felt intimate. His eyes were a peculiar shade of golden-brown. Looking into them was like looking into a snifter of fine cognac, which had been warmed by the heat of your hand as you swirled it. The time invested in warming it would be worth the wait at the first sip. She stood wiping her damp palms down the sides of her pants trying to regain some of her composure. Do you need anything else, sir? she asked.

Again, it took a moment to register what she said. A shiver raced through Seth, causing him to cross his arms again. He was definitely not doing well. If he had to guess, he’d relapsed causing him to feel worse then he did when Cyn found him. The pressure inside his head would explode at the slightest movement. His breathing was labored, his throat was dry and scratchy, and he ached all over. It was as though he were in a canyon with sounds echoing all around him. Trying to concentrate on just the sound of her voice was difficult for him. He slowly looked up at the flight attendant, remembering how soft and cool her skin felt in his warm hand.

Would you like a blanket?

The idea of getting warm registered in his fever-laden brain. Yes, and some water, please. He reached into the inside pocket of his leather jacket as she walked away. Maybe, he would feel better if he took some more medicine. He coughed. Deep chest-rattling coughs causing him to drop the bottle. Seth watched it roll out of sight thinking it was a mighty long way down to the floor, vaguely wondering how long it would take him to retrieve the medicine.

Jas looked back at the sound of his coughing, seeing something fall. From the look on his face it might as well have fallen into a black hole, never to be seen again.

Sir, let me get that for you.

Because he was still concentrating on the missing medicine bottle, he didn’t realize she’d returned with the blanket and water. Seth, he said looking up at her.

Okay, Seth. To get the missing bottle, she had to brace herself on Seth’s thigh again, because it rolled under his seat. The feel of his firm thigh under her hand caused a tingling sensation in her fingers. She glanced at the label before handing it to him. No wonder he’d fallen asleep before they finished boarding. He had the flu.

He took the water and medicine from her with a hoarse, ‘Thank you,’ and a weak smile. Seth knew he’d have left the bottle on the floor because movement created waves of nausea, bending over would have pushed him over the edge. He watched her buckle in for take-off, having zoned-in on her through the haze of sickness. He saw masses of loose honey-brown curls bound by a clasp. He would bet anything once freed they would frame her face like a golden halo. The clear light green color of her almond shaped eyes reminded him of his favorite childhood candy, apple flavored Jolly Ranchers. They were set in an oval face with high cheekbones and arched eyebrows. She wore little makeup, and her complexion was the color of a creamy latte coffee. If he weren’t so exhausted he’d flirt with her, even ask her out on a date. Coughing, he turned his attention to removing the medicine cap.

Jas watched Seth as the plane climbed to cruising altitude. They were not exactly facing each other, but she could see him from her seat at the front of the plane. He’d tried several times to open the medicine and water. Each time, he was overcome by such intense coughing that it left him drained. He finally gave up; sat both on the empty seat next to the blanket, turned toward the window again and went to sleep. She wondered why he was traveling when he was so obviously sick.

The feelings of attraction still unnerved her. Surely he was just another passenger like the many she encountered daily. She wouldn’t consider him average looking. He was to be quite honest, beautiful. The contrast between his cognac colored eyes and rich bittersweet chocolate skin seemed to make them glow, as if lit from an inner light. They were framed with long curling black lashes, the kind that women spent large sums of money trying to acquire. His face, with its high forehead, thick glossy black eyebrows and square jaw line was well suited to the clean-shaven look he sported. When he smiled, the dimples in his cheeks were deep enough to be considered meteor craters. He was a large man. She guessed he would tower over her own five foot nine inches. The thigh she’d used for support felt solid as a rock. The jacket he wore could not hide the thickness of his chest or the bulge in his arms.

Furrows formed on Jas’ brow as she thought, why him and why now? She did not have the time or energy to deal with this unwanted attraction. There were too many other things in her life to worry about. The passenger in seat twelve, two rows back from Seth was one of those worries. She’d seen Michael’s name on the passenger manifest, praying it wasn’t so. No doubt, if she called the police he would provide a legitimate reason for taking this particular flight. But she would bet he was up to his old trick again of following her.

Some men did not know how to accept ‘no’ for an answer. She’d met Michael on a flight. He’d seemed nice enough, making conversation like most passengers. He invited her to cocktails, and possibly dinner. She was on a twenty-four hour layover and thought why not. What harm could it cause? At the bar things started out normally with the usual getting-acquainted chitchat. She ignored the first reference he made to their life together, thinking it a slip of the tongue. But from that second reference on the night had gone steadily downhill. When he neglected to consult her before ordering drinks she considered him a chauvinistic pig. Based on the references in his speech and proprietary actions towards her, she surmised consent to drinks constituted consent to a relationship, in his mind. He’d wanted to have dinner, but she declined pleading a headache be rid of him. He’d insisted on seeing her to the hotel, attempting to hold her hand in the cab. She’d considered him more of a nuisance at this point than a threat. She’d left him in the lobby and upon returning to her room called the airline swapping return flights with another attendant. Having worked a double shift she’d arrived home in the wee hours of the morning exhausted thanking her lucky stars to be free of him.

Jas thought she’d seen the last of Michael until he appeared on several of her following flights. She treated him with impersonal politeness as she treated all the passengers, but that only caused him to pursue her more vigorously. She became apprehensive when he appeared outside her hotel on a layover. The true terror came later when she saw him on several occasions outside her apartment complex. She’d called the police, but there was not much they could do, since he never made contact with her. He was just there…watching. They did promise to have a talk with him.

A month passed without seeing him after filing the report. Jas believed he was gone for good this time, which suited her just fine. Then one night a male co-worker walked her to the parking garage where she saw Michael standing several cars down from hers. He hadn’t stopped watching her just continued covertly, only revealing his presence when she was with anyone of the male persuasion. She wondered why he was on this flight today. She hadn’t gone on a date, or been in the company of men except for work, in months. What was he up to now?

Besides changing her life, Michael’s stalking also forced Jas to change her work habits. She remained in the galley rather than greet passengers during boarding. That was how she’d missed seeing Seth. She knew Michael watched her every move, but refused to acknowledge his presence. Paula,