Page 16 of Sol
Trent -- Flight
“One bag to check.”I set my luggage down on the metal scale at the Iberia Airlines ticketing counter and took a stepback.
For a moment, I studied my scuffed khaki duffel bag, weighed in kilos, wondering if I should just pick it up and head back home. Was I being crazy? Did I really have to be the one to dothis?
Yes. It was my duty. She hadn’t responded to my email, and I needed to go in person anyway. Signing up for Dani’s class would allow me to stay there, subsidized by the G.I. Bill. I could stay all summer. It might take the whole summer to work out everything I needed to withher.
The woman behind the counter took my passport and started clicking on the keyboard. “Your gate is E-6,” she said. “Right over there pastsecurity.”
After tagging my bag, she let out a groan as she hefted it from the scale to the conveyor belt. She handed me back my passport and boarding pass, which I put in my back pocket next to the letter I carried from Degan. My forlorn bag trundling down the conveyor reminded me of when I went off with it for the first time. I had that same feeling in my belly. Like I was going off into the unknown, bringing along a few bouncing metal springs in my stomach to make me sick. This time, though, I stooped as I walked, lacking the energy I had the first time I went on a militaryflight.
For the second time in my life, all I had was a plane ticket, a backpack with my laptop, some clothes in a bag, and a fervent desire to get something done. Although this time, no one I knew was flying with me, and it made my throat scratchy and my chest tight. I kept my earbuds in and listened to “Party in the USA,” the upbeat song keeping me from wallowing about my missing travelpartner.
Actually, I already was wallowing. Only now I had a mission to accomplish that distracted me from completely falling intodepression.
I headed off to the security line, texting a goodbye to my parents and a thanks to Hernandez. An elderly couple in front of me was saying something in Spanish. Growing up in California, I was used to hearing the language, but now I tried to understand them and had no idea what they were saying. While I’d taken classes in high school, I hadn’t used it ever in real life. I’d thought that my language skills were passable. Certainly, I could order in Taco Bell with noproblem.
But now as a Spanish student, well, I had a lot tolearn.
I put Degan’s letter in my backpack for safekeeping and took off my boots and belt, walking through the scanner in my white T-shirt, jeans, and socks. After breezing through security, it didn’t take too long to board the plane. I was grateful to be alone in the aisle—no one to talk to, no one to bring up any distressingsubjects.
Looking out the window at my last glance of California, following the instructions of the flight attendant, I ensured my seat back and tray table were in the full upright position, and prepared fortakeoff.
Funny thing. Since I’d been airborne in the army, I’d taken off in an airplane forty-seven more times than I’d landed in one. The other times I’d used a parachute. Staying in an airplane the entire time wasnovel.
Several hours later, the lights of the plane had darkened, and passengers in other aisles slept. I blinked away my fatigue, fighting off sleep. Sleep had become hell with mynightmares.
Better to just stayawake.
I pulled my wallet out of my back pocket and scrutinized her picture. Degan, Dani, and I had sat in the photo booth in that pizza parlor before we left, making goofy faces. We each took one of the four pictures, with one left over, which I’d stashed at my parents’ house. The one I ended up with had Dani gazing at me with kiss-stung lips and wide eyes, while I grinned at the camera and Deganshrugged.
How many times had I looked at Dani’s face? Her smattering of freckles and her darkeyebrows.
What would I say when I saw heragain?
My hands gripped my seat rest, and I gulped for air. Whatever was gonna happen in Spain would be bad because I had to tell her right away aboutDegan.
Thinking about him made my lungsconstrict.
While I didn’t look forward to what I had to say to her, I couldn’t wait to catch my first glimpse of her. How had she changed? I’d see her in less than twenty-four hours. My heartbeat quickened. What was she like now? Would she bring out the most primal part of me like she always did? The part that wanted to do nothing but watch the way she rounded words with her soft lips. The way her hips swayed when shemoved?
Fuck. Now I was getting hard on the plane. Thankfully I had a dark blue polyester blanket over me so I wouldn’t be showing off my boner, but this was gettinguncomfortable.
I closed my eyes and saw her. Imagined stripping her out of her clothes and seeing what wasunderneath.
Why was I tormentingmyself?
I glanced around. The entire plane was asleep. Even the flight attendants were sitting in the back,chatting.
I unbuckled my seatbelt, got up, and headed to the airplane bathroom, my pulseracing.
Once I got in, I leaned against the sink, staring at myself in the mirror. My face was flushed and my breathing shallow. I didn’t want to be a pervert, but fuck, I had to take care of this. I undid my belt and my pants, stroking myself over my black boxer briefs, unable to stop thinking about her. A long vein throbbed in my cock. I pushed down the elastic of my underwear, and my hard dick sprungloose.
Four long years in the army, and I’d never succumbed to hiring a prostitute. I hadn’t had any girlfriends. I hadn’t had any hookups. All I wanted was the girl in thatpicture.
Fuck,Dani.
I strokedharder.
