Page 46 of Only for Tonight
“I think it said like eleven forty-five,” I reply as I walk into the plane and smile at the flight attendant. “I’m in three A,” I tell her, moving the phone from my mouth and she instructs me to walk to the left.
“P.M.?” he shrieks.
“No, tomorrow morning. I’m on a plane taking the long way.” I roll my eyes as I make it to my seat with the lie-down bed.
“Ariella, are you telling me that you are going to arrive at midnight?”
“Um, yeah,” I say, picking up the blanket they put on the seat and placing it beside me before sitting down.
“In the middle of the night?”
“It’s midnight, that’s not considered the middle of the night.”
“You have a car service picking you up?” he asks me and the excitement is gone from his voice.
“No, I was going to either take a cab or grab a ride.” I look around, seeing people everywhere now.
“You were going to grab a cab at night?”
“Are you done?” I shake my head. “I sort of have to go.”
“Text me the flight information.”
“Or I don’t and I come and see you tomorrow. I’m thinking maybe even in two days,” I hiss at him. “I’m thinking, I'll get off this plane.”
“Don’t you dare,” he snaps. “No, send me your stuff.”
“You’re lucky you are hot and I’m carrying your child, or else you would seriously not be worth it,” I grumble at him.
“You think I’m hot.” His voice gets rumbly and my stomach flutters, but I blame it on the baby and not the softness of his voice.
“I’m hanging up on you.”
“Send me the information,” he repeats. “Fuck it, don’t. I’ll just show up at eleven thirty and wait for you.”
“Wait, you’re picking me up?” I ask him, confused.
“Goodbye, Ari,” he says and he hangs up on me. I take the phone from my ear and see if maybe the call disconnected, but it shows my screen saver of the ocean from the last time I was in LA.
I open my phone and text him.
Me: Did you hang up on me?
Himeros: Yup, didn’t want to piss you off and make you get off the plane. Found your flight. See you soon.
Me: You didn’t want to piss me off, so you hung up on me?
Himeros: I can’t wait to see you.
I shake my head when I hear the flight attendant come on and start her verbiage. I turn and look out the window as the plane starts to move. I put my phone down and see another text has come through.
Himeros: I can’t wait to redeem all my coupons.
I shake my head as I power down the phone and turn the airplane mode on. Two hours into the flight, I finally lie down on my side and close my eyes. I didn’t expect to sleep the rest of the flight, but I’m jostled awake when the flight attendant tells me it’s time to put my seat in an upright position. I blink the sleep away from my eyes as I sit up, with a minute to spare before the wheels hit the ground.
I turn my phone off of airplane mode and wait for it to connect while the pilot tells me what time it is locally and what carousel my luggage will be on. The airplane comes to a stop and the seat belt sign is turned off. The minute it is, everyone springs out of their seat. I stand up, stretching my legs before grabbing my bag and waiting for the door to open.
Once I step off the plane, I head toward baggage claim. I follow the signs until I’m standing on the escalator going down. The huge sign saying Welcome to LA is in front of me. The minute I’m past it, I see him, standing there wearing sweatpants and a sweater with a baseball hat. He’s holding a bouquet of flowers in front of him and his eyes immediately light up when he sees me.
