Page 57 of Before You Say I Do
She’d got to know Abby a whole lot better.
She’d shared her hopes and dreams with her.
Then she’d kissed the bride. It wasn’t an extra she should ever include on her website.
Jordan clutched the handrail, following Gloria’s pert bum. Like mother, like daughter.
Really not helpful.
“Good afternoon, ladies!” Captain Michelle gave them a wide smile. “I hope you’ve had a fantastic time in Cannes, and that you were given a hen weekend to remember?” She aimed the final part at Abby, who was at the top of the stairs, in front of her mum.
Abby nodded. “It was incredible,” she said, glancing behind. “Mum, Delta, Jordan, everyone.” Abby’s gaze landed on Jordan and her cheeks coloured pink. “It’s been a weekend to remember.” Abby walked onto the plane.
Jordan wouldn’t argue with that summation. Now they just had to get through the final trip home, before they could finally spend some time apart and try to work out how to handle this situation on their own. There was no handbook. They were going to have to write it themselves.
Jordan nodded at Michelle as she passed her, taking in her starched uniform and shiny shoes. Had she been in the army before becoming a regular pilot? Or did they teach similar skills at pilot school, too? It was nice to have her mind focus on a different issue to the one that had overwhelmed her all weekend. However, once she was in the plane and breathing in Abby’s floral perfume that was lingering in the air, that all came crashing down.
She came to a halt near the front of the plane, hovering in the aisle between Abby and Gloria.
“Feel free to sit with your mum on the way back if you like.” Jordan smiled at Gloria, then glanced back down the plane to where Delta was sitting next to Nikita. They looked every inch the couple they proclaimed they were not. “Looks like she’s been dumped by her travel buddy.”
Gloria smiled, reaching down to plump up her travel pillow. “I wouldn’t sit next to me.” She held up her pillow. “I have my trusty friend here, and I plan to pull up my arm rest and lie down for the flight.” She tapped Jordan’s arm. “You sit with Abby. You know what she’s like on take-off. You can hold her hand.” She gave her a wink and turned her attention to getting comfortable.
Okay. She was going to have to call on all her professional qualities for this one. She glanced at Abby, who was busying herself putting her hand luggage in the overhead lockers, studiously ignoring Jordan.
Maybe this could work out. If they just agreed to ignore each other the whole flight, they could get through it no problem.
“You want the window, or the aisle?” Even talking to Abby was strained. As if they were speaking a different language. As if they had nothing in common at all.
Abby stilled at Jordan’s words. “I’ll take the aisle.” She sat, and stared straight ahead.
Jordan stowed her hand luggage, then sat beside her. She fiddled with her phone, ignoring the texts from Karen asking how it was going with her ‘hot bride’. Jordan wanted to respond with a scream emoji, but then she’d have to explain it to Karen. Better to leave it until she got home and could unravel the full extent to her best friend then.
That she’d done the wrong thing. That she wasn’t sure how to fix it. That she wasn’t sure she wanted to fix it.
Jordan put her phone on flight mode, then put it in the pocket on the wall in front of her. She stretched out her legs, wriggling her toes. The silence between her and Abby was deafening. After all the chats they’d had. All the laughs.
Then one kiss.
Now, there was nothing.
Emotion swelled inside Jordan, taking her by surprise. She already missed what they’d had. What they’d built between them this weekend, however brief it had been. Because it had been something. Even before the kiss, they’d had a rapport, a frisson. A connection. After the kiss, that had only increased. Except it couldn’t.
Jordan’s heart was in pieces. There was no lotion or potion she could use to make herself feel better. That was the thing with heartbreak, whatever size. You had to feel it. There was no cure.
Sitting beside the person who’d just wrecked you was definitely not the thing to do. But Jordan didn’t have a choice.
Michelle made the announcement they were ready to leave, and the plane began to taxi along the runway.
Jordan glanced Abby’s way. Her face was pale, her gaze glued straight ahead. She was clutching her armrest so hard, her knuckles were white. When they’d flown over, Jordan had taken Abby’s hand at this point. But now there was an invisible barrier between them, it wasn’t so easy.
However, Jordan was still on the clock. She was still getting paid to make Abby’s weekend as good as it could possibly be. She’d already overstepped the mark on that one. Perhaps she should overstep their invisible barrier now and make Abby’s flight that little bit more bearable. They might not be talking to each other, but they could still communicate.
Jordan took a deep breath, and wrapped her fingers around Abby’s.
Abby’s head jerked, and she went to pull her hand away.
Jordan let go. She wasn’t going to force her if she didn’t want to.
