Chapter 6

It was boarding time!

“Finally!” Nicole sighed from across the small room where she’d opted to lounge with James after her encounter with Richie. “We can finally get on the damn plane. My friend is worried nonstop,” she rummaged through her purse making sure she wasn’t leaving any of her assets in the hotel. 

James smiled at her irritated self, he knew she was riled up already from the stranger she met and further push could tick her off. She never did change.

“You know, you haven’t changed much since high school?” He started. “Look at you, all riled up and simmering from an encounter. Remember when you had a back-and-forth with the lab master during one of our practicals back in high school? He had accused you of breaking the thermometer.” James huffed humorously. “I’d never seen you that angry and loud and unrelenting. You were determined to show him you weren’t some timid girl to be taken for granted. He knew you didn’t break that stuff but he wanted to pin it on you.”

Nicole stood there and thought about what he said. “It was the first time I ever talked back to an adult. I’m not like that.”

“You say that, but I can see the agitation rippling through your face because of that guy, is he an ex?”

She didn’t respond, rather she gathered her stuff and straightened to look at him. “It was nice meeting you. James. Thanks for keeping me company… and for the chapstick. Safe flight then,” she marched out to the room and through the hallway leading to their awaiting flight. She didn’t book a first-class ticket, not that she couldn’t afford to but she wanted to do that on her way back.

When every tension in her body was gone all she needed was to relax. The first class was the best place to start after a week's stress. Now she was more grateful for not booking that class because she knew James would be there likewise Richie who loved every opportunity to show off his money.

“Welcome to Arling Airways,” the robotic voice of a flight attendant greeted her as she searched for her seat. She prayed it was the window side. She loved peering down at the clouds even though there was nothing much to see.

Yass!!! She got the window seat. Nicole relaxed after chugging her purse into the overhead compartment. She relaxed and shuffled through her playlist for some soulful music. She wasn’t sure how long it was but when she looked around there was no one occupying the seat beside her and everyone seemed to be settled.

Then she saw a male flight attendant chattering with another group before turning to walk back down the other end of the plane, he passed her chair. Nicole tilted her neck to understand what the fuss was about. There seemed to be an issue with someone. Her eyes met his from the back where he stood with the same male attendant.

Richard’s face held worry and frustration, he tapped at his ticket twice and whispered words that got the attendant apologizing again. Then suddenly he was led through the room to where Nicole sat confused.

“Here sir, this is the only space remaining on the plane. We sincerely apologize for the mix-up. We’ll reimburse you immediately when we arrive in Beijing.”

He wanted to complain, speak back at the guy before him but when he saw her, words melted in his tongue. He barely nodded before flapping down on the empty seat.
After a slight bow and another apology from the attendant, Nicole and Richard were left to deal with the awkwardness of the situation.

“Hi… again,” he rasped, his manly scent filling up the space. Nicole eyed him disbelievingly, not sure what to make of it.

“Hello,”

“Just so you know, it was never my intention to be here. I’m not stalking you if that’s what you think, they had overbooked the first class and had to downgrade me instead.” Richard shuffled restlessly in his seat. “I don’t know, I’m only assuring you of my clear intentions. I won’t disturb you all the way, okay?”

“I hear you,” they didn’t say anything to each other again until the plane took off. Nicole felt the need to relieve herself so she gently tapped a sleeping Richard as he made way for her to use the bathroom.
She’d returned after a second visit to the bathroom when Richard decided to ask if she was okay.

“Are you alright?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know, it’s not normal to visit the loo twice in a row. If you need the medics just say and I’ll call them for you, you know this is a long trip.”

Nicole scoffed dryly and rolled her eyes maliciously at him. “Not normal,” she muttered and returned to page thirty-five of her sweet novel one day by David Nicholls.

Again she felt her bowels rumble like a jungle, like her intestines were waging war with whatever she ate before boarding the plane. She’d gone to the bathroom twice with little effect and she wasn’t ready for a third round. Passengers were beginning to give her the look, and Richard’s little attention was eating at her. How would she manage to be beside him for hours without running mad with anger? She knew with Richie the past sprouting up was inevitable, the hurt and pain would eventually be resurrected but she didn’t know how much longer she could hold it off.

He sat there with his laptop, typing away like his life depended on it. She’d steal glances at him just to see if he’d given up with whatever it was that held his attention but he hardly slept. He only shut his eyes a few minutes after their plane took off. Nicole sighed inwardly, a reminder of what she’d loved about the man beside her—back then after the incident, she didn’t quite agree he was mature enough to be referred to as a man, she’d rather stick to a playboy, yes that was what Richie was to her. An immature boy who loved to play with a woman's heart.

But now… she wondered if he’d grown into a man, what if that boy was still lurking around somewhere? Her eyes focused on the chapter of her book trying to read the lines and grasp more about the sweet Emma Morley and her secret crush on Dexter Mayhew. She thought of how Dexter reminded her of Richie with his licentious lifestyle and desire to skip through life in a haze. Never having an in-depth look into true love and fulfillment, Emma was her in a manner that they both knew what they wanted and had the uttermost respect for relationships and love.

She’d always known that she loved Richie, that she’d want to one day walk down the altar with him and have little look-a-likes for Richard. She’d always known that nothing could change her love for him and that she’d be loyal if only he was. Unfortunately, his dreams weren’t like hers, he’d been perusing life the way he saw it and at the end of the day just like Rapunzel, she’d been stuck in a dream castle she’d been building on her own.

Her belly wretched again, this time with a forceful need to defecate. Nicole swore under her breath, shut the book tight, and ran for the bathroom. What had she eaten? She couldn’t tell.

A prickle of tears rolled down her cheeks as she felt relief wash over her. As much as she felt better she felt weak at the amount of glucose she’d lost. A heavy bang came on the door and the snappy voice of an older woman whom she’d met on her way filtered through the bathroom. “It’s been over a minute girl, are you having a child?” Nicole waited and heard one of the hostesses addressing the woman, probably encouraging her to exercise more patience.

She felt embarrassed all over again, now the whole cabin would tag her as the bathroom lady who could keep her butt in check. She palmed her face and cringed, there was Richard too.

The final bang came again and Nicole was almost done rinsing her hands, she snatched the door open and glared down at the robust woman before her.
“I’m done already, you know there’s something called patience,” she seethed and gave way for the lady to walk past but she didn’t.

“There’s also something called visiting your loo before jumping on a flight! This is public transport and not your personal space girl! I thought you were old enough to get that!” Nicole frowned.

“Mind your business—“

“No, you watch your tongue lady. Look how the whole place is messed up because you refused to check yourself! Aren’t you too old—“

“Ma’am,” a female hostess returned to her side and nudged her. “You can go in now,” she ushered.

“No, I can’t!” She insisted. “That young lady has messed up the air and it’s filthy. I can’t go in there.”

The hostess sent a look at Nicole and then stepped in to check the bathroom. She peeped from the door and assured the lady there was nothing like that. “It’s clear ma’am, no bad smell,”

“What did you do to my wife?” A man much older than the burly woman rumbled from behind his wife. “Darling that girl is rude! She’s messed up the bathroom now I can’t take a pee. She can’t even apologize.”

“Heck yeah!” Nicole muttered with an eye roll. The husband glared at her.

“You!” He pointed at Nicole. “Apologize to my wife now or you’ll have something worse going for you.”

“Sir,” the air hostess called, seeing the little build-up from the bathroom end more hostesses joined to help settle the matter. “She has no requirement to apologize after using the bathroom, your wife just needs to relax and use the bathroom. There’s—”

He snatched Nicole’s collar like she was some insolent schoolgirl stopping the hostess from her explanation.

“Let my girlfriend go or I’ll smack the living daylight out of your eyes!” Came his thunder’s voice.