https://youtu.be/0-7IHOXkiV8

"HELLO? Anyone there?"

No, apparently not.

Odd. 

I wanted to tell Josh I'd found the shirt he asked for, here, in one of the airport's duty-free stores, but there's only silence on the other end of the line.

Should I try again?

No, forget about it.

But after the shit I pulled earlier today, I'm certain it'd put a huge smile on his face.

Sure. If that was the real reason why you're calling.

Right, but–

You only want to know who was inside.

Except you already do, don't you?

It's been a while since we last talked, a decade maybe, but I do know it was her. Jimmy's cousin. Once the light of my life, the most amazing girl I'd ever met. Also, the girl who gave me up so easily, who hurt me like no one else ever has.

Olivia Burke. Ten years or not, I'd recognise her in a heartbeat.

And now it's eating at you. She's here for their granddad's funeral and you don't know whether you'll be back in time to see more than a fragment in the distance.

"Shit, what terrible timing," I hear myself groan as I tuck my phone back into my jacket pocket.

The passenger sitting next to me gives an annoyed huff. "Great! That big-mouth idiot is going to break the damn thing and we'll be stuck in here for God-knows-how-long till they fix it!"

I turn my head to check what all the ruckus is about. Two rows behind us, a bulky bloke in an expensive suit is trying to force his carry-on into the overhead, when it quite obviously will never fit in there. One of the flight attendants is trying to reason with him but it looks like a nasty argument is about to break out.

"They should throw them both into the aircraft hold. The bag and the bloody prick," my neighbour adds dryly before letting her head fall back against the seat headrest.

I'm tempted to agree, but I don't say anything. For once I don't feel like making small talk with anyone.

A few moments later I hear her take another deep breath of annoyance and almost grin in amusement.

Not that it matters, but what are the odds? The person I'm going to share an armrest with for the next eight hours happens to be a beautiful woman. She's got a sophisticated yet casual look. Perfect brown skin and a cute face framed by thick hair. And a take-no-shit attitude that reminds me of my sister.

I smile to myself thinking of Sue.

She can be such a pain. The most annoying person in my life, always irritating the bloody hell out of me. Also my biggest supporter. Always pushing me to be the best possible version of myself.

I hate myself for not telling her the truth. But I know she'd try to talk me out of it. Plus, I don't want her to worry any more than she already does.

Preferring to enjoy my solitude, I put in my earbuds, the universal sign you're in a no-talking mood. Mary's antics, my letting Josh down like that, Sue's words this morning rumbling in my head – it's all nagging at me, consuming me from the inside out. The only thing I want is to slam my seat back and shut down. A few hours of uninterrupted sleep, without phone calls or meetings, project descriptions or architectural plans. Or reminiscing on the past.

"Dear passengers, this is your captain speaking. We have now reached our cruising altitude. Please feel free to move around the aircraft–"

"But please stay inside until we land. Because it's a bit chilly outside." The words come with a gentle tap on my arm. "Excuse me. May I?" My neighbour gestures toward the lavatory.

"Yes, of course." I unbuckle and step into the aisle to let her past, making use of the opportunity to get my iPad out of the overhead bin.

Taking the moment to stretch my legs, I lean against the side of the seat and turn the device on while waiting for her to return.

A few minutes later she's back. Out of the corner of my eye, I see an easy smile playing on her lips.

"Thank you." Big brown eyes meet mine, and she leans forward a little, lingering at my chest for an instant before slipping back into the middle seat, the sweet, spicy scent of her perfume staying behind with me.

"You're welcome." I give her a tight smile.

"What?" she asks out of nowhere moments later, glancing at the iPad screen.

"Didn't say anything."

"Are those your kids?" On the background image, a picture of Josh and Emma making silly faces.

"Nephew and niece." I swipe at the screen to unlock it, not elaborating any further.

"Is it business or pleasure?"

"Sorry?"

"Are you travelling for work?"

"Yes." I turn the iPad toward her, on the screen some calculations on a spreadsheet.

"Me too. Covering a fashion event. Photographer. How well do you know the city?"

"Not that well, I'm afraid." I lie. After four years of studying at NYIT, I know it like the back of my hand.

"Oh, I just love New York! You can travel the world without leaving Brooklyn, how amazing is that? It has this special vibe you don't find anywhere else. And do you know where the best pizza in the world is? In Old Fulton Street. Best Beer? East Village," she goes on, brimming with enthusiasm, gesturing with her hands dramatically to emphasise her views. "And let's not forget, Spider-Man and Jay-Z live in New York. So basically, before you can say 'Bob's your uncle' you're already hooked on it!"

Shekeeps talking and talking. A mile a minute.

'Hey, when we land, would you be up for a threesome?', I feel tempted to ask as usually there's no quicker way to get walked out on. But in the end, I restrain myself. I'm not that kind of asshole and she does have a sparkle in her eyes I find both intriguing and entertaining.

"What's your name again?"

"Josephine. Friends call me Jo." She reaches out and clasps my hand in a firm handshake, her brown, curious eyes penetrating mine.

"Brian."

I wake up at 2 a.m. to adjust my pillow. The armrest is up, and Josephine is leaning up against me, her head on my shoulder. I set her straight and adjust the blanket around her neck.

She's an interesting girl indeed. She can babble profusely about anything for hours, but still be funny. She seems smart and exudes such positive energy.

Or just plain craziness, hard to tell.

Anyway, she has asked me if I was up for a drink one of these nights, but I politely said no. Back in London, maybe. I probably hold the distinction of being the only bloke stupid enough to refuse such a generous offer, but I honestly prefer to sit alone with my thoughts and a bottle of red. I need no distractions. All I want is to finish what I came here for and get back home.

*

One month later...

Naked, she slips out of bed in the dark and strides towards the glass wall. Looking out in silence at the New York skyline, the reflection of her beautiful, perfectly shaped body is framed by a million specks of light coming from the surrounding office towers.

The image is breathtaking.

From among the clothes scattered on the floor, I pick up her black scarf and follow, circle her from behind and hold her tight against my chest, a familiar floral scent clinging to my nostrils, carrying me away.

'I love you,' I whisper against her face, one hand gliding along the curve of her waist, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

Heated eyes land on the reflected figures as black silk traces a line down her neck, over the collarbone. A caress over the soft swell of her breasts and she leans her head back, gasping at the sensations, breathing out my name in a fading murmur.

It makes me feel feverish.

I cover her eyes with the smooth fabric and tie it gently, taking only a moment to stare at us, at her body gathered into my arms, my skin pressed against her skin. At her chest, rising and falling in an uneven cadence. At the parted lips, demanding to be captured.

She moves to turn, but I hold her in place. "Don't!"

Her breathing deepens in anticipation as my hand slides down her neck and serpentines around her full breasts, down her stomach, her inner thighs. Which I spread gently, cautious fingers delving into moist flesh, each steady movement making her body squirm against me.

"Brian? If you only knew how much..." Her voice trails off into a murmur.

"What?" I search for an answer on the mirrored surface.

She's biting her lower lip, the arm looped around my neck pulling me closer, her whole body falling apart with pleasure.

"How much...?" I intensify the rhythm of my touch.

"I missed you. I missed you so much." She arches her back and another whimper escapes her lips, sending a violent shiver through my body. I feel maddened, unable to contain the wave of craving rising inside me.

Turning her, I pin her against the cold wall and kiss her. A dark, possessive kiss. Relentless fury combined with unyielding passion.

I take only a second to come up for air, both of us breathing heavily, before my mouth plunges into hers again, for another hungry kiss, our tongues intertwining in frenetic, desperate motion.

"Tell me that you're mine," I breathe into her mouth, the tone raw and commanding, before my teeth nip her lower lip not so gently.

She smothers a cry, pleasure and pain mixing as one.

Another swift movement and I have her facing the city again, hands splayed against the glass, the flicker of the city lights pouring into the darkness inside and reflecting on her skin.

"Tell me!"

"I am. Yours only." Her breath comes in fevered gasps, every stroke of my hand fondling her breasts and running down her back making her quiver.

"Say you love me too," I breathe out against her temple, my arms enveloping her, drawing her even closer against me.

"I do. Always have," she says softly...

...until a hard shudder racks my body and I spin her around. "So why did you leave me?" In a blaze of anger, I yank the blindfold from her face. "Tell me, Olivia! Why the fuck did you leave me like that?" I demand, gripping her upper arms with both hands, shaking her.

The same deep green eyes that have haunted my sleep so many times before stare back at me, scared, and I wake up frantic, in a cold sweat, my heart beating so fast it feels it might just burst.

Christ, what in the bloody hell was that?

Seven in the morning, I check on my phone with half-closed, heavy eyes, and sit upright on the bed for a few moments, forcing my breathing to calm down.

Struggling against the drowsiness, I pad down the hallway into the kitchen. My mouth is dry, I need something to drink. And a pill to fix this.

After a few swallows straight from the tab and several splashes of cold water on my face, I scowl at my image reflected in the window.

Shit, last night's dinner!

The moment Olivia's dad mentioned she wasn't coming to Jimmy's wedding today, something tore open inside me. I acted nonchalant, as if I wasn't even paying attention to the conversation, but for some stupid reason it stirred me up, it made me so restless.

Olivia got stuck at work or something, I don't know. I don't care.

Except I do care. But giving it too much importance would be like opening myself up to a fucking Pandora's box. And that's the last thing I need right now.

Shit, my head. It's thudding like a goddamned drum, the pain only getting worse when my eyes fall on the woman lying on the sofa.

"Is it time already?" A sleepy, rough, female voice comes from under the messy covers and I need to do a brief resetting exercise to recall how she ended up here, in my living room.

"No, Jo. All good, go back to sleep."

Rolling over, she hums something I don't understand and snuggles back down.

Wild, free-spirited and fully unpredictable, Josephine has the ability to take me out of myself, to forget it all. Granted, she's a little out there, the kind of girl who does adventurous things and lives without thinking too much about the consequences. Always ready for another drink, another late party, another man.

But to me, she's strictly a friend. Nothing more, nothing less, and that's how I want it to stay.

She doesn't ask questions. She doesn't judge me about anything. That's why I've come to enjoy her company. Truth is, this past month she's been kind of a fix for something and I don't even know what it is.

And maybe it's better to leave it at that, I conclude, as I drag myself back to the bedroom and fall on the bed. I'm not ready for any brutal truths. I guess for now I'd rather stick with the comforting lies.

~~~~

More coming soon :-)

Ana xo