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The six thirty plane had begun boarding it’s passengers for the nonstop flight to the Cincinnati International Airport. Lindy had been in a rush as soon as she stepped foot out of her cab. With her carry-on bag and luggage, she hastened through the automatic doors toward check-in. She was running late once again, and the anxiety she was used to feeling had turned into expectation over the countless times this had happened to her. LA traffic was always the worst; and she should have anticipated being caught up in the never ending jam of the bustling city.
An enveloped ticket was handed to her by the smiling blonde at the check in desk, Lindy wasted no time in thanking the woman to hurry off to her gate. After becoming a frequent flyer, the process of finally getting aboard her flight became routine. Anxiously checking her watch in the security check, hurrying past people who were concerned with their own itineraries, needing a sudden bathroom break, until finally making it to her destination. But this time, Lindy had been running on fumes from barely catching a wink of sleep the night before. An uneasy feeling rose in her chest and she quickly checked the time as she rushed towards her gate. Without being aware of the other people around her, she hadn’t notice a stranger that bent down to tie their shoelaces. As soon as she looked up from her watch it was too late. Lindy had tripped over the stranger and fell face first into the hard tiled floor.
“Oh my god, miss, are you okay?” A warm hand rested on Lindy’s shoulder as she let out a low groan. A second hand was added to her other shoulder as she was lifted into a sitting position. The stranger cleared their throat before a deep, soothing voice spoke slowly, “Miss, are you alright?” Lindy put a palm to her forehead as she closed her eyes and nodded her head slowly, “Yeah…I’ll be just fine. I just need a quick breather and I’ll be good to go.” She was lifted to her feet by the stranger she had tripped over as she quickly apologized for her clumsiness. When she opened her eyes, her vision was flooded with bright flashes of color. Once the stranger released his supportive arms, Lindy had felt dizzy once again and nearly fell back over. Until the stranger held her by the waist and sat her down on a chair.
“Yeah, you aren’t going anywhere just yet.” A soft chuckle came from the person beside her and a light blush settled on her cheeks. She blinked slowly and finally got a good look at the person who had helped her. He was a young man with a beautiful face and a sturdy build that was emphasized by his red flannel. His face had the right amount of scruff and a charming grin. He had dark brown eyes that were gentle and patient as he waited for Lindy to say something. She stammered over herself as she tried to remember what words were, but began to embarrass herself instead. As soon as she regained her composure, a short ring came from the pocket of his dark wash jeans. He quickly stood and looked back down at the young woman, “I’m sorry for bumping into you the way I did, but I almost forgot that I have a flight to catch. I hope your day gets better.” Just like that, the man who rendered her speechless was rushing into a large crowd. Without missing a beat, Lindy remembered she had minutes before her own plane left the ground. She slipped her backpack on quickly and headed for her departure gate.
With seconds to spare, Lindy had arrived as soon as they announced the last boarding call. She plucked the ticket from her backpack and handed it to the flight attendant. Relief washed over her as she exhaled the anxiety from her system. She had barely made it in one piece, but made it to the plane nonetheless. Lindy slowly moved through the gray walkway to give herself enough time to wipe the sweat off her brow. The last thing she wanted to be was a sweaty mess when entering the close proximity of the airplane cabin.
Nearly everyone was seated and ready for take off, but a single row near the back of the plane. That must be me, she thought, and made her way to the rear end of the cabin. Lindy furrowed her brows as she checked the ticket for her seat number, and grinned when she realized she had that window seat. She happily stowed away her backpack underneath her seat and made herself comfortable. The time had past six thirty and she wondered if the passenger beside her couldn’t make their flight after all. But she smiled to herself anyways when she thought she had the row entirely to herself. Lindy sighed contentedly as she settled back in her seat. The sun had started to rise in the horizon and its rays shined in the young woman’s dark brown eyes. Before she knew it, she drifted off to sleep
Slight turbulence shook the cabin and woke Lindy with a start. A quiet squeal barely left her lips as her eyes opened wide. She had fallen asleep and found herself on the shoulder of the passenger next to her. Abruptly realizing her awkward placement against her seat mate, she quickly lifted her head. With the sudden movement, she bumped her temple against the person’s head next to her. Lindy hissed from the slight pain and rubbed her head gently, “Ugh, not again…”
“It seems you have an affinity for testing how thick your head is.” A deep groan came from person beside her, as she looked over her shoulder. To her shock it was the man she had tripped over earlier and she smiled sheepishly, “We need to stop meting like this, you know.” He chuckled in response and looked over at her with a grin that matched her own. Lindy straightened herself in her seat as she turned to face him, “it would be nice to know your name though.” She smiled and extended her right hand toward him, “My name is, Lindy Reyes.” His hand met hers with a solid shake, “Mark Fischbach. It’s nice to meet you.”