CHAPTER 12: MORINA
696 Words
“You’re very territorial of this little hometown, aren’t you?”
“Isn’t everyone territorial of their home?”
He thought about it for a minute, and we let the plane take us high into the sky in those moments. The flight attendant didn’t have the audacity to come back and tell us to put our seat belts on. Thankfully, the pilot seemed to navigate the skies well.
“I guess I’m territorial of what I own. A home could potentially be a part of that.” That was a weird sentiment.
I didn’t dive into it though. It wasn’t my intention to know more about this man. I’d already learned way more than I normally liked to. The feeling made me itch, made me antsy. Maybe skydiving wasn’t such a bad idea … I probably did have some sort of commitment problem. I was faced with the sad fact as I sat there knowing I’d be stuck on the plane with him for another twenty minutes.
“So, I’m going to go sit in the seat up front,” I said almost to myself as I stared down at nothing on my phone.
This was too awkward. I was being forced to basically have a morning-after with a one-night stand when all I wanted was a quick walk of shame home. He didn’t come to sit next to me.
I heard him answer his phone and breathed a sigh of relief. If he was working, it meant we wouldn’t have to have a morning-after conversation. I pulled up horoscopes for the day and started reading mine.
“You’re a Sagittarius,” he murmured, standing over my shoulder.
I jumped and clicked my phone off immediately.
“I like to read all of the signs. Not just mine.” He narrowed his eyes, then motioned for me to scoot over so he could take the aisle seat and I’d be at the window. I glanced across the aisle, and he caught my subtle hint quick enough to take a seat there instead.
“I’m guessing we’re not exchanging numbers.” I fiddled with the edge of my crop top.
“I don’t mind.” I totally did.
Normally, men didn’t ask and I didn’t disclose. That was the problem with a jet back home. This was too much time to fill space with unnecessary chitchat. He smiled at me.
“I think you do. It makes me want to ask again for some reason.”
“That’s pretty twisted, Bastian.”
“I agree, especially because I’m in the business of forming connections that everyone feels comfortable with.” I hummed but didn’t push further.
Bastian was in another business dimension that I was sure would kill the cat if it was curious enough. I’d met my limit with him. I’d crossed enough limits too. The plane began its descent, and my breathing started to normalize.
“Thanks for the flight to that little unknown island.” I nodded out the window.
“Thanks for watching the sunrise with me,” he said back.
“It’s a different type of experience next to a beautiful woman who appreciates it.”
“I think most women would appreciate a flight and a sunrise, Bastian.” It’d be absurd for him to think I was the only one.
“You stare at the ocean like a mermaid who belongs there, little girl. It’s a different experience with you.”
“No, I don’t.”
“You don’t?” He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head as he looked me over.
“How would you know? You look at yourself in the mirror every time you’re at a beach?” I chewed my cheek, trying to hold back a snide remark.
“For someone in the business of connecting with people and making them feel comfortable, you sure don’t have a way with me.”
“We connect differently. That’s for sure.” I rolled my eyes.
“Well, that connection is about to be over.” He didn’t say anything back.
We disappeared into our own phones, our own lives, and our own priorities.
- Writer
