If You Stay Right Here

Chapter 12

The inside of the jet looked nothing like I had imagined. There were no rows of seats like the many planes I had boarded which took me to the many destinations I had gone to as I was trying to get over the grief of losing my dad. It was lush and had the most elegant looking leather couches and expensive matching coffee tables with ornate cabriole legs. 

 There were plush multi-coloured curtains at the windows which blended well with the rest of the room and a huge plasma screen. Jaydeen walked in slowly appreciating every little detail of the plane before settling down on one the side which was opposite the bar and gave her a good view of the screen.

“That’s my seat” JR’s voice said from behind him.

“Oh sorry” Jaydeen said as she slid from the position she was.

“I don’t think you understand, this whole side is mine, you will have to seat on the other side”

“I thought we could”

“No, I don’t like sharing and in any case there are people who will be sitting with me so..” he said and shrugged

“Oh ok, I didn’t know, I thought…”

“Well you thought wrong” he said.

Jaydeen then takes her bag and moves to the opposite side.

“I sure hope you are not planning on wearing those kind of clothes?” JR said

Stinging as JR’s words were once again Jaydeen chose not to respond, instead she just smiled then looked outside.

JR then rolled his eyes and proceeded to the bar where he ordered himself a drink then sat down.

The tension between them was obvious, it could be felt even by the hosts and hostesses in the plane.

Jaydeen could no longer take it so she decided to be the bigger person

“Look, I know we started off on the wrong foot but I am prepared to put it behind me and we start over”

JR looked at her then laughed sarcastically.

“Are you talking to me?”

“Come on please; I am trying here” Jaydeen said.

“Well maybe you are not trying hard enough and trust me if I was to have my way I would not have chosen to go with Stacey pregnant as she is”

“Yet here we are, can we at least try to get along? I know we started on a wrong foot and if I could I would do it differently”

“But you can’t and I take first impressions very seriously, so sorry I am not going to accept your olive branch ok. Let’s just go and do what we need to do. You stay out of my way and I will stay out of yours, we smile and wave and pretend to get along when we have to, don’t bet on us being friends cause it is not going to happen; in any case I think I have enough friends so no thanks.”

“Wow, ok” Jaydeen says taken back by his frankness and unwillingness to mend their tension.

She breaths in deeply then takes the headphones that are in a compartment on the couch and plugs them in, then closes her eyes trying to contain her emotions. She puts her legs on the leg rest and lies back as the plane takes off. She looks out and watches as it gains speed and breaths in again and swallows hard so her ears wont block then pop as the plane takes off and into the sky.

She is deep in thought, her eyes closed as music is playing in her head when someone nudges her. She opens them and sees a hostess smiling at her. She removes the head phones.

“What can I bring for you to eat or drink” the hostess says with a smile.

Jaydeen sits up and is surprised to see JR with one of the other hostesses on her lap while another is next to him as they drink and shriek. The one on his lap holds a cherry to his mouth and he attempts to grab it with his teeth as she moves it away and they laugh.

JR looks at her

“Haven’t you ever seen people having fun”

Jaydeen then looks back at the hostess, “Err sorry what do you have?” she says

“Well we pretty much have everything, our bar is well stocked up and food wise we have all kids of meat and all veges, fruits and grains; just say the word and our chef will sort you out.

Jaydeen was impressed by this, she then ordered some sushi and a glass of red wine.

“You could order caviar you know?”

“I know, I just like sushi” she replies as she takes a sip of her wine.

“Just saying cause where we are going you have to be a certain person”

“I am happy with who I am thanks” Jaydeen replied matter of factly 

“Take it from me, sometimes that is not good enough” he said

“And you must drop the attitude, it’s annoying to say the least”

Jaydeen bites her lower lip to prevent herself from retorting back. She looks across to where JR and the hostesses are and they all break into laughter.

She stands up and walks out unsure of where she was going to go.

“Are you lost?” the hostess who had taken her order says.

“I am looking for the bathroom” Jaydeen says trying to control her voice and ensuring its breaking will not give away the fact that she was on the verge of tears.

“Its this way?” the hostess says and Jaydeen rushes there. She shuts the door and leans against the door as tears run down her face. She lets them fall freely and she tries to stifle her sobs.

“Are you ok” a voice says from outside

“I am fine” she says as she wipes her tears with the back of her hand.

She then goes to the sink and washes her hands then her face and dabs it with a towel then looks at herself closely to ensure she had gotten rid of all the evidence of what would have been deemed as weakness.

“You are stronger than this” she says to herself as she examines herself again. She then puts some lotion on her hands then unlocks the door and walks out.

The hostess is sitting on a seat not far from the toilet door. She looks up pitifully at Jaydeen as she walks towards her. ”Don’t mind them ok” she said kindly with a warm smile.

“Thank you” Jaydeen responds with a smile as well.

“I am Jaydeen by the way, you are?”

“Tasha, I am Tasha” the hostess says looking a little surprised.

“You look surprised” Jaydeen says.

“Well, all the years I have worked in here no one except for the other crew members has ever bothered to ask me my name, its always hey you, get me a drink, where is this or hurry up” 

“That’s sad” Jaydeen said

“But I am pleased to meet you Tasha” Jaydeen says and they shake hands.

“Your sushi is ready and I will bring it to you shortly” Tasha says”

“Ok cool” Jaydeen says as she walks back to her seat where she finds JR still playing with the hostess who was on the seat. Her top buttons are open and he has his face inside it positioned in between her breasts. Jaydeen just looks then shakes her head as she takes the earphones and plugs them back.

Tasha brings her food a short while later.

“Great choice” she says and winks at Jaydeen who smiles back.

She then sits up and starts eating, music playing loud in her ears and not letting JR and his antiques with the two women bother her no matter how they screech and laugh.