Yes, that’s better. It’s clean, looks professional. Not too casual, but not too formal either.
Then, finally, the paragraph came.
I’m honored to be joining your team and look forward togetting to know each of you over the next few months. Though this is a new chapter for me, I’m stepping into it with deep respect for the company’s legacy and excitement about the road ahead.
That was it. It was simple and safe. With just enough sincerity to sound like I meant it.
I hit save.
The cabin lights softened to a warm glow. Most of the passengers were already reclined or fading into their noise-canceling headphones. First Class had a way of making people disappear fast, one glass of wine and a good pillow, and half the cabin looked like a hotel lobby at midnight.
I kept my headphones in and worked quietly. One spreadsheet open on one side of the screen, the draft email on the other. It wasn’t exactly a ‘rest’, but it was the closest I got.
A little over two hours in, the galley curtain rustled, and there she was again. “Dinner is here,” she said quietly, placing the tray on my table. “Short rib, and here are your utensils.”
“Thanks,” I said, removing my headphones. “Still working?” She glanced at the screen before I shut it. “Yeah, trying to finish something before we land.”
“Something important?” I shrugged.
“It’s an introduction email. I’m starting a new job next week.” She tilted her head slightly. “Oh, is it Paris-based?”
“No. But I have a meeting there, and I could use a break before everything starts.”
“That’s smart. Most people wait until they’re already burned out to take time off.” I smiled faintly.
“Yeah, that’s right. Most people don’t even realize they’re burned out until it’s too late.”
She stayed beside the seat a moment longer, glancing toward the rest of the cabin. A few passengers were already stretched out with blankets over their laps, eyes closed, wine glasses half full on their trays. One was softly snoring.
“It gets quiet up here fast,” she said. “Once the meals are out and the lights go down, it’s like a different flight.”
“Not complaining,” I said. “I need the quiet.” She looked at me for a second, assessing me. “You look like someone who doesn’t get much of that.” She’s not wrong. But before I could respond, she added, “I’ll check on you again in a bit. Let me know if you need anything.”
I turn back to my food, still thinking about the way she said it. Like she’d seen something in me I hadn’t meant to show. Not that it mattered. We’d be in Paris by morning. And people like her didn’t remember the passenger's name in seat 1A.
The tray was cleared, the lights dimmed again, and for a while, I worked in silence. A few more emails. One calendar sync. Half an article I didn’t finish reading.
Eventually, I leaned back, stared at the ceiling panel, and pressed the small button above my seat. The chime was quiet, barely noticeable, but a fewminutes later she appeared, hair tucked neatly behind one ear, with that same calm expression, though her posture was more relaxed.
“Could I bother you for another drink?” I asked. “Of course,” she said with a quick smile, then disappeared behind the galley curtain.
When she came back, she held the drink with both hands and leaned in slightly as she placed it on the tray table. “Double Jack and ginger,” she said, tapping the top of the glass gently with her finger. “On the house.”
I looked up at her, a little surprised. “I thought they were all included?” She shrugged, mouth tugging into something between a grin and a smirk. “They are. But it sounds cooler when I say it like that.”
“Nice one,” I laughed more than I meant to.
She lingered a bit longer this time, resting her hand lightly on the seat, leaning just enough to make the proximity feel intentional. Or maybe that was the drink talking. Still, the angle of her hip, the way her gaze held mine a little longer than necessary… it felt like something.
“Do you spend much time in Paris?” I asked, in a tone way more casual than what I was feeling. “Here and there,” she said. “It’s one of our more regular layovers. Depends on the schedule. You?”
“Not since college,” I said. “This time’s more of a rest stop than a vacation destination.” She nodded.
“That’s one of my favorite things about traveling. Sometimes you go because you want to see something.And others, you go because you need to leave something behind.”
I didn’t reply right away. Instead, she effortlessly shifted the conversation. “Got plans while you're there?” I shook my head. “No agenda. Just walk around, eat something good, and drink. Pretend I’m not starting a whole new life in seventy-two hours.”
Her smile softened. “Sounds like a decent plan.”
