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Meanwhile, she needed to keep her mind occupied. She saw a few people sneaking selfies with Finn in the background, to which she didn’t object, since it kept their germy air at a distance. Finn noticed the efforts of one teen boy, and pulled his mask down for the photo, giving him a smile and a wave. Ecstatic, the boy was shouting as he ran back to his family.
When the pre-boarding was announced, her heart went into overdrive. Her muscles were coiled tight, ready to bolt to safety and let Finn continue on his own. But when he stood and gathered his bags, she remembered she had to carry one of his suitcases. As all of his meds and equipment had to be in carryon luggage, he had more than he could handle alone. Concentrating on her purpose, she told herself she could always get him settled on board and escape before the plane took off.
She was surprised how well the gangplank disguised the plane until she actually reached the doorway. She took a deep breath and stepped through, pretending she was inside a bus, rather than a flying deathtrap. Heading straight to Finn’s seat, she doused it with antiseptic spray. In addition, she wiped down the back of the seat in front of him, the tray table, the window, and the adjacent seat.
“Don’t touch anything.” She ordered as he moved to sit down, his crinkled eyes a testimony to the grin he sported under his mask. She continued, “Keep your face covered. Change your gloves if you touch anything. If someone close to you is sick, ask to move.”
“Yes, I know. I’ll be fine.” His brows furrowed. “There was an empty seat beside me. You should’ve let me upgrade your ticket, and we wouldn’t have to worry if someone was sick.”
“The whole reason we’re doing this is to save money for the kids, right? Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose?”
“It’s too late now, but I’d prefer to have you beside me on the way home. I’ll pay for it out of my personal funds.”
She barely heard him, because the sides of the plane were beginning to narrow. She forgot all about hiding her phobia, her only thought to escape while she could. She started back toward the door, but the flight attendant, a kind-faced woman who looked to be in her forties, stopped her.
“Ma’am. I’m sorry, but once you’ve boarded, you can’t get off.”
“I… uh… got lost.”
The woman’s face grew dark around the edges, and Laurie grabbed the wall for balance.
“Let me see your ticket.” She snatched it from Laurie’s slack fingers. “Seat twenty-four A. I’ll help you find it.”
Gentle pressure on her shoulders turned her body and moved her down the aisle. Soon she was sitting, though barely aware of her surroundings.
“Do you feel okay?” the flight attendant asked. “If you’re going to throw up, there’s a bag in the seatback in front of you.”
“My purse,” Laurie mumbled. “I have a paper bag.”
“It’s on the floor, right in front of you. Is this your first time to fly?”
“First time I remember.” Groping until she found the paper bag, Laurie put it over her nose and mouth, collapsing the bag with every gasping breath.
“Excuse me a minute,” the attendant said. “I’m being called to the front. We’re about to start general boarding. But I’ll come back to check on you.”
Laurie nodded, concentrating on breathing into the bag. How long was she supposed to do this? Would she eventually pass out from lack of oxygen? That seemed like the best possible outcome. She kept her eyes squeezed shut, trying to pretend she was in her desk chair at Limitless. But noises and voices intruded, spoiling her illusion.
Frozen and helpless, she sat on the edge of sheer panic. At some point, the bag slipped from her fingers, drifting out of her reach. She’d been wise to choose a window seat, since she couldn’t possibly have stood up to let someone get past her. Her heart pounded so hard it hurt. Maybe I’m having a heart attack.
The flight attendant returned as promised and asked if she needed anything, but Laurie shook her head, unable to respond. Then the plane engine started, and her heart escalated until she could feel the pulse in her throat. Tears squeezed out of her eyes, and she swallowed a sob.
A hand reached around her, and she heard her seatbelt click into place.
“You have to wear this.”
Finn!
&n
bsp; He wasn’t supposed to be there. It wasn’t safe. She should send him away, back to his disinfected seat. But his warm hand touched hers, and she grabbed on, clinging for dear life.
Finn lifted the armrest between them, sliding his arm around her shoulder. She leaned into him as if she were trying to disappear into his side.
Why hadn’t she told him she had a flying phobia? In retrospect, he could see the signs, and now he understood why she’d insisted on traveling by train. But it hurt to know she hadn’t trusted him with the truth.
Yet, as terrified as she was, she’d agreed to fly, just to guard him against a possible infection. He ought to feel guilty about her sacrifice, but he still believed it was for the best. He couldn’t have kept her safe on that train. Never again would he fail when someone he loved needed his protection.
Someone he loved? Had he truly let himself fall in love with this woman, knowing nothing could ever come of it?
