Love In The Air

There's something adventurous about being in a new city every day. The excitement of being in the air and being transported to a new place, where anything could happen. It was like a dream come true. Most kids dream of it being Disneyland where their dreams come true but for Sarah Pryor, being able to fly through the air was her dream come true, her happiest place on Earth.

Of course, the path to where she was, wasn't an easy one. At twenty-six years old, the six foot tall blonde hadn't always known she wanted to be a flight attendant. In fact, she had spent years trying her hand at several things before deciding this was what she wanted. After a conversation one night with a family member, she was sold on becoming a flight attendant.

Near the end of April, 2011, Sarah found herself walking through SFO airport. She had been lucky enough to have spent a few days at home, catching up with her mother, and watching her favorite NHL team, the San Jose Sharks, win the first round of the playoffs against one of their rivals, the LA Kings. That was one thing she wasn't always thrilled about with flying constantly. It often meant missing the sport she loved.

On that day, Sarah and the rest of the crew she tended to work with were flying from San Francisco to humid Dallas. Luckily for them, they didn't have to get off the plane or even leave the airport because from there, they would be flying to Milwaukee, where they would be getting in around 9 PM.

When they landed in Dallas, Sarah and the two other attendants on the flight, Katie and Mallory, immediately got to work on picking up miscellaneous items that had been spread about the plane and restocking the carts due to only having a half an hour before they would begin boarding again.

The girls finished their work with just a few seconds to catch their breath, before they started boarding the first class passengers and family's with small children. Getting them settled had always taken a bit longer than Sarah would like, but she grinned and bared it because they were the customer and it was her duty to make them happy, no matter how rude they could sometimes be.

As the last few rows of passengers were beginning to board, a sort of scruffy looking man was taking his place in first class. The only belongings he carried with him on the plane were a bottle of water and a backpack that he stuffed under the seat.

Sarah was making her rounds, checking the overhead bins to make sure they were secure, while Mallory was finishing up the customary routine of explaining how to properly buckle your seat-belt and what was to be done in case of emergency. When she reached the row of the man who had taken his seat later than everyone else in first class, she caught a glimpse of him. Being the avid hockey fan she was, even from just a quick glance, she'd recognize him anywhere. It was Adam Burish, currently of the Dallas Stars.

When the flight was finally up in the air, the girls set to work on getting everyone's drink orders placed. Sarah came to the row Adam was seated in and he glanced up at her, giving her one of his signature smiles.

“Hello, would either of you like something to drink or eat?” she asked of Adam and the elderly businessman who was seated at the window.

The older man ordered a whiskey and coke, while Adam just asked for a cup of ice for his bottled water he had gotten at one of the stands in the airport. Sarah smiled at them both and gave them what they asked for. As she was bringing her hand back from handing Adam his cup, he glanced at her wrist, noticing the San Jose Sharks charm bracelet that lay on her wrist. This caused Adam to grin wolfishly.

“Nice bracelet,” he commented.

Sarah didn't know what he was talking about so she looked at her wrist. When she noticed it, a light blush filled her cheeks from embarrassment. If she couldn't be decked out in black and teal, she would quietly support her team as best she could. The bracelet and her black and teal painted toenails being her choice.

“Thanks,” she told him proudly. “Mr. Burish. Hope that eye of yours is feeling better.”

Adam was shocked she had heard about his injury. He was often overlooked and he had to admit, it felt good knowing that someone who wasn't necessarily a fan of his team had been paying attention and even a couple months after the fact, taken into consideration that his eye could still possibly be bothering him. Sarah walked away after throwing one last smile his way and began to finish filling more drink requests.

The whole flight, all Adam could think about as he tried to read the book he had brought with him, was the blonde who had caught his attention. She had come back by a few times, checking on everyone in the area surrounding him, including himself. Each time, he told her he was fine and smiled at her.

When the plane landed in Milwaukee, Adam waited until there were just a few more people milling around before he began gathering his belongings. As he slung his backpack over his shoulder, Sarah walked by and he put his hand on her arm to stop her.

“Can I help you?” she asked him kindly.

“This may seem a bit forward but I was wondering if I could have your number, maybe catch up with you next time you're in the area or we're in the same city together?”

Sarah smirked at him, knowing her answer would throw him off a bit, “Sorry, but I don't think that's a good idea. I'll see you around.” And she was gone, heading toward the rear of the plane to check to make sure things were picked up, leaving a stunned Adam Burish in her dust.

That day was the beginning of one crazy ride in life.