Love for Love

"Now that, I think, is possibly the biggest lie that either of us have heard," I said as I turned back to the folder and trying to hide the red flush that was slowly traveling up my neck and across my cheeks.

I heard him give a small laugh as he joined my by sitting in the vacant seat beside me and doing his belt across his waist. I tried to keep myself from glancing over at him and completely focused on the folder in front of me. There was just a few things that I had to go over, that's all.

"But you can't just ignore me like that the entire flight," Tom said, the sultry sounds of his soft British accent wafting over to me once more.

I gave him a confused look, his smiling knowing that he had finally drawn me out of the concentration I was so intent on keeping.

"Were you reading my thoughts?" I commented.

"I was reading you, not your thoughts," he replied, extending his hand over to me and motioning for the folder that I held. "A new job?"

"Just a shifting around of one," I said, handing him the manila folder that I held. He quickly flicked through it, his eyes moving over the lines of words faster than I ever could.

"You going to be based in London now," Tom said, finally looking up from the folder and closing it. "I'm in luck."

"How do you mean?" I said, my confusion deepening.

"I can share more than a few drinks with you on this flight."

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I'd like to say that I got a little more intoxicated than I would have liked. Tom and I were sharing a bottle of really nice red wine together, despite my dislike for the stuff. He had made me have the stuff and I didn't want to be any more rude by not having a bottle of wine he kindly bought for me...for us.

We were about two glasses of wine in when I began to sneeze and there, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you one of the main reasons why I don't any type of wine or champagne. The sneezes that accompany it.

I covered my nose, holding out the third glass of wine that Tom and I were drinking, and looking to him totally embarrassed. I flushed a further red than I already was from the wine and kindly curled myself up into a ball of embarrassment.

Tom's laugh sent shock waves through the air to and goosebumps across my arms even though I was wearing a jumper. I felt him take the glass that I was holding from my hand and setting down into the cup holder in the arm rests. He then pulled out something from his pocket and attempted to give it to me.

He laughed again, sending another bout of goosebumps across my body and reached over to untangle me. I flinched at his touch, pulling away from him and pressing myself against the wall of the aircraft. He gave me a look of worry.

"Did I do something wrong?" he said, voice full of concern.

"No, no," I said, returning to a sitting position and taking the tissue from him. "You just shocked me."

"By touching you?" he said, his eyebrows knotting.

"You have more affect on the people around you than you might think," I replied, self-consciously blowing my nose and turning away as I did so.

"I see," Tom said, picking up his own glass of wine and taking a long drink.

I pocked the tissue that he had given me and reached over to get my glass of wine. As I went to pick it up, Tom saw what I was about to do and went to pick it up also, as if he was going to give it to me so I didn't have to reach across him for my drink.

There was an awkward moment as we got a little too close for my comfort. Our faces were close enough that I could feel his breath upon my skin. I could smell the faint sweetness of the wine that we were having rolling off his lips. Our hands were touching lightly upon the glass from when we both reached for it at the same time.

His eyes searched me, those deep pools of green and blue. Looking into his eyes was like an endless sea waiting to be searched -- it was uncharted and open for the taking. I felt his hand pulling mine from the wine and encapsulating my hand in his. His fingers felt long and rough, despite his line of work.

And as much as I would hate to admit, I liked the feel of his fingers on mine.

I felt my breath catch in my throat as Tom shifted in his seat, his face getting closer to mine before pulling away as if he wanted a little more room to study me. As if there was anything more to study of me. I was an average girl, or so I thought.

On a whim, I was about to try something and began to move towards him. I could tell that he wasn't going to stop me either because in his eyes a I saw a flicker of recognition of what I was going to do and how much he wanted to try it also. Tom's eyes went to my lips before returning to my eyes once more.

"Your food for this evening."

I jumped in shock when I heard the voice of the flight attendant, bouncing back into my seat. I was stiff and sat up straighter than I have ever sat in my life, if that was possible. I could tell that Tom was in about as much shock as I was, sitting in his seat motionless like he was.

What I didn't realise was that I was holding my breath for an extended period of time and I felt my chest was starting to hurt from the lack of air. At the same time, as if by coincidence, Tom and I let out a deep breath of air. I pulled out a tray table from my seat and accept the plate of food that the flight attendant passed over to me.

"Thank you," I said to her, my voice a little horse.

She then handed a plate of food to Tom who took it, grateful for something to focus on to try and calm himself down from the high that he just experience. He finished off the glass of wine that he still held and set it down on the tray table in front of him.

I glanced over to him to see that he still had my glass of wine in his cup holder. I was considering reaching over and taking it but I concluded that it was not a good idea. I really didn't want another retake of what just happened.

Or did i?