The Only Way is Up

Part Fifty Five

Chapter Fifty Five

The beauty of first class travel was the seclusion of each seat. Despite travelling with Maxim, the angle of the seat and the wall that divided them meant that Nicole didn't have to talk to him for the majority of the trip. The cabin crew were really attentive, she wanted for nothing, and the in-flight entertainment included a dozen or more chick flicks and rom-coms that were more than enough to keep her busy...until she fell asleep.

When she woke, she could feel that the plane was starting to descend. Her plans to walk, drink water had been shelved. Standing she stretched, the baby moved inside her and she realised that the flight was affecting him or her. Glancing to the seat opposite, she smiled at the sight of Maxim asleep, those long eyelashes fanning his cheeks, his arms crossed, his clothes crumpled.

Turning she visited the bathroom, washed her face, sprayed herself with perfume and cleaned her teeth. And left there feeling a million times better.

A stewardess emerged from behind a curtain as she closed the bathroom door, and smiled at her.

"Can I get you anything?"

Suddenly her stomach rumbled, "have you got a glass of water please, I'm parched?"

She nodded, "you missed dinner, can I get you something to eat?"

Nicole grinned, "yes please...that would be amazing! I can't believe I slept for so long."

"I slept for virtually nine months when I was pregnant."

Nicole appreciated the concern, "then you know exactly how I feel."

Back in her seat, she pulled out the table and almost snatched at the water when it arrived.

"A glass, and a spare bottle of water," the crew member winked, "can't have you dehydrating, and this is a chicken and roast vegetable sandwich. I have hot meals, but as we're starting to descend there won't be time to eat it."

"You are a lifesaver, thanks."

She drank the whole glass of water before the woman had disappeared to the front of the cabin, then tried to hide her primitive instincts linked to her hunger as she opened the sandwich in as controlled a manner as she could manage.

She'd taken a bite, when the unruly hair and sleepy brown eyes peered over the wall that divided their seats.

"You're awake!"

She glanced up at him and grinned, "hunger prevails."

"You looked so peaceful, but I was concerned that you were missing all the refreshments."

She opened the bottle and drank half of it, before she replied, "catching up now. Rather inelegantly!"

He laughed at that, "you could make eating noodles with your hands look regal Nicole, have no fear of that."

She blushed, "you flatter me."

Shaking his head, he rested both arms on the wall between them, "you know this thing lowers?"

Chuckling she watched as he slid the panel down so that they were sat facing each other, and his eyes were on her, "was this you being a gent?"

He shrugged, "I'm picking my battles the next few days, I'm just loving the fact that you are here with me."

"I did think about it."

"Not coming?"

She nodded, "I'm fed up of being pushed around, me ex husband, my work, my family..."