FlyGirl 2.0

Chapter 8 - Siobhan

STOWING AWAY ON an airplane was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Really, some would say it was stupid easy.

Maybe it was because I looked like the other girls. Maybe it was because of my dress. Maybe it was because I kept my mouth shut. Who knows? What I do know is that I would have thought somebody would have wanted to see my ID, or boarding pass, or something that documented my presence on board.

Fortunately for me, nobody did. Was this normal? I made a mental note to ask Jenny when I saw her next.

As for the three flight attendants, only Tandy spoke to me, and boy, did she did she have a lot to say. That Tandy. She could talk a leg off a cow.

I figured she was lonely. The other two flight attendants had Do Not Disturb written all over them, and Tandy was clearly a girl whose identity rested in verbal self-expression.

Tandy prattled on about everything... the weather, the trip, shopping, coupons, Banana Republic, Soul Cycle versus Peloton... but despite her loquaciousness, she never once asked anything about me, my life, or even hey, do you even work here? It was fascinating, amusing, and extremely convenient. All I had to do was nod, and every now and then say, that's awesome.

I started listening mid-story.

"So, I've been in this relationship," Tandy was saying, "and it's, like, so intense. I'm, like, so-ooo exhausted thinking about." She sighed dramatically. "He's a pilot, which would be cool, except that he's based in Miami." She made a face. "You know. Miami."

I nodded. I didn't know, but whatever.

Tandy looked relieved. "Right. You get it. Anyway, so we're on this layover in Buenos Aires, and it's gorgeous out, and we end up in this amazing restaurant, I don't even know, all I know is that I gorged myself, and we got back to the hotel, and—" she paused and started studying the ends of her hair "—well, I might have let myself indulge a bit too much in sins of the flesh that trip, if you know what I mean."

She smirked and winked.

This girl. Jeez. I nodded and played along. So Tandy got liquored up and did the nasty down in Argentina with a pilot. Is that bad? Maybe I would have done it, you know, if the guy was hot and I was liquored up, too. Who was I to judge?

"So, we get back to Miami, and he's, all, I really like you, and I'm, like, I really like you, too." She glanced at me. "Because I don't do that on layovers, you know? It's, just, not me."

Sure, Tandy. Sure. I nodded sympathetically.

She looked relieved. "So, anyway, Bob's, like, this single parent, and he's totally raising his son by himself because his ex is a crackhead junkie." She shuddered. "Can you imagine? He's so brave, right? I mean, how brave is it to be raising your son all by yourself?"

"So awesome," I replied.

"I know? Right! You're so right!" She nodded vigorously. "And his ex, I mean, apparently, she's got emotional issues --" she finger quoted "-- or something, because he's all, don't call, because my son might pick up, and I don't want to put him in a position to have to lie." She turned to face me. "He's such a good father."

I nodded. "He's amazing," I replied. Dollars to donuts the guy was still married.

"Right? You totally get it." She undid her bun and started finger combing it. "But then I was like, well, how are we supposed to meet, and he was, like, the timing is so-ooo bad right now, and it's not because I don't want to be with you, because I do, but I've got to raise my son. He's my world, you know." She dropped her hair and sighed. "He said that. It was so. Freaking. Beautiful. We haven't spoken since, but you know, I know he's thinking about me." She clasped her hands to her chest. "I can feel it in my heart."