BUSINESS with PLEASUREa romance story..

first four chapters please comment and i'd love it if you follow me

BUSINESS with PLEASURE

                             

                         CHAPTER 1

“This is your pilot speaking please keep your seat belts fastened,” Alison looked up at the overhead console as if to hear the words more clearly. “We are experiencing some trouble with the starboard engine it’s nothing we can't handle folks. We will return to Townsville Airport for a grease and oil change and a bit of a check up in the mean time it may get a bit bumpy so keep your seat belts fastened, please.” The pilot's good humour and smooth voice had a calming effect on the passengers. “You will feel a slight dip to your left as we make the turn don’t be alarmed, we won’t fall over its all part of the manoeuvre.”

         “Too late mate,” Alison spoke quietly to herself, a habit she developed early in her life. “Most of these people are already well and truly alarmed.” She looked around at the other passengers “Still it is good we have a pilot who can use a little humour even in a situation like this,” she said, again quietly to herself. Some children had imaginary friends but to Alison this was too much like day dreaming, she felt that talking to herself was like talking to a best friend, someone she could trust. She had found no reason to change the habit as she grew older.

Flight 926 Townsville to Sydney had taken off fifteen minutes earlier. Soon after the aeroplane left the runway some of the passengers commented on a vibration that they could feel coming through the floor. One man said quite loudly that he had heard and felt a bump from below his seat as the plane left the ground.

Slipping off her high-heeled shoes to better feel the vibration Alison again looked around at the other passengers a ripple of agitated murmuring had spread throughout the aircraft, “I can feel the vibration it is getting worse.” A woman’s tension filled voice rose above the chatter.

Now, with the airport still not in view the plane started its gradual descent. Several of the people on board became more concerned, a woman sitting a few seats in front of Alison cried out, “We are going down too fast, are we going to crash?”      

A flight attendant hurried to her side “Please we are perfectly safe. We are having difficulties with one engine but we do have three and can quite easily fly and land with two.” She said loud enough for everyone to hear.

         “But that noise and the vibration...?” The man with the loud voice was determined to be heard, he was cut short.

 “Fire! Fire! The plane’s on fire!” The shout came from a man sitting in front of Alison, he pointed, finger on the window glass, rising panic in his voice.

 Alison turned to see flames shooting out from the engine nearest her window. “Oh no, not fire.” She said out loud her mind flashing back to a terrible accident she had witnessed as a child which had left her with a particular fear of being trapped in a burning building­­­ – or aeroplane.

Within seconds the fire stopped, white vapour streamed out behind the engine followed by black smoke which all but stopped again within seconds.

 “It’s alright, it’s alright, look it is out already the engines do have built-in fire suppressors.” The attendants hurried along the aisle trying desperately to keep everyone calm. They smiled and reached out to touch and reassure people but as hard as they tried to hide it the tension showed on their faces. The vibration worsened and the anxious chatter among the passengers grew, their voices husky with fear. Several times Alison noticed the attendants glancing towards the cabin as if looking for reassurance themselves.