Copyright 2025,
Author Lauren Helms
We are sitting on the tarmac, waiting for more
passengers to board, so I’m doing one last email check before I switch to
airplane mode. It's a five-hour flight, so I’ve got a couple movies I plan to
watch, and the newest Shawn Mendes album downloaded to my phone from Spotify.
Look, I’m secure enough in my manliness to admit I have a man crush on the
dude. His music is damn catchy, and he seems like an all-around great guy. He’s
a couple years younger, but I’m thinking he’d be fun to hang with. And if I just
happen to find out he enjoyed video games, then you bet your ass I’d have him
on the channel. Actually, I need to find this out. I shoot an email off to my
PA to do some Sean Mendes sleuthing when someone flicks me in the head.
“Hey,” I grumble as I look up to find Simon
leaning over his seat staring at me.
“Dude, I’ve got news,” he says.
“I’ve been with you for the past hour, how do
you suddenly have news?”
“It wasn’t like I could just walk over and
tell you. We’ve been with people.”
He’s being an idiot.
“So, you couldn’t come and whisper it in my
ear?” I ask.
Rolling his eyes, he says “No, you cheesedick,
I’m not going to come and whisper shit in your ear. We are fucking adults,
man.” I hear Gia’s husky laugh beside him.
“Do you want to know the fucking news or not?”
He sounds peeved. If anyone should be peeved, it’s me. For one my forehead
still stings from being flicked from short-range and two, he’s apparently got
some juicy news that he’s been holding back from me.
“I’m listening,” I say, absentmindedly rubbing
my forehead.
“Ruby dumped the sports douche,” he whispers
with a huge grin on his face.
I narrow my eyes at him. “When?”
“A couple days ago.”
“Why?”
“Why? ’Cause he was a ball-licking
douchecanoe,” he says, and I hear Gia whisper-shout, “Simon, seriously.”
“And I care, why?” I totally care, but I don’t
need them all to know I do.
He scoffs at me this time, “Right, man. You
care big time. Anyway, just thought you’d want to know.” And with that he turns
around and slides back into his seat. I can see through the small space between
the seats Gia leans over and punches him in the arm and I hear him grunt. I
smirk. Serves him right.
My thoughts immediately bounce back to Ruby
though. So, she finally broke up with that gameless schmuck. I know he didn’t
treat her all that well. And I know she wasn’t having stimulating conversation
with the guy either. Good. Good for her. She needed to dump the trash. She’s
better off.
As the plane takes off, I can’t help but
wonder again if the play I made on her birthday had anything to do with it.
We made out a few years ago, but she stopped
us from doing anything we’d regret. Her words, not mine. She said we were only
meant to be friends, nothing more. I agreed to disagree.
She told me not to bring it up; to act like it
didn’t happen. And I’ve done as she wished against my better judgement. But I
never promised not to think about what happened. Oh, no, I’ve thought about
those pouty red lips and what they felt like, where I’d like to feel them, and
what they tasted like, so many fucking times until my dick aches nearly every
time I see her apply her red glossy lip shit.
I adjust myself discreetly in my seat.
Fortunately, my seat mate hasn’t boarded yet.
Last week, after overhearing her conversation
with Mason, seeing her hide the tears, then her reaction to the birthday gift I
got her, I couldn’t hold back the words.
“He doesn’t deserve you, Ruby. I would try my
damnedest to never make you cry.”
I put it out there. I planted the seed. My
goal wasn’t to get her to break up with the scumbag, but I can’t say I’m
disappointed with the results. Suddenly, I’m looking forward to this trip for a
whole new reason.
About half way through the flight, I’m
listening to some music and staring out the window. My seatmate never showed
up, so I’ve got plenty of space to myself. Suddenly, I feel someone beside me.
Lifting my head, I look to my right and can’t
help the smile that grows across my face.
Ruby sits next to me and is gesturing to my
earbuds.
“You want to listen?” I ask as I offer her the
right bud.
“Yeah. I want to know what’s got you bobbing
your head like a fool,” she laughs.
She put the earbud in her own ear and the
giant grin on her face makes my heart skip a beat.
“Shawn Mendes? I love it,” she tells me
without pulling out the earbud.
“Yeah, he’s my jam right now.”
“I can’t get enough of his new album either.”
“Yeah? This is my favorite song on the album
right now,” I tell her while he croons about falling in love when it wasn’t
expected.
We listen to the rest of the song and then I
pause my playlist because I would much rather talk to her before she heads back
to her seat with Bernie than sit listening to music.
“So, what’s up, Rubes?” I ask, and she hands
me back my earbud. I pull the other one out of my ear to give her my full
attention, because a woman like Ruby deserves no less.
“Oh, I was just stretching my legs and thought
I’d come say hey. You got lucky and ended up without a seatmate, I see.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say I’ve gotten lucky yet,
but I’m on the road to a happy ending now that you are here.” I smirk.
“Oh my god, you are horrible,” she laughs and
pushes my arm.
“Just speaking the truth, Rubes.”
“About not getting lucky or getting a happy
ending? ’Cause I can tell you now, neither of those are happening with me
involved.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “We’ll see, Rubes,” I
say.
“Yeah, okay, Link.” She gives me a playful eye
roll in return.
I’ve never been so forward with my flirting
before, but she seems to handle it well and isn’t put off by it. I think I’ll
push a little more this week, see if I can’t get something going between us. I
think it’s about time we move this past the ‘just friends’ stage.