Tabloid (Dirty Laundry #1)

14. Drool is not sexy

Talia sipped a Bloody Mary without the Bloody Mary mix. So, it was just vodka. It was her third in the past three hours. After the fiasco at takeoff, Talia was calmed down with promises of vodka and a nap. The nap had yet to come. Her humiliation wouldn't let her relax just yet.

The screaming had startled the poor woman next to her. When the initial screaming stopped she began hyperventilating. Everyone in first class was riled up thinking something, other than her irrational fear of the airplane falling out of the sky, was wrong. An air marshal was called to first class to talk to her. He insisted on taking Talia to the back of the plane to assess if she was a danger to the other passengers and crew.

Her slow walk back to first class had every eye on her. Where the hell was Zeke? Probably still talking to that bimbo sitting next to him. Talia kicked herself for going along with stupid trip. Sitting back with the little old lady the tension had been palpable until the first drink was shoved into her hand by a clearly pissed off flight attendant.

"Are you alright now, dear?" The knitting granny asked.

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry I told you that story, but my Harold isn't dead. He's visiting our kids. This flight is taking me to him."

"What?" Talia turned in her seat almost dumping her fourth or fifth drink.

"You miss understood me. He isn't gone, gone. He's just been away."

Talia blushed then downed the rest of her drink. All she wanted to do was curl up and die. She freaked out over nothing. What an idiot?

"Excuse me, ma'am? Would you mind trading seats with me? I'd like to comfort my girlfriend. As you saw she doesn't do well flying and our last minute flight didn't allow for us to sit together." Zeke batted his eyes at the granny.

She squinted her eyes taking him in. "Your girlfriend, you say?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"If she is your girlfriend, why has it taken you close to three hours to come ask to sit by her? This poor dear is scared to death of flying and you are over there letting that married floozy paw at you." Zeke opened his mouth to reply but got jabbed by a knitting needle. "If you ask me, she can do better than man who is perfectly comfortable letting an air marshal escort her through a full plane to question her. Your girlfriend? I don't think so. Tell me something about her that no one but you and her know."

Talia was watching the scene unfold from underneath an airplane blanket. How was Zeke going to get out of this one?

Zeke smiled. "When she is really stressed or worried she sucks her thumb in her sleep. She has a secret hallmark movie addiction. She loves chocolate but hates candy. Sloths make her smile in such a way that it feels like the sun came out just for you. Her book addiction is out of hand but the look of utter happiness when she is laying on the couch with the sun illuminating her completely enthralled with the story in front of her is the most beautiful thing you will ever see. " Zeke looked into her eyes. "She has a nearly completed book of her own that she won't finish."

The floor fell out from Talia. How did he know about her book?

Granny looked at Talia skeptically. "Do you want him to sit here, hun?"

Talia shrugged.

Granny looked between them then stood giving Zeke her seat. Before walking toward the clearly angry hoebag who he had been sitting with she said, "Behave young man or I will call that air marshal down to take you away." She winked at Talia with mischief then shuffled toward her new seat.

Zeke sat and took the empty cup off of Talia's tray. "Another?"

The alcohol was beginning to effect Talia's thinking. "No tanks." She slurred slightly.

A grin curled his lips. "Are you ok?"

Talia pulled the blanket up to her chin then attempted to turn on her side toward the window.

"Hey, talk to me, Lia." He tried to tug the cocooned blanket but it wouldn't budge. "I didn't realize you were so scared of flying. If I'd known I would have insisted we sit together so I could hold your hand."

"Hmph" Talia grunted.

"As coherent as ever. You know I don't know why I try with you sometimes."

"Excuse me?" Talia twirled on him. It wasn't her best idea especially when the plane started to spin.

"Nothing. Just sleep it off." Zeke reached into his carry on and pulled out what looked like a script. Thanks to Talia's impaired state the words were jumping around the page and she didn't know what it was for.

She grumbled to herself but before she let the darkness take her she asked, "How did you know all that?"

Silence met her question. When she peered at him he had headphones on and completely focused on the script. Snuggling back into the blanket she began to doze.

"I pay attention to you, Lia. I always have." His soft voice floated into the dark abyss she fell into.

***

"This is your captain speaking we are only 30 minutes outside of Atlanta. At this time we ask that you place your seatbacks in the upright position and secure any articles you have taken out of your carry-ons. Thank you for flying with Omega Airlines."

Talia opened her eyes to see many of the first-class passengers adjusting their seats and luggage. Warm breath fluttered on her neck while a heavy weight was wrapped around her. The haze of sleep started to lift when she tried to sit up. Zeke had fallen asleep on her shoulder with his arm wrapped around her. She stared at him. He was quite beautiful. He always had been but with his movie star status it really showed. His hard body had bulging muscles in all the right places. The blonde hair even in sleep looked perfectly quaffed. Even the drool dripping onto her shirt was cute. Wait! Drool! Ugh!

"Zeke! Get up! You are drooling on me."

"Five more minutes baby. This dream is too good." He mumbled.

Talia rolled her eyes at his poor attempt to fake sleep.

"Zeke! Now! You are squeezing me to death and ruining one of my favorite concert tees."

Zeke moved away from Talia and wiped his mouth. His eyes still looked hazy when he looked at her.

"Did I fall asleep?"

"It appears so. We are landing soon. You need to adjust your seat."

Zeke sat up adjusting his seat. She folded the blanket then adjusted her bag underneath the seat in front of her. The pressure in the cabin changed as the plane began to lower. A grinding sound from the lowering of the wheels had Talia ignoring her bag and grabbing onto the armrests.

Zeke peeled her fingers off of the armrest and entwined them with his. "It's ok, Tal. I'm here."

His soothing voice was surprisingly relaxing. She squeezed his hand and leaned into him.

As the plane landed with a bump, Talia still held onto Zeke. Only it was no longer the death grip. It was comfortable. She looked at him for a moment. His thumb grazed the back of her hand in a soft circle.

"We're home." He whispered.

Home. The one word that sent fear coursing throughher veins.