"Where were we?"
"Yesterday," she answered uneasily. "In your room?"
Richard gave her a questioning look as he tried to recall that morning. Wondered what could possibly make her feel embarrassed. He tried recalling that morning. And then it finally clicked. Maine could see it in his eyes that he figured it out.
"That's what this is about?" He laughed. He uncrossed his arms and looked at himself as he asked with a smile, "you didn't like what you saw? I mean, sure. I don't have a six-pack like Jerald's but you don't think my body's that bad, right?"
"No...Yes...I mean..." she sighed loudly as she covered her face with both hands. Face red with embarrassment.
Richard knelt down in front of her and tried to pry her hands away from her face. He held her hands tightly as he stared into her eyes. His thumbs drawing small circles at the back of her palms to calm her down. He kept his smile as his eyes bored down on hers.
"Maine," he softly said. "I'll tell you something that's more embarrassing."
"What could be more embarrassing than what had happened to us yesterday?" Maine replied.
"How about my mom giving me a scolding after I saw you only in your bra?" He replied in a grimace and related to her what had happened the night when he brought her home. Blood was rushing to his face as he remembered that incident. His thoughts drifted back to those moments with what he wanted to do with her. He knew he could never forget that night, in more ways than one.
"At least we could keep the incident in the room to ourselves," Richard concluded. "I would have to live with the fact that mom thinks I'm a hormonal teenager."
Despite the embarrassment, Maine laughed. She tried to imagine her Tita Rio scolding Richard like he was twelve. She laughed some more.
"Finally!" Richard exclaimed, looking up at the ceiling as if thanking the heavens. "I got you to laugh. You don't know how good your laughter sounds to me."
When the laughter subsided, he reached out and caressed her cheek. He savoured her softness. They were lost in each others eyes just enjoying the moment of solitude.
"Maine," Richard said, not taking his eyes away from hers. "Please know that you can tell me anything. Even if you think it's embarrassing or annoying or irrelevant. You can talk to me. I hate it when we're not talking."
"I'm sorry," Maine replied. "You've been so good to me. I just didn't know how to face you after that."
"My body was really that bad?"
"Quite the opposite actually," she admitted, a blush once more forming on her face.
"Well," he remarked, his own face turning red that it reached his ears. "Yours wasn't bad either."
They both laughed. But as their laughter subsided, both felt tension in the cramped space. Richard lowered his gaze to Maine's lips, wondering suddenly what she would taste like. He inched his head forward, Maine doing the same. But just as their lips were about to touch, they heard banging on the door, startling them both.
"Jase," Martin called. "Your 20-minutes are up. We need Maine at her station."
"Seriously?" Richard muttered, glowering at the offensive door and imagining bloody murder to the person on the other side.
Richard heard Maine giggle and motioned for him to stand up. He just shook his head and sighed. He reluctantly stood up and opened the door. He glowered at Martin when he came out, but Martin only smirked at him. Richard turned to Maine and finally smiled. Maine smiled in return.
The other FAs were already preparing for the next round of service, pretending to be oblivious to what's been going on. Maine turned to go about her own duties, but Richard held her arm to stop her.
"Are you really going to let me keep that promise to you about the book?" He asked.
"Well," she replied with a smile. "You did promise. And I know you Faulkerson boys never break a promise."
Richard sighed and muttered, "what have I gotten myself into?"
He shook his head and smiled. He let go of her arm and Maine turned to start her duties. He glanced at her one last time before he went out to the passengers section to go back to the cockpit.
"Captain?"
Richard turn to see Maine's head peeking through the curtain.
"Thanks for the talk," she said with a smile.
Richard smiled as well, his dimple clearly seen by everyone.
"Anytime!"
He turned and headed towards the cockpit. He had a skip in his step and his bedimpled smile didn't leave for the whole duration of their flight to Milan.