Last call? Aww crap.
I grabbed my only carry-on bag and ran for it, not so easily weaving through the crowd that seemed to appear out of nowhere. When I was in sight of the terminal, I made a grab for my ticket which I was sure was in my back pocket. But it wasn't.
Where the hell did I put it? I know it's here somewhere.
The line in fornt of the door was getting shorter and still I could not find my ticket. Yeah, I was starting to panic. Luckily, just as the couple in front of me handed over their tickets, I found it in the front pocket of my purse.
"Here you go!" I handed the polite-looking blond girl my ticket.
She looked at it briefly before handing it back with a smile, saying,"Have a wonderful flight."
I thanked her and walked on through the fold-away hall towards the plane. I knew I would have a good vacation. I mean, seriously, who couldn't have fun in New Zealand? Besides, my buddy Benny--aka Benita when he's in drag--said that it was a beautiful place. He'd know, considering he'd lived there for at least half of his life. Benny may be a little weird, but he knows what he's talking about.
The stewardess next to the door smiled and welcomed me onto the plane. I smiled in return as I walked past her and the two captains and into the cabin.
Finally, a real vacation.I checked my ticket and started to look for the number. My superior managed to pull a few strings to get me a first class seat. From what I could see of coach, I was glad for it. My seat was a window seat, number 17B. So far there was no one else in the seats beside me. Oh well. I shrugged and pushed my little carry on and my purse into the overhead compartment, making sure to grab a book out of the side pocket before I slid into my seat. Immediately, I opened the book and started reading. I looked up only once when the seat beside me became occupied. The woman was tall, blond, very pretty, and vaguely familiar. But I shrugged it off and went back to my book.
"Excuse me, ma'am?"
I looked up to find a stewardess bending over the seat to catch my attention. "Yes?"
"Would you please fasten your seat belt?"
Oops. I knew there was something I forgot to do. I appologized and quickly fastened the belt around my waist. But before I could get back to my book, the woman beside me spoke.
"That must be a good book for you to totally miss the seat belt speech. They had a video and everything."
I looked back up and smiled. "It is a good book, but only years of practice can help you miss that speech."
"Years, eh? How many?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. I'm a military brat, so I've been jetted all over the world since I was little. At least 15 years, give or take."
She nodded. "I'm from Australia, so everytime I have to go on a business trip out of the country I have to fly."
"Well, yeah. You could swim, but you'd probably get a little tired."
She laughed, and again I was struck by a sense of familiarity. It's my job to remember faces and names, but I couldn't place hers. Maybe the sunglasses were the reason. Yeah, maybe.
"That is true. Plus there's the sharks, the reefs, the boats, the lack of food.... yeah, planes sound much more fun."
"I agree. By the way, my name is Lydia Newton." I held my hand out for her to shake.
She didn't hesitate to take it. "I'm Cate Blanchette. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Ditto," I replied. I never was one for eloquent speech. Now that I knew her name, I could finally place her face. "You're an actress, aren't you?"
Her smile faltered minutely, but she quickly recovered. "Yes, I am. You've heard of me?"
"Yeah, you could say that. I'm not a rabid fan, but I've seen several movies you've done. You're very good."
She grinned."Thankyou. It's always good to be appreciated."
"So I take it you're on your way to Wellington for a movie shoot?"
"Yes, I am actually. Is it that obvious?" She sounded only a little worried.
"Yes and no. I do research for the CIA for a living, so I'm used to figuring things out."
"Ah, I see."
A metal trolley stopped next to our seats and a stewardess asked if we would like something to drink. Cate asked for a Diet Coke, and I asked for a Dr. Pepper. Of the two of us, I probably should have been drinking the Diet Coke, but I never liked them. Diet Dr. Pepper is too watery, but normal Dr. Pepper is just right. The stewardess gave us each a can and a plastic cup filled with ice. We both thanked her and she moved on down the isle.
"So," Cate said after a sip of her Coke, "why are you going to Wellington?"
"Vacation. I've been working for 3 years straight with no vacation and I decided it was time to have one. So, I'm taking a month's leave of paid absence and hanging out as far away as I can from the CIA."
She nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Do you have a place to stay yet?"
It was my turn to nod. "Yeah, I rented a condo by the beach. It won't be ready for another couple of days yet, but I couldn't wait any longer to leave."
"Why's that?"
I shrugged."I don't know. I guess I was getting restless. I haven't moved in three years. No vacations, no road trips... nothing. I couldn't wait to leave. So, I got my ticket changed, got my friend Benny to send my stuff in a week, and went early."
"Where are you going to stay until the house is open?"
"Probably a hotel or something. I didn't really think about it."
Cate was quiet for a moment, obviously thinking about something important. After a few moments she spoke. "You could come stay with me. I already have a house rented and from what they tell me, it has a guest room. You could stay there for a few days."
"Really? You wouldn't mind?"
She shook her head and smiled. "No, I insist you stay with me. Who knows, you might even have a good time."
I laughed. "Ok, I will. Thankyou!"
"Think nothing of it. Now, tell me about yourself. I can't very well have a stranger staying with me."
I smiled and started to tell her about my family, my friends, and my job--what wasn't classified, at least. She, in turn, told me hers. By the end of the 12 hour flight, we were down-right buddies. Which is good, because, while the thought of being on my own was liberating, it also scared the hell out of me. But I had Cate to hang out with, so my fears were allieviated. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad vacation afterall.