Stories Of...Notting Hill

There was a man on my flight back to London tonight. He was also on my flight to Catania on Saturday. Call it fate. If I noticed him then; I definitely noticed him now. I saw him in the boarding line at our gate taking off his pullover. It felt chemical.

We kept sneaking glances at each other on the shuttle to the plane. Sometimes I’d stare a little longer, daring myself to hold my gaze if he looked back at me. There was a rush in the secret game I was playing with myself. But somehow he could feel when I was looking, so he wouldn’t look back. 

I’d like to think I’m a pretty self assured person but a pair of eyelashes and the prospects of rejection can really make a girl go silly.
Here I am. Watching his biceps and lashes whilst plotting how I’d approach him and how he’d respond. I think I played out three 1 act plays.

Suddenly you don’t know how to operate the body you’ve lived in for 23 years. Why am I stretching my hands up to the rail on the bus. Why am I pretending to sleep on the plane. I moved to the back of the plane to “sleep” in the empty aisle. He was just conveniently right across from me. I’m so embarrassed even writing this, oh God. He went to the bathroom. Should I go to the bathroom too, oh my god stop Ava before you have a mile high fantasy. 
Or don’t. Hehe. 
Our flight landed. 
Stood next to each other in customs. 
Got on the same shuttle.
Each checkpoint getting closer to our departure.
Tapped our Oyster cards to the subway. Still right behind one another. Him behind me. Me behind him. Adult tag. But keep it subtle. 
And then he went to platform 1. I to 3. They were in opposite directions. 
But then I saw him whip around and—--




















He went back to get his friend. 


Now I’m on the subway home. 


                                                                                                                                          Stories of Notting Hill 
                                                                                                                              Tuesday, November 16 2021