Swipe

The Love Field airport was a mess, which was completely out of the ordinary. Jamie preferred the smaller airport over Dallas-Ft. Worth most of the time. It was closer to his house, less crowded, and generally ran with better efficiency. It was also the cheapest place to fly first class to NOLA. Not that he much cared, but it was a bonus.

Today, the brutal timeliness he had been expecting was completely absent. It started when he pulled into the main entrance and got stuck waiting for the drop-off line to move enough so that he could park. He’d ended up on the top tier of the deck, his car in the sun, because all the other spaces were full. Five stories and it was packed. Walking through the airport was like walking into organized chaos. People were camped out shoulder to shoulder along three walls of the entrance. It looked like they’d been there a while.

Jamie’s eyes found the arrivals and departure board and his jaw dropped. Half the flights were delayed, a quarter were flat out canceled, and it looked like the only planes taking off were local flights. He waited until his own flight popped and he groaned. Delayed 45 minutes. 45 minutes wasn’t too bad, but why the hell were planes not taking off?

The airport worker he found was attempting to guide folks through security but she had her work cut out for her. She was bracing herself against an onslaught of screaming from an irate middle-aged white woman as he approached. When the lady’s rant drew to a close, the worker apologized for the delays and promised the staff was working as quickly as possible to get flights back on time.

“Um, excuse me. Sorry to bother you, but what’s going on?” Jamie tried to keep his tone as calm and polite as possible. It looked like the poor woman had been verbally abused by most of the passengers.

“Two concourses at Dallas-Ft. Worth are not operational right now. All Southwest flights are being diverted here.”

He wanted to ask more, but he knew she’d probably answered that question at least a dozen times already. He’d get through security and find a gate agent with some knowledge. Except that was a lot harder than he expected. Flights were being constantly shuffled from gate to gate, he saw several agents just booking it down the main terminal corridor to meet arriving planes, and at least one flight attendant was crying hysterically, talking about how it was his anniversary with his wife and he needed to be home four hours before.

The four hours comment made him very, very worried. Somehow, he would have expected to hear on the radio or the TV that there’d been a problem at DFW. Not only that, but Segs had flown out of DFW early that morning to get to Columbus and hadn’t mentioned anything so it had to have happened in the last couple of hours.

Me: Hey, do you have any insider trader information on DFW? Someone said a couple of the terminals are closed.

He only had a few minutes to wait before Elle’s response.

Elle: Holy fuck. I hope you’re not flying out of there. They hit a water main break during construction sometime last night. They closed two concourses around eight this morning due to flooding. Water levels are creeping up on another one.

Me: I’m flying out of Love and they’re diverting flights here.

She didn’t send anything for almost ten minutes. Finally, his phone rang instead of buzzed.

“Hey handsome. Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan.” And like that, she was rattling off names and gate locations and people that he needed to talk to so he could get on the first flight out of there. He scribbled notes on one palm while cradling his phone with his shoulder. “Just remember. Any flight will do. The plane to NOLA that you’re supposed to be on is in California indefinitely.”

He groaned. “Damn. There goes my early arrival. I really wanted to meet you when you landed.”

“Like I said, don’t worry.” Her chuckle was soft and fond through the line. “There’s still space on flights to Denver, Raleigh, and DC through Virgin. Get on one of those, they’ve all got connections that’ll get you to me.” He liked the way she said that.

“Gotcha. I’m going to go find a plane to get on.”

She wished him luck and disconnected. The first two gates were a bust. Both Denver and Raleigh had filled up in the fifteen minutes between Elle checking availability and him arriving at the gate. He actually ran the last hundred feet to get to the Washington gate. There was no one else in line. It wasn’t canceled. He slapped his credit card down with force. The gate agent was startled by the sound but she immediately softened when she recognized him.

“I need to get on this flight.” He sounded so strained. “Please.” That was better.

“Just one ticket, Mr. Benn?” At least the agent had managed to keep her voice calm and composed during this time of absolute insanity.

“Yup. Don’t worry about the return trip.”

She typed silently for a few minutes. “I’ve got one economy class seat left. Right by the engine.”

Jamie shook his head. “I don’t care. I’ve got a hot date in Louisiana and I clearly won’t be making it directly from here. Just so long as I’m in a seat when this plane takes off.”

The attendant’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she ran his credit card. “Your hot date is incredibly lucky if you’re going so far out of your way to see them.”

“I think I’m the lucky one,” he joked, taking his card back when she returned it.

His seat wasn’t awful. The older woman sitting next to him wasn’t irritating. It was a relatively pleasant flight, all things considered. He was already way behind schedule by the time he landed, his phone reading 4 PM. Elle would be landing soon herself, only in NOLA.

The attendant at his arrival gate was exceptionally helpful and got him set up on a Delta flight non-stop to Louis Armstrong. And it was only an hour layover. Just enough time to stretch his legs.

And to shoot off a couple of text messages.

Me: Looks like my flight is getting in at 7 PM local.

Me: Boo for the delay but at least I’ll make it, right?

He also sent her the link to the house from Airbnb in case she wanted to head over before him. He’d planned on getting a bottle of wine ready for her and maybe some music. He wondered if Michael, the guy renting the place, would set something up if Jamie paid him some more money.

Jamie texted Michael and asked. His response was immediate. He’d grab some wine and have everything ready for Elle should she arrive before Jamie. It felt good to know that she’d be taken care of even if he couldn’t do it directly.

He also texted Segs, knowing his friend would get a kick out of their aborted plans. Which would frustrate Jamie. But he expected nothing less than a hearty ribbing. Segs responded with a selfie of him and Bergeron. Segs was laughing at the camera but Bergeron looked pained, almost apologetic.

Segs was a menace.

He heard the call for his flight and gathered his things. He had a first class seat this time around and enjoyed stretching out while everyone else was boarding. He liked Delta flights. Since they’d installed the seatback monitors, flights were never that boring.

The expected departure time crept slowly closer and then passed altogether. He was playing Words with Friends with Jordie when the flight attendant up front made an announcement that had the whole plane groaning.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the flight crew has been informed that there is a mechanical malfunction in the plane. It’s not serious. We have our best engineers in the belly of the plane right now working on it. We will be delayed for approximately 30 minutes. Delta would like to apologize for the inconvenience and we’ll be sure to get you on your way as soon as possible. Thank you.”

People grumbled. A few stood to hear her more clearly. One man in the back started yelling about missing one flight to Dallas and now having to wait for another. That poor bastard. Jamie knew the guy would either be waiting much longer than 30 minutes to fly into Dallas or he’d be renting a car. Overall, 30 minutes wasn’t too bad of a delay though. Jamie could be patient.

As the 30 minutes came close to expiring, , he got a series of photos from Elle.

The first was her standing in front of the terminal in New Orleans. The sun lit her hair up in shades of gold. She was wearing sunglasses but he could tell the smile she wore was genuine. A palm tree stood as her guardian in the background.

The next picture wasn’t a selfie but rather the house that he’d picked out. It was a light blue and looked really well maintained. There was an older black gentleman posing on the front porch. Jamie assumed this was Michael.

She had taken one of herself in the living the room, the gauze of curtains softening the sun and turned the walls a deep shade of copper. She was still grinning wildly. Her laughing smile in the last picture she sent, her in the courtyard tipping the wine bottle back, sent a shiver down his spine. He bit his lip, thinking about the drop that had escaped at the edge of her mouth. The courtyard was just green, everywhere, with white splotches. Magnolias, he absently thought.

Me: Looks like I made the right choice in accommodations.

Elle: I cannot wait until you get here. This garden smells amazing. And there’s sun. So much sun. I might have to wear my sunglasses inside.

Me: Soon. Really soon. Flight was delayed for a minor mechanical issue but we should be taking off soon.

He noted the time. It’d been 45 minutes since the attendant had made her announcement. He craned his neck to see the galley but it was abandoned, the attendants probably hiding. He realized the noise level in the cabin had been steadily rising too, people sick of sitting on a tarmac when they could have been waiting in the terminal.

Elle: It happens. Oh! I rented a car too. Seemed like the thing to do. I kinda want to take you out to Pontchartrain tomorrow if the weather holds. So I’ll be picking you up. Just send me a text when you’re landing.

Jamie smirked at her getting a car. He hoped it was something fun. He could imagine her renting some cute little thing. Maybe a convertible. He wondered how far out of the city they’d have to drive to get to a place where they could star gaze. That could be fun.

“Your attention please, ladies and gentlemen.” Jamie immediately put his phone in his lap, focusing entirely on the attendant. “We apologize again for the delay. Our mechanics are still working to resolve the issue with the flight lights. They are checking several areas. If you hear pounding or banging, please don’t be alarmed. They’ll be working very close to the passenger deck floor. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

Me: I think I’m going to be delayed a little bit longer.

Elle: What’s your flight number?

He copied the information from his ticket to a text.

Elle: Oh. Man. That flight is reading as three hours delayed right now, stalled at the gate. How long have you been waiting to depart?

Three hours. What did that even mean?

Me: A little over an hour now.

Was the flight delayed before Jamie even landed in DC? He hoped that’s what had happened. He hoped they would be leaving any moment now.

Elle: You’re going to be there at least another two hours. They have electrical failure listed and they absolutely won’t fly before that’s fixed. It’s a no-fly issue.

Me: Are you telling me there ARE fly issues? What sort of safety procedure is that?

He’d never been so nervous about a flight before.

Elle responded but Jamie was distracted by three sharp thumps that vibrated right under his feet. He jerked them away from the floor and they sounded again. It was just the mechanic, he told himself. No reason to worry.

Elle: Some things are negligible and don’t impact flight safety. Lights are not one of them. Faulty lights ground more planes than any other mechanicals.

Jamie groaned and leaned his head back. At least two more hours waiting. He desperately wanted to push the attendant button and get them to open the door. There’d been a later flight with United that he could probably still make if he hurried.

He’d been flying long enough to know that the door wasn’t getting opened again until they were either on the ground in NOLA or the flight was canceled altogether. Safety concerns would force them all to remain in the plane until one of those two things happened. He pushed the attendant button anyway and ordered himself a whiskey and diet coke. He didn’t drink liquor a whole lot but this seemed like the perfect justification to have the one to calm his increasingly frazzled nerves.

It should not have been this hard to fly three hundred miles.

If he’d have driven he would only be an hour out of the city at that very moment.

-------

Elle’s prediction was wrong and right at the same time. The plane sat for another two hours before the flight attendant made her seventh announcement.

“Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of Delta I’d like to apologize, once more, for the delay. We understand that your time is valuable and many of you have missed flights. Delta will do their very best to find you other connecting flights so you can arrive safely at Louis Armstrong International Airport-“

The man who had been complaining earlier about being delayed to Dallas yelled, “What do you mean connecting flights?! This WAS the connecting flight! When are we going to take off?”

Other passengers started shouting now, demanding an explanation for the delay. The flight attendant held her hands up in an attempt at placation. “Please, quiet down so everyone can hear me.” She waited almost a full minute for the din to settle. She took a deep breath, bracing herself, and Jamie just knew the flight was canceled. “At this time, Delta is canceling this flight.”

The uproar was instant. Jamie actually felt sort of bad for the attendant. It certainly wasn’t her fault. But, she was the bearer of some really fucking unpleasant news. The United flight had left an hour and a half ago. The one Southwest flight of the day to NOLA was probably getting ready to taxi at that moment. There were no more direct flights.

He glanced out the window like he’d actually be able to see his last chance at flying direct at that moment. Of course the airfield was mostly empty. It was approaching 8 o’clock, the sun long set.

“Again, we apologize for this inconvenience. At this time, we will begin deplaning. The gate has several agents waiting to rebook flights, either with us tomorrow morning, or through other airlines for a flight tonight. Hotel rooms will be provided for passengers that desire them.”

Jamie couldn’t hear the rest of the attendant’s words. As one, the passengers rose, still voicing their concerns and dissent. Jamie growled in frustration.

Me: Flight canceled. Deplaning now. Any suggestions?

Elle: Son of a bitch.

Elle: Let me check some stuff and I’ll call in a minute.

He was back in the terminal, heading towards the closest bar, when his phone rang.

“This sucks. So very much. I would be there by now if I’d driven. Or if I’d have flown into Denver first. Or if I’d waited for the United flight. Please please please tell me I at least get to see you tonight.” He sounded irked, which he was, and the words probably came out harsher than he had intended.

“There are no direct flights tonight, which I’m sure you already know. There’s almost a dozen still coming into NOLA from other places but the problem is getting you to the departure airport. I can’t do anything from Reagan or Washington National tonight but there’s a 9:15 flight out of Dulles that’ll put you in Atlanta at 11:15. Then a connecting flight at 12:08 which will put you on the ground in NOLA at 1:47 AM.”

She sighed into the phone, her fingers tapping away a keyboard. “That’s the best I can do Jamie, I’m sorry. DFW has messed up travel all over the continent.” She sounded heartbroken. He felt heartbroken.

“Well, it’s like twelve hours after I’d meant to be there but better late than never. I guess I’ll get a taxi and head to Dulles.”

“If you miss the flight out of Dulles, you’re stuck for the night so get a move on.”

Jamie started to run.

-------

Jamie did not run fast enough. Or the taxi driver didn’t speed enough. Or both he and Elle had seriously miscalculated the time it would take to get across the city.

He was still stuck in traffic when the final boarding calls would have been made for the one flight that could save the night. His heart heavy, Jamie told the taxi driver to just take him back to a hotel by Reagan.

-------

When he called Elle from his suite he felt like he’d been kicked in the chest, panicked and rushed, unable to draw a full breath with how frustrated he was. She murmured on the line, her words a little blurred. She’d finished the bottle of wine.

“I’m so sorry. Who knew this was going to happen? Who knew the terminal in Dallas was going to flood? And there’s nothing to do.”

“I know. I do. It’s just. I should be there with you right now. I should be touching you.” His voices was wrecked with emotional exhaustion. His hand swept his hair off his forehead, holding on for dear life. “I should-“

She shushed him gently. “It’s okay. Really. I’ll still be here in the morning. And I cannot wait to see you. I can’t actually be held responsible for my actions in the airport when I pick you up. I don’t know MSY well, but I bet I can sweet talk my way into snagging a private room.” She was teasing him, but he almost felt like he’d have to hold her to that.

He flopped on the bed, noting the gross beige everything-ness of the hotel. It was like a hundred others he’d stayed at in the last decade. He hated it. “This wasn’t how I pictured tonight going.”

“Yeah, me either. It’s awfully lonely in this big old house without you.” And now she was flirting. “Just me and this wine and all the things I’ve thought about doing with you.” She paused, a breathy sigh slipping between her lips. “And doing to you.”

He groaned, rolling over in exasperation. “I can’t be in this hotel room, knowing you’re there, while you tease me like this.”

Elle’s laughter warmed his heart even as it heated his blood. “Okay okay. I’ll let you go; you booked the 7:42 flight in the morning, right?”

“Yup. I’m really looking forward to the five hours of sleep I’m about to get without you.”

“Don’t oversleep. Everything is going to be okay. We’re still going to have 36 hours once you land.”

“That’s not enough. That could never be enough.” The 36-hour deadline was a hard one. She had to be back at YVR to report to duty and he had to get to practice.

“We’ll make it work. It’s what we’ve got.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“Get some sleep Jamie. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

He threw his phone in frustration when she disconnected and stared at the ceiling a while longer.

This fucking sucked.

Notes

I AM SO SORRY. IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE.