Cabin Girl

“I swear that she was checking you out!” Wendy jibed as she peeked through the curtains at the girl seated in A2-3.

Irene pushed the cart against the galley wall, then fussed as she grabbed onto the back of Wendy’s white collar to pull her back, not being able to stop herself from taking a peek in the process.

The A2-3 girl was dressed in a pretty baby blue top with jeans, her slender white arms holding up a piece of an orange-brown pancake as she brought it to . Her face was covered partly by her hand, yet Irene caught a glimpse of her feline-eyes once again as she peeked through the curtains. A gaze that contained such potency behind it that Irene had found her heart fluttering madly in her chest when she made eye contact with her while pushing the food trolley earlier and passing the girl her breakfast.

“Would you like… like the American breakfast or pancakes with maple syrup?” Irene had managed to squeeze out as professionally as she could manage.

It didn’t help that the girl seated in A2-3’s smile was brighter than the sun.

“I’ll have the pancakes, please,” she chimed happily to Irene.

It certainly didn’t help that she sent sparks rippling down Irene’s forearm when she accidentally brushed her fingers across the back of Irene’s hand while helping to nestle the cup of orange juice that Irene had poured for her back in its holder.

“She’s not! Stop it.” Irene could feel the blush rising to her cheeks as Wendy tilted her head to the side and gave Irene her signature teasing look. A wide smile with puffed cheeks that made Irene just want to bop her on her head, or jab her in the stomach, or both.

Sure, Irene had seen her fair share of beautiful people in her two years of working as part of a cabin crew. But never had she met someone who radiated happiness and grace like the girl seated in A2-3.

She was beautiful in the simplest of ways. One of the few people who said “thank you” while looking into the recipient’s eyes to make sure they felt it.

She made Irene’s heart flutter like nothing before.

“Irene…”

“Shut up.”

“Irene…”

Irene returned to the drawers, mentally running through the beverage requests she had received on the way back, after running out of the requested drinks on her cart.

Orange juice for the lady in A6.

Champagne for the gentleman in A13.

Irene opened up the mini-fridge and took out the carton of Orange Juice. She then grabbed a glass for the shelf above her and poured out the juice into the glass as Wendy continued her teasing.

“Okay, I’ll make a bet with you. I bet that when you walk back down the aisle, she’s going to check out your .”

Wendy giggled.

Irene put the glass down onto the counter. Then, she punched Wendy in the stomach.

Gently, of course.

Irene had met Wendy when she came onto the crew one year ago, and ever since then, they had worked together in the same shifts, and always in the same cabins, running the two aisles together.

Before Wendy came, Irene talked to people mostly on a working basis. Nothing more. Irene was not anti-social, but she tried not to open herself up to people if she could help it. During work, she was professional, always greeting with a smile on her face, always jolly, and behind the scenes, she worked hard, and helped her cabin crew out whenever she could. But when it came to company celebrations and cabin crew gatherings outside of work, Irene always excused herself politely.

Wendy knew how to bring out the happiness that Irene locked deep inside of her. She was the tiny spark that re-ignited the little fireball in Irene’s heart.

Wendy made her smile, and laugh, and enjoy her time in the air.

So far, Wendy hadn’t been able to convince Irene to go for any gatherings, but that was one of the top three goals on her list.

“I’m not betting anything with you anymore.” Irene huffed as she pulled out the champagne bottle from the second fridge and poured out a glass.

“Afraid of losing?”

Irene moved her head slightly to the left as Wendy’s face came closer and closer to hers.

“Stop that. I’m not afraid of losing. I’m working.”

“Scaredy-cat.”

Irene stuck her tongue out of Wendy as she said, “Not going to work this time.”

Then, Irene raised the two glasses up towards Wendy to signal “bye” and Wendy giggled as Irene bumped her shoulder as she walked past and through the curtains into the cabin.   

Irene first made her way to the lady seated in A6, keeping her eyes as low as she could and brushing quickly past row 2, before handing the lady her glass of orange juice gently. Irene smiled in acknowledgement as the lady thanked her.

A13, Irene thought.

She was wearing white flats… wait why am I even thinking about that?

Irene shook her head slightly at herself, then returned a smile to her face as she walked down the aisle gracefully.

Champagne for the gentleman.

A smile. And you’re welcome.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was so pretty. Her eyes were so pretty.

Seulgi couldn’t help but look up from her pancakes to watch as the stewardess who served her walk back down the aisle, pushing the little food trolley along with each step. She liked how pretty the blue stewardess jacket looked over her white shirt. She loved how the collar crossed; she loved the small hat resting gently on the stewardess’ head.

Honestly, Seulgi thought that she loved how it looked on her.

Irene.

Seulgi had noticed her name pinned on the front of her jacket as she was taking the cup of orange juice from her.

Felt her fingertips light up in little embers as they brushed across her skin.

Seulgi felt something fluttering in the bottom of her stomach, and it was not until Irene had left that the butterflies began to relax.

Seulgi was travelling to a dance convention in the US to meet up with her friends at KCON, and perhaps record a few covers together. It was going to be a long flight, not to mention the layover before she took a connecting flight, and sitting in economy class was not good for her legs at all. She had considered flying business for the leg room, but decided that it was not worth the money in the end.

Now, she was slightly happier with staying with this choice.

The pancakes were good. Soft and fluffy and hot. It wasn’t the best Seulgi has had, but it could get a solid eight in spite of being in-flight food. Seulgi imagined that maple syrup and honey came from the heavens themselves.

 How could something so sweet and good even exist?

Seulgi was just chewing on the last of her pancakes when she noticed that Irene was walking down the aisle once again, holding two glasses of drinks in her hands.

Seulgi looked up at her, but noticed that she was keeping her gaze on the ground for some reason. The glint in her brown irises seemed a little darker and she walked in a straight line past her.

Nevertheless, Seulgi averted her gaze as Irene walked past.

The tinkle in her soft voice as she said “Miss, here is your orange juice. Please enjoy,” confirmed Seulgi’s assumption that she was serving the passengers behind her.

There was just something about the girl that required Seulgi to consciously tell herself not to turn to look at her.

The mention of orange juice, however, had Seulgi reaching for her cup once again. Seulgi recalled of how their hands had brushed across each other and how awkward it had been. Picking up the cup, Seulgi raised it to , only to realize that she was down to the last few drops.

Seulgi played with the plastic cup in her hands for a moment, contemplating what she should do as she fought her inner struggle between asking a stewardess, which she knew would most probably be Irene, and just going for the water bottle tucked in her black bag under her seat.

Somehow, deep down inside, she wanted to press the button.

She wanted to talk to Irene again.

She didn’t want to. She didn’t want to trouble Irene.

But…

… she wanted to talk to her again.

Just to hear her voice and to look into those beautiful eyes again.

So Seulgi pulled out her flight remote control and pressed on the attendant-call button.

The moment the sound of the call button sounded off, a tinge of regret ran through Seulgi’s chest.

She didn’t know why her heart was fluttering so hard but she clenched her fists as she waited for someone to come to her.

Someone she hoped to be Irene.

Just then, a petite, blue bodied person stopped beside her.

Seulgi looked up slowly to see Irene’s uncertain yet bright, smiling expression looking at her.

“Hey, can I help you with anything?” Irene said as she turned off the light above Seulgi’s seat.

The plastic cup in Seulgi’s cup grew lost as Seulgi looked into swirling brown.

Seulgi felt… vulnerable as Irene’s gentle irises laid upon her, as though she was afraid that her flaws would be seen through those orbs.

“I was just wondering if I could get another glass of orange juice,” Seulgi covered herself quickly as Irene’s eyes began to grow confused, trying her best to smile as she did.

Irene’s eyes immediately returned to their happy twinkle.

“Sure, I’ll be right back with your drink.”

“Thank you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“She was staring at your ,” Wendy commented as soon as Irene stepped back into the galley.

“She was not. Stop lying.”

Fluttering. Fluttering.

Irene’s face was burning hot and she knew that Wendy could see her embarrassment laid out for the world to see.

Why did she have to smile like that when she said “thank you.”

“You couldn’t see. But I could. So did your .”

Irene slapped Wendy’s shoulder, giving her a frustrated-child-like look as Wendy began to laugh again.

Irene poured the orange juice out carefully, placed the juice carton back onto the counter, and then held out the glass of orange juice towards Wendy.

“What?”

“Help me give it to her. Please.”

“Don’t look at me. I’m not the one who’s blushing so hard over the massive crush she has on the girl in cabin.”

“I DO NOT…” Irene lowered her voice before continuing her sentence, “I do not have a crush on her.”

“You do.”

“I don’t.”

“You do, and I’m not going to help you unless you admit it.”

“Just give it to her, Wendy.” Irene tried her fierce expression but Wendy just shook her head in reply, knowing full well what Irene was trying to do.

“Well, I’m going to stay put. Right here,” Wendy said as she crossed her arms and leaned against the counter to prove her point. “I’m not going to deprive you of the chance to get some interaction with new people.”

“Wendy…”

“Ask her about the flight. Ask her about her life. Ask her out. Whichever you prefer.”

Irene softened her voice as she started to plead, “Please, Wendy.”

Wendy could feel her resolve melting away instantly looking at Irene’s pleading expression. She was just so pure, so gentle-hearted that Wendy could not refuse her.

Wendy thought about it for a moment, before coming to a resolution.

“Admit that you have a crush on her first.”

“I don’t…”

“Five seconds, and my offer expires.”

“I…”

“Fivefourthree…”

“I just think she’s pretty!” Irene said in a hushed whisper frantically. “Is that good enough?”

Wendy giggled, then nodded as she replied, “For now.”

Taking the glass from Irene, Wendy did a curtsy with a wave at Irene playfully.

“And that’s not how you count five seconds.”

“Staring. At your .” Wendy reiterated, then backed out of the galley before Irene could hit her again.

Leaving Irene standing there with her cheeks still burning red.

A/N: After writing my foreword/description, thinking up of the chapter title, and pasting the story into this box, I thought of new ideas to add in when I have the time. It may be in this chapter, or a new chapter. Anyway, please be patient with me, and anticipate a lot! Thank you for your love!<3