Brett boarded the plane for the twelve-hour flight and made his way down the aisle. When he reached his seat, he was momentarily disappointed at not getting a Siren to sit beside. The window seat was occupied by a young Demon man wearing a crisp dress shirt and tailored pants. Brett glanced down at his own outfit: sweatpants and a sweater. Far more comfortable for a long flight, he thought.
The man looked up and smiled. Brett returned it politely before sitting down and pulling out his book.
āTrail Life,ā the man read off the cover. āWhatās it about?ā
āTravelling. Camping.ā
āNon-fiction?ā He raised a brow. āSmart guy.ā
āNot really,ā Brett said. āNot many people read non-fiction anymore. Everyoneās on their phones.ā
āYou like the outdoors?ā
āYeah. I camp and hike all the time. Itās refreshing to get away from⦠the city commotion.ā
The manās face lit up. āI feel the same way. Sometimes I just want to disappear into the woods and do my own thing. Back to the basics. I try to surround myself with nature as much as I can.ā
Brett smiled, genuinely this time. āYeah. Exactly.ā
āI wouldnāt want to go alone though. I like company,ā the man added. āBut I donāt have many friends in the city. I skipped uni and went straight to work. Itās hard to make friends that way.ā
āI get that,ā Brett said. āIām between terms at college, so Iāve just been working these past few months. I try, but I canāt make friends at work. Honestly, theyāre all-ā
āInsufferable,ā they said in unison.
āYeeaaah,ā the man laughed. āI had a feeling weād get along. Nameās Jude, by the way.ā He extended a hand and Brett shook it.
āIām Brett. You live in Grodo City?ā
āIāll take you on a hike some weekend.ā Brett replied.
āIād love that.ā Jude grinned and reached into his pocket, pulling out a business card. āHere. Take my number. I promise Iām not trying to sell you anything.ā He winked. āYou couldnāt afford me anyway.ā
Brett stared at the card longer than necessary, caught off guard by the comment. He took it and gave Jude a tight smile. āSure.ā
He was absolutely not calling him.
āSo,ā Brett said after a moment, āwhatās your job?ā
āFinancial investment advisor. Private firm.ā
āI see,ā Brett replied.
āIām guessing you work at a call center,ā Jude continued. āOr maybe food delivery?ā
āWhat? Is that bad?ā Judeās smile faltered, looking confused.
āIām going to use the bathroom,ā Brett smiled.
Inside the bathroom, Brett gripped the edges of the sink and stared at his reflection. āYoung. Arrogant. Spoiled rich kid who probably got his hotshot job through daddy.ā He thought to himself. When Brett returned to his seat, a Siren flight attendant was passing by with food and snacks. Brett asked for a cookie and coffee. Jude ordered wine and a full meal kit.
āFor my friend as well,ā he added, lightly tapping the back of his hand against Brettās chest. The flight attendant nodded and moved on before Brett could object.
āMy treat,ā Jude said. āAnd my apology for offending you earlier.ā
āYou didnāt offend me,ā Brett replied plainly.
āWhy did you book economy instead of business class?ā Brett asked.
āLast-minute flight,ā Jude sighed. āDidnāt have a choice.ā
āRight? Economy is garbage; thereās barely any leg room.ā Jude groaned. He glanced toward the flight attendant once she was out of earshot, and lowered his voice. āSheās got a nice rack.ā
Brett frowned. āKeep that to yourself.ā
āYouāre thinking it too,ā Jude said, grinning wider. āYou totally are.ā
āIām not.ā Brett glared at him. āYouāre gross, man.ā
āYouāre just mad that you wouldnāt be able to afford her.ā
āIām kidding, Iām kidding.ā Jude lifted his hands in surrender. āChill out.ā
The flight attendant soon returned, setting two glasses of wine and a meal kit on their trays, as well as a coffee and cookie for Brett. Jude immediately began complaining about how unappetizing the meal kit looked, and how tiny the tray table in front of him was. Brett ignored him, a headache brewing.
He checked his watch; only twenty minutes had passed on the 12 hour flight. Brett glanced at the wine, then drained his glass in one go. He was going to need it.