Flying Backwards

by Jennifer W Smith

  “Na, let’s just go to the bedroom.”

  Eleanor blinked back to reality as the cashier asked her if she wanted paper or plastic for her groceries.

  Eleanor pulled her vehicle into the carport. She had been blasting the air conditioning the whole ten-mile ride home. Their house would be stuffy; they didn’t have central air conditioning.

  Phillip appeared at the car door, his hair damp. “Need help?” She figured he’d jumped in the shower after hanging up with her. He looked cool in his light-blue polo shirt and khaki shorts. Unconsciously, she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She thought she must look a sight after sweating all morning in her mother’s kitchen.

  “Hi! Sure, there are a few bags. Mom made you banana bread,” she said, opening the back door, revealing the paper bags and the bread. Phillip bent slightly to kiss her before retrieving the bags. They entered through a tiny mudroom, where Eleanor hung her purse on a peg and kicked off her flip-flops. “Sure is steamy today.” She poured a glass of lemonade.

  Phillip unloaded the bags on the counter. “Want these in the fridge?” He indicated the vegetables. At Eleanor’s nod he piled the various items on the shelves. She sipped her lemonade and watched him as he placed the frozen pizza in the freezer, the canned beans in the cupboard, and sponges under the sink. He paused. “You look tired. Do you still want to go out?” Now was her chance. She needed to put her seductive scheme into action, give him that passionate kiss…

  She paused only a moment before she said, “I’m fine. Just hungry, I guess.” She turned away and reached for a half loaf of bread to make a sandwich. Whether she could not face being turned down or she just didn’t want to be with him, she didn’t know. What is happening to me? She was content and happy, wasn’t she? She fought the lump in her throat. She felt like she was going to cry. You are being ridiculous, she told herself and shook it off.

  Chapter Two

  It was mid-October, and there was some welcome downtime for Clark’s Catering. Eleanor reluctantly agreed to shop for tile with Victoria. Her previous Depot outings with Phillip a couple months ago had no results. They had shrugged their shoulders at each other, disagreeing over plain or patterned tiles. Victoria took her procrastinating sister to a tile shop in a strip mall, where she made quick work of plucking out the perfect tile combinations for Eleanor’s approval. Victoria was in her element, enjoying herself, but Eleanor couldn’t ignore her nagging thoughts. Does this really matter? Is this what I want? She just didn’t care about that old house! Once again, she shook off the familiar melancholy feeling.

  Victoria pointed to a coffee shop at the other end of the L-shaped plaza. “I need some caffeine.” As they moved in that direction Victoria’s cell phone rang. She dug through her huge designer purse and held up her index finger to Eleanor as she answered, “Clark’s Catering, Victoria speaking.”

  Eleanor slowed to a stop in front of a travel agency office, lured by the various exotic posters advertising a tropical destination, a Mediterranean cruise, and a tour of London, Paris, and Rome. Eleanor had always wanted to go to Rome and Paris. In fact, in high school she came very close to going on a senior class trip to Paris. However, that was the year her dad’s union went on strike, and with the expense of Victoria’s college tuition and twelve-year-old Lizzy’s braces, the costs were too much for the Clark family budget.

  Rome: classical architecture built by the ancient Romans, the bountiful fountains…‌and the food… She could almost taste the cheesy eggplant parmesan she imagined. She’d always dreamed of traveling.

  Her daydream drew her in deeper… She glimpsed his dark sexy eyes meeting hers across the Piazza di Trevi. His teeth flashed white against his sun-kissed skin. This stranger with hunky good looks was coming straight for her… His sensual smile made her heart pound.

  Victoria’s voice jolted Eleanor back to reality. “Sorry, that was the Cooper bride with a question about the beef medallions. Of course, we can get grass-fed beef. Everyone wants it these days. Oh, you’ll love her colors, dark orange and purple. Different, huh?”

  “Yeah.” Eleanor looked longingly back at the poster of Rome, her hunky Italian’s smiling face fading away. “Yeah, can’t wait to see that combo.”

  They each ordered a latte and sat outside at one of the café’s two bistro tables. “So, Eleanor, what’s up with you lately? You seem so glum. Is it because you turned twenty-nine? Getting older sucks! Sorry I was on your case about your eggs a while ago.”

  Eleanor’s replied nonchalantly, “No, I don’t care about that.” This restlessness she was feeling was worrying her, but how could she talk about it with Victoria when she didn’t even know herself why it was happening? Worse yet, what could she do about it.

  Her birthday had been another confirmation that something was amiss. She’d looked forward to a fun night out at Champ’s Billiards with her sisters and the guys. They’d gotten a table, ordered food, and then shot pool while listening to a live local band. Eleanor sat off to the side where she could watch the band and still see Perry boast good-naturedly after every shot. The band dialed it back to a classic Journey song that got the whole bar singing and swaying to the melancholy lyrics. It was her night, her birthday celebration–why didn’t she feel the joy they did? The thought had sobered her.

  Promptly at midnight her sisters called out birthday wishes, which prompted others around the bar to respond in kind. Phillip walked up to her, smiling, “Happy Birthday, pet.” He leaned in to kiss her, and she practically held her breath. Let this kiss be magical, she prayed. Time seemed suspended. She felt a smoochie kiss. When she opened her eyes to see Phillip’s retreating face her heart sank.

  She had to force a smile. The epiphany, the revelation that there was no magic, was buzzing through her. Eleanor vowed to herself, then and there, I’m going to make my life better… I can’t live like this and feel like this anymore.

  Victoria peered over her coffee cup at her sister. “Seriously,” she asked with concern in her voice, “what is going on with you, Eleanor?”

  Eleanor sat facing the travel agency, feeling wistful. “I think I need a vacation.”

  “Don’t we all,” Victoria muttered into her cup.

  “I just wish I could go somewhere really far away.” Eleanor’s statement resounded in her mind. Far away, escape my life…

  “Well, if you got married, you could honeymoon somewhere really far away.” That made sense to Victoria, but Eleanor was thinking about a solo trip.

  Eleanor wanted to be away from it all–her stale relationship, her boring job and demanding family, the house that never really felt like her home, and herself… She wanted to be someone else. But she looked at her sister and changed the subject. “Right. So anyway, are you going to need help with the Cooper wedding?”

  Victoria was easily diverted by questions about the Cooper wedding. “Yes we can use your help.”

  “Well, you can count on me.” I’m not going anywhere, Eleanor thought.

  Eleanor made her vow but wondered how exactly she was going to accomplish it. She did not have to wait long for the metaphorical ball to get rolling. The Monday evening after her birthday, Phillip sat looking at her across their dinner table. Intently he said, “I have something to tell you.” Eleanor noticed he looked excited. “Remember how I mentioned opportunities in Boston for some of the software I’m working on? Well, we had a meeting today, and it looks like we are definitely going forward with the company’s relocation to Boston.”

  Eleanor didn’t respond, so Phillip went on. “Now I know this would be a big change for us. You’d still have your position if we want to think about making this move.” No matter how much he wanted to go, he was offering her the option for them to stay in Pennsylvania, she realized. She’d never lived outside of York County. She lived with her parents while she attended college and eventually moved in with Phillip. Boston seemed far, but that was not what bothered her.

  “When is t
his happening?” True, this was not new and shocking news; there had been rumors, but the idea was life altering.

  “By the first of the year. They’ve already signed a lease in Boston.”

  Neither of them had touched the food on their plates.

  “What do you want to do?” Eleanor asked, but she already knew his answer. His work was his life. And his work was moving to Boston.

  “This would be an amazing opportunity for me. Open so many doors.” He paused. “You’ll be my wife, Eleanor. I want you to be happy with whatever we decide together,” he said sincerely.

  Wow, what can I say? This was his livelihood. Any time not spent with her and her family, he spent working on his projects. A good wife would support her husband. This was a no-brainer. She attempted a joke. “Do you think we’ll pick up a Boston accent?” How could she say no?

  He chuckled and blew out the breath he’d been holding. “I promise we’ll make this work. It will be great. Oh, and we can definitely come back here for the wedding. And we’ll get a place with plenty of extra room for your family to come and stay.”

  Oh yeah, came the afterthought, the wedding and my family. She was a little numb.

  Eleanor convinced Phillip to wait a bit before telling her family. She thought they needed to figure out more details first. He readily agreed. He was just thrilled she said yes.

  For the rest of the week, Eleanor seemed to go through the motions at work. Phillip stayed and worked late several nights, excited to untangle the kinks out of his projects before the big move.

  The other office staff, Laura, was told of the impending relocation. She had the want ads open on the lunchroom table, and for the fun of it Eleanor thumbed through them. She speculated about what else she could do besides office work. Maybe she could pursue something more interesting once she was settled in Boston. She only meant to get some ideas…

  There in black and white was an ad for an open interview for Meade Airlines, seeking to hire flight attendants. The interviews were being held next Wednesday at a hotel in downtown Philadelphia.

  Hmm…‌I could travel to exotic places. I could go far away and start a new and exciting life, be someone else… Wait! I have a life, she reminded herself. I am starting a new and exciting life in Boston. I’m going to plan a big wedding and be married to Phillip for the rest of my life. Still, she could not help herself from daydreaming of the possibilities of what could be, a daunting thought for a small-town girl, but Eleanor could not get the idea out of her head.

  * * *

  The following Wednesday morning, the day of the open interviews with Meade Airlines, Eleanor had taken her shower, but she was in the bedroom, stalling. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she recalled her promise to herself to live a better life. Could she miss this opportunity to interview with an airline? No! Finally she came into the kitchen to see that Phillip was already dressed and munching on the last spoonful of his granola. She announced that she was not feeling well and thought she should stay home today.

  “It’s my stomach. Maybe I caught a stomach bug.” Eleanor flattened her hand over her belly and offered a pathetic look.

  “Sorry, pet. I’ll tell Laura. She can run things today.” Phillip placed his bowl in the sink. “I hope you feel better.” He gave her a peck on the forehead, gathered his things, and left.

  It was true Eleanor’s stomach was upset, but it was because of nerves, not a stomach bug. She dashed back to their bedroom and pulled out a gray suit from the back of her closet. Quickly she changed, carefully applied makeup, and added some tasteful accessories. She smoothed her long ponytail into a neat bun. She was ready for the interview in Philadelphia. If she left now, she would beat the traffic.

  The GPS guided her to the hotel in record time. What am I doing here? Am I even flight attendant material? Eleanor felt she was average-looking, not as striking as Victoria or as pretty as Lizzy, but she was no dog. She glanced at her refection in the rearview mirror. Do I have what they are looking for? Do I have what it takes?

  She entered with trepidation and followed the Welcome to Meade Airlines signs to a ballroom. The upholstered chairs were set up theater-style. People were starting to file in and sit down, and she scooted into a row and did the same. She sat up straight, adjusting the fit of her suit jacket, and glanced around the room. The others were mostly younger and underdressed. Eleanor considered her age for a moment and wondered if it would count against her. There were only a handful of candidates who looked older. She waited for the general introduction to begin. Eleanor’s nervousness seemed to slip away as her excitement began to build.

  Wow, if I get this job… The possibilities! She tried to contain the thoughts.

  I shouldn’t be here… She hated lying to Phillip, but telling him about this interview would just confuse things. She told herself, I probably won’t even get this job anyway. Eleanor was taking one humongous step at a time.

  “Attention, everyone, let’s get started.” All eyes turned to the tall Latin beauty whose accent was as exotic as she was. “Welcome, on behalf of Meade Airlines. My name is Maria Sanchez, and this is my associate William Grant. We’d like to talk to you first about the airline and our program and then break off for individual interviews.” William worked his way down the aisle, passing out envelopes stamped with the airline logo.

  The lovely Maria gave a brief history of the airline and the current hubs, or bases. The job would require employees to live in one of the base areas. New flight attendants would be on call and if summoned would have to report to the airport within a four-hour window. This meant they had to live close by, within sixty miles of the airport, and have their bags packed and ready. She described the schedule as on-call days and scheduled days off each week. A scheduler would contact attendants by phone about a trip, ranging anywhere from one day up to four days. After completing the monthly work-hour quota, attendants would be off until the new month started.

  William then discussed the hourly pay rate and the potential add-on incomes, like per diem, flying the lead position, and other roles that didn’t make sense to Eleanor yet. She learned there was a mandatory six-week training session at the Pittsburg Training Center. Meade Airlines would provide a free airline ticket to Pittsburg and cover the hotel room and transportation to and from the hotel to the training center. There was no paid salary during training. Meals were not covered. Also, there was a series of twenty-two written exams; each participant needed to score 80 percent or higher to pass. Two retakes were allowed. Trainees who failed more than twice were released from the program.

  “This is the first round in the interviewing process. We will notify you by mail if you will be called back for a second interview. There are up to four rounds of personal interviews. Good luck. On behalf of Meade Airlines we thank you for coming out today.” Maria smiled and moved to one of four interview tables. Two Meade Airlines employees sat at each table. Before Eleanor knew it she was sitting in front of Carl and Suzanne for round one.

  “Welcome. I’m Suzanne, this is Carl, and you are…?” Her pen was poised above her clipboard, her face friendly and persona professional.

  “Eleanor…Nora Clark. You can call me Nora.” She’d never before introduced herself as Nora. Everyone called her Eleanor, but she’d never particularly liked her name. Her mother had wanted authentic names, so she had named each of her daughters after an English queen: Queen Victoria, Queen Eleanor, and Queen Elizabeth. Eleanor could never imagine Victoria as Vicky or Tori. But Nora somehow suited her new mindset. Nora’s confidence rose, and she was pleased with herself for yet another subtle change.

  “Nora, what interested you in coming to this interview today?” Suzanne assumed the lead. Carl sat, his back ramrod straight. Nora felt his eyes sweep her in a once-over assessment.

  Nora held her breath for the briefest moment, and in that moment, her truest feelings were finally released. “I’m ready for a journey, and this could be the doorway to that jo
urney.”

  “Tell me more.” Suzanne and Carl exchanged knowing glances. “Are you currently employed?”

  “Yes, I have a business administration position at a software company. However, as of the first of the year that company will be relocating.” Nora was glad she had an authentic reason for seeking new employment.

  “Oh, are you opposed to relocating? With this job you’d need to live within sixty miles of the base assigned to you.”

  “No, I think relocating is exactly what I need. I also feel like a career change is in order,” she assured them.

  “What experiences would make you a good candidate for our airline?”

  “In my current job, I’m constantly involved with customer service issues, which has taught me to work with others during stressful situations.” Suzanne nodded approvingly, and Nora continued. “Also, my family runs a successful catering company, and I’ve worked all aspects, from cooking to serving to customer relations to budgeting to dealing with every incident–you name it and I’ve done it. I worked with my family part-time through high school and college and then full-time for a couple years until I landed my current job. I still help out as often as I can, though it’s run by my mother and older sister.” It was true she made a good fit in her family’s business. Heidi and Victoria had talked about her becoming a future partner. She loved helping them but never felt like she could be a partner. It just didn’t feel right.

  Suzanne looked up again from the clipboard neatly holding Nora’s paperwork. “I see you speak French. We have an international program.”

  She’d taken two years of French in college after four years in high school. It had been awhile since she’d spoken French, but she thought, I could easily brush up on it. Nora hadn’t even thought about domestic versus international travel. She was willing to fill out more paperwork.

  “As you know–” Nora noticed that Carl talked with his hands–“you’d be required to attend six weeks of unpaid training. Is this something that would work for you?”