"This is much more important than them." His lips came closer.
"Mitch--" He pressed his mouth to hers and she felt all her will power collapse, her fears vanished as his arms surrounded her, and their tongues explored deeply.
Mitch reached behind him and yanked the curtains over while he lifted her up effortlessly to sit on the counter in front of him.
"Don't speak Melanie, not yet." He reached inside his jacket and took out a small box. Melanie's heart almost stopped.
"Mitch, no--"
He put his fingers to her lips. "Shh, Melanie. Let me do the talking for once." He went down onto one knee and opened the box carefully, the sparkle of diamonds glinted. Melanie began to choke up.
"Melanie Hutchinson, will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
It was true. Only now did she realize how much she had longed for someone to ask her this question. But Mitch? He had hardly paid any attention to her in six years. It didn't make sense.
"Yes." She whispered. Why spoil the moment with rational thought?
"Give me your hand." He said and then carefully pushed the ring onto her finger. When she had admired it he stood up and gathered her into his arms, his warm breath on her neck excited her beyond belief. This gorgeous man was hers. In moments, they were naked and he was making passionate love to her on the galley floor. No -- it wasn't the floor, but a giant, soft bed with satin sheets -- but something was wrong. The whole plane surrounded them and people were staring at them, clapping, giving them a round of applause. Frantic to cover herself, she drew the sheets up to her chin.
"Mitch, what the hell is going on?"
"It's okay baby, these people are just happy for us. Come on, relax!"
"No, I can't! Are you crazy?"
She yanked the sheets up higher and then a thud brought her to herself.
Melanie looked around the room of Mitch's bachelor apartment.
"Oh my God." She moaned. "I'm still here. Twenty-eight years old and still waiting for this idiot to get serious." She looked at the good-looking man snoring next to her. Even with his hair all tousled and his mouth half-open, he was attractive. Still, nothing compared to the Mitch of her dreams. And he was no airline pilot, either. He was a ground staff supervisor. He had decent job a pay grade or two above her own but still at the lower end of the airline industry pile. He was such a sweet guy with a heart of gold, but would he ever move on from where he was? Would she, for that matter?