on the airplane

"Dear, you need to come back to the United States, your father is ill and he needs you here."

Those were the words Athena heard from her mother, Elizabeth Scotts, before she board the first flight back to them.

She had to leave all her classes and important exams of her Master degree in business but she don't mind at all. Hopefully her father will get well and she'll be back soon.

She calmed herself down with some music as the flight took off. But that did nothing to stop her mind from wandering around.

"Hey Miss." Someone tapped her shoulders and brought her back to the present.

She looked to where the tapping was coming from and her eyes met with an amber brown ones.

The man was dressed like he was in a business meeting or is going to one. His tie is white with red stripes with matches the black suit he is wearing. His hair, dirty blonde is styled and gelled neatly backwards, which just suit his eyes.

In all, he was looking dashing with his muscular built body barely hidden in the clothes he wore.

"How may I help you sir?" Athena asked politely with her best pretentious smile.

He was on his feet in front of the seat next to her, the seat was close to the aisle where the flight attendants pass to serve the passengers.

"I'm so sorry for bothering you." He put his hands together in front of her and then rubbed them together begging. "But can I sit at the window seat instead?" He now had a sheepish smile and he looked nervous.

He was eyeing her, she looked sophisticated with her ginger red hair parted at the middle of her head and fall loosely at either sides of her shoulders.

Her makeup is light and simple and the man thought she did not need it as her face was flawless, looked soft and perfect but the makeup gave her the rich lady look.

Her floral dress did not scream expensive but it is inclusive in adding to her beauty at this particular time.

Athena looked through the little window of the plane besides her, she loved sitting at the window seat because she loved staring at the clouds as she flew. The clouds are one of the few sure things in her life, they are always there whenever she board the plane and travelled to other places.

She turned back to him, "Of course you can sit here." She smiled politely then exchanged seats with the man.

After sitting at her previous seat, the man calmed down a bit but still looked nervous while looking out through the windows.

"Will someone special be there?" Athena asked after her observation, she smiled warmly even though the man hasn't looked at her yet.

When he turned to face her, he met with her green eyes, she was smiling warmly at him and it reached her eyes.

"Huh?" He furrowed his brows questioningly. He was even surprised she spoke to him, she seemed like those rich proud girls that thinks highly of themselves and everyone else is beneath them.

She giving her her seat was more then enough kindness he expected plus she is a very beautiful lady, and she most definitely knows it.

"Where you're going." She replied, "Will someone special be there? You look very nervous even after taking my seat, that spot should have done the trick of making you relaxed." She explained.

He nodded then sighed.

"Some people I really want to impress are there, I really want to see their faces lit up for once because of me." He disclosed to Athena.

Flight attendants stopped by the seats of the passengers and asked what they'll be eating? Soon, one of the women, dressed like a typical flight attendant with dark blue straight tight skirt, a dark blue suit on top of a white inner singlet, and her hair was made a neat bun on her head. Her makeup is heavy and professional.

"Good day Miss," she greeted Athena, "and sir," she directed to the man sitting with Athena. "Would any of you like anything to eat?" She asked politely.

"What are you offering?" Athena asked whilst looking at the service trolley beside the flight attendant.

"Some snacks and drinks. There's Coke oh and I have just one chicken sandwich left." The attendant listed.

"I'll have the sandwich." Athena requested, "With the coke."

It was handed to her and the flight attendant look over to the man. "Sir, won't you have anything? The flight is a long one."

"No don't worry." He shook his head.

"Okay sir." The flight attendant left.

"Hey you want some advice?" Athena asked suddenly after a while which made the man to turn his attention to Athena from the window of the airplane.

"Advise?" He furrowed his brows, "Sure if you as some." He pressed forward nevertheless. "But I don't think you'll understand my situation right now." He added.

His thoughts are that Athena is a pretty rich lady that was probably spoiled my mummy and daddy and doesn't have any idea of hard work or fighting for approval from someone.

Athena smiled at him genuinely this time and it reached her eyes and it showcased her dimples which could be easily missed cause they were not that deep.

At this his heart melt at her smile and he calmed down a bit and dropped his guard which he had up to because he was after all sitting with a very beautiful lady and he had too much of pretty ladies drama for another one in an airplane leading to the place where the people he is so nervous to face are.

"That's what everyone thinks." She laughs and the man felt a little bad for judging her like that, he after all does not know her and she did give him her seat which she probably enjoyed being in.

"But it's much more complicated than that, you see..." She sighs, "I'm dropping everything to go back home just at their command to do so. All my exams and study to go back to the US again and the course I'm studying isn't what I wanted to study in the first place. I have no other choice but to excel in that course no matter how much I don't like it and I did just to make them happy."

The sadness in her eyes could not be missed and her smile had fallen. The man could clearly see that she was really unhappy with her life and she must know a thing or two about suffering and working hard especially for someone's approval. This makes him feel more guilty.

"I'm sorry for judging you like that." He apologized sincerely to Athena and she just wave it off.

"Oh don't worry about that," she chuckles, "it's normal."

"So you were saying something about an advise?" He reminded her.

"Oh I just wanted to say, if you have done what ever it is you are supposed to do accordingly to how to asked without any of your opinion in the matter then you should rest assured that you'll make them happy." Athena answered.

"I see, thanks." He nodded, seeming in thoughts about what she had said.

"Just be sure that none of your view is in the matter and it's exactly what they want." She repeated.

"I understand." The man said and smiled for the first time. "My name is Asher by the way." He introduced himself.

Athena only nodded before turning away, "But remember that gaining their approval nor making them happy is never going to satisfy them. That will never be enough." She said in an undertone which Asher heard.

From her tone he understood that her words were true and that's that. Period. And also the end of the conversation.

Athena proceed to placing her earphones back in her ears.

*****