MidReal Story
Faking Forever: A Plane Engagement Tale
Scenario: Evelyn is dreading the wedding of her brother, as she will have to face an old boyfriend that she made a pact with years ago; she meets Benjamin on the plane and they decide to pretend to be engaged, but as they spend more time together, they may just be falling for each other.
Create my version of this story
I hate weddings.
If I could avoid them for the rest of my life, I would.
But that’s not possible, so I’ll just have to suck it up and deal with it.
I’m on a plane right now, heading to my cousin’s wedding in Hawaii.
I’ve been dreading this trip for months, but I can’t get out of it.
I’ve already missed too many family events, and if I skip this one, my mom will never let me hear the end of it.
So here I am, on a plane to Hawaii for a weeklong family reunion and wedding celebration.
It’s going to be hell.
The only saving grace is that my ex-boyfriend won’t be there.
He’s my cousin’s best friend and was supposed to be the best man in the wedding, but he had to drop out at the last minute because of work.
Thank God for small favors.
I don’t think I could handle seeing him right now, not after everything that happened between us.
It’s still too raw, too painful.
I pass my boarding pass to the flight attendant, who scans it and hands it back to me with a smile.
I return the smile, but it’s fake, just like everything else in my life right now.
I’m not in the mood for small talk or niceties, but I keep my mouth shut and make my way down the aisle to my seat.
I’m in row twenty-five, near the back of the plane.
It’s a full flight, so I’m not surprised.
Every flight I’ve ever been on is full these days.
I’m almost positive that airlines overbook on purpose just so they can make more money when people miss their flights.
This is both good and bad news for me.
The good news is that the plane will be taking off soon, which means I’m one step closer to being in Hawaii.
The bad news is that I always get stuck in the middle seat when I’m near the back of the plane.
That’s just my luck.
I’m not afraid of flying or anything, but I do like to sit by the window so I have something to look at.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen today.
Because of the way this particular plane is designed, there are only two seats on either side of the aisle, which means there are no windows for me to sit next to.
And since I get motion sick if I sit at the back of the plane, I have no choice but to take the middle seat.
It’s a lose-lose situation for me.
I settle into my cramped space and pull out a book so I can try to distract myself from the fact that I’m stuck in a small seat with no window view for the next six hours.
This flight is going to be miserable.
As soon as the flight attendants make their way through the cabin and finish with their safety announcements, we take off down the runway and are soon airborne.
Normally I’d be freaking out right now, but I’ve flown so many times over the years that it’s become second nature to me.
I turn on my overhead light and open my book, but after only a few pages, I realize I’m having a hard time concentrating.
Normally reading at thirty thousand feet in the air is a good distraction for me, but today it’s just not working.
So instead, I decide to watch a movie on my iPad.
I flip through my digital library until something catches my eye—How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
I love this movie.
It’s hilarious and sweet and has a happy ending.
There’s nothing better when you’re feeling down about a breakup than watching a romantic comedy where everything turns out okay in the end (even if it is totally unrealistic).
I plug in my earbuds and press play, settling back into my seat as Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey grace my screen with their good looks and incredible chemistry.
Looking up, I see the most handsome man I’ve ever laid eyes on standing in front of me with an amused smile on his face, his green eyes twinkling with mischief as they lock onto mine.
“Is this seat taken?”
he asks, motioning to the empty seat next to me with his hand.
My mouth goes dry, and my heart beats faster as my eyes roam over his gorgeous face, taking in every detail—the dark hair, the five o’clock shadow, the dimples that deepen when he smiles, the full lips that beg to be kissed.
Oh my God, he’s so beautiful that he doesn’t even look real.
He looks like he was sculpted by the gods themselves, each feature perfectly chiseled into place.
He’s the type of guy that most women would kill to have as their husband, but not me—I’m not interested in that kind of thing.
“Um…”
I say, my brain temporarily short-circuiting as my eyes meet his once again, “No, it’s not taken.”
He grins, and my heart leaps into my throat as he moves past me, his body brushing against mine as he squeezes into the seat next to me.
I turn back around in my seat and quickly check to make sure the middle seat really is vacant.
It is.
I wasn’t imagining things.
He’s sitting next to me.
“Would you like the window seat?”
I ask, trying to keep my voice steady as I look at him out of the corner of my eye.
“I don’t mind taking the middle.”
I’m too shocked by his question to respond right away.
Why is he offering to trade seats with me?
What does he want in return?
“I mean…”
he continues, running a hand through his hair as he turns toward me, “I know most people like sitting by the window.
It’s just that I prefer the aisle anyway, so it’s no big deal.
But if you’d like to move, I’d be happy to switch with you.”
I’m suspicious of his motives, but I don’t want to be rude.
After all, he doesn’t have to offer his seat to me if he doesn’t want to.
And since it was my choice to take the middle seat in the first place, I can’t really be mad at him for sitting next to me.
That was a risk I took when I chose this spot on the plane.
“Thank you,” I say at last.
“Are you sure?
I don’t mind staying here if you don’t want the window seat.
Like I said, it’s not a big deal for me.”
“Yeah, I mean…”
I trail off, unsure of how to respond.
I don’t trust this guy one bit.
He has an ulterior motive—I just know it.
But what could it be?
Is he trying to flirt with me or something?
I’ve never been good at reading men, and after what happened with my ex-boyfriend, I’m not sure I ever will be.
But as far as I can tell, he’s genuine.
He’s not being pushy or overly aggressive.
He’s simply offering me his seat without expecting anything in return.
My heart twinges with guilt for jumping to conclusions about him so quickly.
“I’d like that,” I say, finally.
“If you’re sure it’s okay.”
“Of course it is,” he says with a smile.
“I wouldn’t have offered if it wasn’t.”
I gather my things and move out of his way so he can get up and let me in.
The change in pressure makes my ears pop as he climbs past me into his new seat.
As he settles in and buckles his seatbelt, we both turn back toward each other at the sound of the intercom.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” a voice crackles over the loudspeaker.
“We’ll be hitting some turbulence in a bit.
So please remain in your seats with your seatbelts fastened until the fasten seatbelt sign is turned off.
Thank you for your cooperation.”
The fasten seatbelt sign lights up as the pilot finishes speaking.
“Great timing,” I mutter under my breath as I turn back toward the man in the window seat.
I was about to ask him his name when the pilot made his announcement.
Now that it’s clear we’re not going anywhere for a while, I decide there’s no point in waiting any longer.
“Hi,” I say with a smile.
“I’m Evelyn.” His eyes crinkle at the corners as he returns my smile.
I have no idea why—probably because he has a nice smile.
Not too bright or flashy but not too subtle either.
Just a nice smile.
And a really nice face all around now that I think about it—broad shoulders and dark hair and green eyes and dimples that make me feel warmer than the airplane’s air conditioning ever could.
“Benjamin,” he says in return.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” I say as I extend a hand across the aisle for him to shake.
“Are you on this flight for business or pleasure?”
“Pleasure,” he replies as he takes my hand in his own.
“Me too,” I say with a small laugh.
“I’m going to Hawaii to visit family for my cousin’s wedding.”
“What about you?
Why are you on your way to paradise?”
“My brother has been living in Hawaii for over a year now,” he explains.
“And since he just got engaged a few months ago, I figured it was time for me to go visit him before his wedding in August.”
“How sweet of you,” I say with a smile.
“I’m sure your brother will be happy to see you.”
“I hope so,” he says with a shrug.
“But even if he isn’t…well, it’s not like I have anything better to do now that I’m on vacation for three weeks.”
“I’m sure he’ll be thrilled,” I assure him.
“And I’m sure you’ll have a great time in Hawaii no matter what.”
“Well, if it’s anything like this flight so far…”
he says with a grin as his eyes sweep over me from head to toe and back again.
“If it’s anything like this flight so far,” he repeats as his gaze lingers on me longer than I would’ve expected.
A flush creeps up my neck at his comment—or maybe it’s just the heat from his gaze that has me feeling flustered all of a sudden.
For one long minute—or maybe it was only one second; I don’t know—I forget how to breathe as I sit there staring at him staring at me.
Just when I think I might pass out from lack of oxygen, he clears his throat and looks away, breaking eye contact at last.
