Coffee, Tea or Me? Read Online Free

second sheet and started on my side. The first man I went to sat rigidly in his seat, his knuckles white as he grasped the sides of the chair.
    “Your name and destination, sir?”
    He panicked. “I thought we were going to Cleveland.”
    “That’s right, sir. Only Cleveland. Just give me your name, sir.”
    “Carlson. C-a-r-l-s-o-n.”
    “Thank you, sir.” I went on to the next.
    “Your name, sir.”
    He quickly slurred off what sounded like Icklensale.
    “Would you spell that for me, sir?”
    He didn’t like being asked to spell his name. He just said it again, only faster.
    “I-c-k-l-e-n-sale?” I tried.
    “E-k-l-o-s-h-a-l-e,” he corrected with a deep sigh.
    “Thank you, sir.” His look was mean.
    We were halfway through taking names when the captain’s voice came over the PA system.
    “Ah, ladies and gentlemen, ah welcome aboard Flight 81 to Cleveland. Ah, due to the, ah, bad weather conditions that I guess you’ve all noticed (chuckle), ah, we’re going to have to, ah, wait a little while in line for takeoff position . . . ah . . .”
    He seemed to want to say something else but didn’t . . . or couldn’t. The senior stew took up where he left off from her microphone in the buffet area.
    “Welcome aboard Flight 81 to Cleveland, Ohio. My name is Miss Lewis. Working with me for your comfort today will be Miss Baker and Miss Jones. We’re sorry for the delay in leaving Kennedy today, but weather conditions have canceled incoming flights and slowed up the departure of other flights. Once off the ground, we expect our flying time to Cleveland to be one hour and eight minutes. We’ll be cruising at an altitude of 26,000 feet. If there’s anything we can do to make your flight more comfortable, please don’t hesitate to call on us. Thank you, and have a pleasant flight.”
    We went through the oxygen mask routine and resumed taking names. I was almost finished with my side of the airplane when I felt a tap on my rear end. I turned to see Mr. George Kelman, whose name I had just taken. He was an attractive young man with neat brown hair, an expensive suit, and an outgoing smile. He beckoned me with his index finger. I leaned closer as he started to talk, the whine of the jet engines making hearing difficult. All that airline advertising talk about their super-quiet jets ran through my mind.
    “Yes, sir?”
    He leaned closer, too. “This is your first flight, isn’t it?”
    How did he know?
    “Yes sir, it is.”
    “I know. What I wanted to ask you was whether you’d have dinner with me in Cleveland tonight?”
    I was stunned. We’d been told many times, of course, that many men would ask us for dates. In fact, we hoped many men would ask us for dates. Why else be a flying waitress? But so soon? With the rain and all? I thought quickly, trying to remember what the manual said about dating passengers. It didn’t say anything that I could remember.
    “Sorry sir, but we’re not allowed to accept dates with male passengers.”
    “How about females?” He laughed easily and with warmth.
    I giggled. “Oh sir, that’s silly.”
    “Seriously, how about it?”
    “I can’t. We don’t even stay in Cleveland overnight. Well, unless we’re weathered in there.”
    “Don’t worry about that. I’ll come back with you and we’ll have dinner in New York.”
    Now I was totally confused.
    “Well, you see, I have to go back to work now and I have my girlfriend with me and . . .”
    “Great. We’ll have dinner in Cleveland or New York or wherever you say. All three of us.”
    I began to panic.
    “Well, I’ll ask her. Oh, but then you’ll want one of us to go home later, like in Coney Island. Right?” Now he was flustered.
    “Anything you say, ma’m.” He was sweet. I liked him. But I suddenly sensed that despite the noise of the engines, the other passengers in the immediate area were listening intently. I turned from him and went on with my job of getting names. I looked back at him. He had