The plane had landed

She woke from a deep sleep

Exhausted from all that her ex-boyfriend had demanded

Or was he an -ex?

She couldn’t quite tell from the last text – I love you

She added his name, Brett, to the list

At 35, getting married to a good guy and settling down was her only wish

Her heart was heavy, her luggage, not so much

Her trip would be short: a race and meeting some friends for lunch

A man in a tie stood at the end of the aisle

He gave her a wide smile, said, “I wish I could sleep like that”

She told him, “You have more responsibility than me – you’re a pilot”

He smiled, was quiet

As she climbed out of her seat he handed her a folded napkin so neat

There was a twinkle in his eyes

She wondered what was up with the guy

Scribbled down was Steve – contact me so we can meet up, please

His digits were jotted there

As she walked off, he couldn’t help but stare

She was beautiful, in fact

Long legs and tan, like a giraffe

She texted him later

He didn’t stop texting her

In route to Kansas City

Wish I could stay with you in Norfolk, you’re so pretty

I could take you out

He sent her a selfie

She didn’t feel herself melting

Just another name on the list, another miss

Kelly got in the car with her friend Rebecca and they went from the airport to their favorite restaurant: Mexican

Ran into some old friends: Alberto – who remembered her, and Don – who she grew up with

All the memories, all the times, came flooding in

The good and the bad, how she remembered them

They hopped back in the car

A flood of texts from Steve all the way to Richmond

All the praises were hard to believe, like truths bent

He wanted to know who she was and where she was going

What she was wearing and if her long legs were showing

He was flying while she was riding

Later that night in the hotel

There was a lot Kelly had to tell

She told Rebecca, “I’m still single and no one will miss me in the end”

“Nobody will know if I die in my home”

Rebecca tried to tell her it wasn’t so

The social glue that she is – all her siblings, her friends, her co-workers, would know if something were amiss

The next morning Steve was with Kelly at the start line

Texting her all night and that morning – that she’d never left his mind

He could survive on caffeine, from city to city, pondering the girl of his dreams

Kelly and Rebecca both ran the race

Each in their minds trying to find some space

Two personal bests at the finish line

Like back in their teens, it was a fabulous time

Kelly hadn’t texted Steve during the 2-hour race

He texted 30 times – he couldn’t forget her face

She’d thought about all the people in her life: Brett, Alberto, Don

All her friends in Florida – would anyone know she was gone?

Alone in a throng

She hugged Rebecca and flew back home to Florida

Surely Steve was in the sky too – his text came through: Where are you

She replied, Charlotte then Cape Coral

He: You’re adorable

Meanwhile, Brett had texted nothing

And what about all the innuendos from Don – so disgusting

Her heart ached, longing for love

She was feeling it was time to give up 

She cracked the door to her house back in Cape Coral

Sat her bags down and turned to flick on the light

Before she could, she lost her sight

No outgoing messages from her phone for an hour, then two, then three

Steve was starting to feel uneasy

Rebecca hoped she’d made it home – maybe Kelly’s phone died or her flight was delayed??

The inactivity went on for a whole day

The police and EMTs arrived just in time

But Steve Pilot had called the police, he’d been going out of his mind

He hadn’t heard from her in a day, he had no peace

Someone had struck her and left her for dead

At the crime scene, the DNA was Brett’s

But also Don’s

Alberto had heard the history and how it had been too long

He hired his friend from Miami to pose as Kelly – told Don to meet her at her place

He was expecting a date

Alberto’s hired hand was beaten to the chase – Brett found Don at Kelly’s house making unwanted advances

Brett was filled with rage

But Don had been too – at being denied

He struck Kelly before Brett could strike him

Brett was scared to death, thought two people were dead – so he left

Alberto never heard back from his hired hand

It was a botched plan

Brett thought of himself, Don wanted was wasn’t his, Alberto got busy

While Kelly laid on her own floor, alone and dizzy

Till the police finally came

Thanks to one name: Steve

Steve Pilot – he hadn’t ignored the silence
He had called the police

Sure, he’d only known Kelly for a few days

But he knew something was strange

When Kelly woke up in the hospital, there was one man by her side

If not for him, she would have died

Kelly was in a daze, said to him, “I thought you were a flight attendant”

At the moment she mistook him for a doctor or nurse

For her heart was healed

He said, “Let’s make a deal: I’ll take you for a ride and we’ll break this curse”

The loveless curse of lousy men – an endless cycle she’d been living in

She told him there was no need to text

He said she didn’t have to hold her breath

He unclipped her IVs and breathing tube, gave her clean clothes to change into

He held out his arm

She’d never been so charmed – “You knew I was about to die in my home?”

He said, “You’re the brightest light that’s ever shown – and if only you knew from how far I’ve flown – to be with you…”

He led her out of the hospital to the landing pad where a private jet was waiting

She said, “This is more than I was ever anticipating”

He led her up its stairs, kissed her cheek

In her pocket, was a crumpled napkin with his name Steve

They were soon up in the air

She was immensely delighted

Finally loved, cherished, pursued, and saved

By the one who didn’t get away

Steve Pilot