Opposites Attract

Opposites Attract

A beautiful, attractive woman by the name of Charlotte Teale. A workaholic: Doesn’t allow herself to have fun, doesn’t have the time to socialize with her girlfriends or has any time to find her true love. She has dedicated herself to her job. The job comes first. Charlotte works for an Advertisement Franchise in New York City. A very well-known Franchise that has made a name for itself globally.

It took three weeks to have a day off for herself. While having her morning coffee, she called her best friend. Thankfully, Emma answered. Charlotte asked Emma what’s the scoop on all her girls. Emma gave Charlotte all the updated gossip about their lives. In the end, Charlotte complained about not seeing them like they used to. She blamed everything on her job for being so time demanding but the pay is excellent and doesn’t want to quit. But Charlotte said she’s thinking of taking either a weekend getaway or a vacation for a week or two but is undecided at the moment.

Emma quickly chimed in her response. “Oh, Charlotte. Don’t worry honey. Let me know soon ok.” Charlotte replied. “Ok.” Charlotte hung up the phone, took a deep long breath, and slowly released it. Charlotte, talking to herself. “Well… What to do now? It’s my only day off. I guess I can straighten up here and then do self-care for myself. On her way to the salon spa, she noticed there was a travel agency within walking distance. Charlotte cocked her head to one side; decided when she is done with the Mani and Pedi salon, she’ll walk over to get an idea of how much it would cost to go on vacation.

While at the salon, she picked out her colors waiting for her turn. She kept thinking about how overworked she is with her job. How stressed out her job makes her. The wheels just keep turning and turning with all her thoughts. It's so exhausting and draining to keep thinking like this. It's so bad that Charlotte didn’t hear her own name being called when it was her turn.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, I got caught up in my thoughts,” Charlotte told the nail tech. The nail tech nodded and smiled. While her nails were being done; Charlotte came back to reality. Enjoying the self-care she’s receiving, then go over to the travel agency to plan her trip or at least get an idea of how much.

Charlotte got home around 2 pm. She placed the brochures from the travel agency on the coffee table. She walked into the kitchen to put the groceries away, then the phone rang. Charlotte answered. “Hello.” “Hello Charlotte, it’s Emma,” Emma replied. Charlotte answered. “Oh hey, what is up?” Emma answered. “Nothing much right now. I wanted to know if you have decided on what we talked about this morning.” Charlotte replied. “Yes. I went to the travel agency and picked up a brochure on the Caribbean, St. Lucia, St. Thomas, and Aruba. I plan on narrowing it down while having dinner. Why?”

Emma answered. “Do nothing yet. I called all the girls, and we all decided on the perfect girl’s getaway, since we hardly get to see each other; especially you Charlotte. We all miss you so much.” Charlotte’s chin dropped with excitement. Emma continued. “We all chipped in and paid for your ticket for you. I am not telling you where we are going but you will find out once we get to the airport.” Charlotte’s chin dropped again with more excitement. Emma continued. “We are leaving New York Thursday morning and staying until Friday at 3 pm for check out. Our flight on Friday is 7 pm. We are all coming over Tuesday night to your place on February 6th and we are all leaving together Thursday morning. It’s because you live closer to the airport than any of us do. So, it’s Thursday, February 9th through Friday, February 17th.”

Emma continued. “Can you take the time off?” Charlotte answered. “Yes. I will put it in. I will talk to my boss too.” Emma replied. “Call me to confirm tomorrow. Meanwhile, take the time today to buy things for the upcoming trip. I will give you a hint. We are going somewhere where there are a lot of men, a beach, and sun, etc. So, think of these things while you’re out shopping.” Charlotte answered. “Ok, Emma. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Goodbye.” Emma answered. “Bye for now.” Charlotte laughed.

Charlotte thought about what Emma told her. What are my friends up to? They’re crazy. I can’t believe they bought my ticket. OMG! Well… I have shopping to do, and I need to pack for the trip.

On Tuesday night like clockwork. Charlotte’s friends came over. Everyone is ready and excited about their journey to come. Emma and the girls brought over some takeout to eat with a bottle of wine. This vacation is going to be something that she will never forget, and it will be a life changer for Charlotte. Charlotte has one friend who is married, two friends who are in a relationship, and one friend who is already engaged. Charlotte can’t wait for this trip. She needed this relaxation for a long time. Then she thought about something else, maybe she will get lucky and finally meet mister right. Another person from New York or nearby in the Tri-state area. Anyway, fingers and toes crossed for a smooth flight on Thursday.

The alarm sounded off at 3 am Thursday morning and the girls practically slept in their clothes. They hardly had any sleep, more like cat naps. They were all nervous about not hearing the alarm and missing their flight. Thankfully, that did not happen.

Emma ordered an Uber from her phone. It took ten minutes for Uber to get to them. Everyone loaded the car, got in, and off they went, straight to JFK. Charlotte is now curious about where this flight is taking them. She tried to get it out of them but was unsuccessful. When they finally reached the terminal, the airline boarded the passengers, and they all had to move faster than lightning to board their flight.

Emma had all their tickets. She handed the tickets to the flight attendant just in the Knick of time. Charlotte tried to ask the flight attendant where the flight is going but Emma intervened and interrupted the conversation.

Finally, they were on the plane sitting in their sits in the middle aisle. One girl flagged down the flight attendant and asked for drinks to calm them down before the flight took off. Emma is the person who observes all her surroundings. She couldn’t help but notice how Charlotte is reacting, then she saw this handsome cowboy wearing his Stetson hat. She inspected him, and he tipped his hat in acknowledgement to her and Charlotte. Emma nudged Charlotte with her elbow. Charlotte kept her eyes looking straight ahead. Emma slowly moved closer to Charlotte’s ear. Emma asked. “What’s the matter with you?” Charlotte replied. “The cowboy has been staring at me since we arrived on the flight.” Emma’s reaction. “Oh, I see. So let him look. You are an incredibly attractive woman, you know that, right?” Charlotte replied. “Hilarious Emma. Do you think he would come over here?”

Emma answered. “Why not? What are you afraid of? Besides, he is handsome. Let’s think about this, he is on the same flight we are on and what are the chances of running into him at the same hotel? I think this should be played by ear; how do you feel about that? Charlotte replied. “I guess so. We shall soon find out eh.” Emma nodded in agreement to Charlotte and gave the handsome cowboy a quick glance to see if he was still staring. Yep, the cowboy is still looking in Charlotte’s direction. This time it’s Emma who gave the cowboy a smile and a nod.

Once the plane reached its necessary altitude and flew steadily in the air, and the seatbelt sign disappeared. The cowboy cautiously, carefully, and respectfully approached Charlotte. Being very gentlemen-like, took his Stetson off before he spoke his first word. “Hello.” The cowboy said in his Texan drawl. When Charlotte heard his voice, she jolted slightly by surprise. She quickly looked up at him and smiled, then realized his “Hello” and answered at once. “Hello.”

The cowboy is taken aback by how beautiful Charlotte is, now that he is seeing her face up close. The cowboy asked. “May I sit next to you? I hope I am not disturbing you.” Charlotte answered shyly. “Yes, you can take the seat. No, you are not bothering me at all.” The cowboy continued. “My name is Michael Taylor. I’m from Texas. Can I ask you your name and where you’re from?” Charlotte replied in amazement. “Yes. My name is Charlotte. I’m from New York City. Nice to meet you, Michael.” Michael replied. “Likewise, Charlotte.”

Charlotte asked. “How long have you lived in Texas? What is your line of work?” Michael answered. “I was born and raised in Texas. I work on my father’s farm/ranch. I help as much as possible for my family.” Michael asked. “What kind of work do you do in New York?” Charlotte shyly answered. “I work for a well-known Advertisement Franchise. I am part of a team who creates ads on billboards, commercials on TV, etc. It is a time-consuming job, but I love what I do.”

Emma and the girls were walking back to their seats coming from the cockpit where the flight attendants were standing. They couldn’t believe what they were witnessing. They stopped dead in their tracks, staring at Charlotte and the cowboy talking to each other; until Emma made it to her seat and apologized for interrupting them by giving them a message. Emma said. “Hey Charlotte, the flight attendant told us to go back to our seats and buckle up. The pilot thinks we will experience slight turbulence. Charlotte, who is this? Charlotte answered with a smile. “Emma and girls, this is Michael Taylor. He is from Texas. Michael these are my best friends since college. Emma, Marie, Lindsey, and Sandra.” Michael replied with a handshake. “Nice to meet all of you.” The girls replied. “Nice to meet you too.” With some giggles.

The small meeting on the plane had to come to a premature end because the seat belt sign went on followed by an announcement from the flight attendant asking everyone to go back to their seats and buckle up. Michael asked Charlotte before heading back to his seat. “When we get passed this turbulence; may we continue to talk some more later?” Charlotte answered. “Yes, I would like that.”

Unfortunately, the turbulence wasn’t that small. The air current is rough, and the plane rocked. So, the flight attendant left the sign-on to remain in your seats until the plane landed in the Maldives airport.

It took the plane about three hours to land somewhat softly on the runway. However, the final thud made the plane come to a complete halt. Everyone on the plane began to whistle and clap their hands because they reached their destination safely.

Everyone is eager to leave the plane and check into their hotels. Charlotte seemed uneasy as she was looking at Michael Taylor from Texas. The wheels in her head kept turning. Wondering if she would meet up with him again during their vacation.

Finally, made it out of the luggage area and hailed a taxi. The girls saw the handsome Texan get in a taxi and speed off without nodding or acknowledging the girls. It took the girls a good thirty minutes to catch a taxi. Charlotte asked Emma. “What travel agency did you go to for a long wait like this?” Emma shrugged her shoulders, but Lindsey chimed in. “Charlotte, I rented us a car from Enterprise. The boy who does the valet is getting the car right now.” When a car came pulling in front of them; Charlotte’s mouth dropped wide open. The valet boy stepped out, and handed the key to Lindsey. Charlotte said. “I’m impressed. A 2023 Impala. This is what I call luxury.” All the girls were trying to stifle their giggles. Lindsey added. “Thank God this car comes with a navigation system.” Everybody agreed.

They were off to their hotel “Paradise Island Resort.” When they arrived, they were all in awe; except Lindsey because she took her family here a few years ago and had a blast. Lindsey had nothing but a huge smile watching her friend’s reaction to how beautiful this place is.

The girls were standing at the front desk, checking in; and there he is, Michael Taylor, checking in at the other side. He didn’t see the girls, but Charlotte saw him, and her heart did a somersault. The girls were so excited to be a part of this. The girls kept their fingers and toes crossed for Charlotte to have a romantic thing going on while vacationing. They all knew that Charlotte needed this, and Michael Taylor seemed to be the perfect match for Charlotte.

Who would have known that two people could find love on an airplane, going to the same place? Is this luck or coincidence? But we will find out soon enough.

Back at the hotel, the bellhop escorted the girls to their giant suite. The size of the room is enormous. Eyeballs were popping out of their sockets. The windows were open enough to allow a wonderful breeze in. Peeking out the window, they saw they had their own secluded area for sunbathing, and swimming or going down to the beach too. The girls voted on exploring the resort by looking for a place to eat. When they reached the front desk; Charlotte couldn’t help herself, so she asked the receptionist. “Hi. Did a tall handsome man by the name of Michael Taylor come down to dine somewhere?” The receptionist answered. “Yes, he did. Would like to know more about the restaurant that is complimentary to the resort? Charlotte answered. “Yes, please.”

The receptionist continued. “You can find this restaurant called “Allure.” I have the brochure with the directions; would you like one?” Charlotte replied. “Yes, I’ll take one. Thank you.” The receptionist handed one to Charlotte. Charlotte walked over to Lindsey with it to show her. Lindsey knew where to find it. The good thing is, it’s within walking distance of about five minutes.

The weather is so beautiful. On the way to “Allure,” Charlotte prayed for Michael to be sitting somewhere in the restaurant. She wanted so desperately to find him. She felt something in her heart but wanted to make extra sure; what she is feeling is real and correct. Charlotte didn’t want to admit it to herself, yet Mr. Cupid finally got her with his bow and arrow.

They walked into the restaurant, and there he was sitting at the bar with his hat off and it looks like he was hanging his head low. They all saw him. He’s been drinking and seemed upset. The girls were seated at a nearby table. Marie gave Charlotte a suggestion. “Go over there and talk to Michael,” Charlotte replied. “I want to but I’m terribly nervous. What if he doesn’t want to be bothered?” Sandra gave her two cents. “Try it Charlotte, you have nothing to lose. We will be right here sitting at this table if you need us, ok.” Charlotte answered. “Alright, I’ll do it.”

It took Charlotte several deep breaths before approaching Michael. She’s so nervous, you can see her shaking. She walked over to the bar where Michael is sitting drinking a beer. She noticed Michael is depressed. So, Charlotte took another deep breath and tapped him on the shoulder. Michael turned around and faced the person. To his amazement and excitement, he smiled wide. Michael’s mood shifted from loneliness to feeling like he won the lottery. Charlotte saw the mood difference. Michael has been thinking about her all this time. Charlotte asked. “Can I sit next to you?” Michael’s answer. “My God… please do.” Charlotte took the seat.

Michael offered to buy her a drink. Charlotte asked. “What are you drinking?” Michael answered. “A Platinum Budweiser.” Charlotte replied. “Never had one but I will try it.” Michael held up his hand to signal the bartender. Bartender nodded, and Michael ordered a Budweiser for Charlotte and laid out the money for it.

Charlotte couldn’t help herself but inspect Michael. The surrounding vibes were feeling so good. When the bartender finally delivered Charlotte’s beer, Michael took off his Stetson. Both parties were trying to start a conversation at the same time. They both had a good laugh at themselves. Michael quickly said. “Go ahead, you start. Ladies first.”

Charlotte replied. “Ok. I will. So how long is your vacation here in Maldives? Michael answered. “I’m staying until Thursday, February 16th. Then back to work on my dad’s farm. I needed to vacation because I needed to get away from all the stress and aggravation from everything. Especially, my parents. What about you?” Charlotte answered. “I leave a day later February 17th. My friends booked this vacation for me because of similar circumstances. Wow, a coincidence.” They both looked at each other knowing they will have to say goodbye and part what feels like forever. But Michael is feeling daring and asked, anyway. “Charlotte, do you want to keep in touch with me? He didn’t want this happiness to end on a vacation. Michael continued. “I mean we are here now and I’m about to spill my feelings right here. Charlotte, I think I’m in love with you. When I first laid eyes on you, I couldn’t keep them off of you. Then when everybody left the plane, I got nervous about not seeing you at all, so I prayed to the good lord and he answered. This is a good sign. Don’t you think?” Charlotte replied. “Yes, a superb sign. I was feeling the same way. It’s funny, I’m thinking I’m in love with you too. I don’t want this to end either Michael. We can exchange phone numbers. But after we have dinner.”

Michael flagged down a server and asked if she can find a table for two. Meanwhile, Charlotte walked over to the table where her friends were and told them all the good news. The girls were super excited for Charlotte. The girls knew Charlotte made the right decision on seeing Michael.

A server came over to Michael letting him know a table is ready. Michael got up from the bar to fetch Charlotte. They both walked to their table close to Charlotte’s friends. The girls remarked. “Ooooooh. Jokingly at Charlotte.” Charlotte giggled. So, Michael and Charlotte had dinner together; and everything after that has been love ever after history.

Charlotte and Michael spent their days and evenings as much as possible. Charlotte and her friends included Michael in everything that they did together. This is the first time in a long time of making promising memories with besties and a new boyfriend. The next step now is to figure out the next adventure for Charlotte and Michael to continue on their love journey. It will be hard due to work and now the distance from New York to Texas but with prayer, it will all work out in the end.