COCKPIT

Chapter 1

Beep beep 5: 30 am

"Wake up Lisa, wake up" . . .

It was my first flight at my new job and I had overslept, energy shot through my body.

My adrenaline was pumping faster as I jumped off the bed and dashed into the bathroom.

"Good morning, Natalie," I said to my fellow flight attendant recently introduced the previous night as colleagues. She looks like a senior crew as she is already an experienced flight attendant.

We were paired to share the same hotel room, this hotel is reserved for early flights.

Her replies were fast and short . . . ''take a quick shower Lisa and a quick brush at your teeth otherwise you would miss the bus. You have no time to make up or to comb your hair, put your pantyhose inside your handbag and wear it inside the pick-up bus. The bus will arrive in less than 15 mins, you have very little time left."

I hurried to get dressed in a skirt, blouse and jacket. But I was surprised that she is still lying on the bed.

"Why are you not getting ready for the flight?" I asked her in a panic.

"My pick-up time is in 2 hours, I am on " stand-by " with very little chance of flying," Natalie replied.

"Oh my . . . .you should have told me yesterday, I would have slept early; I slept late chatting with you!"

" I thought we had the same pick-up time and we both could not oversleep, I was looking up to you as the backup alarm! I am off Natalie, bye."

I rushed out of the room with my luggage and my handbag. I waited impatiently for the elevator door to open and entered; down the elevator to the ground floor.

I was just in time for the pick-up bus to depart. Phew, I made it against all odds.

"Good morning everyone," I said to the other crew members.

"Good morning; "some replied.

I aimed straight for the back seat, I took out my pantyhose from my handbag and wore it with care, careful not to put holes in it.

It would be rendered useless if there were any holes and I would need to change it!

I was lucky to get the last backseat, otherwise wearing a pantyhose in full view of the other 12 flight crew would have been very unladylike because I had to raise my legs high and wide, raise my skirt and buttocks!

It is to my advantage no one is paying any attention to me, especially the male crew members

It was a very short drive to the airport, the sights of the brand new planes coming into view reminded me of how lucky I am to have gotten this job, at the biggest airline in the country.

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