From Mishap to Kisshap: Maya & Elena

Chapter 1 — Baggage Claim The suitcase hit the carousel, bounced once, and burst open. Clothes scattered everywhere. A red bra landed on somebody else's suitcase. A shoe slid beneath a bench. Maya stood frozen beside the carousel. “Oh no,” an older woman said. Her husband started laughing. “Don't laugh!” “I’m trying not to.” Maya covered her face. Then another woman stepped forward. Tall, dark-haired, wearing a fitted airport operations jacket, she grabbed the runaway suitcase before it disappeared around the carousel. “I've got it.” She began collecting Maya's clothes before anyone else could. Maya stared at her. The woman held up the red bra. “This yours?” Half the nearby passengers laughed. Maya groaned. “Unfortunately.” The woman smiled. And Maya smiled back. The older woman nudged her husband. “Look.” “At what?” “The way they're looking at each other.” Ten minutes later the suitcase had been temporarily strapped shut. Maya and the woman were still talking. Then Maya touched her arm. The woman leaned closer. They kissed beside Carousel Four. The husband blinked. “Well.” His wife smiled. “I told you.” “You told me what?” “That suitcase did her a favor.” Chapter 2 — Maya There are embarrassing moments. Then there is watching your underwear travel around an airport baggage carousel in front of fifty strangers. I wanted to die. Then she appeared. “I've got it.” She stopped my suitcase with one hand and started gathering everything with the other. Then she held up my red bra. “This yours?” I closed my eyes. “Unfortunately.” She laughed. I looked at her properly. That was a mistake. Dark hair, warm brown eyes, gorgeous smile. Suddenly I was embarrassed for an entirely different reason. “I'm Elena,” she said. “Maya.” She found a baggage strap and helped me force the suitcase closed. “You work here?” “Operations.” “So rescuing underwear is part of the job?” “Only on difficult days.” I laughed. Neither of us moved away. I realized I didn't want her to. “Can I thank you properly?” “You already did.” “I was thinking of something else.” Her eyes dropped briefly to my mouth. That was enough. I kissed her. Somebody behind us said, “Oh!” I didn't even turn around. Chapter 3 — Elena I saw the suitcase explode from twenty feet away. At first I laughed. Then I saw Maya's face. She looked so horrified that I immediately felt bad. So I helped. Then I picked up the red bra. “This yours?” She looked like she wanted the floor to open. “Unfortunately.” That was when I noticed how beautiful she was. Not polished beautiful. Flustered, laughing-at-herself beautiful. I found a strap and helped close the suitcase. I should have gone back to work. I didn't. She kept looking at me. I kept finding reasons to stay. “So rescuing underwear is part of the job?” she asked. “Only on difficult days.” Then she smiled. I was finished. “Can I thank you properly?” “You already did.” “I was thinking of something else.” I knew what she meant. I hoped I did. Then Maya kissed me in the middle of baggage claim. People were watching. Someone laughed. Someone clapped. I kissed her back anyway. Behind us, her battered suitcase sat strapped together and slightly crooked. Honestly, I had never been more grateful for bad luggage.