Singapore Airlines flight SQ317 sat awaiting clearance for take off on the runway at London’s Heathrow Airport. Its white fuselage with mustard and dark blue stripes glistened in the fading light as the sun set. The heat from the whirring jet turbines distorted the distant view of the runways and service areas of the busy airport.
Inside in economy class, having resisted Jamie’s offer of paying for a business class upgrade, Jamie, Oliver and Jenny sat side by side. Enjoying their comfortable seats they talked quietly waiting for the plane to gun down the runway and accelerate into the sky. Jamie could hardly take his eye from the beautiful ‘Singapore Girls’ the airlines air stewardesses. Dressed in Malay style Sarong Kebayas, with their rich and vibrant colours, they all looked beautiful and servile. Jamie already had the eye of one particularly beautiful girl. She sat three rows away, facing towards Jamie, in position for take off, strapped in by belts that looked infinitely safer than the ones that held in the passengers.
“We should have gone business class?” Jamie whispered, marginally frustrated.
“Why?” asked Oliver, “these seats are really comfy and the leg rooms not bad at all.”
“I can’t have sex with a stewardess here, can I?” complained Jamie.
“And you would in business class? Yeah right.” Oliver said dismissing Jamie.
“Have before,” Jamie smiled and raised his eyebrows suggestively at Oliver.
Jenny leaned over, “Jamie, did your mum ever tell you it’s rude to stare?”
Jamie smiled, “Sorry,” he leaned back and breathed in.
The Captain announced they had clearance for take off and the plane accelerated down the runway, pushing all passengers gently back into their seats. Within twenty seconds the nose lifted and the large Airbus A380 climbed into the air. As it gained height and began to turn and level slightly, the talking between passengers returned.
“Thanks for this,” Oliver said, continuing to talk to Jamie. Jenny read the in flight magazine.
“Its okay mate, I just want to help you get this shit out of your system,” he ruffled Oliver’s hair, “and keep a fucking eye on you, you fucking lunatic.”
Oliver smiled, “I haven’t gone mad Jamie, I’ve explained to you what we have heard, what this David guy told us and about Dyer’s email address.”
“That he has never answered,” Jamie said.
“But the account is still live, so I think that means so he is,” Oliver countered, “anyway I’m grateful to you, I just wish Minnie and Mary had come. We can make this fun as well.”
Jamie thought about this, “When we land phone Mary or email her, she is really worried about you,” he spoke even more quietly, hopefully too quiet for Jenny to hear.
“You know what she thinks about Jenny, so there is no way she could do this and Minnie felt, well he felt Mary shouldn’t be left alone. Look I think she seems lovely Oliver and I can see why you want to help her with this thing she has” Jamie looked Oliver in the eye, more somber in tone, “so I want you to do this but don’t break the team up Oliver.”
“I won’t mate, I promise, you will all see. This is going to be a blast, an adventure,” Oliver said and he said it seriously.
Jamie couldn’t help but smile, “I don’t believe you, you’ve become Tin Tin. You crack me up.”
Oliver blushed, “well you know what I mean.”
Once the plane settled into its flight path, the plane began to bustle and the passengers indulged in the flowing at seat service, enjoying the in flight at seat entertainment and the attention of the gracious Singapore Girls.
A little further into the flight, somewhere over Eastern Europe, Jamie, Oliver and Jenny sat watching a simultaneously selected movie at their personal screens. They watched ‘The Hangover’, whilst drinking champagne (thank you Jamie) and laughed heartily at the crack pot comedy.