I’m 24, I’m single, and I’m a flight attendant. My schedule leaves very little room for dating, but it does put me in the same room as the occasional really cute guy. Admittedly, it’s a long, narrow room, and one of us is at work.
Sometimes I’ll smile at him a little more than I need to. I’ll hold eye contact an extra beat or joke around if we get talking. Later, I might find a reason to come back and chat. I’m usually a little shy, so there’s a particular thrill in doing it on purpose and seeing him catch on. Sometimes I get a little more excited about it than I’d planned to be on a workday.
The funny thing is that I usually know where it ends before I start. We might have a quick turnaround, or he’ll walk off the plane to start his vacation while I get ready to fly right back out. I don’t give him my number or suggest we should meet up. Sometimes I’ll still be thinking about him after he’s gone, even though all we did was make each other smile a few times.
On a long day, that can be plenty. I like finding out that someone I think is cute might think I’m cute too. And there’s something fun about walking back down the aisle and seeing somebody look up because he was hoping you’d come by again. That’s also the moment when I wonder what he thinks I’m doing. From where I’m standing, I can enjoy the little spark and know that in an hour I’ll be working another flight. He has considerably less information about my afternoon.
Two adults can have a fun conversation and go on with their day. I’m just aware that sometimes I’m making a point of getting his attention because I like having it. Is that still fair when I know I’ll probably never see him again?
