All Eyes On Her
She knew the flight attendants were referring to her. Her outfit was used to drawing murmurs and looks, but this was different, and she didn't like it at all. She became aware that the stranger was moving closer to her.
He had imposing features, blue eyes that sparkled, and was tall. He wore a suit and tie and looked dapper. He was rather attractive, and she couldn't help but notice it.
A Tight Space
Jessica sighed, looking around at all the people crammed into their seats with no leg room. It was going to be a long flight. She walked down the aisle until she found her seat.
It felt like her muscles were already complaining. She started to settle down when a man started to walk straight towards her. He blocked her and then spoke. She knew she had to act fast.
Military Training
Jessica was on a flight back to the US from undergoing strenuous military training. Training that had prepared her for every situation.
But when the tall man strode towards her, she seemed to forget everything she had learned. She was nervous. What did this man want from her? This day was about to get intense.
Finding Comfort
Many people find flying overwhelming. Being cramped up in a small space among other passengers can even be frightening. And although Jessica was ok with flying, she didn’t particularly enjoy it.
Still, it’s the fastest way to travel so she couldn’t complain. Little did she know however, that today’s flight would offer much more than time-saving!
Protect and Serve
Jessica sacrificed a lot to enlist and protect her country and its citizens. As a military officer, bravery and dedication are her two most profound traits that she uses to ensure that her country is safe from harm.
Often, her individual efforts go unappreciated by the general public. But on this particular day, she caught the attention of one man.
Economy Seats
Business and first-class plane tickets are a luxury only some of us can afford. And even though we would all love to be able to travel in comfort, many of us simply can’t. And Jessica was no different.
She glanced over to the spacious business class seats longingly as she made her way to her seat, unaware that someone was watching her very intently.
Seat 31-B
Jessica slung her heavy bag over her shoulder as she made her way to the back of the plane. She looked at her ticket, she was to be seated in 31-B.
As she walked down the long aisle, she noticed people beginning to stare at her. She found it odd until she remembered she was wearing her uniform. People often stare at her because of that. But that wasn’t the reason at all.
Kept in the Dark
While Jessica was trying to find her seat, she had no idea that someone was quietly talking to the air hostess about her. She lugged her belongings down the aisle until her seat was finally in sight.
She hefted her shoulder bag into the overhead compartment and sat down, waiting for takeoff. But ten minutes soon became fifteen, and then twenty. The plane’s takeoff was running late.
A Strange Delay
Usually, flights are delayed because of bad weather conditions, but today the sky was a clear, crystal blue. Jessica had a strange feeling that something wasn’t right about this flight, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake it.
Looking for a flight attendant to ask why the flight was delayed, she was startled to see none in sight. Then, she heard a nervous whisper from behind. Just what was going on?
Secret Whispers
Craning her neck, Jessica spotted the cabin crew and noticed that they were also acting strangely. They all rushed to a corner of the plane and huddled, speaking in furtive whispers.
What on earth was going on? With effort, Jessica overheard them talking about one of the passengers. A man that was moving with purpose, straight towards her.
Turning Heads
Now, it became obvious that the flight attendants were talking about her. They gawked and giggled, covering their smirks with their hands. She was used to the whispers and stares that her uniform drew, but there was something different in the air today.
She didn’t like it one bit. So she decided to ignore the unwanted attention while trying and failing to ignore the tall, handsome man walking straight towards her.
Drawing Blank
Her muscles knotted with tension. All of Jessica’s training in the army had given her a keen sense for trouble, and she didn’t want any today.
Even while she was off duty she was always scanning her surroundings for any kind of threat. Once spotted, her training would kick in like muscle memory. But when she saw him, she forgot everything.
The Stranger
He approached her. He was tall, with fine features and sparkling blue eyes, immaculate in a dress suit and tie. She couldn’t help but notice that he was rather handsome.
She briefly thought that he was going to ask for her number, he had a confident gait and sense of purpose. She had been approached by men like him many times. But all her experience and training didn’t prepare her for what happened next.
His Intentions
Jessica’s mind raced as the man strode toward her. It seemed like hours before he finally reached her. Then, he opened his mouth to speak, looking directly into her eyes.
She thought he would confirm her suspicion of obnoxiously asking her out, she thought she saw his intentions written on his face. But then, he said something completely unexpected.
Mystery Man
The tall stranger gestured to Jessica’s seat before taking a step closer. Then, he matter-of-factly informed her that her seat was taken. Jessica looked around for assistance before shaking her head, incredulous.
Her eyes widened as he insisted, stating that she was in his seat. “How dare he?”, she thought angrily. Now exasperated, he rolled his eyes and said, “What does your ticket say?”.
Persistence Is Key
“What? No, I’m 31 B”, Jessica argued. She looked at her boarding pass again, and she was right. It was clearly printed 31-B. She wasn’t about to be bullied by this man.
Who did he think he was? Just what game was he playing? She looked at the flight attendants who had gathered around her, but they just nodded their heads.
Confusion To Bewilderment
The handsome stranger then started to explain to her that because she was a military officer, she couldn’t have that seat. He continued to tell her that he admired her for all her hard work protecting their country, but he needed her to sit somewhere else.
Jessica listened, confused, and then she was completely blindsided.
Just The Beginning
The man said that he would be obliged if she took his seat in business class instead. He wanted to repay her for all she has done and continues to do.
Jessica tried to refuse the man’s generous offer multiple times, but he was persistent. Eventually, she relented and made her way up the aisle. But this was just the beginning.
Exhausted
Jessica was incredulous at the day’s unexpected turn of events, and as she saw the large, plush seats in business class, she realized just how tired her body really was.
She had been training for days on end before this flight. She felt tender everywhere, and her body craved the rest and comfort her new seat provided. But there was one problem.
On Her Mind
Jessica couldn’t wait to get home so she could finally have some much-needed rest, but then the generous stranger had given her the best gift she could ever have asked for.
As she stretched her legs out in front of her and reclined, she couldn’t stop thinking about the man who had given up his seat for her.
Repaying His Generosity
The tall stranger had been much broader and larger than she was. She reasoned that if she was uncomfortable in the small economy seats, he was going to be even more cramped.
She felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, so she thought carefully about how she could brighten his day and make his journey a little more enjoyable.
The Plan
She wondered about what she could do for the kind stranger, and then she spoke to the flight attendant. Unfortunately, it seemed as if there wasn’t much she could do as she couldn’t send him a glass of champagne from business class to economy.
She had to come up with an idea and fast. Suddenly, something came to her mind.
Thank You Note
Jessica could only guess at how uncomfortable the mystery man could be in his new seat, but there wasn’t much she could do about that. She could try to give him his business class seat back, but she was sure he would refuse.
So she grabbed a piece of paper, attached a $20 bill, and wrote him a note. She gave it to the stewardess and asked her to deliver it.
A Gesture of Kindness
When the man opened up the note and read it, his eyes widened in disbelief. It read: “If everyone treated people the way you treated the service-woman, the world would be a better place.”
And the attached $20 was included so he could have a drink and a snack. But the man refused any kind of repayment.
A Proposition
However, the man was quick to send another note back to Jessica. When she read it, she couldn’t help but smile. He had another proposition instead.
He said that he would be honored if she agreed to meet with him over dinner when their flight landed. Was he asking her on a date? Her stomach started to flutter as she wrote her reply.
Instant Sparks
Jessica accepted the offer from the generous stranger, after all, how could she decline? It was his act of giving up his seat in business class that had made all her exhaustion melt away as she got some much-needed rest.
The pair met at a restaurant shortly after their flight landed. Jessica never could have dreamed that that fateful flight would turn into something of a fairytale romance.
Thankful
Jessica had never thought that her bad day would yield so much goodness. But the mysterious stranger hadn’t just caught Jessica’s attention, there was another passenger on the flight that day who took notice of what was happening.
She snapped a picture of the incident and shared it to Facebook, where it quickly went viral.
Going Viral
Another passenger by the name of Jessica Titus had witnessed everything that day, and she just had to share the story on social media.
She was incredibly touched by the man’s display of compassion and empathy, and so were all who read her post. Within the space of an hour, her Facebook post had been shared over 4,000 times!
Good Souls
Hundreds of people from all over the world commented and shared similar stories. One woman named Kate Nixon said that a similar act of kindness happened to her military husband while he was heading back to Kansas, too.
She was so overwhelmed by the goodness of some people out there that she had to share her story.
Faith in Humanity
This story about a kind stranger proves that there really are good people out there. We just don’t always capture their small gestures of kindness, and share it online!
When Jessica’s story was shared on social media, the anonymous man received all the thanks and credit he deserved. We need more people like that in the world today!
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.