Chapter 17. I Miss You Too

"So, what did you do?" one of Isabelle's colleagues asked, their voice laced with an almost accusatory tone. "To snag a rich, gorgeous girlfriend like that?"

Isabelle chuckled with a playful glint in her eyes. "Snag?" she echoed, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't snag her; we just clicked."

"Yeah, right," another colleague scoffed, rolling their eyes. "Tell us the real story. Did you use some secret charm? A magic potion?"

Isabelle's expression relaxed, and she popped the chicken into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "Nothing, really," she said, her voice calm and matter-of-fact. "We just talked, and then she asked me to be her girlfriend, and I said yes."

"You're lying!" one of them exclaimed, shaking their heads in incredulity.

Isabelle merely shrugged, unfazed by the skepticism. "No, I'm not," she replied, reaching for another piece of chicken.

As Isabelle savored her meal, her thoughts drifted back to Rayleigh, who was currently miles away in New York. It had only been a few hours since she had left her side, but it felt like a lifetime. Isabelle had never experienced this level of longing for someone before; her previous relationships had been fleeting and unfulfilling, but with Rayleigh, it was as if a part of her heart had been left behind with Rayleigh in New York.

"Let me use the WiFi; I need to hear her voice." She murmured and quickly rose from her chair to get into her bed, in the crew rest compartment, to take her phone.

She put her food tray on the table and just sat on her bed to make a call to her girlfriend. Her fingers quickly navigating to Rayleigh's number, the line rang for what felt like an eternity, each successive tone heightening Isabelle's anticipation. It's supposed to be early morning in New York; she's not hoping Rayleigh will answer her phone call, but she did. The familiar sound of Rayleigh's voice filled her ear, and Isabelle felt a wave of relief and affection wash over her.

"Ray..." Isabelle breathed, her voice barely above a whisper and thick with unshed tears. "I miss you so much."

"Hey, baby," Rayleigh's husky, soothing voice rang out immediately, warmth and affection lacing her words. "I miss you too." There was a pause, and then she continued, "I can't wait for you to come back to me."

At the sound of Rayleigh's voice, Isabelle felt a surge of overwhelming feelings bursting out within her. The emotions she had been holding back suddenly spilled forth, and she found herself crying, the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"God..." Isabelle choked out between sobs, her heart aching with the intensity of her longing. And it's just been a few hours already.

"Eh? What happened, baby girl?" Rayleigh's voice was laced with worry: "Is someone hurting you? Harassing you?"

"No, I just..." Isabelle took a shaky breath, trying to compose herself. "I just miss you so much."

A soft sigh of understanding escaped Rayleigh's lips. "Aww, I miss you too, sweetheart," she murmured, her voice infused with tenderness. "Listen, I'd love to keep talking, but I need to get ready for my morning shift, prepare my breakfast, and get to work. Can I let you hear my voice while I do that?"

Isabelle nodded, even though she knew Rayleigh couldn't see her. "Okay," she whispered, her grip on the phone tightening as if it were a lifeline.

For the next twenty minutes, Isabelle listened to the sound of Rayleigh's voice as her girlfriend prepared for her morning routine. Rayleigh sometimes tells Isabelle a story, laughs, hears the occasional hum of the background music, and makes faint background noises from the coffee machine to soothe Isabelle's aching heart.

She listened to Rayleigh, and the latter listened to Isabelle's soft munching of her food while whispering to her coworkers who were coming inside the crew rest compartment to rest, or just simply wanting to tease Isabelle.

A crew rest compartment is a section of an airliner dedicated for breaks and sleeping by crew members during off-duty periods. Federal Aviation Regulations have provisions requiring crew rest areas be provided in order to operate a long-haul flight by using multiple crew shifts.

As the phone call got longer, the senior flight attendant began to complain about Isabelle's prolonged use of the in-flight WiFi, and the younger woman felt guilty. Reaching into her pocket, she retrieved Rayleigh's black credit card and presented it to the irritated attendant.

"Here, you can use this for my WiFi usage," Isabelle said gently. Her eyes widened, and she quickly swiped the card while mumbling something incoherent.

As Isabelle listened to the familiar sounds of Rayleigh munching on her breakfast while she could hear Rayleigh's step to her car, she couldn't help but be transported back to the day her girlfriend had shared the reason behind her aversion to driving herself.

"You see, my hands are my most valuable asset," Rayleigh had explained, her warm gaze capturing Isabelle's full attention. "And as a surgeon, I need to maintain the utmost precision and focus at all times. Even the slightest distraction could have disastrous consequences for my patients."

Suddenly, Isabelle was pulled from her flashback by the chaotic laughter and teasing of her friends. They were relentless in their playful jabs, unable to resist the opportunity to poke fun at Isabelle's new love.

"Oh, shut up, you guys!" Isabelle exclaimed, unable to hide the exasperation in her voice. "Let me be in love in peace!"

Her friends, undeterred, continued their barrage of playful taunts, much to Isabelle's dismay.

"Damn, I need to text Isla about this," one of them chuckled, typing furiously on their phone.

"And I'm going to tell Mona!" Another chimed in, their eyes twinkling with mischief.

Isabelle groaned, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation. "You guys are traitors!" she exclaimed, but the fond smile tugging at the corners of her lips betrayed her true feelings.

Isabelle's voice took on a soft, almost pleading tone as she spoke. "Baby, I'll be taking a break in a few hours. Do you mind if we call and you can talk to me until I fall asleep?"

Rayleigh's lips curled into a tender smile, her heart swelling with affection for the woman she loved. Her driver, who had witnessed Rayleigh's transformation in recent days, had never seen her this happy before.

"Of course, sweetheart," Rayleigh replied, her voice warm and soothing. "And if I have surgery during that time, I'll make sure to let you hear my voice while I'm in the operating room."

Isabelle's brow furrowed slightly, a hint of concern lacing her words. "Will that be... scary?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rayleigh chuckled, the sound low and rich. "Scary?" she repeated, a playful lilt in her tone. "Not at all, baby. You know I'm the sexy, whipped doctor you've fallen for."

Isabelle couldn't help but laugh at Rayleigh's confident response, the tension in her shoulders easing. "Whipped, huh?" she teased, a mischievous hint in her voice. "So, is that how they call you now?"

Rayleigh nodded, a sheepish grin spreading across her face. "Yeah, apparently I'm a 'lucky motherfucker' for having you as my girlfriend," she admitted, her cheeks flushing slightly. "And they seem to think I'm 'whipped' when I'm with you."

Isabelle's laughter rang out, filling Rayleigh's heart with warmth. "Well, they're not wrong, are they?" she said, her voice laced with affection.

Rayleigh chuckled, shaking her head fondly. "I suppose not," she conceded.

Reluctantly, Isabelle glanced at the clock, her heart sinking as she realized her meal break was coming to an end. "Baby, I need to go back to my shift," she murmured, her voice tinged with regret. "But I'll call you as soon as I have a chance, okay?"

Rayleigh smiled softly, understanding the bittersweet ache of having to part ways, even if only for a little while. "Okay, sweetheart," she replied, her tone warm and reassuring. "I'll be waiting for your call. Take care of yourself, alright?"

"I will, I promise," she said, her heart swelling with all the feelings. "I love you, Ray," she whispered, her voice barely audible yet laced with a depth of emotion.

Rayleigh's eyes softened, a gentle smile spreading across her lips. "I love you too, Belle," she replied, the words rolling off her tongue with effortless grace and sincerity.