A week later, Ava stood in front of the crew bulletin board, staring at the newly posted flight assignment notice with disbelief written all over her face.
"Did you see it?" Nina peeked over her shoulder. "You've been reassigned to the L.A.–New York route! That's the hottest route in the company—usually only senior crew members get that one."
Ava scanned the notice again, just to be sure. There was no mistake. She had been assigned to flight UA785, a luxurious business-class route operating every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
"That's odd. I never applied for a transfer," Ava said, puzzled. "And I'm not exactly the most senior crew member either."
"Maybe it's because your service ratings are top-notch?" Nina guessed. "Or someone might have recommended you?"
"Recommended?" Ava turned to her. "Who would recommend me?"
"No idea. But..." Nina lowered her voice, "I heard the captain on that route is super mysterious. Never talks to the crew. Everyone calls him the cold-faced heartthrob."
Ava didn't pay much attention to the gossip. What concerned her more was the sudden transfer itself. She made her way to the supervisor's office to get some answers.
"Come in," Claire's voice called from inside.
Ava stepped in and found Claire sorting through paperwork.
"Claire, about my route reassignment..."
"Oh, Ava," Claire looked up. "Yes, the company decided to give you a more challenging assignment. Your performance and professionalism have been excellent—this transfer is a recognition of that."
"But I never applied for it." Ava sat down. "And it all happened so suddenly."
"Sometimes opportunity knocks without warning," Claire said with a smile. "You should be thrilled. Lots of crew dream about being on that route—better pay, more elite passengers."
"What about the previous crew?"
"They've been reassigned elsewhere," Claire replied shortly. "Don't worry, it's a routine personnel adjustment."
Though Ava still felt uncertain, she didn't press further. Maybe it really was just a lucky break.
Two days later, Ava prepared for her first flight on the new route. She arrived early at the airport, going over every detail meticulously. The aircraft was a Boeing 787, lavishly furnished with spacious seats, clearly tailored for upscale business travelers.
"You must be the new girl—Ava, right?" a voice said behind her.
Ava turned to see a woman in her thirties, dressed in a chief purser uniform.
"Yes, I'm Ava Green."
"I'm Leah Zhang, the chief purser on this route." Leah sized her up. "Heard you were specially reassigned?"
"Yes." Ava nodded politely. "Nice to meet you."
"Alright, let me walk you through how things run here," Leah said, leading her into the cabin. "The passengers are high-end professionals—very demanding but generally polite. The most important thing to know is... our captain is a bit... different."
"Different how?"
"He never chats with the cabin crew unless it's strictly business." Leah lowered her voice. "Always wears his cap too. No one's really seen his face. Everyone says he's a cold, mysterious type."
A strange feeling stirred in Ava, but she kept her face neutral.
"What's his name?"
"Max Harrison. But everyone just calls him Captain Harrison."
Ava's heart skipped a beat. Max Harrison? That name...
"You okay?" Leah noticed the change in her expression. "You look a little pale."
"I'm fine, just nervous," Ava said quickly. "First time on this route."
"You'll adjust," Leah said, patting her shoulder. "I'm going to do the pre-flight check. You get yourself settled."
Once Leah left, Ava stood alone in the cabin, a thousand thoughts rushing through her head. Could it really be the same Max? The mysterious pilot who'd taken her on a night flight?
If it was him, then this reassignment definitely wasn't random.
While she was lost in thought, the cabin doors opened and passengers began boarding. Ava quickly composed herself and got to work.
"Welcome aboard. We hope you enjoy your flight." She greeted each passenger with a professional smile.
Then, the cabin speaker crackled to life.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard United Airlines flight UA785. I'm your captain, Max Harrison. We'll be taking off in about ten minutes. Estimated flight time is five hours and thirty minutes. Thank you for choosing United Airlines, and enjoy your journey."
That familiar voice rang through the speakers—and in that moment, Ava knew. It was him.
Her hands trembled slightly as she tried to hold the safety instruction cards steady.
"Ava?" Leah walked over. "Are you sure you're alright? You don't look so good."
"I... I just need to freshen up," Ava muttered.
"Not now. We're about to take off," Leah frowned. "Hang in there. You can take a break once we're cruising."
Ava nodded and tried to refocus, but her mind was spinning. Why was Max here? How did he know she'd be on this route? Or was this reassignment his doing?
Once the flight was in the air, Ava finally had a chance to collect her thoughts. She retreated to the back of the cabin under the pretense of organizing supplies, trying to piece together the situation.
"Ava."
That familiar voice spoke from behind her.
She turned around—and there he was. Max stood there in full captain's uniform, his cap pulled low, but those deep blue eyes were unmistakable.
"You..." Ava faltered.
"We need to talk," Max said softly. "But not now. After we land—will you wait for me?"
Ava glanced around. No one else had noticed their conversation. She nodded.
"Okay."
Max gave a small nod and walked away. Ava noticed his stride was slightly tense, like he was trying to stay composed, too.
The next few hours passed in a blur. Ava went through the motions of her duties, but her mind remained fixed on Max and the conversation to come.
When the plane landed in Los Angeles, Ava's emotions were in turmoil—excitement, confusion, nervousness all rolled into one.
After the passengers disembarked, Ava helped clean the cabin with the crew. Leah came over and said, "You seemed distracted today. Everything okay?"
"Just adjusting to the new route," Ava replied with a weak smile. "I'll be better tomorrow."
"Alright." Leah gathered her things. "I'll head out first. Take your time."
Once the others had left, Ava stayed behind, waiting for Max.
Ten minutes later, he emerged from the cockpit, his captain's hat off. He looked tired, but his eyes were still gentle.
"Thanks for waiting." He approached her.
"It wasn't long." Ava tried to steady her nerves. "I have a lot of questions."
"I know," Max said, sitting in a nearby seat. "Ask away."
"Did you arrange my transfer?" Ava asked directly.
Max was quiet for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to see you again," he said plainly. "After we said goodbye at the airport, I couldn't stop thinking about you."
Ava's heart pounded. "So you used your influence to put me on this route?"
"Yes." Max didn't deny it. "I know it might feel intrusive, but I didn't know what else to do."
"Your influence?" Ava caught the phrase. "What exactly is your position in the company?"
Max hesitated, then gave a complicated smile. "That's... complicated."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not just a regular pilot," he admitted. "I have... some investment in the airline."
Ava blinked. "You're an investor?"
"Yes." Max avoided her gaze. "But that's not what matters. What matters is that I want to be honest with you about how I feel."
"And how do you feel?"
Max looked her in the eye. "I want to pursue you, Ava. Seriously. Genuinely."
A wave of dizziness washed over her. This was all happening so fast.
"Max, we've only known each other for two weeks."
"I know," he said, standing up and walking closer. "But sometimes, it's not about time. It's about connection."
"What connection?"
"The chemistry between us." His voice was quiet. "You can't deny it—we both felt it."
Ava couldn't argue with that. From the moment they met, she'd felt something different with him.
"But... our professional relationship could get complicated."
"It doesn't have to," Max shook his head. "We'll stay professional at work. Outside of work, we'll explore this."
Ava looked at him, an unfamiliar impulse rising in her chest. He always had a way of nudging her into things she never expected.
"If I agree..." she said slowly, "can you promise there won't be any more surprise arrangements?"
"I promise." Max said seriously. "Any decisions involving us will be made together."
Ava took a deep breath and made another significant decision in her life.
"Alright," she said. "I'll give it a try."
Max's face lit up with a brilliant smile—one that almost melted her heart.
"Thank you for this chance." He reached out a hand. "So, Miss Ava Green, will you go on a date with me?"
Ava looked at his hand and remembered that night—the same gesture, the same invitation to an adventure.
She reached out and took his hand.
"I will, Mr. Max Harrison."
And at 30,000 feet in the cabin of a plane, the two of them shook hands, beginning what could be the most important journey of their lives.
Ava didn't know where this would lead her—but she knew that with Max, boredom was never going to be a problem.
And maybe, just maybe, that was the most beautiful part of falling in love.