Title- California Dreaming

Author- Sneesee

Disclaimer- I do happen to own these OC's. At least in my head I do.

Summary- This is a sequel to my story titled "The Wedding Date." Krissy and Jake are original characters based on me and an old friend of mine. Of course, I have turned them into something that he and I are definitely not! LOL In this story, Jrissy hasn't seen Jake for awhile, and is stunend to meet him on the airplane as she's heading to see a friend she met on the internet. Situations and sneezing arise, this time not from colds, but still fun in my opinion. This is just the first part, so please be patient with me as it took me forever to get this done so I could post it. I hope to continue, and have a pretty clear view of how I want the story to go, just need the time and focus to write some more!

Part 1


Sitting in the airport terminal, I tried to keep calm, but the excitement grew inside of me. I was heading to California to meet one of my friends, but not just any friend. She was a friend that shared my unique interest, and we’d only ever chatted through the internet and our cell phones. This would be our first time meeting in person, and I couldn’t have been any more anxious. To make the wait to board the plane bearable, I brought along a romance novel and immersed myself in it.

Next thing I knew, they were announcing that it was time to start boarding the plane. They called out row numbers, and started with the seats in the very back of the plane. I had a seat close to the front, courtesy of my husband Greg. I had to wait a bit longer, but put my book away in my carry-on. I thought of Greg and how I would miss him over the weekend, but was also very glad to be getting away for a few days. This was a new and exciting adventure for me, and luckily I had a very supportive husband.

Ten minutes later, my section was called to board the plane. I got in line as we all shuffled through the breezeway to the waiting aircraft. I wasn’t fond of feeling like I was part of a herd of cattle or sheep as we made our way onto the plane, but it only took a few minutes and I was in my seat right next to the aisle. A stewardess passed by me, smiling a little too cheerfully, but then I figured that was her job, to be happy and courteous to the passengers.

As everyone settled in their seats, the pilots entered the plane. Glancing up to get a view of the two men I was entrusting with my life, my heart skipped a beat inside my chest. Even though he was in his pilot uniform with a hat on, the face and eyes were unmistakable. One of the pilots was my dear old friend, Jake.

My heartbeat started misfiring and I couldn’t catch my breath. I hadn’t seen Jake since his graduation party several months before. Jake always managed to look good in just about anything he wore, but in that uniform, he was the epitome of sexy. I couldn’t believe my eyes, he was definitely a man now, and one that all of the other women were noticing as well. Glancing around, I saw a few of them pointing at him and blushing.

He really was quite the sight all decked out in the navy blue pants and jacket. And he always wore hats well, so this one was no exception. Just so that I didn’t get caught staring at him, I took one last peek, and was about to turn my attention to the elderly lady next to me and introduce myself, when sure as shit, he caught my eye. Recognition flashed in those big, gorgeous brown eyes of his, and then his classic smile lit up his face. Because I was never good at resisting, I smiled back, feeling my face flush a deep red.

He said something to the other pilot, and then excused himself and walked towards me. I was trapped, and had no choice but to talk to him.

“Oh wow, Krissy! I can’t believe it! It’s so good to see you!”

His enthusiasm caught the attention of every woman on the plane, and suddenly all eyes were fixed on us.

“Jake, it’s great to see you, too. So, you’re flying this plane today?” I realized what I’d asked, and could hear Bill Engvall’s voice inside my head saying, “Nope, they’re just letting me wear this uniform and hang out in the cockpit today. Here’s your sign.” Stupid, Krissy, real stupid.

“Yes,” he said, laughing. “Does that make you nervous?”

“You bet,” I said, recovering slightly from my dumb question moment. “Should I call Greg before I can’t use my cell phone and tell him how much I love him before we take off?”

His booming laugh warmed me up inside, and I was relieved he didn’t take offense to my comment about the phone call.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Krissy. So, what are you doing flying out to California?”

Thank goodness he switched gears with the conversation.

“I’m going out there to finally meet my friend Jackie. The one I met online.”

He chuckled some more. “Oh, right, the one you met on that one website.” As he said it, he winked at me.

“Um, yeah, that website,” I whispered. I knew he was referencing my unique fetish and the place where I’d met Jackie. “Greg decided I deserved it for putting up with him for so long. And I needed a vacation, so this worked out great. I’ll be there until Monday morning.”

“Nice.”

“I didn’t realize that you’d found a job already, since I haven’t talked to you since your party.”

I know I sounded very sour when I said it, and Jake winced. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I instantly regretted saying them that way. I hadn’t meant to make him feel bad, but at the same time, I hadn’t heard a peep out of him in such a long time. I got pretty tired of calling, leaving voicemails, and constantly texting him with no response. So, yeah, I was kind of bent about not hearing from him, especially concerning something as important as landing a major career with a booming airline.

“Uh, yeah, my dad really helped me get in the door with this airline. My life has been so crazy, Krissy, I’m sorry I never really got back to you or anything. I don’t have a good excuse, just that I’ve been busy with a lot of flight time and stuff,” he said sheepishly, making me feel guilty for my tone of voice.

“It’s not a big deal, honestly. I’m happy for you, doing what you love, and finally getting paid for it,” I said, trying to lighten the mood a little.

“I need the money to pay back all my student loans,” he joked.

We laughed about it, and then the captain came and tapped Jake on the shoulder.

“Jake, we need to get in the cockpit.”

“I’m sorry, I have to go,” he said softly.

“I know. Go on up there and show me what you got. Actually, I’ve flown with you before, so I know we’re in great hands.”

Another huge smile spread across his face, and he said, “Talk to you after the flight?”

I shrugged and said, “Sure, I guess so.”

He tipped his hat, and I thought I might faint. The kid was just too damn hot for his own good, yet never seemed to realize it.

As I fanned myself off, the woman next to me patted me on the arm. I turned to face her and she grinned.

“He’s very handsome.”

“Yes, he is,” I agreed.

“Is he your boyfriend?”

I snorted, “No, we’re just close friends.”

“What a shame,” she murmured.

However, the news that Jake wasn’t my boyfriend seemed to perk up all the women in the vicinity. I even saw one woman, who was so not Jake’s type, sneer at me. It sort of made me wish I’d said he was my husband or something. But then, I generally tried to stop myself before I started being too catty. Other woman should be jealous of me, since I was close to Jake, and had even kissed him.

The memory of our kiss came barreling back at me, causing my inner core to burst into flames. He had the most amazing mouth, and could very well make any of the women on the plane swoon with just one of those kisses.

Shaking off the intense and shuddering memory, I quickly grabbed my cell phone and called Greg before I wasn’t allowed to use it.

“Hello?”

“Hey, babe, it’s me. Guess what?”

“Well, I hope you’re on the plane. They didn’t cancel your flight or anything, did they?” he said, sounding very annoyed.

“No, no, I’m on the plane. Guess who’s flying the plane?”

“Um…”

He was clueless. Although, I wasn’t entirely sure that he was ever really into Jake’s career plans, so I guess it wasn’t something I should have expected him to know.

“Jake.”

“Really? No shit. Should I be worried about your safety?”

We both laughed, and I said, “No, he’s very capable.”

“Hmmm, are we still talking about flying?”

Leave it to Greg to bring the subject around to sex somehow. He still enjoyed teasing me about Jake and the things I’d like to do with him.

“Oh yeah, he’s good at that, too, flying the plane, I mean,” I said, teasing back.

“Well, he’d better get you there in one piece. When you see him again, tell him I said ‘hey and congratulations,’ okay?”

“Will do. Love you.”

“Love you, too. Call me when you land.”

“I will, bye hon.”

I hung up and immediately turned the phone off. The engines on the plane fired up, and I knew they were going to ask the passengers to turn off all electronic devices anyway. There was a tiny little flutter in my stomach at the thought of Jake being in control of the plane. It reminded me of the small flight he took me on the year before, only I couldn’t observe him this time.

Another thing that bummed me out was the fact that I was in the aisle. I preferred the window seat so I could stare out at the blue skies, clouds, and ground below. Unfortunately, the only available seat in first class was the one I had. So, during the takeoff, I threw myself back into my romance novel, and pretended that I didn’t miss gazing out the window. I was also trying to ignore the nagging thought of Jake that kept hovering in the back of my mind. He was officially a commercial airline pilot, flying the plane I was on, and it was still pretty out of this world to me.

Managing to forget everything else, I did get engrossed in what I was reading. I got so into it, that I tuned out all the background noise around me.

“Ladies and gentleman, thank you for flying Friendly Skies Airlines.”

My stomach fluttered, and I damn near dropped my book. That was definitely Jake’s voice over the speaker system. I’d heard it countless times over the loudspeaker at work, so I’d know it anywhere.

“We are currently cruising at 37,000 feet, and flying just over…”

Since I was listening closely to his voice, I was surprised that he paused and curious as to why.

“Ehhshoooo! Eh-shuuuuu! Heh-eshhhhuuuuu! Whoa. Sorry. Excuse me for that. We are on-time, with good weather, and scheduled to arrive at LAX in approximately two hours. Please enjoy the rest of your flight.”

Damn that kid! He friggin’ sneezed while making the announcement, and I was about to burn a whole in my seat. Had he done that on purpose somehow? I made a mental note to ask him later. That was too unreal to be a coincidence. What a stinker.

Well, since he shot my concentration on my book to hell, I simply sat there, dreaming about what had just happened. And it was a very long time before I was able to settle back into my romance novel and relax. Jake always seemed to leave me just a tad aroused and unsettled.

Two hours later, the plane touched down soundly at LAX, and I was impressed. I know that Jake didn’t really need to be as “in control” as he was with a smaller plane, but still figured that he had to know what he was doing to help get the plane on the ground safely.

I let the two people in my row get out, and I kind of hung around, waiting for the plane to clear out before exiting. In a way, I guess it was because I wanted to leave when Jake did. I saw him, the captain, and the stewardesses saying goodbye to everyone, and basically I wanted to depart at approximately the same time Jake was leaving.

Sure enough, I was the last person off the plane, and Jake gave me a grin a mile wide as I approached him.

“Well, how did I do, Krissy?”

“Jake, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, you were amazing,” I told him. I was glad I spoke the truth, because it made him glow with pride.

“Hi Krissy, nice to meet you. I’m Dennis. Jake talked about you quite a bit in the cockpit.”

The fact that he’d spoken about me to his captain made the butterflies run rampant in my tummy. And the man that had done all the talking showed his embarrassment by blushing slightly.

“Very nice to meet you, Dennis. Thanks for getting me to California safely. My husband will appreciate it.”

Dennis quirked one eyebrow and cast a sideways glance at Jake.

“Well, Krissy, tell your husband that Jake here is a fine pilot and a pleasure to work with. And thank you for choosing Friendly Skies Airlines,” Dennis said pointedly.

Jake’s cheeks turned a deeper shade of red, making me wonder exactly what kinds of things he’d talked about in the cockpit.

“Jake, nice flying with you, see you in a couple of days?”

“Yeah Dennis, take care,” Jake said and shook his hand.

With the goodbyes taken care of, Dennis walked away and left Jake and I standing there awkwardly.

“I should probably get moving, since Jackie’s waiting for me near the baggage claim area,” I said, trying to break the momentary silence.

“Cool, let’s walk together.”

As we walked I really wanted to inquire about his sneezy message over the intercom, but was waiting for just the right moment. When we’d made it through the breezeway and into the airport, Jake astounded me by giving me the opening I needed. He stopped, placed one hand over his nose and mouth, and…

“Ehhhshooooo! Ahhhsshhhhhuuu!”

He stopped after two, and I had to admit, I kind of missed hearing the usual third one. But, two was better than none at all.

“Bless you, Jake,” I said, giggling. “So, were the sneezes on the plane a coincidence, or did you somehow plan that?”

He smirked and then sniffled. “Um, well, a little of both actually. My nose was kind of bugging me, and then Dennis mentioned that we should address the passengers. I offered to do it, and then the darn things just sort of snuck out while I was talking.”

“You know exactly how to make me squirm, damn you,” I scolded gently, making us both laugh.

“Good. You know, I’ve never had so much fun sneezing before. I’m really glad you told me about your fetish, otherwise I might not have appreciated my own sneezing.”

On that note, we walked through the terminal, towards the baggage claim area. Even though Jake’s sneezing and discussion made me happy, I was also getting really scared about meeting Jackie. I mean, I knew we got along every other time we talked, but it was totally different meeting her in person. What if she didn’t like me, or if we had nothing to talk about when face-to-face? Although Jake and the plane ride gave me one really cool story to tell her.

“What’s the matter, Krissy?”

“Oh, nothing,” I lied. Just like I could tell when he was lying, he noticed the same thing about me.

“Seriously, you’re totally nervous. How come?”

“Well, what if Jackie and I don’t hit it off in person?”

“Awww, Krissy. You told me you guys talk all the time, through e-mails and on the phone and stuff. I mean, you’ve been talking to her for over a year, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then you’ll be fine talking to her in person. And if she doesn’t already think you’re cool, then when you guys do meet, she’ll find out for sure. You can talk to anyone, about almost anything. Don’t worry.”

“Are you sure?”

“Krissy, I’m not the most outgoing person, and you found a way to connect with me when we first met.”

“I just babbled at you endlessly until you broke down and had no choice but to talk to me.”

He snickered. “True. But then anytime we hang out, we always find something fun to talk about.”

“I guess,” I said, still not 100% convinced that Jackie and I could have a whole weekend together and find things to gab over.

“You’ll do just fine. You can always tell her what happened on the plane, she’d like that, right?”

“Oh yeah, I’m definitely going to share that with her, since she and I talk about you constantly anyway,” I blurted out.

The surprised look on Jake’s face told me that I’d just had one of those “I said way too much” moments. I slapped my forehead.

“What I meant to say was-”

“So, you guys talk about me constantly, huh? Like, about what, exactly?”

Like a dog going after a bone, Jake smelled something juicy and wasn’t going to leave me alone until he sank his teeth into it.

“Well, mostly I tell her about how sneezy you are.”

His face fell.

“Really? That’s all?”

“And how hot you are,” I mumbled.

“Sweet,” he said, grinning.

“Would you like to meet her?”

“Yeah, that’d be cool. Hey, I almost forgot, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you about.”

“What’s that, Jake?”

“I kind of figured out a way to make myself sneeze on command.”

The airport suddenly started spinning around me and I wasn’t sure I’d heard him correctly.

“I’m sorry, what did you just say, Jake?”

We stopped walking and scooted against a nearby wall to get out of everyone’s way. Plus, I needed to lean against it for support.

“I can make myself sneeze, well most of the time, anyway. I discovered it on accident, but then kind of played around until I figured out how to do it.”

My head felt dizzy at his admission, but I started walking again, which wasn’t an easy task. I just knew I didn’t want to make Jackie wait too much longer for me. Jake followed eagerly.

“So, um, what’s your technique?” I asked after clearing my throat.

“Well, basically, if I pinch and rub the bridge of my nose just right, I can get a couple out. Of course, it works much better if I have a tickle already,” he explained, beaming over his cleverness.

I was in shock. I mean, the night I was able to induce him, when he’d been sick with a cold, had been totally erotic. But this bit of news, the fact that he could make himself sneeze at will, only heightened my already intense attraction to him.

“Are you okay, Krissy? You’re as white as a ghost.”

I’m sure I was, because in all of my 34 years, I’d never encountered anyone quite like Jake before. He knew what his sneezing did to me, and he knew how much I adored him, yet he continued to tease me. We both knew nothing would come of it, had discussed it before, so I couldn’t understand why he continued to do and say things like that. I made another mental note to ask him about that later.

“I’m fine, just nervous about meeting Jackie.”

“Well, I’ll be with you when you meet her. And worse case scenario, if you guys don’t hit it off, give me a call. I’m going to be in LA until Sunday afternoon.”

“Thanks,” I said simply.

“Hey, should I try my new trick in front of your friend? Would you guys like that?”

With a deep breath to calm my jumpy nerves, I said, “Well, I know I’d enjoy it, and I bet she would, too.”

“Cool, I’m gonna try it.”

How nice that he was so proud of himself while he taunted me.

“Have you ever done that in front of other people before?”

“A few times at work, and a couple of times in front of some of my friends. I’m pretty sure I can do it for you and Jackie.”

Jake was trying to settle me down, but instead he got me all lit up inside. And then my stomach knotted the moment I spotted Jackie. She was standing near the baggage claim area where hopefully I’d be seeing my luggage soon. I recognized her immediately from all the pictures we’d exchanged. I stopped dead in my tracks.

“What’s wrong?”

“There she is, that’s her,” I said.

Jake squinted and followed my gaze.

“Wow, she’s really cute. Come on Krissy, let’s go meet her,” he urged, tugging on my arm to get me moving. Reluctantly, I followed.

We weren’t close enough for her to notice us, and that’s when Jake paused. I glanced at him, and saw his hand go straight for his nose.

“Oh no, Jake, not here, you can’t,” I whined.

With a sly grin, he began massaging the bridge of his cute, perfectly sculpted nose. I hated him for it, too, since it was such a turn on to watch. Right there, in front of the crowds, and not terribly far from where my internet friend was standing, Jake did the unthinkable.

“Heh-ashhhuuuh! Ahhh-shhhoooo!”

Again, only two. But they were loud and marvelous, and Jackie’s pale green eyes landed right on us. I knew she’d hear him, she couldn’t possibly have missed it. Everyone in the damn airport heard him.

“God freakin’ bless you,” I hissed.

He laughed and muttered a thanks. I blessed him mostly out of common courtesy, because I was not only smoldering where I stood, but also freaking out because Jackie could see Jake and I. We needed to go and say hello, and what an extremely embarrassing way for Jake to break the ice, at least in my book. I was kind of angry at him, actually.

“You aren’t mad, are you? Look, she’s waiting for you, let’s go over. I’d like to meet her and say hi.”

True to the way I felt about him, I could never stay mad at Jake. Ever.

He inserted his arm through mine, and yanked me as he started walking. The closer we got, the faster my heart thumped. Jake flashed a grin of encouragement, and we waltzed right up to Jackie, who was holding back a smile, I could tell.

“Krissy?” she said.

“Jax,” I said excitedly and we immediately hugged.

We squealed and were so enamored with each other, I almost completely forgot Jake was standing there.

“Ohmygosh!” I said as we broke our embrace. “I’m sorry, Jax, this is my friend Jake. Jake, this is Jackie.”

“Nice to meet you, Jackie,” Jake said extending his hand.

Jackie took it shyly and said, “Jake, nice to meet you, too. I’ve heard a lot about you. And you can call me Jax, all my friends do.”

“Well, Jax, I’ve also heard a lot about you. Krissy talks about you all the time.”

The luggage started descending onto the conveyor belt. Before I could even move, Jake went over to watch for my bag.

As soon as he was gone, Jax pulled me closer and said, “Holy cow, he’s even hotter in person. And did he sneeze like that on purpose, or did it just happen?”

I was about to answer when Jake returned with my bag, like such a gentleman.

“Awww, thank you Jake,” I said. “So sweet.”

“It’s the least I could do. Anyway, I’ll let you two do whatever it is you women do when you get together. Nice meeting you Jax. You guys have fun. And Krissy, remember if you need anything, give me a call or shoot me a text, okay?”

“Okay, Jake, thank you.”

Jake started to walk away when Jax suddenly called out, “Hey Jake!”

He stopped and glanced over his shoulder.

“If you weren’t doing anything for dinner tonight, why don’t we all go out to eat?”

“Really?” he asked.

I gasped. I didn’t expect Jax to do that. I mean, I knew we’d be hanging out with her husband, Brandon, but I never thought she’d ask Jake to join us.

“Yeah,” she said, apparently as surprised as I was that she asked him.

Jake walked back towards us.

“Don’t you two want to spend quality time together this weekend? Girl time? Without guys?”

“Well, we’ll get to do that this afternoon. And Brandon, my hubby, will be with us for dinner, so why not make it like a double date,” she said.

Jake shot me a glare, obviously wondering if I had mentioned anything to Jax about what happened after his buddies wedding, and I just shrugged my shoulders.

“I mean, not a date, but you know, four of us instead of just three. Might be fun, and I bet you would like Brandon, he’s easy to get along with. What do you say, Jake?”

I was stunned at the fact that she had invited him to dinner, as she’d always told me how shy she was. Apparently, she was as intrigued by Jake as I was. Well, almost as intrigued, maybe.

“Oh, I get it, you just want me at dinner in case I sneeze, right?”

“Oh, no Jake, not at all, that’s not why I invited you,” she stammered.

I frowned at Jake, I knew he was teasing her, and he started laughing.

“I was kidding, Jax. Might be kind of fun to have dinner with you guys. Just give me a call and let me know where to meet you,” he said and then walked away, finally leaving Jax and I alone.

“We have so much to talk about,” I said.

“Yeah, we do, girl, let’s go!”

Arm in arm, we walked out of the airport, and I couldn’t wait for her to show me her world.

TBC...

ahhhhh! so creative!!
I'm so excited for more!
thank you sneesee!

Absolutely! She is indeed a very talented writer. Great story hun.

you brought Jake back!!!! Yaaay! That makes me quite happy. I can't wait for their double date! (or not double date as the case may be )

SweetP

It liiiivvvves! I love this "couple" thank you so much for continuing this!!!♥♥♥

You most definitely are an amazing author.

omg! omg omg omg omg! *goes gaga over Jake* ooooh good that was soo good o please do write more!

very very exciting! sneezing on purpose always fascinating for me!!!
and a cute story although

haha I so love it! you should so continue if you can!

I read this earlier, although didn't have time to post a comment straight after....but I absolutely love this, it is just so good! Fantastic job...please write more when you can!

Awww thanks for reading this and posting!!! That makes me smile that people still enjoy reading my stories! I will work on this again, someday, just haven't had as much time or desire to write as I would like. But seriously, thank you!