People You See at an Airport While You’re Waiting to Board Your Plane
PEOPLE YOU SEE AT AN AIRPORT WHILE YOU’RE WAITING TO BOARD YOUR PLANE
RACHEL
Despite giving Cam a hard time, I was relieved that we checked out of the hotel early. Cam had worked some magic and found an earlier flight leaving at 11:40 a.m. We would have a little bit of a layover in Miami but would reach Grand Cayman earlier, so we could attend the reception after the rehearsal dinner.
What I did not reveal to Cam was that I had dreamt of him too. In my vivid dream, we were on my living room sofa, and he pulled me onto his lap. Every nerve in my body ignited as his lips traced a scorching trail down my neck. Rivers of electric pleasure surged through my body as he teased my hardened nipples through the thin fabric of my tank top. Unable to contain myself any longer, I ripped off the tank top and threw it aside. His hands gripped my ass tightly, pulling me closer as he rocked me gently while he kissed my lips with an intensity that made my knees weak.
And then I woke up half naked in his arms.
Thanks to our scumbag brains, we almost blew the entire operation.
This is exactly why I had to text Emily and Laura while I waited at our gate. Cam had offered to go find me something that might knock me out for the flight while he checked in with Shay.
Travel update. We’re not there yet.
Emily
Where in the world are you?
Denver.
Laura
What the hell?
Emily
What happened?
Diverted to Denver due to minor mechanical thing and there was only one room left so we had to share it.
Laura
Yesssssss!
Emily
How is that possible?
Denver has a different busy season than Arizona. June in Denver is so nice and mild, which means weddings, corporate stuff, tourists.
Laura
WHAT HAPPENED AND YES I AM SCREAMING
Okay so first I had a total panic attack on the plane.
Emily
Oh no
Laura
Oh honey are you okay?
I’m fine. Cam was my rock star. He held me the entire time.
Laura texted a GIF of a woman fanning herself while.
Emily
We got to the hotel and talked until we fell asleep.
Laura
Right … sleep.
We did! Until the sex dreams we were having about each other caused us to break through the pillow barrier. I woke up half naked in his arms!
Emily
This is too much. How can you leave us with this information and then get on a plane?
Laura
I love this. I love all of this. I’m so excited!!! What happened next?
We both freaked and had to um, relieve ourselves in separate showers.
Laura
So sordid! And that was on the first night together. I can’t wait to hear about how the weekend goes.
Emily
Please be careful.
I love both of you more than anything.
I sent a heart emoji and put my phone away. A group of travelers parted, and I spotted Cam coming toward me with a canvas bag in his hand.
“Found you some ZzzQuil and Dramamine. Start with the Dramamine,” he said, smiling.
“Thank you.” I took them from him and decided on a Dramamine to start.
“Sorry that took so long.” He plopped down on the seat next to me. “Had a few things to go over with Shay.”
“No problem. I love people watching, and airports are the best for that. That and restaurants.”
He glanced around the boarding area. “Did you see some good stuff?”
“Yep, saw a man who I seriously think was James Bond.”
“How do you know?”
“He exited the plane ramp wearing a tuxedo and had no luggage.”
Cam nodded. “Oh, that was totally Bond.”
“Saw a couple that is probably breaking up before they get on their flight.”
Cam turned to me, his eyebrows raised. “Really?”
I took a sip of water. “Yep. Watched their body language. The woman was so not into the man. Every time he tried to touch her, she moved away and tensed. Then they started yelling, and when she was talking, the man was clearly not listening. He kept checking his phone.”
“He could be anxious to get on the plane.”
“They can’t stand each other, I can tell.”
“How did you become such a body language expert?”
I shrugged. “Years of working retail. You learn the expressions people make when they’re happy, when they want information, or when they’re ready to buy something they are in love with. We all have little micro expressions that fire when we feel things.”
“And what am I feeling right now?”
He twisted his face into a grimace and slumped his shoulders.
“Hmmm, you’re thinking that you wish you could stay in this airport forever.”
“That’s it!” Cam took a swig of water. “Actually, this is a cool airport.”
“I think it’s kind of freaky. Did you see that gargoyle in a suitcase perched above us when we walked in?”
“He’s only there to let us know what we’ll look like by the time we get through security.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “So what did Shay have to say? Is everything okay at Robin and Raven?”
Cam’s brows tented. “How do you …?”
“Laura, Emily, and I ate there the night of your shrimp attack. Saw Shay floating through the dining room. How many restaurants do you own?”
Cam paused, glancing down at his phone. “A few.”
“So three? Or more?”
He didn’t answer.
“Sorry,” I said, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. “I’m not trying to pry. I’m … interested in what you do.”
He swallowed. “No, it’s … I don’t usually tell people right away. I’ve had more than a few women who were more interested in the money I make than me.”
“So how much do you actually make?”
His brow knit and he frowned.
“Kidding! Oh my, how can I get you to never make that face again?”
It was such a relief when his smile returned.
I touched his arm. “You don’t have to talk about it, but I know that owning restaurants is challenging. More so than retail. Sugar & Spice and Robin and Raven are amazing places, so sometime, I would love to know how you make it all look so easy.”
“With Shay and Charisse as partners, that’s how. I wouldn’t be as successful without their talents. Plus, they’re the only ones who’ll put up with me.”
“I doubt that’s true.”
“You really want to know more about my business background?”
I turned sideways in my seat and rested my head on my chin. “I genuinely do. And before you go on, may I remind you that I have my own career and money and don’t need you to be able to afford me.”
I winked at him and he grinned.
“Thank you. I really was getting nervous about that.”
“So tell me.”
“When my grandfather died, he left a considerable amount of money to Roman and me. My brother did what my father wanted him to do and went to med school without taking on any debt. I did the opposite of what my father wanted and started to invest in failing businesses in Old Town. I invested capital in ones that I thought I could turn around. The owners of Maggie’s on Seventh wanted to retire.”
I put my hand up. “Wait, you own Maggie’s? I love that place. I’ve never seen you there.”
“I’m sort of a silent owner. I bought the building and helped Maggie’s daughter, Renee, update it. I get a cut, but she gets to run it the way she wants without the burden of trying to do it solo. My company handles all the HR, pays the bills, and does the rest.”
“So, Maggie’s on Seventh, Sugar & Spice, Robin and Raven, and … what else?”
Cam listed off five other businesses and my mouth almost hit the floor.
“So, you don’t actually sleep?”
“I do. I do. I have an incredible team that I’ve cultivated over the years. Allows me to sleep an hour or so here and there.”
“Is Sugar & Spice your favorite?”
“Yeah. I love baking, which is a statement I never thought I’d make.”
I faced forward in my seat. “So you’re hot and you love to bake and you’re generally a nice guy. Tell me again why you’re single?”
Cam shrugged and pulled out his boarding pass. “I want to be. It’s easier.”
Those words landed on me like a heavy, biting rain. It’s not that I didn’t agree with his statement. Being single was easier, but did it make us happier?
“I think we should get in line,” Cam said, slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder.
“Oh, right.”
“What I’d love to discuss when we board is the fact that you keep mentioning how hot I am.”
“Nope. Nothing.” I stepped in front of him, getting my pass ready.
With Cam by my side, I felt exponentially calmer boarding the plane this time.
Or was it the Dramamine?
Dramamine, yes, that’s what I’m going with. If the answer was truly that Cam’s presence was something I wanted all the time whether I was boarding a plane or not, then I was in serious trouble.
We breezed through Miami International, and I was still a little groggy as we boarded the puddle jumper to Grand Cayman. My eyes darted around the cabin to the passengers who were already seated. How can anyone be calm flying in this tin can? I think Cam could sense my pulse quickening. He took my hand in his the second we took our seats. Thankfully, I fell asleep for most of the trip. Before I knew it, we were descending toward Grand Cayman, having miraculously survived tin-can air travel.
Living in the Sonoran Desert makes you forget what moisture in the air feels like. Even though it was after dark when we landed, the wall of humidity that hit me as we disembarked was like walking into a damp sponge. I coughed on my first few inhales and moisture beaded on my skin immediately. Cam handled it a bit more gracefully, but it still took him a moment to draw a full breath. Surprisingly, customs didn’t take long, and we were on our way to the resort in no time.
The Kimpton Seafire resort was the definition of paradise at night. I could only imagine what it looked like against the tranquil turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea during the day. I was looking forward to waking up and finding out.
My heart sank, though, when Cam handed me the key to my own room. A large part of me wished for another mix-up where we’d have to share and could stay up all night talking again.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, helping me shift my bags into the elevator. “I can’t … can’t thank you enough for doing this with me. I know it’s awkward meeting my family and being here with Britt.”
The little quivers in his voice surprised me. He was always so calm and collected. “I’m good. How are you?”
“I could use a drink.”
My hand fell from his arm and grasped his hand. “It’s going to be fine. I’m here. I’m with you all the way on this trip. Let’s get through the rest of tonight, and then we’ll tackle tomorrow.”
He squeezed my hand in response, and my legs turned to gelatin. He paused at his door, which was right next to mine, and flashed a smile. “Meet you back here in an hour and we’ll head down to the reception?”
“Of course.”