Chapter 35 The Flights
THE FLIGHTS
MAGGIE
When I woke up the next morning, my surroundings left me momentarily disoriented. Two strong arms kept me in a vice grip against a firm chest. Mirrors surrounded us on all sides, giving me an unobstructed view of Zeke’s body wrapped around mine. Even his leg pinned my body to his.
We must have fallen asleep in each other’s arms. Our wrinkled clothes from the day before were still on.
I zeroed in on the streaky mascara lines and smudged eyeliner decorating my face. Trash pandas would claim me as their queen. I fell asleep last night before I had the chance to brush out my hair or put on my silk cap. My hair would be a disaster all day.
The Rapture would come before I’d let Zeke wake up to see me like this.
As cute and romantic as the room seemed last night, I hated it now that I realized there wasn’t a bathroom for me to perform my ritual in.
I couldn’t even wash my face and reapply my makeup without running the risk of rousing Zeke.
Hardly daring to breathe, I crept out from between his arms as slowly as I could.
My muscles screamed in protest as my locked up limbs fought the movement.
I tiptoed like a cartoon villain towards the door, toiletry bag in hand, and escaped into the hall.
Thankfully there was no one else in sight to witness my shame.
A single hotel employee, a girl about my age with a face full of pimples and square-framed glasses, stood behind the counter. Her eyebrows rose in panic as I scampered up to her.
“Please, I’m desperate!” I cried. “Let me use the bathroom in another room. Any room!”
“Are you a guest here? Is there something wrong with your bathroom, ma’am?” the employee asked.
I huffed in annoyance. What happened to sister solidarity? “No, I’m in the honeymoon suite and I can’t have my husband see me like this!”
“Does the water work in your room?” she inquired. At least she started typing into the keyboard. Maybe she would give me some kind of help.
“Look, I know I seem like a nutcase, but I am begging you! If you have any ounce of compassion, or empathy, or I don’t know—human decency, please let me use another bathroom.
This face is NOT what my husband needs to see first thing in the morning!
” I winced at the image, picturing Zeke’s look of abject horror.
The girl hesitated. “I’m really not supposed to…”
I recognized a lifeline when I saw it. “I know you’re not, and although I have nothing to offer, karma always takes notice when women help women.”
Another long pause followed before her shoulders finally caved.
Sighing, she typed something into the computer and slid a hotel key card over the counter. “It’s the first door there on the right. You have to be in and out as quickly as possible, though! Shift change is coming up and my boss can’t know that I did this.”
Relief flooded my system. “You are an angel! I could kiss you!”
The woman’s cheeks reddened. “Please don’t.”
“Ha!” I didn’t bother to wait, snatching the key card and racing to the door she indicated. This had to be the world’s fastest shower. I wouldn’t have time to mark my reflection with all the imperfections, but thankfully I hadn’t eaten anything in over a day. My stomach remained gloriously empty.
There wasn’t enough time to wash my hair, but I managed to take a decent shower and put on fresh clothes.
Since we had a long day of travel ahead of us, I kept the makeup light and fresh, foregoing lashes and sparkly eye shadow.
Hair was a lost cause. I twirled it into a knot at the base of my neck and hoped for the best.
I slipped back inside the honeymoon suite twenty minutes later, glancing at the clock.
We had only thirty minutes to make it to the airport in time.
Zeke looked so peaceful in bed, his limbs still in place from where he once held me, that I hated to wake him.
From what I gathered, he didn’t sleep much so nights like this were rare.
Gently, I slid onto the bed next to him.
The little bit of length he had in his hair swept across his forehead, and unbidden, my hand brushed it off.
A featherlight touch was all it took to wake him.
He blinked a few times until his gaze focused on me.
The resulting smile warmed me from the inside out.
“Good morning, Mrs. Hayes,” he said.
I grinned. “You slept in, Sergeant. Must’ve been a good night.”
“The best I’ve ever had,” Zeke agreed. “Although waking up to this view is my favorite part.”
“You didn’t even look outside!” I snorted.
A slight blush crept along his cheeks. “That wasn’t the view I meant.”
Now it was my turn to blush. I chose to ignore his flirtation because I didn’t know how to respond. Guys didn’t usually flirt with me, and those who did never made butterflies explode in my stomach like he did. This was dangerous territory for a girl like me.
Thankfully, Zeke didn’t push it further. He flung off the covers and started to get himself ready. We both paused awkwardly in the uncomfortable space where you don’t know your partner’s routine.
“I’m gonna go grab a coffee from the lobby,” I offered. “I’ll see you out there.” I had almost reached the door, my hand on the doorknob when Zeke murmured my name.
“You’re not gonna leave, right? You’ll be waiting out there for me?”
A lost little boy. That’s what Zeke reminded me of in that moment. A lost little boy desperately seeking a hand to hold in the dark.
“You can count on it.” I winked and left him to get ready.
Flying across the country turned out to be exhausting.
I hadn’t been on a plane since Wesley flew Celeste and me to Atlanta for her birthday celebration.
That had been a private jet and a much shorter flight.
The Los Angeles airport was a nightmare to navigate.
Despite a four hour layover, we barely made our flight in time because we stopped to eat and couldn’t figure out how to get to the next terminal.
Thankfully I had the convenient excuse of being a nervous flyer to get out of eating anything. Zeke bought my excuse of having an upset stomach and didn’t push.
The flight to South Korea took everything out of both of us.
Zeke and I stretched out as much as we were able, lifting the armrest up between our seats so that I could curl up against his chest. My head tucked perfectly under his chin, like our bodies were designed to line up like Lego pieces, and we both slept fitfully, jostled by air turbulence and the strange sounds of other passengers.
It took over thirteen hours to get to Seoul, then another hour to collect our bags and board the Army shuttle that took us to Camp Humphreys. With the time difference, it was now close to five in the morning in Seoul. We technically lost an entire day in transit between the time zones.
I was far too tired to look outside or pay much attention to our surroundings.
The blue haze of twilight cast everything in dark shadows anyway.
Somehow Zeke managed to sign us in and provide all the documentation we needed to get us squared away with the Army.
Someone took us to what Zeke called “temporary lodgings” until the next day when we would meet with someone from the housing office to get keys to an apartment.
I couldn’t have described the lodgings if someone held me at gunpoint.
Korea. I now live in Korea.
“Tomorrow,” I muttered. “Tell me again tomorrow.” That was the last thing I managed to say before my head hit the pillow and the world faded away.