Chapter 12 - Hazel
Hazel
“Hurry up, Haze, you’re gonna be late,” Mady yelled from the kitchen.
I put on my white sneakers and looked in the mirror.
I’d picked an outfit last night, but when I woke up, I realized it’d be hot there, so I had to raid my closet again.
Hence, her yelling from the other room, peppered with creative insults.
So much for my nicely organized closet before departure plan. What a joke.
I chose a light grey calf-length linen jumpsuit, which sounded hideous but looked very cute. “How do I look?” I walked out, grabbing my denim jacket.
“Gorgeous, you white piece of rice. C’mon, we gotta go.” Mady grabbed my bag.
“No, you look like—”
“Yeah, yeah, we don’t have time for that,” she cut me off.
I grunted, grabbed my small suitcase with “Crazy Plant Lady” and “The Book was Better” stickers, and headed to her car.
“We have to stop at O’Rileys. I have to leave Thomas the keys,” I said, sliding into the front seat.
“HAZEL! You are telling me this now?! Ahh...”
“Oh, c’mon, it’s around the corner.”
“If I were you, I’d have been up and ready three hours ago.
Aren’t you excited? Vacation in Europe, sunny beaches, and don’t even get me started on the hot guy taking you.
I can already picture it—he’s flirty, you’re shy, walking along the beach, he kisses you, you both have amazing sex in his bed for two weeks straight. ”
“Oh my God, you’re officially a lunatic. We’re going with his friends, there are eight of us. I’m not sleeping with him,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“And why exactly not?”
I hesitated, and she took it as a win.
“Is he not hot enough, athletic enough, cute enough? You crazy bitch.”
Don’t forget charmingly interesting, I thought.
“Of course, it’s not that. Unfortunately, he’s all those things,” I sighed. “But I don’t want to be just another girl he uses. It’s not me, Mady.”
“Oh, Hazel, he’s only using you if you think he’ll fall in love. You can have a hot fling if you’re both into it. Just let it go, enjoy your vacation, run with the balls, I mean bulls or whatever.”
We both started laughing as she stopped at the coffee shop. I jumped out, relieved to escape her question. Exactly one minute later, I was back in her car with two cups of coffee. “Thomas sends his regards,” I said, handing her the coffee.
“Mm, maybe you should hook up with Thomas instead.” She sipped the drink, humming in pleasure.
“No can do, he’s sleeping with Linda.”
“Damn, Haze, you keep turning down the best specimens of men in your life.”
“Just drive.”
She laughed wickedly, put her foot on the gas, and off we went. An hour later, we arrived at the airport.
“Okay, so you have all your bags, your passport, phone, charger?”
“Yes, check, check, and check. I sent you the hotel location, although it looks more like a house or apartment. I’ll update you once I’m there. You have Luke’s number, his assistant’s number, and all flight information. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
“Ugh, so jealous. Go have fun! And take these.” Mady pulled out a dozen condoms and shoved them into my hands and backpack.
“Dear God, Mady, are you mental? Are you producing them?” She slapped my hand when I tried to stop her. “Besides, I don’t need them, I’m on birth control. Not that it matters.”
But it was pointless. She was already kicking me out of the car. Mady hopped out and ran around to help me with my bags.
“I love you. Be safe. Text me when you land.” She hugged me tightly. I kissed her on the cheek, and we said our goodbyes.
At the airport, I stopped to double-check my flight information, although I already knew it. We agreed to meet at the gate, so after checking in my bags, I headed to the security check.
After an utterly embarrassing encounter with TSA, where the guards gave me a subtle laugh and not-so-subtle grins over the number of condoms they found in my bag, I cursed Mady in my head and set off to find my gate.
Trying to calm my flushed cheeks, I fanned my face with a book from my backpack when I heard Luke’s voice behind me. I turned and saw seven people chatting at the bar lounge.
I walked over, mentally preparing myself.
“Come, sit.” Luke stood, brushing his arm against mine, sending shivers down my spine. I shook it off and looked at the group.
“Thanks. Well, you guys are something else,” I said, looking at their matching Hawaiian t-shirts. Luke was wearing a black shirt with green palms, emphasizing his dark features. He looked very different. And very adult.
“You’re one beach cocktail with a straw away from being the craziest thing I’ve seen today. And it’s only morning,” I laughed. “I don’t think I’ve seen you in anything but the suits for the past year, so this,” I waved at them, “is mind-blowing.”
I didn’t let them respond and turned to the girls. “Hi, I’m Hazel. Luke’s told me all about you.”
“Hopefully, all good things,” the girl with a bright smile said. I assumed it was Norah.
“Only the best.” I liked her already. “As for the outfits, they do this every year. It’s ridiculous.
They live in suits, but on vacation, they let loose.
We call them ‘Chicken tenders.’” I raised an eyebrow.
“Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside,” she said, tenderly brushing Logan’s hair from his forehead.
“I’m Summer,” a girl with dark hair added, raising her hand to get the waiter’s attention. “Unfortunately, Hazel, we know nothing about you.”
“Come on, relax,” Luke interjected. “She’s on vacation, too. Let her drink a cocktail with a funny straw first.” He gave me a cheeky smile.
The waiter finally arrived. “Double gin and tonic for me, and you?” Luke asked, looking at me.
“Nothing, thank you. I’m not sure I want to drink before the flight,” I said, taking off my jacket. It was pretty hot in here.
“A water, then?” he asked again, and I nodded.
Luke glanced at me but quickly looked away. Yep, it was definitely hot in here.
“This guy needs a drink before every flight,” Alex said, earning an annoyed glare from Luke. I watched them curiously.
“Wait, is fearless Luke afraid of flying?” I teased.
“No, I’m not afraid of flying.”
“Just heights,” Logan whispered loudly, making me laugh.
“I’m not afraid,” Luke muttered. “Just a little bit annoyed, that’s all.”
Two cocktails later, boarding was announced. We finished our drinks, headed to the gate, and before long, the engines were roaring as we took our seats.
“How did you decide to become a chef?” I asked Ava as soon as something food-related was mentioned.
“Oh, funny story,” she said. “When I was thirteen, a classmate dared me to enter a pie-eating contest. I came second—four pies in exactly thirty minutes.” She leaned in, whispering proudly.
“I told them if the pies had tasted better, I’d have eaten faster.
That got me experimenting with recipes at home. .. and I’ve never stopped since.”
“That’s amazing.”
The seatbelt sign lit up, and Luke’s anxiety became obvious. He pulled earplugs from his pocket. As the plane began to move, I decided to distract him.
“So,” I said, trying to distract him. He turned slightly but avoided eye contact, tapping fingers on the armrest. “Interested in my book choices for this trip?”
That got his attention. His caramel brown eyes met mine, a small but nervous smile forming. “Always.”
I reached into my bag, hesitating before pulling out the book.
“Ready? You’ll never guess.”
His smile grew, curiosity sparking. I handed him the book and waited.
“The Pocket Atlas of Human Anatomy?” he read, then looked at me like I was crazy before bursting into lively laughter. I shrugged, smiling back. “Why this?”
“Well, English classics are all good and fun, you know, you can rely on them, they rarely disappoint, but from time to time I like to... learn stuff. Some new stuff. Like, if I’m ever in a trivia contest and someone asks, ‘What’s the fastest muscle in the human body?
’ I could say, ‘Eyelids, or orbicularis oculi’, as the kids call it these days. And people would be impressed.”
He held my gaze, his eyes searching for something. A familiar shiver ran through me, and I tugged my jacket sleeves down for warmth. Luke glanced at my hands before shifting his attention back to the book.
“So you’re kind of an all-book genre type of girl?” He flipped through the pages, pausing to study the pictures of the human body.
“If you like to call it that.”
“Well, you’re definitely a surprise,” he muttered to himself.
“Okay, so we have extensively talked about my book taste on multiple occasions. What about yours?”
“I don’t think I have one.”
“Can’t be.”
“It’s true. I’d call it random at best. If a book catches my eye, I check it out. If it speaks to me, I read it. Could be anything—English classics, lifestyle, poetry...”
“Poetry? Really...?” I raised an eyebrow, skeptical but imagining him with the sad, old Byron.
“Oh, really, I’m getting heat from the human anatomy girl?” He turned to me, clearly into the banter now.
“Sorry, I’m not laughing at you. It just doesn’t seem like you find poetry interesting.”
“You’d be surprised at what I find interesting.” Luke held my gaze a little too long. “I like things that surprise me.” Now it was I who had to avert my eyes.
“See? You’re an all-book genre person too,” I said, looking outside the plane’s window. We had started moving and would take off in a minute.
“I guess I am.” Luke smiled to himself.
As the engines roared louder, I noticed Luke gripping the armrest tightly, his knuckles turning white.
“Okay, so we’ve covered the books. What about movies? Name one that would surprise me.”
He hesitated for a beat, a smile slowly tugging at his lips.