Page 76 of Fake It For Love (Faux Love)
“All of it,” he said and took a long drink.
“Let me see if I can get you a sandwich or something,” I said.
“I’m okay.”
“When’s the last time you ate?” I asked him.
He downed the rest of his drink. “I grabbed a sandwich at the airport in New York.”
“Do you want another drink?” I asked him.
He was chowing down on a Snickers. “Please.”
This felt good. This was what I had been wanting to do all night. I needed to take care of him. It might not be anything big, but just being able to make him a drink and make sure he was getting something to eat was enough. I quickly mixed him another drink and handed it to him before sitting at the table with him.
“Thank you,” he said. “Forgive my gluttony. Help yourself to whatever you want.”
“I’m good,” I said. I pointed to his cheek. “What happened?”
He took a deep breath and shook his head. “Can I just say it has been a hell of a day?”
I laughed. I was so grateful to have him back. “Yes.”
“The cheek was the result of a branch after I landed,” he said. “It slapped me right upside the face. It’s not all that deep but it might leave a scar.”
“Was the flight terrible?” I asked gently.
He took a drink before lowering the glass to the table. “Yes.”
I waited to see if he would say anything more. I had come to expect very little in the way of conversation from him. “I’m sorry.”
“I’ve never had a flight like that,” he said. “I know tomorrow is going to be rough. Every muscle is going to be sore. I was gripping that stick so tight, my neck muscles hurt. It took every ounce of strength I had to keep that plane in the air. The wind was kicking my ass. The rain wasn’t much better. I felt like I was flying blind. I’m so glad my instruments didn’t fail me. I wouldn’t have made it if they had. That was one of the most harrowing flights I’ve ever had.”
Hearing him admit it was bad was pretty revealing. “I’m so glad you’re in one piece. I was so worried.”
“The flight was bad, but the ride here was just as bad,” he said. “Eddie is one hell of a driver. He actually swerved around a falling tree. We only had to stop because there was a minor flood across the road. While we were checking to see how deep it was a tree fell not too far in front of us. It was one thing after another.”
“I’m so glad you’re in one piece,” I said. “Even if your face is scarred.”
He chuckled and reached for the bag of popcorn. I watched him rip it open. “I’ve always been called a pretty boy. Maybe I’ll look hard now.”
“Oh, you will definitely look hard,” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
“How was it here?” he asked.
“Fine,” I said. “Nothing compared to what you went through. We lost cell service and then power, but not until much later. Everyone was very chill. We all hung out in the lobby. The staff served champagne and offered us snacks. I don’t even want to know what it looks like out there. From what I could see, it’s a mess.”
“It is,” he said.
I couldn’t stop looking at him. A minor cut on his cheek was not a big deal. I knew it could have been a million times worse. “I waited for you.”
“Thank you. I tried to get back here. I was worried about you.”
I burst into laughter. “I wasn’t in a tiny little plane thousands of feet in the air in the middle of a storm.”
“Still,” he said. “I was worried.”
“That’s very sweet.”
