sandals. Her hair was pulled back and her face was free of makeup. Derek stopped and stared at her, enjoying the view until she noticed him.
“Hey,” he said as he sat next to her.
“Good morning.” She smiled at him and Derek felt weak again. “How are you?”
“I’m excited. I’m really looking forward to this trip, especially with you.”
She stared at him, her eyes focusing. “And what do you mean by that?”
He shrugged. “I just like spending time with you.” He knew he was being very forward but he knew he had to be. She was going to be his. Derek looked away to make the moment less tense.
Paola crossed her legs then looked out the window.
“Are you afraid of flying?” he asked.
“A little.”
“Don’t be scared. You are more lucky to get struck by lightning seven times than get in a plane accident.”
“And you are more likely to be killed in a plane crash than getting stuck by lightning.”
He reached out and patted her hand lightly. “It’ll be over before you know it.”
She didn’t move her hand away and he thought that was a good sign.
“So, t ell me something about yourself.”
“Like what?”
“Something funny.”
Paola thought for a moment. “I brush my teeth in the shower.”
He smiled. “How is that funny?”
She shrugged. “It’s odd. Tell me something about you.”
“When I was little, I thought chunky peanut butter had ants in it. Whenever my mom would buy the wrong kind, I would eat it and start crying, feeling bad for eating the poor ants.”
She laughed. “That’s adorable.”
He smiled, loving the sound of her laugh. “I was a cute kid. My parents said I was cuter than my sister. She still gets mad about it.”
“Is your sister older or younger?”
“Older. And believe me, if a pedophile saw me, they’d kidnap me. I was damn cute.”
She laughed again. “I wish I could see for myself.”
“I’ll show you when we get back home. But watch out. Your ovaries will scream.”
“Why would my ovaries scream?”
“Because you’d want to have my babies. If I was cute, our babies would be cute. It’s logical reasoning.” He knew he was flirting excessively but he wasn’t going to let it up until she asked him to stop.
She chuckled but didn’t comment to his statement about having kids together. “I heard our hotel is nice.”
“I’m excited to see San Diego. Have you ever been?”
“Yeah.”
“You should show me around. The competition is on Saturday. We have today and Sunday to explore.”
“There’s this taco shop that’s awesome.”
“Ooh. I love tacos.”
“And it’s called Surf Taco.”
“That’s even better!”
She laughed. “I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.”
“Want to grab some lunch?” he asked.
“No,” she said as she looked at the time. “We’re boarding soon.”
“You’re right.”
The gate opened and the clerk started taking the tickets. Paola stood up and grabbed her bags. Derek reached for the heaviest one and put it over his shoulder.
“I can carry my own stuff,’ she said.
“I know. You’re the strongest person I know.”
The comment seemed to dull the annoyance in her eyes.
“I just wanted to be a gentleman.”
They walked to the counter and handed their tickets over before they boarded. Their seats were near the window.
Derek looked at his ticket and realized he had the window seat. “Take it.”
“No, it’s okay.”
“Come on. I insist.”
She smiled then moved into the seat.
Derek shoved their bags in the overhead compartment then sat beside her. After everyone was boarded, the plane started to move toward the runway. Derek could see the obvious fear in her eyes. She tried to hide it and act calm, but Derek felt her emotions. The plane started to move faster as it prepared to take off.
“Hey,” he said, grabbing her hand. “Look at me.”
She did.
“Now stare at my chest.”
“What?”
Derek grabbed her other hand and placed it over his pectorals
“Hey,” he said as he sat next to her.
“Good morning.” She smiled at him and Derek felt weak again. “How are you?”
“I’m excited. I’m really looking forward to this trip, especially with you.”
She stared at him, her eyes focusing. “And what do you mean by that?”
He shrugged. “I just like spending time with you.” He knew he was being very forward but he knew he had to be. She was going to be his. Derek looked away to make the moment less tense.
Paola crossed her legs then looked out the window.
“Are you afraid of flying?” he asked.
“A little.”
“Don’t be scared. You are more lucky to get struck by lightning seven times than get in a plane accident.”
“And you are more likely to be killed in a plane crash than getting stuck by lightning.”
He reached out and patted her hand lightly. “It’ll be over before you know it.”
She didn’t move her hand away and he thought that was a good sign.
“So, t ell me something about yourself.”
“Like what?”
“Something funny.”
Paola thought for a moment. “I brush my teeth in the shower.”
He smiled. “How is that funny?”
She shrugged. “It’s odd. Tell me something about you.”
“When I was little, I thought chunky peanut butter had ants in it. Whenever my mom would buy the wrong kind, I would eat it and start crying, feeling bad for eating the poor ants.”
She laughed. “That’s adorable.”
He smiled, loving the sound of her laugh. “I was a cute kid. My parents said I was cuter than my sister. She still gets mad about it.”
“Is your sister older or younger?”
“Older. And believe me, if a pedophile saw me, they’d kidnap me. I was damn cute.”
She laughed again. “I wish I could see for myself.”
“I’ll show you when we get back home. But watch out. Your ovaries will scream.”
“Why would my ovaries scream?”
“Because you’d want to have my babies. If I was cute, our babies would be cute. It’s logical reasoning.” He knew he was flirting excessively but he wasn’t going to let it up until she asked him to stop.
She chuckled but didn’t comment to his statement about having kids together. “I heard our hotel is nice.”
“I’m excited to see San Diego. Have you ever been?”
“Yeah.”
“You should show me around. The competition is on Saturday. We have today and Sunday to explore.”
“There’s this taco shop that’s awesome.”
“Ooh. I love tacos.”
“And it’s called Surf Taco.”
“That’s even better!”
She laughed. “I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.”
“Want to grab some lunch?” he asked.
“No,” she said as she looked at the time. “We’re boarding soon.”
“You’re right.”
The gate opened and the clerk started taking the tickets. Paola stood up and grabbed her bags. Derek reached for the heaviest one and put it over his shoulder.
“I can carry my own stuff,’ she said.
“I know. You’re the strongest person I know.”
The comment seemed to dull the annoyance in her eyes.
“I just wanted to be a gentleman.”
They walked to the counter and handed their tickets over before they boarded. Their seats were near the window.
Derek looked at his ticket and realized he had the window seat. “Take it.”
“No, it’s okay.”
“Come on. I insist.”
She smiled then moved into the seat.
Derek shoved their bags in the overhead compartment then sat beside her. After everyone was boarded, the plane started to move toward the runway. Derek could see the obvious fear in her eyes. She tried to hide it and act calm, but Derek felt her emotions. The plane started to move faster as it prepared to take off.
“Hey,” he said, grabbing her hand. “Look at me.”
She did.
“Now stare at my chest.”
“What?”
Derek grabbed her other hand and placed it over his pectorals
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