My cheeks went red, and Jake led me to the boarding area. The only other time I rode in first class was when Jake upgraded my seat when I flew out to New York to meet Sarah. Because I’d slept the whole way there, I didn’t fully appreciate the comfort of the plane ride.
Today, I realized this was way better than my first experience. It almost felt illegal to experience such comfort while others were cramped in coach. The seats were double the size of what I was used to, with one attendant to every five passengers. I was thoroughly spoiled.
“I don’t know if I can ever fly again in my usual economy seats,” I lamented.
“Stick with me and you’ll never sit back there with the masses again.” His tone was more arrogant than I’d ever heard, but I knew what he was saying was more for my sake than for his ego.
Laughing, I turned to talk to Jake about Hawaii, when out of nowhere his lips attacked mine. Jake refused to let me pull back, though he saw my extreme discomfort with his family sitting right in front of us.
“Excuse me, Dr. Reid,” the flight attendant interrupted apologetically. “We need you and Ms. Logan to return your seats to their upright position, as the plane is about to take off.”
Mortified, my face turned bright red as I heard giggles from his parents and brother.
“What are you doing? You can’t make out with me on the plane in front of ten people. You have to stop.”
Jake laughed at me, rose up the armrest and pulled my body close to his. Separating our two bodies was not an option. To my delight, he showed no mercy.
We landed in Maui at 8:00 a.m. and rented two cars—one for us, and another for the rest of the family. We met Jane at the hotel, got checked in, and left for our first activity. We drove to a helipad where a helicopter waited to take us on a scenic tour. We flew over the Haleakala National Park and Crater, the Hana Rainforest Preserve, the largest rainforest in America, and through countless number of waterfalls.
I wanted to tell Jake how the scenery took my breath away but didn’t want everyone to hear through the headsets, so I sat quietly enjoying the view and the warmth of Jake’s caresses throughout the ride. After lunch, we met up with a guide and hiked a five-mile trail leading to a dormant volcano. The end of this hike led to snorkeling, which eventually turned into scuba lessons for me, as I hadn’t ever been scuba diving. If this weren’t enough excitement for one day, Sandy and Jane wanted to go to a late afternoon yoga class to unwind. I honestly just wanted to go to my room and sleep the rest of the night, but of course, there was the luau. Who can come to Hawaii and not attend a luau? One would have thought we were leaving tomorrow with all that was conquered today. After the last hula dance/fire breathing show, I got up to say good night, and Jake walked me back to my room.
“I can go by myself. Why don’t you stay with your family a bit longer?” I encouraged.
“Are you kidding? I’m just as wiped out as you are. Nick made me go surfing while you were at yoga.”
“Not that I’m complaining, but why does your family feel the need to do everything in one day? I had a wonderful time, but I am so exhausted, I don’t know how I’m going to function tomorrow.”
Jake started laughing. “That’s just how all of our trips are. Go, go, go, go, go!”
As much as I wanted to conk out immediately, I hopped in the shower while Jake stuck around to use Jane’s computer. When I got out of the shower, Jake was fast asleep, snoring on my bed. I’d never seen his sleeping face before. He looked so sweet! My heart did revolutions thinking about waking up to this every morning. Then all of a sudden, the insecurities spun out of control.
Sigh…heartbreak…tears…
I sat down on the edge of the bed and wiped away my tears. Jake. I love you so very much. What am I going to do if you leave me? How will I piece back my broken heart? It took me a few minutes to talk myself back into reality. I didn’t want to get caught up in this made-up heartbreak, nor this happily ever after feeling. No matter the myriad of times Jake mentioned forever with me, I wouldn’t go down that road again till I was literally walking down the aisle. It hurt too much when fantasies morphed into an ugly reality. Dry-eyed, I nudged Jake’s shoulders to wake him up.
He didn’t budge. After a few more tries, I gently placed my lips on his and kissed him many times before he realized what was happening. He jostled awake, grabbed me by my shoulders and pulled me onto the bed with him and continued our kiss—though not as gently. His arms around me were like a steel cage.
“Emi.” Jake had a serious expression on his face. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing’s the matter—except for the fact that you’re sleeping in my bed. Please get up and go to bed.” He didn’t look convinced till I kissed him some more.
“I am in bed,” he murmured between kisses.
“No, your own bed!”
He pretended to snore. I tried to get up but his grip around me got even tighter. With his body holding mine hostage, there wasn’t much I could do.
“Love, let’s just sleep like this,” he coaxed.