Page 86 of Just for December
‘Okay.’ She nods. ‘I’m scared, but I like you, Duke.’
‘I’m scared and I like you too,’ he says back, pressing his nose to hers.
She laughs, and he laughs, and then they kiss, and he can taste her salty tears as he uses a finger to wipe them away.
‘So we’re doing this?’ she says, pulling slightly away.
‘We’re doing this,’ Duke tells her, and then the air stewardmanning the aeroplane door motions to the inside of the plane and says, ‘Very cute, guys. But are you doingthis?’
Evie looks at Duke.
‘Come stay with me?’ she says, and he nods. ‘For Christmas?’
‘I thought you’d never ask,’ he tells her.
44
Evie
On the plane, Evie glances to the left in search of Magda, who is kneeling up on her chair looking at the exit, waiting for her to confirm safe embarking. Evie waves, and Magda lights up, too far away to shout to her without disturbing the other passengers, and so settling for a thumbs up, then a thumbs down, as if to say,So, are you good? Or not?Evie gives a thumbs up, and then points her out to Duke, and he laughs when Magda gives him a double thumbs up across the aisle, and then a wink, and then a mild hip thrust, much to the disgust of the woman in 7C who catches it.
‘Okay then,’ the smiling attendant says. ‘Madam, you’re just through here and four rows up there, in the aisle, and, sir.’ She takes Duke’s ticket, and tells him he’s in the empty chair by Magda. His face falls.
‘Wait,’ he says to Evie. ‘You’re in economy?’
‘Yeah,’ Evie replies. She doesn’t expect him to ride back there with her when he can enjoy the flight up here. If anything, she’s learnt enough these past few weeks to know that nobody can’t expect him to go unnoticed, and certainly not for the next fifteen hours. ‘It’s okay,’ she tells him. ‘Go. Enjoy. I’ll see you both on the other side.’
Duke looks pained.
‘I don’t want to be apart from you,’ he says. ‘I just found you.’
‘It’s a few hours.’ Evie smiles, giving him a kiss, and he lingers, and she likes it.
‘I’m sorry, you two, but you really do need to take a seat now,’ the flight attendant says, and Duke slips Evie’s boarding pass out of her hands and gives her his.
‘See you on the other side,’ he says, as he makes his way down to her seat in coach. She looks at Magda, who is doing a silent but dramatic clapping action at this turn of events. Duke takes his seat and smiles at her up front. She blows him a kiss. What a guy.
‘So, how was it?’ Magda says, and Evie settles in beside her in first class. ‘Iwouldsay that I can’t believe he came all this way and got a ticket to freaking Salt Lake City so that he could profess his love to you, but actually, I kind of can?’
‘He didn’t profess hislove,’ Evie clarifies, ‘but … I did invite him for Christmas. If that’s okay – I totally get it was just going to be us, and it’s your first one post-divorce, and he can totally just get a hotel or whatever if he needs to. You come first.’
Magda waves a hand. ‘He cares for you, Evie. That’s the most lovely present a best friend could ask for. I shall butwelcome him with open arms.’ She seems to have a second thought then, and adds: ‘But he can get his own spring rolls. I’m not sharing withanybody, not even the man who makes you smile brighter than the sun and the sea and the stars.’
Evie reaches up to her cheeks. She really is smiling widely.
The seatbelt light goes on and the pilot makes an announcement about windspeeds and estimated arrival times as a woman delivers flutes of champagne to everyone in their part of the cabin and they start to taxi down the runway.
‘Howlongis he going to stay for?’ Magda asks, as the plane launches into the air.
‘I don’t know.’ Evie shrugs.
‘Is he your boyfriend now?’ she presses.
‘I don’t know!’ Evie repeats.
‘Well, what do I call him?’
Evie finishes her bubbles and lets the drink fizz happily on her tongue.
