“Wow. Four hours is a large dose of hands-on treatment.” Alex smirked at her play on words.
“Bah-dump-bum.” Fin mimicked the standard drum noise to acknowledge the joke. “Agreed. With our limited time here, it sounded a bit much. But,” he emphasized, “we can get a couple’s massage for an hour or ninety minutes if we want. And I believe they will do it in your room if you ask.”
“Mmm, that sounds good. I love massages, and doing it that way doesn’t bite in to our ‘together time.’ What else have you been scheduling for us?”
“That’s it. I knew you liked massages, and frankly, I do too. And I assumed we’d be spending most of our time in the room, so I didn’t really look for outside entertainment.” He waggled his eyebrows at her, and she giggled.
“I’ve never come here as an ultimate destination. It’s usually just a pass-through on my way to somewhere else. Honestly, Fin, I’m up for doing anything as long as we’re doing it together.”
He smiled and reached for her hand. “Aye, lass, me too.”
As Fin predicted, they spent most of the weekend in their room. On the handful of occasions they left the premises, they encountered a few fans, but nothing resembling the frightful mob in Houston.
They discussed Fin’s new movie, and he explained the overall process to her. She found it fascinating how much happened behind the scenes of a two-hour movie, and had many questions for him.
In return, Fin asked Alex about her progress with the new department. This extended trip to London was to interview potential candidates for the newly created project manager positions. She told him about the prospective candidates, their locations, and the variety of expertise they brought. She hoped to promote from within, but needed to make sure they all shared the same vision.
As Sunday morning dawned,their time together came to a close. As much as they wanted every possible minute together, they both had long flights waiting for them, and neither wanted to be too tired to function on Monday. While they packed, they discussed the immediate future.
“So I’ve rearranged my schedule for Christmas and am hoping we can wrangle some time together that week,” Alex said as she zipped up her suitcase.
“That’s fantastic.” Fin grinned at her as he slipped on his shoes. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“I was waiting for confirmation on one meeting reschedule and didn’t want to jinx anything. I still need to coordinate with your assistant and make sure you’re available.”
He pulled her into an embrace. “Oh, I’ll be available, love. Kathy knows you are a priority on my schedule.”
He kissed her thoroughly, stopping when his phone vibrated. He glanced at it and the smile slid off his face. “Our car is here. It’s time to go.” She nodded and grabbed her bags.
The trip to the airport was quiet. They sat in the backseat holding hands, each lost in their own thoughts. They arrived at the VIP lounge, completed the boarding process, then found an intimate corner where they could spend their last moments together in private.
As the time for Alex’s flight grew nearer, her heart grew heavier. “I don’t want to leave,” she whispered.
“Neither do I. This weekend’s been lovely. I look forward to when we don’t have to be apart like this.”
Alex met his eyes. “Do you imagine we’ll ever reach that point? Neither of our schedules looks to slow down much over the next year.” She slumped back in her seat, crossing her arms and harshly releasing the air in her lungs. “Times like this, it sounds impossible.”
Fin reached over and pulled her arm toward him, moving his hand down until it clasped hers. “Hey. Aye, right now feels wretched. But the past two days have been incredible. Much higher on the good scale than on the bad scale, right?” He looked at Alex, waiting for a response. “Right?”
Alex nodded her head.
“Okay, that’s what you have to remember. The highs. They make up for these lows. And we have video chat and phone calls, which help. Can you imagine living hundreds of years ago when none of this technology was available? People said goodbye to their loved ones forever, just for moving to another country. Or state, if you’re American.”
“Or to another town, if your state is the size of Texas.” She smiled begrudgingly.
“Exactly. We’ll be okay,mo leannan.” Fin brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.
“I don’t think you’ve ever told me what that one means.”
“We will be okay, my sweetheart,” Fin reiterated.
Alex leaned over and kissed him properly. He pulled her close, deepening the kiss. A polite cough interrupted them, and Alex pulled away, straightening her shirt. She glanced at the uniformed gentleman standing in front of them, and her cheeks heated at his knowing expression.
“Madam, your flight is boarding now. May I escort you to the gate?”
“Of course. I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize, miss. That’s what I’m here for.”
