Katie snuggled into Brandon’s arms and enjoyed the way he held her. She felt a little guilty that she had not told Brandon about being in a relationship, but with Steven hundreds of miles away on the ground, she felt that he did not exist. It was just her and Brandon in each other’s arms, just like old times.
*
They drifted off to sleep. When they awoke, they were both acutely aware of being all snug and warm, as though they were under layers of blankets on a bed.
When Katie opened her eyes, she was surprised to find something wrapped around her. She rubbed her eyes, and then realized she had fallen asleep in Brandon’s arms. She was even more surprised at how snugly their bodies fit together, like the right key in a lock. Her first thought was to go back to sleep – the comfortable warmth encouraged more sleep– but she forced her eyes open. She looked up and saw Brandon looking down at her.
He put a hand to her forehead, brushing her bangs out of her face. “Did we fall asleep?”
She nodded. She looked around and noticed that the plane had steadied itself.
Brandon yawned, and then stretched. “What time is it?”
The screens in front of them flashed on. They looked at it.
It read, “Time to destination: 4 hours.”
Brandon opened the window shade, and a glorious sight greeted them. They saw the faint outline of the sunrise above the clouds. Tiny golden rays were caressing the wispy clouds.
Katie could not take her eyes off the spectacular sight. It was not every day that she saw views like this.
Brandon gazed at the magnificent sun too, but kept one eye on Katie. She was mesmerized, just like she was watching another Disney classic.
He pulled her closer. “Isn’t that beautiful?”
She nodded, and looked at him.
He smiled. “You remember when we last saw the sunrise together?”
Katie did, but she said, “I don’t recall.”
His disappointed look said it all.
He tried to hold her closer, but she pulled away, but then she headed straight into his arms again. She looked at him, torn. Guilt. It was consuming her inside, eating her raw. Steven was good to her. He didn’t deserve this.
The decision was made for her when Tina the future sister-in-law came over. She looked at the couple with shock.
“Katie,” she said. “I just wanted to check in on you and let you know that the turbulence is over.” Then, she frowned. “But I can see that you two have been comforting each other.” She stared at them until they were uncomfortable, then left.
Katie let go of Brandon’s hand, and hurried after Tina. She finally caught up to Tina near the cockpit.
“Tina,” she said, tapping her on the shoulder.
Tina spun around and pursed her lips. “I thought you were engaged to my brother.”
Katie took a deep breath. “I am.”
“Then why are you cuddling with a stranger?” She pointed toward their seats.
Katie shuffled her feet. “I just fell asleep. And he did too.”
Tina crossed her arms, and then shook her head, her bob hairstyle bobbing back and forth. “I don’t buy that. I’m not an idiot.”
Katie looked around, making sure that no one was within earshot. It was just her and Tina in that cramped hallway.
“Brandon is, was, my first love.” She swallowed, trying to dislodge the lump in her throat. “High school sweetheart.”
Tina’s eyes widened. She said nothing. The mole on her chin seemed to have tripled in size.
Katie waited for a response.
Finally, Tina said, “What are the odds?”
Katie looked Tina in the eyes. “Are you going to tell Steven?”
The flight attendant said nothing, once again. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, and pursed her lips some more. Katie thought that Tina’s lips might burst from the pressure.
Tina sighed. “Probably not. But I don’t want you cheating on my brother.”
Katie nodded. “I won’t.” She turned around and went back to her seat. She could feel Tina’s eyes glaring at her as she walked.
When she returned, Brandon looked up and smiled. “Is everything OK?”
“Yeah, it’s fine.” She looked at him closely. “Did we fall asleep?”
“I think we did.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. Did we fall asleep, as in together?”
Brandon’s eyes bore into hers. “You mean in each other’s arms?”
Katie nodded. “You know what I mean.”
“We did.” He leaned in close, so close that she could smell his cologne. “And I liked it.”
Katie could not believe the boldness of his statement.
He put his hand on hers, and she let him. Then, she yanked it away.
Brandon stared at her with a wounded look on his face.
He leaned in close, and whispered in her ears, “I still dream about you.”
Katie felt like she was about to melt.
She had this dreamy look on her face, but then she stood up. “You know what? I can’t do this here. Not now. Now on this plane.”
She marched along the aisle, her breathing irregular.
Brandon stood up and followed her.
He stopped in front of a curtained washroom area. He brushed past the curtain and stood in front of the door to washroom. Where Katie was.
Katie had her head turned away from him, looking at a stain on the floor.
Brandon took a step toward her. “Katie?”
She held up one hand. “Don’t. Just don’t.”
He grabbed her hand, but she jerked it out of his grip. “Don’t,” she repeated, her voice sharper. Her eyes were intense, like a volcano just before an eruption. He looked closer and for a moment, he thought he could see just a tiny tear in one of her eyes.
He took her by the hand, but this time, she allowed him to hold it. “Katie, when the plane shook, I thought I was going to die. It made me think. I don’t want to live my life without love.
It’s too short not for us to be together. And you know we should be together.”
The first thing Katie did was compare Brandon’s speech to Steven’s. Brandon had said, “Life is too short for us not to be together.” Steven had said, “Life is too short not to be the girl I love.”
Katie felt her defenses cave in. She started to tremble. “What happened to us?” Her face was now contorted as she quivered. She lowered her head, refusing to look at Brandon. When she looked back up, her cheeks were a deep scarlet. Her eyes were full of passion. Her mouth was a thin line.
Brandon took this as a sign to keep advancing. Putting both hands on her shoulders, he gently pinned her against the walls. He felt and heard her heartbeat, beating rapidly like a war drum.
“Why did you leave me?” he said softly. “I didn’t get to say goodbye to you.”
Then, he moved in. He could see the excitement and fear in her eyes. He could smell the faint hint of vanilla on her body.
He leaned in until his mouth was right to her ears. He whispered, “I still dream about you.”
Her eyes were closed. She was trying not to shake again.
Then, he kissed her. He brushed her lips, then massaged them, starting with the lower part, then the upper part, then both at the same time. It tasted like strawberry lip gloss.
She received his kiss passively, but then grew more aggressive the longer he kissed her. She kissed him back as though she were starving to the point of death.
After a while, Brandon pulled his face away. He looked at the girl, the same girl that he had fallen for in high school.
There was just one light above the washroom sign. In the semidarkness, he could see that her face was relaxed, but still contained a fiery passion.
Using one hand, he brushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. As he did so, he kissed her earlobe and said, “I’m gonna give you all the love I didn’t get to give you.”
Unable to help herself, Katie shivered as
though she were naked in the cold.
They stayed in there for a long time.
*
Chapter 5
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We are beginning our descent into Vancouver International Airport. Please fasten your seat beats and do not take them off until the seatbelt sign is off. Thank you for flying with us.”
Back in their seats, Katie looked at the man next to her. Brandon looked flushed. Even his hair was a mess. He smiled shyly at her, as though he were a teenage boy in love for the first time.
The plane began its descent and Brandon held onto Katie’s hand. She did not pull away. She merely enjoyed the moment.
When the plane came to a complete stop, they retrieved their carry-ons from the overhead compartment, and then got in line to exit.
Katie saw that Tina was greeting the passengers as they left the aircraft.
“Bye, bye. Thanks for flying with us. Have a good day. Bye bye.”
When it was Katie’s turn, Tina looked at Brandon suspiciously, and then shot Katie a dirty look. “I hope there wasn’t any trouble on the flight.”
Katie shook her head. “No, no trouble at all.”
“Good, we’ll be in touch.”
Katie felt Tina’s eyes burning a hole on her back as she left the plane.
The two of them strolled into the airport in silence, thinking about their time in the curtained washroom area.
*
When they entered the main terminal, the sounds of hustle and bustle greeted them. Passengers and staff were milling around everywhere in the glaring light.
They walked toward the exit in silence. Then, Brandon’s cell phone rang. He looked at Katie apologetically. She shrugged.
He answered his phone. “Yes, I just landed. And I’ll be there soon.”
Katie could make out a female voice on the other line. She was surprised that she was hit by a pang of jealousy.
Brandon said, “I love you too.” Then, he hung up.
Katie was tempted to ask who that was, but she kept her mouth shut.
Brandon noticed Katie staring at him. “That was my mom,” he said, amused at her reaction.
Katie merely nodded. She did not show it, but she was relieved.
They arrived in front of the automatic doors. Brandon looked like he was about to say something. Before he could though, a luggage cart crashed into him, nearly knocking him over.
He grabbed onto the cart to steady himself, biting his lips to keep from screaming in pain. He turned around to see who had hit him. It was a little kid with super short spiky hair, who stood there quaking in his shoes.
“I’m sorry, Mister.” The kid wouldn’t look Brandon in the eye.
Brandon lost all desire for combat. “It’s OK.” He stepped toward the kid, who backed away.
Brandon took another gentle step forward, and that was when the kid started to cry.
“Hey,” Brandon said softly, kneeling down so that he was at the kid’s level. He jerked back and clutched at his back. “Owww.”
“Are you OK?” Katie asked.
“I’m fine,” he said. “Just got a bad back.”
He turned to the kid, patting his head. “It’s OK. Don’t cry. I’m not mad at you.”
The kid stopped crying long enough to say, “I want my mommy.”
Brandon put his hand on the kid’s shoulder. “Come on, I’ll take you to her.”
Just then, a woman in thick glasses came over to them. “Andrew? Oh thank God!”
She hugged her kid, and said to Brandon, “He wandered away. I didn’t know where he was. Thank you!” She grabbed her son and pushed the cart away.
Katie looked at Brandon. “You were always the paternal type.”
He rubbed his shins. “I like kids.”
Katie wanted to grab him, and never let him go.
Brandon’s face got all serious. “That…” He pointed to the plane out on the tarmac. “…was perfect.”
“The kiss was a mistake. I can’t see you again.” She was surprised when the words flew out of her mouth.
He scratched his head. “Why not?”
She looked at him. He looked so innocent and sweet. “Because I don’t want any hearts to be broken again.”
Brandon exhaled, then looked away. When he turned back to her, he said, “Do you still have that ring I gave you?” His face was flushed, as though he were asking her out again for the first time.
“What ring?” She stared at him blankly.
He had this hurt look on his face, like a wounded puppy. “I know you know that I’m talking about.”
He leaned forward, hovering near her ear, which was now becoming a familiar habit to Katie.
“Tomorrow night, meet me at Taylor Park,” he whispered. “Bring the ring. I have something to show you.”
“Brandon, please, I don’t think we should….”
“Just promise you’ll meet me,” Brandon interrupted. “For old time’s sake.”
She looked at him. He was her first love, after all.
She nodded.
He kissed her on the cheek, lingering there for just a moment. Then, he went through the automatic doors and was gone.
Katie was left there with her thoughts. There were so many that she didn’t know which ones to focus on. Seeing Brandon brought back old feelings. And the way it made her feel. She felt alive when he held her, when he kissed her, when he confessed that he still dreamed about her.
*
In a daze, Katie left the airport through the automatic sliding doors and into the crisp west coast morning. It was 2am and dark.
She hailed a cab and arrived at her mother’s house in Burnaby. She stumbled around in the dark, and then found the key in her purse. She let herself in, went up the stairs to her old room like a zombie, and slumped onto her bed.
She was about to drift off to sleep when she remembered that Brandon had mentioned a ring.
Katie turned on the desk lamp and rummaged around in her desk drawers. She found the ring right away and held it under the lamp. It was heart shaped and there was an inscription.
To Katie, my love. Be my princess. I’ll be your prince. Brandon.
She rummaged around in her pocket and took out Steven’s ring. Comparing it, she realized there was no inscription. She put that one in the drawer and put on Brandon’s ring, and then fell asleep on her bed.
*
The next morning, Katie was awakened by the smell of eggs frying. She got up and wandered into the kitchen downstairs. Her mother, Catherine Simpson, a large matronly woman in her late 60’s, was standing in front of the stove.
She turned around and smiled. “Good morning, honey. I didn’t hear you come in last night.”
“I was quiet.” She stretched and yawned.
Then, she examined her mother. She looked like she always did. Like the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Her gray hair was worn professionally in a bob and the glasses on her face made her look like an authoritative figure, like a high school principal.
Catherine spooned some scrambled eggs into a plate and handed it to Katie at the kitchen table. “Like I always say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
“Mom? I have something to tell you.”
Catherine put the pan on the table, and leaned in. At 6 feet, she towered over her. “Yes?”
“Steven proposed. And I said yes.”
“Oh my Lord,” Catherine said, putting both hands on her face. “I thought you were just coming for a regular visit. I’m so happy for you. Let me see the ring.”
Katie’s mother reached for her hand. And did a double take. “This is heart shaped. What kind of man gives you a pretend engagement ring?”
“This isn’t from Steven. This is an old one from Brandon.”
Catherine pursed her lips. “Brandon? Your high school boyfriend Brandon?”
“I ran into Brandon on the flight here.” Katie wouldn’t look her mother in the face.
C
atherine frowned. “Uh oh. A mother can always tell. You’re having second thoughts. You weren’t even excited when you told me about your engagement.”
Katie finally looked at her mother. Katie’s face was a blank.
Her mother let go of her hand. “Brandon. The one who broke your heart?”
“Well, I broke his too.”
Catherine sat down. “Are you OK?”
Katie nodded. “I’ll be fine. It’s just that seeing him again brought back old feelings. ”
“I remember Brandon.” Her mother put an arm around her shoulders. “So what are you going to do?”
Katie put a hand on her mother’s shoulder. “I don’t know, mom.”
“I tell you, all my years as a teacher, I’ve seen heartbreak. I just don’t want you to be hurt again. He tried to stop you from chasing your dreams. You don’t need someone like that in your life.”
Katie wasn’t listening though. She was looking outside. It was early morning, and the day was gray. Even the bright colors of the autumn leaves were losing their shine.
After breakfast, Katie sat in her room, looking at the ring that Brandon had given her, stroking it.
Her cell phone rang. Startled, she expected it to be Brandon, but it was Stasha.
She answered her phone. “Hey Stasha.”
“Jet lagged yet?”
“A little. You’ll never guess who I ran into on the plane.”
Katie paused, and then said, “Brandon.”
There was silence from Stasha’s end.
Katie said, “You still there?”
“Yeah, I’m just shocked. Brandon? Your first love and high school sweetheart Brandon?”
“Yeah.”
“The one who you were supposed to spend the rest of your life with? The one who broke your heart?”
“I broke his too.”
“The one you had the best year of your life with?”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re marrying Steven because….”
Katie’s tone grew sharp. “Stasha, stop. It’s not that simple. Brandon and I are over. We were just a high school fling. Puppy love. What Steven and I have is real.”
“If real means boring and tepid, then, yeah, what you and Steven have is real.”
Katie sighed. “It’s not that easy. Steven loves me. And I love Steven.” There, she had said it.
Meet Me at Taylor Park Page 4
