The Getaway Prince

Chapter 3: Unexpected Entertainment

Not having a job made me realize a few things: not only was our apartment dustier than I expected, but I also had so much more time to focus on things that truly mattered…like how many episodes of a television show I could binge in one day.

While Aubrey continued to count down the remaining days of the week until we finally left for Greece, I was doing anything to distract myself from the wild idea that I had agreed to a trip that cost us everything we had.

And before I knew it, we were packing our suitcases into the back of a taxi and headed to the international airport a half hour away. I yawned as I watched the trees pass by and the morning start to set on the horizon. Aubrey kept silent, sipping on the coffee she pre-made prior to us leaving. Our relationship thrived on our different outlooks on life. In a way, it kept us both grounded: she pushed me, and I like to think I humbled her. But for once, we agreed on something momentous. No one should ever be up at this ungodly hour on a weekend.

As we arrived at the airport, a little bit of excitement, to my surprise, showed itself. Despite all that I worried about back home, this was my chance to leave it behind for a few weeks. That, and who wouldn't be eager to visit Greece?

I dumped myself down at one of the dining tables set up just outside of our boarding location, setting my small backpack holding my chargers and other essentials in the spot next to me. Not far behind, Aubrey eventually plopped down across from me and grumbled, placing her head in her hands.

“I can't even think straight, it's so early."

“We should probably eat before we go. It's a long flight and we don't exactly have the funds to pay for in-flight service."

I turned my head to see a fast-food chain not far behind us with an obnoxiously long line—but judging by the other options and our fleeting desire to move further than required, it seemed to be our only choice. I looked back at Aubrey who had followed my gaze. Without even saying a word, she slowly started to shake her head, as she knew exactly what I was going to do. In one swift movement, I pressed my index finger on the tip of my nose, with Aubrey following my lead only a split second too late.

She groaned loudly and dropped her hand. “Why is it always me?"

“Because you're pitifully slow," I replied with an exhausted smirk.

Aubrey rolled her eyes and reluctantly stood up, firmly placing the palm of her hand on the tabletop for support. “Fine, take advantage of my motor skills not exactly being up to lightning speed this early."

I stuck my tongue out as she brushed past me and headed towards the pop-up location. She entered the queue and I observed as she glanced up at the menu, most likely trying to determine which of the options had the highest amount of caffeine.

I shifted my body back towards the table and pulled out my phone to examine the time, wincing at the bright screen that hit my tired eyes. Great. We still had two hours until boarding. That was two more hours until I could finally pass out for what I assumed would be the rest of the 10-hour trip.

I sighed and set my phone face down on the tabletop. My eyes scanned the airport lobby, watching passengers trail their carry-on luggage behind them while the flight attendants gave the final call for boarding on flights 40 and 41A. Everyone waiting in lines and sitting at tables were absorbed in their devices, trying to pass the extra time that they were serviced after going through security at a rather unexpected quick pace.

As I observed the masses, my attention was quickly captured by a lean figure that had started to approach the table four rows down from mine. His finely tailored grey suit jacket caught the wind created by his movements as he set his duffle down on the empty spot beside him and took his seat. He reached into the bag and pulled out a novel with a blue cover titled “The Lies of Locke Lamora."

The man set the book down, while he searched in his bag for another item and eventually pulled out a charger. He reached over the other side of the table to plug his phone in the outlet beside him, prompting his cream crewneck shirt underneath to tightened against his now flexed muscles. Once that task was complete, he readjusted his shirt and suit jacket, and cracked open his book.

He was utterly beautiful in the 'rural man who moved to the big city to make money but kept his heart' way that tugged at my orphan complex.

I had never been so lost in a person before—it was growing more challenging to look away the longer I looked. I knew if he caught me staring, it'd be game over, but it didn't stop me from inspecting the way his brown eyes skimmed each page, as if they were the faces of people he was trying to engrave in his mind's eye.

Or how his hands—with visible veins that led all the way up to the rings decorating each of his index fingers—gripped the edges of the soft cover novel, like how I imagined they would hold a delicate frame.

And just when my mind began to drift to rather pleasant daydreams, I saw him let go of one side of the book and brush a loose, black curl from his forehead before his eyes lifted from the book to meet mine.

Oh sh*t.

My gaze instantly darted to another focal point in the lobby, hoping that he would think that our eyes met by happenchance. But when I slowly brought it back to see if he was still perceiving me perceiving him, our glances caught hold again and this time, I saw a light sparkle within his eye.

My body warmed and I swore I felt my heart fall into my stomach as I swallowed away the surfacing nerves. He blinked twice before softly smiling and giving a curt nod. I'm not a religious person, but oh heavens, that smile—I couldn't help but reciprocate.

“What's got you all goofy?"

Aubrey's presence broke my trance as she stepped in my line of vision and sat down across from me, setting two drinks, two bagels, two yogurt cups, and two veggie cartons on the table.

“What did you buy? The entire store?"

“No. But I really wanted to."

I snickered and unfolded the wrapping on the bagel, using all of my willpower to not glance behind Aubrey's head at the small fraction of the man that I could still see.

“So, what has you so happy all of a sudden?" she asked again as she took what looked like a satisfying sip of her coffee.

“Oh, nothing," I replied, unwrapping my breakfast as slow as possible. “I just saw a cute kid with his parents."

Aubrey looked at me from behind her coffee cup lid, her eyes squinting ever so slightly. I knew she didn't believe it—but I was lucky enough that it was way too early for her to even care.

She shrugged and continued to unfurl her food, discussing something about exactly what she wanted to do in Greece, only my thoughts were somewhere else entirely. The sound of her voice droned on, meshing together with the background noise of the growing crowd emerging in our boarding area.

I could feel my determination draining…it was as if with one glance, he had captured all of my strength, and I just had to look again. Even if it was once more.

I slowly moved my body to the side to look around Aubrey using my peripheral vision. But instead of seeing him in his same location, reading a novel that I'll never forget the cover of, I saw an empty seat surrounded by the bustle of the city airport.