Chapter 2-1
304 Words
Chapter 2
Pad stood in line and waited for the immigration officer to wave him forward. The flight was long but he was happy to see green grass and palm trees surrounded by flowers. No endless sand dunes.
His stint going through customs and immigration was brief, his passport stamped, when he heard his name.
“Pad?”
He recognized the voice right away and cringed. He hadn’t figured out yet how he would respond when he ran into him, even though he rehearsed the scenario in his mind. He hoped to casually run into RJ at the hotel he booked for him. But he knew when his own flight was delayed leaving Dubai, that if RJ’s flight was on time, this could have happened.
He turned to the direction of the voice. “Hey, Lieutenant!”
“What the f**k are you doing here?” RJ smiled, his teeth showing, the tone light and curious. RJ had on a white cotton, almost see-through buttoned shirt, shorts, and sandals. RJ’s defined chest made the shirt stick out in the right places. He must have changed on the plane because he couldn’t leave Saudi dressed in anything but long pants.
“Well, I heard you talk about Thailand for the last couple of weeks so I decided at the last minute to see it for myself.”
“Well, you could’ve told me. We could have even flown together.”
“I thought about it, but you’re an officer and I’m—well—not. Plus your flight cost more. And I didn’t want to go on a Saudi airline.”
RJ stepped up close, within inches from his face. “Listen, you’re not my subordinate anymore.” His voice low, but calm, his violet-blue eyes staring back at Pad, smile wrinkles in the corners of RJ’s eyes. “f**k, man, we’re in Thailand, so call me RJ. And screw the uniform code of military justice and the rules against fraternization. We’re grabbing some beers and chasing some tail. What do you say about that?”
Pad smiled. “I’d love that.”
Except chasing the tail part.
- Writer
