Page 70 of The Perfect Deal
He chuckled. “Maybe. If I marry a famous photographer.”
His words had me blushing as we took our carry-on bags and headed to the steps leading to the massive door. By now, Poppy was there and latched on to Landon’s arm, so Joshua and I didn’t have to hide. Other people in the neighborhood knew we were friends and wouldn’t think anything of the two of us boarding together.
He gestured for me to take a seat near the window and then sat down next to me. I wondered if anyone would think this was strange. But then, surely everyone else was already aware of what my brother somehow hadn’t been able to see.
Joshua and I settled in next to one another, not really paying attention to anyone else. “What snacks did you bring?” I asked him.
His eyes enlarged. “Huh? Luke’s family can afford to fly us all down to Bali but they can’t provide in-flight snacks? Cheapskates.” He snickered, and we both laughed. “I didn’t bring any snacks. It never even crossed my mind.”
“I’m sure they’ve got something to feed us, but I brought all kinds of snacks, just in case,” I informed him.
Wiggling his eyebrows at me, he said, “Define all kinds.”
That made me laugh. “Well, let me show you.” I pulled my bag out from where I’d stashed it under the seat in front of me, then unzipped it, displaying all of my goodies for him. I had everything from chocolate-covered pretzels to potato chips, with all kinds of gummy candies and cookies in between.
“Damn, girl,” Joshua said, shaking his head. “You came prepared.”
We both laughed again as I offered him first choice. He grabbed a candy bar and stowed it away for later, and then we turned our attention to the flight crew, who was getting us ready for departure.
Twenty minutes later, we were in the air, champagne glasses in hand, trying to decide which movie to watch. I wasn’t even sure how long the flight was, but I knew it was going to take a while. We decided on a rom-com we’d both seen a dozen times so that if we talked through it, neither one of us would miss anything. Around us, our friends and family were buzzing with excitement, talking about the trip or trying to decide on something to watch together.
Joshua and I both paired our earbuds with the screen we’d be watching the movie on, and we settled in with our snacks and drinks. I loved that we were able to do this together without having to hide from my brother. Landon and Poppy were in the front of the plane, so they couldn’t really see us. For the first time in a long time, I truly felt like I could be part of a couple with a man I loved, and I didn’t have to worry about anyone finding out about it.
We were served a chicken dish for dinner, which was pretty tasty, and ate at least half the snacks. I tried not to drink too much champagne because some of the other people on the plane were getting loud, obviously tipsy, and I didn’t want to embarrass myself.
It was dark outside by the time we were done with dinner and all the trash had been collected. We watched another movie, snacked, and chatted, but before long, I found myself yawning. I tried asking the flight attendant for a cup of coffee to wake me up, but that didn’t do any good, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up from a nap—on Joshua’s shoulder.
Sitting up, I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand, staring at him in confusion. It took me a moment to remember where I was and that this was okay. He grinned at me. “Did you have a nice snooze?”
“I did,” I said, stretching. “So sorry for falling asleep on you.”
“Nah, I liked it,” he said, and I figured he really did. “I may have slept for a while, too.”
“Really?” That was good to hear. The seats were really comfy, and we’d reclined ours to watch the movie. “Is the sun up?” I peeked under the shutter covering the window next to me. The sun was definitely up.
“It is. We should be landing pretty soon.”
I stared at him, unblinking. I’d been asleep a lot longer than I realized, but then, I hadn’t slept much the night before. “Wow. What time is it?”
“Well, that depends on what time zone you’re asking about,” he reminded me. “But we’ll be landing in Bali at about ten o’clock local time.”
Excitement bubbled to the surface as I clapped my hands a few times. “I can’t wait to see the resort. Luke said it’s huge, and his family reserved a big section just for us.”
“I know,” Joshua said, smiling back at me. “He said there are indoor and outdoor pools, besides the beach being close by. I can’t wait to check out all the courts—tennis, basketball, pickle.”
I chuckled. “You always say pickleball isn’t a real sport.”
He shrugged. “Well, it’s not like it will be in the Olympics any time soon, but if it gets people exercising and they have fun, that’s sport enough for me, I suppose. Anyway, I’m excited to check out all the amenities. I’ve read about the resort online, and it has phenomenal reviews from people all over the world.”
I’d read the same. The Robertsons really had made a name for themselves when it came to offering luxurious accommodations in a number of magnificent locations around the world.
As the plane touched down, Joshua reached over and held my hand, which was comforting. I liked the idea of us being there for one another even in the bumpier parts of life.
We took our time getting off the plane, letting the others go first, not because we weren’t just as thrilled to get to the resort but because we’d had such a nice time together. Neither of us wanted to see our time together come to an end.
When we finally got off the plane, carry-ons rolling beside us, we saw the massive transport vehicles Luke’s family had sent to get us. They were the size of party buses with spacious seating for everyone. We waited a few minutes while our bags were carefully loaded beneath us, and then we took off.
My sister’s voice carried across the seats. “Liberty, see the ocean out there?” She pointed out the window next to where I was sitting.