My eyes darted across the big, bright screen. Houston, delayed. Detroit, delayed. Orlando, delayed.
Delayed, delayed, delayed.
"Ahhh, you've got to be kidding me!" Someone in the crowd shouted.
I anxiously ran a hand through my hair. It had been four long months since I had seen Gracie and I couldn't stand sitting around for another few hours, but every single flight was delayed because of the ice. I was stuck, twiddling my thumbs, waiting around for her just like I had been for the last four months.
"
Alex, I have to go. My parents are waiting for me. I can't miss my flight," she said.
"I know," I said, pulling her tightly against me, our naked bodies still covered in sticky sweat.
She ran her soft hands over the curve of my spine and hugged me back. Our tight embrace became one last deep kiss on the bed. "That doesn't help," she said, smiling into my mouth.
"I love you," I said desperately as she slung her purse over her shoulder.
"I love you," she replied, closing the door to my apartment.
The people closed in on the screen that listed the delays like a swarm of bees. It felt like my throat was slowly closing. I scratched it. I ran a hand through my hair. I bit my thumb nail. I pulled my knees to my chest on an airport bench, thinking about what I would do for the rest of the night if her flight kept getting delayed. She wanted me to be there to pick her up, right?
"So you're eating mac and cheese for dinner...again?"
"Don't judge me like you never eat crap like this."
"You're right. I'm making it, but my unpaid internship doesn't exactly let me eat gourmet meals every night."
I sighed.
"Gracie, I miss you. When will you have free time over Christmas break to see me?"
"Hey, why don't you pick me up from the airport? It'll be the afternoon and there's no way my parents will be able to leave work and get to the airport."
"Yes! Absolutely. I can just leave the office a little early that day."
I glanced up at the screen that still read "Delayed" a thousand times. I rubbed my eyes.
-
"We apologize for the delays. The weather has cleared up and many flights will be landing within the hour," a woman on the intercom echoed throughout the airport.
I unlocked my phone. It was 7:43. Looking back at the screen, Gracie's estimated arrival time: 7:55.
My heart raced in my chest.
She dragged her hands slowly up from my ankles to the backs of my knees, spreading my legs gently, her hair falling all around her face in the most perfect way.
I rose from my seat on the bench and stood exactly where Gracie would come to retrieve her luggage.
Her tongue flicked gently across my inner thigh, my head rolling back onto the bed, my hands meeting her cheeks and tangling into her hair, pulling her into me.
My cheeks were burning as I stood at the gate exit, watching people pouring down the escalator and into the crowd.
She appeared among them, her soft face hidden slightly by her neatly curled hair. Her left hand rested lightly on the escalator rail and her other held the strap of her backpack. My heart pounded in my chest.
Suddenly, I was worried. How was I supposed to greet my best friend or girlfriend or whatever-the-heck she is? I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to hold her. Before I could process this problem, she was gliding across the floor towards me.
We both smiled. "Hello," she greeted me quietly and sweetly, staring at me with her grey-blue eyes and stopping two feet from me.
"Gracie," I said.