****
Turning away from the window of the large commercial aircraft, Justin smiled broadly at his fair haired companion. April met his gaze and grinned back halfheartedly, her pale eyes showing how troubled she felt as her emotions raged within. Sensing her unsettlement, Justin spoke softly. “You okay?” he asked, his voice soothing as his gaze displayed his concern.
April nodded slowly, “Yeah, I’m okay. I’ve been better I guess...I just...I dunno.” she said uncertainly.
“Wanna talk about it?” Justin offered.
Smiling gratefully, April shook her head slightly. “It’s okay...let’s just enjoy the flight.”
Justin nodded agreeably, turning back to the window, his thoughts reeling as he watched the sun casting it’s various colors through the cloudy sky of early evening. After a few moments of silence, he turned back to April, his features intent as he awaited her attention.
“Do you need to go to the bathroom or something?” April inquired, glancing at the blue eyed man next to her. “I can let you out ya know, all you have to do is ask.” she joked, referring to the look he had been giving her for the past few seconds.
“No...I don’t have to go to the bathroom ya smartass.” he retorted with a grin. Continuing on, his expression grew serious. “I just wanted to ask you...well, I don’t know how to ask really. I guess...uh...I was just curious as to how things went last night. Between you and JC...” he clarified, trailing off as he gazed at her expectantly for her reply.
April’s shrug was noncommittal as she pondered what exactly she should tell Justin. “Well, ah...we went to dinner. Then we went back to my apartment and...um, shit J, I just...don’t want to talk about it right now okay? That’s the point of this whole trip right? To just enjoy the time away, and kind of take a step back and put things in perspective. What we talked about...putting everything on the line, it’s easier said than done. I just really don’t know anymore.” she burst out, slightly flustered as she gazed uneasily at the man seated beside her.
His blue eyes almost sad, Justin blew out a long breath before he spoke, his voice level. “You slept with him didn’t you?” His inquiry was almost more a statement than a question, and by the look on his companion‘s face, he already knew the answer. “You did.”
The blonde woman fidgeted with the edge of her tan sweater as she avoided Justin’s intense gaze. Her silence only proved the correctness of his statement however, and finally, she acknowledged his questioning with a tiny nod.
Running a hand over his face, Justin shook his head. “April, you said you weren’t going to sleep with him any more. You said that it was too much, and it only made things worse. Can’t you see what you’re doing to him and yourself by tangling things up even more with sex?”
“I really had no choice you know.” she snapped, her eyes flashing. “It’s not like I could just use work as an excuse...” she trailed off as she caught the fire pulsating in Justin’s own cobalt eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m just trying to help.” Justin stated, his tone wounded.
Patting his arm lovingly, April smiled slightly. “I know you are, and I appreciate it. But you have to understand that I just couldn’t say no last night. I’ve kept him at a distance for so long, I didn’t have it in me anymore to dish out excuses. I...I didn’t have the heart to tell him J...I just couldn’t.”
“So you thought you’d make it better by just appeasing him for the night, and dealing with everything else another day, right?” Justin shook his head in frustration. “April, you’ve got to tell him sooner or later...if you don’t, he’ll figure it out on his own and then you’ll never even get a chance to tell him why.”
“Some days I don’t even know why...” April trailed off thoughtfully, becoming wrapped up in her own thoughts as Justin’s handsome face drifted into a frown.
****
A warm tropical breeze drifted through the open window, rustling the vase full of exotic flowers that rested upon the whitewashed table within the exclusive resort hotel room. Sheer white fabric swathed the broad windows, and were draped lazily over the intricate headboard that loomed above the king sized bed. April smiled as she slowly licked the white substance from the fingers on her right hand, arching a brow enticingly at JC as he watched her. “Mmm. Tastes good.” she teased, licking her lips seductively. Reaching out to her boyfriend, she ran her hand slowly up his bare chest, then drifting up to his full lips, April trailed her index finger over them. “Want some?” she asked, her voice soft as her own lips drew into a broad grin.
“Although that looks really appealing when you do it, I don’t think it would have the same effect if I were to partake.” JC said with a wink, gently brushing April’s sticky fingers away as he sat up slightly and reached for the box of powdered doughnuts they were consuming for breakfast that morning. Selecting one, he shifted the confection from one hand to the other, holding up his right hand to offer April another go at a powdered covered finger.
“No thanks.” she said with a shrug, grabbing for the box with one hand as she clung to the sheet covering her with the other. “Ooh, last one. You want it?” she asked, glancing over at her boyfriend as he polished off the doughnut he had just taken moments prior.
JC shrugged. “Yeah...hand it over.”
Sticking out her tongue, April laughed. “Fat chance buddy, it’s mine.”
“Then why’d you ask?” he protested, flopping back against the pillows, defeated.
Shrugging, April pulled the doughnut out of the box and held it gingerly between two fingers. “I thought I’d be nice?”
“Yeah well I paid for them...so I think I should get the last one.” JC pouted playfully.
April snorted. “Yeah, but who had to rip the sheets off of the bed in order to cover herself when the room service people brought them over?”
“Whatever. Who had to use his fine tuned skills of persuasion to get room service to run over to the nearest doughnut shop so we could have these powdered rings of dough for breakfast?” JC reminded, folding his hands over his sculpted chest.
“Yeah, but since you didn’t give me enough money for a tip...I had to show generous amounts of cleavage to the hotel staff.” April countered, watching JC’s reaction to her embellishment of the truth.
“How much cleavage?” JC inquired, raising an eyebrow as April dipped the sheet she was still loosely clutching. “Ah, that’s nothin’.” He stated, dismissing his worries with a wave of his hand.
“That’s what he said too...so then I did this.” April returned, dropping the sheet entirely, smiling broadly as it pooled around her waist onto the bed.
JC’s eyes bulged as he gasped. “You did not.” he sputtered.
“You can’t prove that I didn’t.” April shrugged, her voice dancing with laughter at her boyfriend’s reaction to her lie.
“Point taken.” JC agreed with a slight nod. “Okay fine, we’ll share it. How’s that?”
“Fine with me, you get the knife.” the blonde woman replied, gesturing over to the small dining area within the large room.
JC rose up off the bed and made his way over to the cupboard that held a variety of kitchen items, mostly an assortment of glasses and silverware. Turning back to his girlfriend, he frowned. “Hey!” he shouted, startling April who was in the middle of licking the doughnut’s exterior.
The blue eyed woman giggled wildly. “I licked it, so it’s mine now!” she stated triumphantly.
Abandoning his mission to find a knife, JC returned to the bed quickly and taking April by surprise, he straddled her waist before she could squirm away. April lay back against the mound of pillows as she laughed, trying unsuccessfully to keep the powdery confection out of JC’s grasp. Bending down, the dark haired man brought his face close to April’s as he spoke softly. “Do you think licking it is really going to stop me?” he teased.
“Damn.” April conceded. Thinking for a moment, she finally relented. “Okay, you can have half...I promise. Just get off of me for a minute, I don’t like being sat on while I eat.”
JC agreed and slid off, resuming his place next to her in the bed. Propping himself up with his elbow, he looked expectantly at the fair haired woman next to him. “Maybe this time you should just break it in half.”
“Or I could just do this...” April stated, shoving the entire doughnut in her mouth at once.
“You did not just do that.” JC shook his head in disbelief as he gazed at April.
Nodding, April stared back at JC with wide eyes, her cheeks bulging against the large amount of food she had managed to shove in at one time. “Ah dih.” she mumbled, her words muffled against the dry, crumbly texture of the doughnut.
JC burst into laughter as he gazed at April, her cheeks bulging out like a chipmunk a thick coating of powdered sugar dusted across her lips. “I love you.” he revealed through his laughter, not noticing at first the impact his words had upon his girlfriend.
April coughed loudly hearing her boyfriend’s statement, causing her to choke slightly on the food she still attempted to chew. Grabbing for the empty doughnut box, she coughed again and released a few still dry particles of doughnut. Turning to JC, she spoke. “Did you just say I love you?”
Smiling, he nodded. “Yeah, I guess I did. I love you April.”
Her eyes filling up slightly with tears, as this was the first time he had told her that, April smiled. “Really?”
Making a face as he glanced at the doughnut box she still clutched in front of her, JC spoke. “Well...after that whole stealing my breakfast thing, and then wasting it all by spitting it out...I just might take it back.”
Reaching out a hand, April gave JC a gentle shove. “Oh shut up.” she laughed.
“Is that okay with you?”
“What?” she returned, her expression confused.
“That I love you.”
A brilliant smile lit up her face as she nodded happily. “It makes me very happy...and I love you too.”
April moved towards JC and pulled him into a tender kiss, tangling her fingers in his crop of dark hair as the embrace deepened. Lingering for a few moments, she pulled away to look into his blazing blue eyes. Finally, she spoke. “You have powdered sugar on your lips.”
Arching a brow, a smile slid across JC’s chiseled features. “Well I guess you’ll just have to lick it off for me then...” he trailed off suggestively, as the pair reconnected in a loving embrace within the tangled sheets.
****
April’s mind refocused on the present as Justin’s voice pulled her out of her memories. “Are you gonna be okay?” he asked, reaching for her hand in a gesture of support as he noticed the tears filling her baby blues.
“I’m just so tired of hiding this…I’m sick of pretending everything’s normal and okay when it’s not. It’s all just under the surface, waiting to show it’s ugly face, ya know?” she sighed, shifting uncomfortably as Justin’s eyes pierced hers.
“You really see it like that? As a bad thing?” he inquired softly. “Eventually it’ll be for the better, I mean…that’s why you’re doing this, right?”
Sighing deeply, April nodded as Justin continued, his voice soothing. “Don’t worry and just enjoy the next few days okay? It’ll all be out in the open soon enough…and then it’ll all be over. And don’t forget, I’m right beside you every step of the way.” he finished, lifting her hand to his lips as she smiled gratefully, laying her head comfortably against his broad shoulder. Kissing the top of her head, Justin let go of April’s hand to run his palm over her sleek blonde locks before leaning his head against his seatback and closing his eyes.
****
The telephone’s shrill ring pierced the pitch black room within the fancy New York hotel suite, awakening Justin as he groped the night table blindly for the receiver. Grabbing unsuccessfully, he flipped on the light, groaning as the brilliant golden glow infiltrated his system. Squinting against the glare penetrating his pupils, he picked up the phone, silencing it’s impatient ringing. “’Ello?” he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep as he lay back down, covering his eyes with his forearm as he spoke.
Silence blanketed the other line as JC sat, stunned by the male voice on the other end of the line. Glancing down at the paper, he reread the inked number that April had specifically stated as the hotel room he’d be able to contact her at. Hearing the individual on the other end clear his throat and offer a hello once more, JC was able to place the voice. “Justin?” he replied, hesitation evident in his tone.
“Yeah man, is something wrong?” Justin asked, his voice concerned.
“No, no everything’s fine.” the dark haired man stated thinly.
“What time is it?” Justin grumbled more to himself than his friend on the other end of the line. Rolling onto his side, he reached across the vacant spot next to him and grabbed the small alarm clock that the hotel provided. “Two o’clock? Ugh.” he muttered as JC interrupted.
“I’m sorry for waking you man, I’m looking for April. This is the room number she said she’d be in…” he explained. “Do you know which room she ended up with? She must have mixed up the reservations when she was writing this down.”
Justin’s thoughts were tangled as he struggled to wake up, as he had only just fallen asleep ten or fifteen minutes prior to JC’s call. “Oh she’s in the other room…if you hold on a minute I’ll get her.” Justin stated, sitting up and untangling his legs from the sheets.
“Well if she’s sleeping it’s okay, you don’t have to…” JC trailed off, but Justin interrupted him before he could finish.
“Actually JC, I hear the water running…she’s still in the shower.” he explained, almost forgetting that before he had drifted off, she had asked if the sound of running water would keep him awake.
“Oh…okay.” JC replied, “Well, just tell her that I called, and sorry I interrupted your sleep.” he apologized.
“It’s no problem…” Justin trailed off as a figure appeared in the doorway, causing him to glance over with a broad grin.
April stood, her hair curling slightly as it hung down her back, still damp from her shower. Her fitted black tank top hugged her curves and the gray shorts she wore clung to her tan legs as her lips curved into a smile. “Who’s on the phone?” she inquired curiously, running her fingers through her long locks.
Hearing his girlfriend’s voice float over the phone line, JC’s heart went cold and his normally caring blue eyes turned to steel. Unable to comprehend what his head was screaming at him, he stared in disbelief at the receiver he clutched tightly in his hand. After what seemed like eternity, but in reality was a few short seconds, JC hit the off button with a trembling finger, disconnecting him from Justin without hearing his reply.