“And you don’t know what I want, who I want?” Tash brushed back Brandon’s hair. “You know I love you. That’s not going to change.”
“It won’t for me either. Sometimes I think I still have to fight to make you believe that.” The sadness disappeared. “Now come on. I have your bag here, and Rachel said she’s going to stop by and check on the cats. Our flight leaves at ten.”
“Flight?”
Brandon’s eyes danced with excitement. “Yeah. I’ve never been on a plane, so don’t make me late and miss it. Let’s go.”
His questions fell on deaf ears as Brandon dragged him out of the office and down the hallway. Without getting a chance to say good-bye to everyone, he found himself in a car service and on the way to Kennedy Airport before he knew what was happening.
“Do you mind telling me where we’re going?” He gazed out the window as they traveled along the highway.
Flashing a mysterious smile, Brandon answered, “You’ll see when we get there.”
This playful side of Brandon wasn’t one he showed often. Tash guessed there hadn’t been much joy or playtime in Brandon’s life, and now he was testing his wings and experimenting with happiness. Didn’t Brandon see this was what Tash meant? He needed to experience life before making any decisions that might leave him wondering what he’d missed.
“You’re doing it again.”
Brandon’s voice broke into the fog of Tash’s musing’s. “Huh? What am I doing?”
“You’re overthinking what’s going on, that I need to do this more, to find myself.”
Shit, that was scary. “Maybe you do.”
To Tash’s surprise, Brandon agreed. “You are right. I do need to experience life. But life is meant to be shared and enjoyed, never taken for granted. I don’t want to wait around because you fear I might be settling or compromising by loving you.” There was an earnestness in Brandon’s voice Tash had never heard before.
“All my happiness and joy over the past months since we met was only made better because I had you there with me. There’s a special kind of joy in a happiness that’s shared between two people. The joy is there because I’m with you. You’re my other half, Tash. I don’t know how many times I can say it or try and make you understand.”
The cab stopped and pulled up in front of the terminal. Brandon took care of everything for curbside check-in, and Tash caught his excitement as they entered the terminal. Only once they’d passed security and were headed toward the gate did Tash look at his boarding pass to see where they were headed.
“Vegas?”
Brandon kissed him. “Why not? It’s the city where anything can happen, right?”
* * * *
Brandon knew he was ridiculously excited for this trip, but he was entitled, being that it was his first plane ride. Even when Tash fell asleep, Brandon remained wide-awake, reading a book or watching the television monitors, tracking their flight on the on-screen map. Not knowing what to expect, he hadn’t realized they’d be flying above the clouds, and he spent some time staring out of the window into the darkness.
“Can’t sleep?” the flight attendant asked him with a sympathetic smile.
Brandon shook his head. “No. It’s my first time flying, believe it or not.”
The attendant’s eyes widened with surprise. “Really?” He reached into his jacket pocket and, with a grin, handed Brandon something. “Usually we give these to our kids who are first-time flyers, but keep it as a souvenir.” He winked and walked back up the aisle.
Brandon turned the object over and laughed to himself. It was a little miniature airplane, fashioned as a pin. He slipped it into his pocket and, leaning on Tash’s shoulder, closed his eyes.
Amazed he’d actually slept a few hours, Brandon awoke when the plane touched down. He roused Tash, and they deplaned, picked up their luggage and rental car, and were off to their hotel within forty minutes of landing.
Brandon pulled into the parking lot of the Venetian and gave the car over to the valet. He and Tash checked in, and by that time, both of them were hungry. They decided to hunt up some breakfast and soon found an old-fashioned coffee shop, where they ordered their eggs, hash browns, pancakes, and two carafes of coffee.
“Look over there.” Tash gestured with his fork at an elderly couple sitting a few booths down from them. “Her hand shakes so much, he’s been cutting her food and feeding her. Now he’s holding her coffee cup to her so she can sip it. That’s true love.”
“I think it’s sweet. I’d do it for you.” Brandon sipped his coffee.
“You might have to.”
“That’s not funny. You never know what can happen in life from one minute to the next. I heard what happened with Jordan’s fiancé, Keith. I may be young, but my life experience has taught me to deal with more than most people. Like Johnny and the other kids you help at the clinic. None of us are immune from what life throws in our paths. It’s what we choose to do with our life that makes us who we are.”
Tash set his fork down on the table. “You’re right. And my path was dark and a dead end until I met you. You’re the one who brought me into the light. Sometimes I fall back on my insecurities, but I need you to help pick me back up.”
