Yeah, that probably wouldn’t happen. I could just mail it to them.
Or keep it.
I finished up and dragged everything out to the living room. The hotel porter was already there, loading our luggage onto one of those big, brass carts.
Auntie eyed my clothes but didn’t say anything. I put on my slip on sneakers.
We went down to the lobby. Auntie Cookie and Auntie Tiff were waiting. Auntie Cookie would fly to Vegas with me, Auntie Kiki, and Auntie Mimi. Auntie Tiff’s flightwas also early, so we were all going together. All of them were dressed elegantly.
I didn’t care about being fancy.
In the car on the way to the airport my phone buzzed. I’d been added to a group chat with Ashton and Steven.
Steven
Have a safe flight.
Me
Shouldn’t you be asleep?
Steven
Ash is hogging the bed.
I got a photo of Ashton laying like a naked starfish, with only a small pillow covering his goods.
Me
Go to sleep. You have practice tomorrow. I wish I was there.
Steven
Wish you were here, too.
We got to the airport and checked in all our bags. Nothing was open, not even a coffee shop. I resisted the urge to text Ashton and Steven, since they should be asleep. Instead, I posted an airport selfie and got caught up with all my texts and emails.
I kept looking around. Why, I didn’t know. It’s not like they were going to show up and confess their love for me. They weren’t going to give up their careers for me any more than I would for them.
It was just a vacation fling. I wasn’t supposed to fall for them.
But I had.
My shoulders fell as I sighed heavily. They called for boarding for first class. We all hugged Auntie Tiff.
“This has been fun.” She hugged me.
“This was. Thanks for including me,” I told her.
Auntie Tiff hustled off to her own gate. The four of us boarded the flight to Vegas. First class was nice and spacious, but not quite as nice as the lie-flat compartments we’d have going from Vegas to Honolulu.
I got the window seat, Auntie Mimi next to me. Auntie Kiki and Auntie Cookie were across the aisle.
Taking the champagne and a cookie from the flight attendant, I took a photo. Posting it with aBye, Nashville, it’s been fun, caption, I gulped it down.
“You had a good time, didn’t you?” Auntie Mimi asked me as she sipped hers.
I got out my headphones and the eye mask I’d gotten on our flight to Vegas. “Yes, I had a great time.”
