It takes me a split second to process the following …
Chances are I’ll be doing this all over again tomorrow and Callum won’t remember a thing, saving me from future embarrassment.
My emotional landscape is shot to shit.
I need an outlet and right now, Callum Bang is all I have.
And so, without going into the kind of time travel detail that might get me sectioned, I explain how I feel stuck in a rut. How Ithought Hamish was my get-out-of-jail card and now I’m freaking out that perhaps he isn’t, which leaves me with zero means of escape.
‘You feel trapped,’ Callum summarizes once I’ve finished.
‘Yes.’ I exhale, struck by how astute he is. ‘Trapped and also stupid. I’ve compared every partner to Hamish, unfavourably, and now I meet this man I’d put on a pedestal and evenhefalls short of my own standards. It’s ridiculous! Like, is there any hope?’
‘You are not stupid,’ Callum says firmly. ‘You’re just figuring things out. And of course there’s hope.’
The sun’s no longer in his eyes and he lowers his hand. I watch, mesmerized, as his pupils narrow to dots.
‘You deserve good things, Moss,’ he adds, pupils expanding wide again.
‘Did you know that you have the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen?’
‘I do?’ He huffs out a laugh.
‘Seriously. Dark greens like pine and basil but also light, too, like a fresh olive.’
‘Are you sure you’re not describing a salad? You’re making me hungry.’
My gaze tracks to his lips and stays there.
I swallow, hard.
‘Do you need to order more food?’ I manage eventually. ‘I could go to the galley? They’ve got good snacks there.’
‘I’m good,’ he says. ‘But thank you.’
‘Look at us, getting along.’ I grin.
‘Dreams can come true,’ he quips.
‘Okay, Gabrielle.’
Callum stretches out, affording me a glimpse of abs, and I have to avert my gaze. ‘You wanna watch a film together?’ he asks. ‘Bridesmaidsis on. It’s one of my favourites.’
I just manage to stop myself from telling him I already know this. Do I want to watchBridesmaidsin tandem with the colleague I have very confusing feelings about? The answer is yes, yes, I do.
‘Sure,’ I say.
‘Are you for real?’ Jennifer the divorcee sitting behind us suddenly pipes up. ‘Extremely hot and offers to watchBridesmaidsto cheer your friend here up? You are the perfect man.’
‘Don’t tell him that!’ I pretend to groan. ‘He’s going to be impossible to handle if his head gets any bigger.’
‘I would love to handle him in any which way,’ she replies delightedly, taking a long swig of something boozy.
Callum shoots me a terrified look.
‘See?’ he mouths.
I reach for the earphones they were giving out as we boarded the plane. I couldn’t get to grips with the headset you’re given in premium economy, my hair kept getting stuck in it, and now the earphones really will come in handy. I hand him the right ear, stifling a smile.
