Page 54 of Play Me

She pouts and I lean over to kiss her and she melts against me. In the space of an hour, somehow kissing her has become like the most natural thing I’ve ever done. More natural than sleep, more natural than playing the cello. I was born to kiss her.

“Green light, asshole!” She pushes me away, laughing. And I’m glad that there’s no testing for being drunk on sound.

“Oops, SORRY,” I wave to the car behind me honking its horn.

They say you never really know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone, or that you don’t really know the best part of your life while you’re living it, but someone must’ve imbibed me with some sort of hindsight superpower, because I know, this last hour, sitting in this car and being in her presence, is easily the best hour of my life so far.

After she’d finally stopped fighting me and let me lead her to my car, we’d stopped for a moment, looking at each other, wondering if we were really going to do this. She’d reached up and touched my face, and I’d turned my cheek to press a kiss to her palm. Taking her palm and then pressing my kiss to her heart, and I knew what she was thinking, whatever happens, it’d be worth it for that moment.

“Sebbbbbbbbbbbbbb, where are we going?” She moans and I can’t help but chuckle at her childlike curiosity.

“You’ll see...in...about....fifteen seconds,” I tell her.

We pass a sign and I see her head whip around, trying to read it.

“Bankkkkstownn… Airport...Wait. Airport? Where are WE GOING?!?!?!” Her excitement level gets turbocharged and she jumps up and down in her seat.

“Huh? Who said anything about the airport?” I say, trying to hide the excitement in my own voice.

“Oh.” She instantly deflates, and I have to turn my head away from her so she doesn’t see my grin. She goes quiet as she tries to hide her disappointment.

That is, until she sees me turn into the Bankstown Airport driveway.

“OMYGOD, we ARE going somewhere! WHERE?!”

I ignore her and drive down until we’re just outside the main entrance.

She jumps out of the car before I can get out and open the door for her. Her eyes are bright as she searches my face for answers. I wrap her up in my arms, pulling her jiggling body up against me, enjoying her softness, her warmth.

She stops her jumping for a moment and lifts her face to mine, kissing me softly, letting out a soft sigh. The she whispers, ”Where are we going?” Her relentless curiosity is so sweet and I can’t help answering. “Anywhere you want.”

She pulls away, confused, “What? How?”

“We can go anywhere in the world you want.” I reach into my back pocket and pull out our passports. She takes them from me, staring at me openmouthed. I press a kiss to her forehead and continue, “All you have to do is tell that pilot. He’s been waiting. Now I’m going to have to pay him extra because you took so long arguing with me in your classroom.”

She opens her mouth even wider. And closes it. I can see her mind working, and I press another soft kiss to her temple.

“I know where I want to go!” And she pulls out of my embrace and runs off to the pilot.

“Wait, where?” I call after her.

“Ha! Now it’s your turn not to know.” She pokes her tongue out at me and skips off to whisper in the ear of the pilot I’d pointed to.

“Witch!” I shout to her, running up to catch up with her, my body feeling lighter than it ever has.