3 August 2012

-NATE- "Just forget about her for the next week, please? I promise it'll all be fine. We just need to clear our heads" I told Tiffany, looking into her stormy and troubled eyes. "I know. I just can't imagine what's going to happen as soon as we get back. The rest of the school was never really on my side anyway, so with her gone too, I've only got you left" "You've only got your husband left. We've got each other now, we'll be fine" I said, taking her hand from inside the car. She'd changed into a white jersey maxi dress and bright blue sandals, and she had her tortoiseshell sunglasses perched merrily on the top of her head; her hair was still all pinned up with tiny pearls from the wedding. We were waiting now and waving to everyone before we were setting off into the world for the first time as a married couple, inside Mrs V's wedding present. Surrounding us were our mothers; one looking more overjoyed than the other; our siblings, Charlie; who looked constantly apologetic; various school friends, Mimi, Sandy, Sarah; who was also constantly apologetic; Rad, Audrey (our headmistress) and Hannah; who looked moody and dark for the first time. As I started the engine, we waved to all these individuals, leaving behind our turbulent past and approaching a new brighter one. When we were a good five minutes away, Tiffany looked across at me and started to trace lines across my face. "Do you mind? I'm trying to drive!" I said in a light manner, turning to look at her. "I've just realised that all this," she said, going back to the intricate design that was being branded on my skin by her warm fingertips "Is mine now" "Indeed it is" I said, indicating as we changed lanes and headed for the Queens Midtown Tunnel that would take us into the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, then to JFK. After paying, the tunnel began, and the darkness ensued. We could see only by the orangey glow that was emitted by the small lamp lights on the upper wall of the tunnel, casting elongated, shifting shadows as we drove under them. As we passed under one, Tiffany's face was lit up, and I could see the glimmer in her eyes as she still looked across at me and studied my face. I thought back to what Charlie had told me before I got married: about that sparkle only being there when she looked at me, and I was thoroughly enjoying being responsible for such a beautiful attribute on such a gorgeous woman's face. Her face was there and gone and there and gone under these lights, which were clearly unreliable as they had been replaced in places by more natural coloured lighting. For the rest of the drive around the residential areas, Tiffany never ceased looking at me. Originally, it had been off putting. Then it became embarrassing, as I hoped nothing was wrong with my face or my appearance, but it was too late to change it now. But as we approached JFK on the highest section of road that loops round to Terminal 3, it became soothing. Almost as if this loving stare was now becoming a part of me: like Tiffany had become a part of my life now. Permanently and forever. We unloaded our cases from the small trunk, which had been sparingly packed by myself. I didn't want to tell Tiffany where we were going as it was a surprise in more ways than one. It had been easy to pick the place: Tiffany hates the winter and cold so we were obviously not going on a skiing break, she loves America but would never go on her honeymoon here, but she loves Asia. I'd considered a city break for the two of us, but after everything that's happened, she told me she just wanted to relax. So, I pulled out the details to an old asset of mine that my grandmother had given me as a present when I was born. I'd never really used it, as I hadn't been old enough or independent enough to, but now I felt like I was. "So, are you going to tell me where we're going?" Tiffany asked, hanging onto my arm whilst I carried both suitcases. "Why don't you guess which check in desk we're going to" I said, gesturing around to all the names of flight companies that were illuminated above the desk. "Hmmm" she contemplated, eyes moving from one board to another, dismissing them one by one, until she came across one that offered slight hope. "Emirates?" she said, knowing that they went to most places in Asia. "Correct!" I said, leading her and the two heavy bags towards the desk. "Checking in First Class to Malé?" the woman behind the desk asked. "Yes please. Two bags and two pieces of hand luggage" I said, gesturing to the bags and placing our passports on the desk. The woman before us was short and squat, with slicked back black hair and tangerine skin, which was pulled right around inflated cheek bones and uneven skin. Her lips were a neon pink shade and overly puffy, like someone had punctured them once upon a time and then decided to re-inflate them using a bicycle pump, after patching them up with bubblegum pink lipstick. Her eyelashes were clearly fake, and her eyes were a shade darker than black, and her nails were tediously long and diamanté encrusted all over. They tapped incessantly as she typed something into the computer, and as I looked at her more and more I realised how disgusted I was, and as I looked back to my wife, who was still immaculately made up and decorated after our wedding, I couldn't help but feel lucky that I'd managed to marry a girl as perfect and as natural as her. She looked across at me smiling, before she whispered "Malé? You're taking me to the Maldives aren't you?" "Now you'll have to bear with me on this one" I began, "I know it's normally a cliché honeymoon vacation but there's a twist. And I think I'm going to have to tell you now because I don't think I can handle this long flight with you harassing me!" "You've managed before. And you'll have to manage for the rest of your life, but go on then!" she said, eyes wide like a child who's about to be told their surprise birthday present. "There you are" the lady behind the desk said, handing us our tickets and passports back and directing us to security checks. "Well, when I was born, my grandmother gave me a gift that was to be used when I was old enough and mature enough" "What was it?" Tiffany asked, holding my hand and placing another on my bicep. "It was an island. I'm sure you know that the Maldives is made up or a series of hundreds of islands and all this time one of them has been mine, which is quite exciting re--" I was cut off by her lips against mine, and her body pressed against mine, with just the thin material of her dress sandwiched between us. This sudden embrace took me partly by surprise, and reminded me of how long it's really been since we were together. "Let's go" she whispered, heading off towards the security checking area.

-TIFFANY- "Baby?" I asked quietly, turning over on my first class seat to see Nate asleep beside me. I decided not to disturb him as I knew we had about 8 hours left of the journey, and he probably wouldn't be too happy if I did. I decided to get up slowly and head over to the bar. "A champagne please" I said to the man behind the bar, who quickly poured me a glass and placed it in front of one of the bar stools. "Can't sleep?" he asked. "No, I've never managed to!" "Poor thing. Even I'm tired!" "I'll sit with you and keep you awake!" I said, laughing and smiling at him. "You're very beautiful you know, he's a lucky man" "Thank you. I'm sure he'd agree with you if he wasn't fast asleep" "I'm sure he would! Personally I wouldn't sleep if I knew my wife wasn't going to" "No, I'm happy to let him sleep. He won't feel as grotty as I will tomorrow which is a good thing!" I said, already imagining how rough I was going to feel after this long haul over night flight. "How did you know we were married?" "Ring" he said, gesturing to my finger "And there's something about the way you look at him. And I read it!" "Everyone says that. I don't pick up on it!" "Well, I just wish a woman would look at me like that!" he said as he began to clean the surface of the bar top. "I'm sure she will. You're not with anyone?" I asked, sipping at my drink whenever he spoke. "I've got two kids but their mother didn't want me in their lives. I haven't seen them since they were born" "Oh I'm sorry. How old are they now?" I asked, taking real concern in this man. "Sophie is 7 and Alex is 9" "Oh gosh that must be so difficult. You haven't seen them once?" "Nope. It's fine, I'm coming to terms with it now" "I had a miscarriage a month or so ago" "I know, I read in the paper" "So you know all about me then?" "I know what I read. But I'm not sure that's the truth. Why don't you tell me more about you?" "Get yourself a drink, and I will!" I said, patting the stool alongside mine. "I can't as it isn't included within--" "Get yourself a drink!" I said "We're the only two awake, so let's go wild!" "Oh go on then!" he said, pouring himself a brandy.

-NATE- I turned over in my seat, reaching my arm out to feel Tiffany so I could tell her I was now awake. I knew she wasn't going to sleep, so I knew I wouldn't be waking her up, but as I reached across all I felt was empty space. I rubbed my eyes and sat up, hoping I'd reached across to the right seat, and not someone else's, but as I looked up I saw her magazines and her phone on the seat. "Tiffany?" I murmured, looking up in the darkened cabin to see if she was stood up, but she wasn't. I unclipped my seatbelt, and stretched my arms out, my muscles feeling stiff and numb from sleeping bolt upright, when I should have utilised the recline on the seat, or created a bed out of it. I slowly stood up, stretching out my legs and noting the pain in my left knee. I'd even feeling it for a while now, and I didn't want it to be anything serious that might jeopardise my swimming or diving. As I began to trudge down the cabin, glancing around lazily to see if I could spot her in the low lighting. Finally, I

KatyTiffanyNYCLove You Too: PART SEVENTY EIGHT • Opuss № I