"Tired baby," Makhi asks as I yawn and stretch in my seat.
"Just a little bit," I confess.
"You've had a long day. You can rest when we get home," he says nodding his head.
'Home'
'There's that word again, like we're already living together. He was amazing today, it's like we've been together for years because we move so fluidly with one another even able to understand each other's thoughts. I know I'm falling in love with him, the question is when do I openly admit that in fact do love him to him? I can see his patient and kind love for me, I just want him to know that my feelings for him are real and aren't inferior to his feelings for me.'
"You look like you're thinking hard about something over there. Are you okay," he asks grabbing my hand.
"Yeah, I'm just thinking about us," I admit to him.
"Oh, is that a good thing or bad thing," he asks with a smile.
"Good! Everything is always better with you around," I say with my shy smile and he kisses my hand.
"It's the same for me with you babe. I guess this our destiny huh," he says while shaking his head.
"Why are you shaking your head," I ask him.
"Because I couldn't get out of being with you if I wanted to. The pull of attraction to you was so strong that I really had no way around, then you know the rest of it because I told you before. I guess you're like stuck with me now," he says jokingly.
"Orrrrr, you're stuck with me," I say sticking my tongue out at him.
"Either way as long as we're together right," he says and kisses my hand once more.
"Right," I say and we continue our banter all the way to his condo.
Once we get inside his place, we take showers to wash away the grime of moving. After my shower, I ponder what to wear while standing robed in Mekhi's closet. I eventually settle on a pajama set seeing as though I'm supposed to be napping in just a short while. Walking out of the closet, I see Mekhi sitting up in the bed with no shirt on looking like Adonis as he has one hand propped behind his head and the other patting the spot next to him beckoning me to join him. I walk over to him and sit in the place that his hand was just patting and he wraps his arm around my shoulders.
"It's time to get a little sleep before the craziness of tonight," he says with a yawn.
"Yeah, did you set an alarm so that we can be up at a decent time," I say yawning myself.
"I did, you had a phone call as well," he says rubbing my shoulder.
"Who was it," I ask him.
"I don't know, I had no intentions of answering your phone so I didn't bother to look," he replies.
"Hmm, well I'll check it out later," I say with another yawn.
'Okay," he says nodding his head and we adjust our positions so that we are laying down and underneath the comforter.
I find sleep easy in Mekhi's arms as I drift off into dreamland without a worry in mind. When the alarm sounds it feels as though I've slept for much longer than I had. We get up, make the bed, and get ready to head out. Since we'll be traveling at night I wear a t shirt, jeans, and a lightweight jacket. I tie my hair back into a ponytail to fit in the small opening of the baseball cap I put on my head and put on some lip balm as well as spray a little perfume. Mekhi is dressed in jeans, a t shirt, and jacket as well, but he makes it look so good. The heavens were favorable when they sculpted this handsome guy, for sure.
"Are you ready to go," he asks me as I place my phone in my purse and place the bag on my back.
"Yes, have you called the guys to ensure that they're meeting us at the diner,' I ask him.
"They know, but I'll text them from the car. Have you spoken to the girls," he asks me in return.
"No, I haven't but I'll text from the car as well," I reply to him.
"Okay, let's get ready to head out then," he says turning off the lights in the bathroom.
"Are we driving to both the diner and the airport," I ask him as we exit his room.
"Yes, unless you want me to have Jerry and Smith to escort us. It would be more convenient that way, but we would have to explain to your friends why we have a personal driver," he says nonchalantly wheeling his luggage behind him.
"No, no it's fine for us to drive. It would have been more convenient if we could've arranged a shuttle service with the airport. I should have thought of that earlier, that way we all could ride together," I say thinking aloud as we walk through the house.
"It could still be arranged if you want baby, but what will we do with our vehicles unless we all take taxis to the diner, then have the shuttle pick us up…or I could have Jerry and Smith drive both of the SUV's as I mentioned before. It's up to you," he says with a smile as I ponder the options he's presented me with.
"Let's just do what we're doing now, it's too late to change plans at a moment's notice. Next time it will be better thought out," I say rolling my eyes at my own negligence.
"Okay then, let's go," he says as he leads the way to the door of his place and I take one last look around before leaving.
'This vacation is going to change everything for us, I can feel it in my soul. I hope it's for the better and growth. I'll just keep being positive and enjoy the time we have together.'
"What's going on baby? It looks like you have something on your mind," Mekhi asks holding my hand as we step off the elevator and pulling his luggage with the other.
"I was just thinking that this vacation will change our relationship in some way," I admit to him.
"Of course it will. We will grow closer because it will just be us and our friends, no parents and no home to return to for the next five days. Getting to know each other a little better, inside and out…are you regretting your decision to invite me," he asks as we walk to his car.
"Of course not! I would have had more regret if I didn't invite you. I can't deny that I'm nervous and anxious about spending the next five days with you. I'm going to send out positive energy that this is going to be a great vacation for us," I say as he places his luggage next to mine in the trunk of his car.
"It'll be great either way because I'm not leaving any room for it to be anything other than that. And should anything crop up to try and ruin our good time we will handle it together because we are a team. Leave your worries with me and I'll take them away…one…by…one," he says kissing me with each of his last three words and my worries fade away.
"Okay," I say biting my lip and nodding my head in agreement.
"Alright then, let's go," he says and grabs my hand bringing me to the passenger seat of the car helping me inside before walking around to the driver's side and starting the engine.
"I'm going to text the girls now," I say to him taking my phone out of my bag.
"Alright, I'll text the guys now as well," he says taking his phone out of his pocket.
"Ugh this jerk," I say rolling my eyes as hard as I possibly can to the high heavens.
"What's up love," he says with a serious face.
"That idiot Jay is who called me when I was in the shower! I wish you would have answered the phone and chased him away," I say with a pout and he places his phone in the middle console.
"I would be honored to do that for you my love, however I don't think that it would make him go away any sooner. He would see me as an obstacle or challenge if you will, to you making it a game of may the best man win. I don't want that for you baby, let's just stick with your plan. I will be right there if you need me or if he gets out of control. Once you make it clear to him about your feelings and he continues to pester you, then I will step in and ensure that he wouldn't even think of looking your way for the rest of his miserable little life," he says with a sense of finality.
"Okay, I'll be counting on you then," I say to him as I admire his protectiveness of me.
"That's all I want, is for you to count on me," he says with his shy smile and grabs my chin planting his soft sculpted lips on mine.
"Okay," I say after he releases my lips.
"Good, now let's meet our friends and pre-game this vacation while leaving all these unnecessary worries behind," he says and I nod my head in agreement.
We finally leave the garage of his building and I text the girls letting them know we're headed to the diner. The good thing is that they've decided to carpool in two cars with the girls in one car and the guys in another. As I'm placing my phone back into my bag, Mekhi's phone vibrates in the console.
"Can you check that for me," he asks as he's currently driving.
"Sure," I say nodding my head and picking up his phone.
"Is it the guys," he asks as I turn on the screen to look at the notification.
"Yeah, they want to know our eta," I say reading the message to him.
"Tell them we are fifteen minutes away," he says.
"Okay," I say sending the text then placing his phone back in the console.
Fifteen minutes later we arrive outside of the diner along with the rest our group. Everyone seeing each other causes a little noise as there are now fourteen people in the parking lot chatting with one another. After brief introductions of Nate's girlfriend Jasmine and Owen's girlfriend Naomi, we make our way inside to enjoy a late night meal before going to the airport. With our group being so big the girls decide to all sit together in one booth and the guys opt to sit at a table instead of a booth. The staff congratulates Cameron and Mekhi on their championship win as well as give them free desserts as a thank you for bringing the trophy home.
We order a ton of food and enjoy eating and talking and getting to know one another a little better. Between eating and the mini photoshoots that keep breaking out we are completely wired and ready for the start of our vacation. After eating to our heart's content and talking long enough, we settle the bill (with the guys arguing over who will pay no doubt) and get loaded into our vehicles to head towards the airport. It's at this time that Mekhi tells me that Smith is tailing us and Jerry is already at the airport waiting to intercept us. He lets me know not to address them unless I want to explain to my friends how and why I know them. I agree with him and we continue to talk about other things on our hour long ride to the airport.
Arriving to the airport, we manage to find parking that's all close together since it's in the middle of the night, there aren't as many cars in the lot. We unload our luggage, lock up our cars, and head towards the airport in unbridled excitement. The girls and I are just chattering our lives away even through the shuttle ride to the actual airport from the car storage lot. Once we get inside the airport, we take out our tickets and I.D.'s to begin the process of being checked in, security checked, bag checked, checking our flights, and having our boarding pass ready to present on our phones. That process in and of itself took about an hour after which we made our way to the lounge area of our flight. We have another hour and a half before actually boarding the plane so we kill time talking, playing games, and snacking. I notice Jerry on my way to the bathroom with the girls and just nod my head discreetly in acknowledgement of him and continue with my task.
When the time comes to board the plane we are informed that our seats have been upgraded to first class courtesy of the airline. Hearing that bit of news I immediately look at Mekhi who tries to look innocent before he winks to let me know it was him who upgraded our seats. Settled into the big comfy chairs in first class with a blanket and pillow, I stick out my hand to hold Mekhi's as we're watching a movie with our headphones on. I think about all that lie ahead of us and thank the universe that it has allowed me to cross paths with someone as genuine and caring as Mekhi.
'I really cannot wait to spend the next five days with him.' I ponder as the plane takes off into the night sky leaving our little suburban town behind.