Lucy's family liked to think that I was something of an adopted son, though since they were living in my house I'd say it was the other way around. There old place was fixed up and cleaned out of mud and water but some of the walls had gotten mould inside and it would cost more to remove than to buy a new house, both of which they couldn't afford. Ling's family never really asked to live here more permanently and I hadn't exactly offered, they merely sold their old place and moved in more of their stuff. Their official status was that they were staying until they could find a new home; that probably wasn't going to happen for a long time. The house was close to where they both worked and the school was closer than that too. Ling's parents were too proud to ask me to stay longer and so we never really discussed it, often causing awkward moments when the subject was accidentally brought up, I didn't mind. Occasionally friends told that they were taking advantage of my generous nature and Ling often thanked me in private for everything I'd done, or rather let happen.
"How about this one?"
"Looks good" I replied barely looking up.
"This one?"
"It'll look good on you".
"Ok. How about this one?"
"It all looks good when you wear it"
"I'm not holding anything up". I lifted my head up from the bed. Ling had been showing me what she might wear on the beach, only I hadn't noticed when she held up thin air and asked for my opinion. "Alright, what's wrong?" Ling walked over and jumped on the bed beside me, brushing away her hair.
"Nothings wrong, I don't need to be watching you to know that what you're wearing is stunning".
"That's sweet, but you can't talk your way out of telling me what's up"
"Nothing's up, you're just paranoid". Ling shot me a yeah right look. "It's nothing major, I'm just thinking over a few things. Like the trip we're going to be taking and all that".
"What like?" Ling leaned over and began walking two fingers across my chest.
"Just how much I'm looking forward to spending the holiday in a tropical paradise with the girl I love more than anything... and Jacky".
Ling shuffled beside me, pressing closer to me. "You're disappointed that she's coming?"
"No not at all, I'm disappointed that we're going with her". I shook my head, turning and facing Ling. "We've spent so long apart and away from one another that I envisioned this time to be special. Now we're whisking off to spend what little time we have with Jacky as she chases after some guy she met at a College road trip".
"I think she might be too busy chasing after him to really care about what we're up to, besides I think Jacky understands that we need our alone time". Ling leaned up and lifted a leg over me, sitting down on the front of my hips. "So you're worried that you're not seeing enough of me?"
"Well you have to have a relationship before you can spice one up".
"You don't think you have a relationship with me?" Ling asked looking slightly hurt.
"Of course I did" I remarked quickly sitting upright and giving Ling a quick kiss. "It's that during Uni there was only one of us in the relationship while the other was away, now during the only time we get to be together and it's going to be with Jacky hanging off us like an earring that weighs a tonne".
"Huh, ouch! I get what you're saying and I feel the same way, but I feel a little different". We wrapped our arms around one another and kissed passionately, I'm missed Ling's unique taste. "We're going to be together for a long time and the opportunity to travel overseas and to exotic islands is something I'm not sure I'll get the chance to do again it again. I'll see you ever day for years and years, but this only comes up a few times in my lifetime".
"Oh, you think you've 'got me' do you?" I asked with a smirk and making the quotes with my fingers.
"I've got you hook, line and sinker".
"You don't even know where that phrase comes from do you?"
"Course, it's a football reference".
"Fishing... it's a fishing joke. Like I'm on your line and you've got me hooked".
"But there isn't even a 'hook in the phrase... nevermind. I just mean that we're not going to break up so if we spend just one summer with Jacky then it's not a huge loss".
"Have I ever told you how hot you make me when you tell me you couldn't be bothered spending time with me?"
Ling looked away. "When you say it like that it makes me seem like a bitch, huh?" I shrugged. "I don't really think that. I want to spend forever with you and I don't think that this trip with separate us. I thought when we got there we'd just break away from Jacky when we met up with Jason, maybe even having a whole island to ourselves".
"I'm not sure it'll be that easy" I remarked drumming my hands on her back softly. "Maybe I'm over thinking everything and it'll all work out when we get there?"
"Or maybe we get there, it's a disaster and we have no fun?"
I frowned. "Well, what do you think we should do?" Ling bit her lower lip as she slid her legs back so her chest was resting against mine and and her chin also resting on mine, I could feel my unshaven hairs pressing against her skin.
"Well" she started, moving her lips down and kissing my neck. "Perhaps we could have some fun before this all starts? Spend some time with one another before the trip starts so that no matter what happens it won't be a total disaster".
"Did you have something in mind?"
"Well... the flight's going to go for a few hours at least so that could be time well spent don't you think?"
I scoffed through a laugh at this. "I don't think it'd be very secluded on a plane, even if we did get to join the Mile High Club".
"No not like that. I mean if we get together beforehand we could spend the whole trip..." Ling paused and looked up to me. "Together".
I made an 'oh' with my lips as Ling mentioned this and I caught on to what she meant. "It's a nice thought but what if we get caught out? Imagine how awkward that would be for us, not to mention everyone that we know".
"You think they're going to catch us and announce to the world the things we can do?" I turned us around so we were both on our sides. "Besides... I don't think we can back out of it now".
"What do you mean, we're just talking about this so I don't think we're really committed yet". I laughed, Ling avoided my gaze for a moment. She couldn't hold a straight face when she was lying. "What's wrong?"
"Oh nothing, it's just that I think our tickets might have got messed up and there'd only be two of them for the three of us. We'd only realise when we were in Sydney though so we'd have to either buy an extra one or... come up with another plan". Ling smiled widely as she spoke.
"A mess up, huh?"
"Yep a big, goofy mess up that the airline must have made. Well on the bright side at least we don't have to pay full price".
"Bye Mum! Bye Dad" Ling declared hugging them both close. Ling's Mum embraced the hug with what could have been tearful eyes whilst her Dad remained at a bit of a distance during the three person hug. We were on the lawn late in the afternoon with my car out front filled with all of our bags. Jacky was sitting on the bonnet waiting for us to say our farewells. Ling moved on from her parents to her younger sister, I took a step forward and nodded to both of them.
"Mrs. Fraser, Mr. Fraser" I offered them my hand to shake.
"Don't be like that" Mrs. Fraser declared loudly, grabbing my shoulders and holding me in a tight hug. I hugged back lightly with a few pats on the back.
"You don't want a hug too do you Robert?" I asked with a smirk. He smiled and leaned a hand forward. Linda knew that Ling and I were an item but the fact remained stubbornly absent in Robert's mind, hence the questionable look her was giving me right now. The last few nights we'd pushed our beds together and shared the night with each other and in the morning we'd push them back again, though one morning we forgot. Linda had visited our room and clearly noticed the beds, but instead of reporting us she'd just pulled them apart and made the bed before her husband noticed.
"Bye Mr. and Mrs. Fraser, I'll make sure that Ling writes you!" Jacky yelled waving her arms out of the window as I drove off. Everyone on the lawn was waving to us and yelling goodbye, some goodbyes in Japanese, probably yelling something like 'don't let the boys hit on you' so I couldn't understand. "Oh my god, you guys... we're going to Fiji!" Jacky yelled, pulling her body down from the window.
"I know" Ling screamed in retaliation with a long 'Whewww!' shared by the both of them.
"I can't wait to get to the airport so I don't have to drive with two lunatics in my car!" I announced.
"Hell yeah" Jacky screamed bouncing up and down in the back seat beside Ling's bag's. The airport wasn't too far away but the flight wasn't leaving until seven at night.
The plan was to catch a small commercial flight to Sydney where we'd get an a flight to Fiji then a small bush plane would take us to a small island where Jason said he was spending his Christmas break. From what I saw on the websites Ling had showed me there wasn't even an airport on the island we were dropping at, just a convenient stretch of grass that could probably kill you if it had a ditch in it.
The plane that took us to Sydney was pretty small and for lack of a better word, deserted. There were no other passengers except for an older couple who sat at the front and listened to their headphones the entire time. It wasn't a long flight, that didn't stop me from falling asleep during it though.
"So, is he cute?" Ling asked through a whisper as she leaned forward.
"Who, Jason?" Jacky asked reading her magazine. She sat in the seat before us reading her magazine and acting as though this trip wasn't a crazy attempt to chase after someone she had met only once. "He's kind of cute I guess".
"He'd want to be if you're chasing him this far". Jacky shut her magazine and leaned back in her seat, her chin resting on the headrest.
"I'm not chasing him. It's just that he gave me the idea of going to Fiji and I thought it was really good". Ling gave Jacky a look. "And if I happen to run into him when we're there, so be it".
"I thought you rang him and told him where to meet us?"
"Yeah, I did" Jacky smirked broadly at this, making them both laugh. Though they were chatting loudly I couldn't hear them in my slumber, my closed eyes oblivious to the sight of the millions of city lights below us.
"Oh my god this apartment sucks!" Jacky declared as we walked through the front door. It was a tiny room with a bathroom that took up only a corner of the four wall apartment. A small tv was glued to the wall and two single sized beds between the three of us.
"Huh, it said queen sized beds in the booklet" Ling announced dropping her bag down.
"It suits me, who get's the floor?" I asked walking through the doorway.
"Not it!" Ling and I shouted quickly, Jacky looking to us with wild eyes. "We're not going to make you sleep on the floor. We'll share this bed, it's not like we'll need two anyway" Ling remarked with a wink. We didn't both unpacking as we were only going to be in the room for a day at best before our flight out.
"I'm going for a bit of a walk. I'm hardly ever in the city and we're almost on the top floor". Ling gave us a quick wave before shutting the door behind her, she almost had to squeeze out of the room since the bathroom was adjacent to the doorway. I lay down on our bed with my shoes off and enjoyed the peace and quiet for a while, Jacky was fumbling through papers on her bed and listening to music at the same time with her earphones.
"Hey, you awake?"
"Nope, let me sleep" I declared with closed eyes, my hands behind my head as I rested.
"Well get up then, I think we have a problem". Jacky stated pulling her headphones out, I didn't lift my head up just yet.
"I knew it, Ling's an alien isn't she?".
"No, wouldn't surprise me though" she teased. "I think we're missing a ticket. I mean I thought Ling told me she'd order my ticket for me but, was I supposed to get it myself?" Jacky asked worried.
"Oh no it's alright. We're sorted this stuff out".
"How?"
I picked myself up and sat on the edge of my bed to face Jacky. She was going to find out pretty soon anyway. "Well the tickets are for you and Ling. I don't really need one".
"You're not coming?" Jackie asked a little shocked. She turned to the edge of her bed also, knocking off some of her papers accidentally.
"No I'm coming, but I'll just be travelling with Ling". Jacky frowned in curiosity, turning both of the tickets in her hands and looking for a 'couples ticket' sign on either of them, as though one of the tickets were for the two of us.
"Are you sure?"
I smiled awkwardly and shook my head. "No I mean that Ling and I will be travelling with one another. Together". Jacky's reaction was to smirk at me and slap my knee as though I were gloating to a friend about scoring with my girlfriend.
"I was a little unsure if you guys were actually... well I was starting to think that what happened to us might have been a dream".
"Really?"
"Course not. I thought you guys didn't want to do it any more or something. I mean not that you'd tell me". Jacky paused for a moment, she was very excited about all of this. "You're not going to trick me or something again are you?"
"Of course not. That was really a one time only thing".
"That's a shame". I raised an eyebrow. "I'm kidding". Jacky looked around the room slowly to avoid eye contact with me, obviously wanting to ask me something but embarrassed to do so. "So, uh, how are you guys going to do it?"
"With a ladder, some whips and lots of latex. Actually, I think it'll be a 'spur of the moment' type thing. Spontaneous".
"And Ling isn't going to look too weird being all big?"
"I think that pregnancy is common enough that people won't stop and stare".
"Well yeah, but you're really big. Don't you think that it might be a little awkward. I mean physically speaking you're bigger than she is".
"I don't know, it was Ling's idea so hopefully she's thought it through more than I have".
