Page 8 of Journey to Cheshire Bay
A smile was impossible to not return. “Fine. Question one – favourite colour?”
“Green.”
“All greens, or any inparticular?”
“Is that your second question?”
I pursed my lips together and moved them from side to side. “Sure. That can be my second.”
“Fair enough. Bright green.”
“Like florescent?”
“Like the colour of the grass after a fresh mowing as the tree branches eclipse the setting sun.”
“Wow, that’s quite descriptive.” I nibbled on my stale cookie, while looking forward to baking a fresh batch when I got to my destination. “Where did you live to have that kind of grass?”
“Richmond Hill.” He nudged me and winked. “See, you’re already up to four questions, and it wasn’t too painful, was it?”
I counted his ownquestions, and he’d already askedmetwo, and they weren’t even personal questions as I’d feared. Rather than answer and chew up my remaining sixteen questions, I shook my head.
“Now I’ve got you thinking.” He gently waved a pointed finger in my direction.
“Yes, you have. I’ll have to debate for a minute.”
The overhead lights dimmed further and the mood in the cabin changed as well. The low murmurs disappeared.
“Cruising speed commences, and the passengers drift off to sleep. Less than five hours to go.” It almost sounded happy, like he was going to enjoy the next few hours.
How did a mere whisper incite a flurry of butterflies in my gut? “Are you really going to stay awake the whole flight?”
“Five,” he answered without skipping a beat as he raised his hand and wiggled his fingers and thumb. “And yes, I’m a night-owl by nature. I start getting tired as the sun rises.”
He didn’t look the least bit sleepy either. Rather, it seemed like he downed an entire can of Red-Bull and was twitching from the energy he couldn’t run off. I, on the other hand, felt a wave of light sleep drift over me. Now that I had done my metaphorical running, there wasn’t anything left to do but ride it out.
Cheshire Bay was still aforty-five-minute flight from Victoria, and even that was still a good hour flight from Vancouver. It would be close to supper time before I finally arrived at Amber’s. The mere thought of all the travelling that still lay ahead caused a yawn to roll out, and I hurried to cover my mouth.
“If you are tired, just go to sleep. I swear I won’t be offended.” His left knee nudged my right one. “Much.”
“Well, you do have a nice soothing voice. You’d be able to knock me right out.” But I wasn’t going to sleep, not without my wallet firmly tucked under my arm where I’d feel the slightest movement if someone tried to take it. Sleep could wait.
** *
Like everything else in my life, waiting wasn’t going to happen.
“What the–”
Holden’s hand was wrapped around my arm, shaking me. “You were mumbling. Pretty loud, I may add.”
I slapped my hands to my face to wake myself up. I knew better than to fall asleep, at least here. How hard was it to stay awake and wait until Iwas at Amber’s? It was only another eighteen hours. Nothing to it. I blinked and forced my eyes open for a heartbeat to get some fresh air.
I hadn’t meant to doze off. How rude. Pretty sure he was talking about something above my intelligence level, whichwas probably why I drifted. “Where are we?”
He flipped through the screen on the back of the seat. “Over North Dakota.”
“Seriously?” I had to have heard incorrectly. How could we be in US airspace? This was a domestic flight. “How long?”
“Were youout?” Holden finished my thought as I yawned. “A couple of hours. We’re almost halfway to Vancouver.”