Chapter Text
Of all the things in the world, this bit right here, waiting at the airport, was the one thing you knew, you just knew you were not gonna enjoy. Not even a little bit. Never mind that the destination was some place you had always dreamt of visiting, never mind that you were travelling in luxury, never mind that you knew for a fact you were going to have fun when you get there. The notion that you had to get here three whole hours before take-off just drove you insane. You couldn’t even go in yet. You had to wait for the whole tour group before checking in.
You had never liked this sort of travelling. The tour group thing. You preferred the free and easy type, the one where you go someplace and decide on your own where to go, where to eat and when. The one where you didn’t have to wake up in the ungodly hours to catch a fucking bus, the one where you could travel in the comfort of your own pace, alone with your thoughts, and not have to tolerate tens of other people you didn’t know if you’d even talk to had you not been trapped with them in a stuffy coach.
Sigh… you had always wanted to go to Japan. But work… life… all that. So when you had the opportunity to go now, you took it. Even if you had to lose half of the money you’d paid. You had to admit, though, you were rather relieved. The man hadn’t exactly been pleasant to be around. He was no longer the sweet, struggling man you met all those years ago.
Fuck. Why were you thinking about him? This was exactly why you hated this part of travelling. You were seeing people do their things, bored out of your mind, nowhere to go, not much to do… and your stupid mind wandered. Shit.
Your Dad’s family owned one of the biggest independent oil and gas companies in Texas. When he died, your Mom couldn’t inherit his seat, only offspring, adopted or otherwise, and named blood relative could – that was grandfathered in to the contract every board member signed when taking their place on the big round table, and in the case of your Mom, when marrying into the family. Everyone who did signed one, regardless their gender.
That company was a family company through and through. Everyone on the board was family. Your great uncles and aunts, uncles, aunts, cousins, and now, you. But to say your family was living the grand life was an understatement. Sure, the house you grew up in had more rooms than needed, but you were driving the same car you bought after saving up when you got your first job God only knows how many years ago, after the car you got for your sixteenth birthday finally crapped out. It was second hand. It had been your Mom’s for years. They’d only passed it down to you cause your Dad wanted to surprise her with a new one for their 20th anniversary. Your Mom still lived in that house, and you lived in a two bedroom apartment you moved into when Andrew proposed.
Yes… Andrew. Your ex-fiancé.
You met him during your final year at college. He was a scholarship kid, working as a research assistant to make some pocket money while completing his masters. He was okay moving into the two bedroom your Mom owned – which she let you stay at rent-free – instead of a big, huge house he knew your family could easily afford and gift to you. He didn’t need the big expensive things. He grew up with a single mom who worked hard for everything he’s got, he respected that you were living your moderate life.
He knew your late Dad and his ways. That man, along with the rest of your family, was shockingly frugal, within reason, despite his millions. His Grandad and great uncles started the company from nothing. Your Grandpa died still driving the old pick-up truck he’d owned forever. There were splurging, every now and again. Christmases were a big deal, weddings too, holidays were never scrimped over. They all did work hard, after all. But the first generation of oil diggers were careful with their money, far too worried that they could lose it and fall back into destitution, and somehow that had gotten embedded in their DNA when the younger generation were born.
No yachts and private jets for you, that’s for sure.
If you’re being honest, it wasn’t as if the family was counting pennies. The house had cleaning ladies, gardeners to help out with the square footage, some of your relatives even had cooks.
You and your cousins graduated college without debt. Anyone ill? The top notch medical care for you, no expenses spared. You need help? They’ll do what they can to help you. Other than that, though, your lives were pretty normal.
Everyone drove their own cars, save for big business meetings where the company drivers drove them, everyone queued in line to get their own groceries, everyone paid their bills online themselves like any regular person. No private secretaries or personal assistants outside of the office. You were all made to find your own way from the bottom of the barrel to earn your place in the company should you choose to do so, until the sad time came for you to take your place on the board, which only happens when someone you loved passed.
The same with money. No millions in your bank account until someone passed, unless you’d earned it yourself.
There were one or two black sheep, of course, but they were given their worth in cash, which, sadly, was not much, and told to never return.
Andrew knew all this. He was perfectly fine splitting the bills 50-50. Perfectly fine carpooling with you, since he didn’t own a car. Perfectly fine budgeting for presents and vacations. Completely okay with having steaks only on payday, where the two of you go Dutch, as you always did.
You fell in love with him on the very first date. He had lost his wallet the day before, all the cash he had saved up for the date gone, his debit card wiped out of its meagre contents. He asked you if you would be okay sharing a cuppa noodle for your date at his rented room instead of the Italian restaurant he had planned on taking you too. You had offered to pay instead, but he was steadfast. He wanted to treat you. Unfortunately, all he had was a cup of noodles. You were touched. You brought him a pack of noodles for his meals for the next two days until he got paid from his part time job, seeing as he refused to take any money from you.
He lived saving up for everything the two of you would plan for. Christmas presents, birthdays, dinners, vacations, he would save up, skimp here and there to make sure he could at least pay his share and not rely on you or your parents. He even took on a part time job to buy you a new laptop when yours broke, despite the fact that you could buy one yourself. The two of you had steady jobs then, you were fine. You were using the office computer to do your work, you were in no rush to get a new one. But he did, surprising you with one.
You thought you’d hit the jackpot. Growing up in the family you were born into, it wasn’t uncommon for men to try to get with you for your money. It was the reason you didn’t date much. One guy literally whopped when you said yes to a date, taking you to the fanciest restaurant in town. He ordered everything expensive and looked at you expectantly as the bill arrived.
It wasn’t only the men. Girls wormed their ways into being your friend expecting you to buy them expensive gifts, never to be heard from again when you’d pretended not to hear them when they hinted their desires for the latest Louboutin for their birthdays.
But Andrew was not like that. He was with you because of you, not the money you would eventually receive. He took a third job and saved for years to get you an engagement ring. You were over the moon. He loved you. He wanted to marry you. God, how lucky you were.
And then your Dad died. You suddenly had millions in your account. A portfolio of land and properties added to your name. Tens of thousands in rent. Not to mention the monthly allowance from the board, and the quarterly profit you received.
And Andrew, your sweet fiancé, the nice man you were going to marry, did a complete 180.
Suddenly he wanted to move to the biggest property you owned. Never mind that there were the two of you and 12 rooms in that property. Never mind that the monthly power bill would be a year’s worth your current apartment, IF you didn’t heat or cool the massive place at all. Suddenly the car you drove wasn’t good enough for ‘someone of his standing’. Suddenly he simply must have the latest gadgets and cool toys. Suddenly you were stingy for going Dutch instead of just paying. Suddenly you were being petty when you asked him to fill up your car or pay for his own goddamned shoes.
You tried to make up for it. You got him expensive gifts, but they were never enough. Who knew buying someone one PS5 when you could easily have bought him custom ones in every colour to gift to his gaming buddies so they could all match and play from the same set up was such sacrilege? Who knew buying him a nice Rolex for his birthday instead of seven was such a demeaning action? And getting him a nice, branded suit from the mall? Oh the horror, was that all he was worth to you? Everyone knew you could easily afford to buy an entire fall line off the runway in Milan. Sheesh, what a miser.
He grew cold and distant, forever grumbling his confusion that the two of you were living in ‘squalor’ when you could easily afford more. Never mind that the apartment had a doorman, parking and all the amenities of a posh condo. Dishwashing was done in huffs and puffs, so many clanging and smashing from the lack of a dishwasher. Never mind that your kitchen was tiny and that there was no room for one. How much of a hassle was it to wash two plates and cups with nice, warm water? It wasn’t as if the two of you did much cooking anyway, he stopped cooking the day after your Dad’s funeral, using your card to order in and never stopped. Doing laundry became a burden for him, why couldn’t you just send them out for dry-cleaning? Cleaning the house? Fuck that. You had money now, call someone to clean why don’t you?
You were already contemplating breaking up with him. The two of you clearly had different beliefs. Different values. Whatever you saw in him was clearly just a front.
But then, at your time of need, he softened, sitting with you, holding you as you cried, being there for you, promising that the two of you would get through this together. He loved you, he would never let you go through this alone. He was sorry he acted so strangely. ‘Twas but a phase. Please forgive him. And just like that, the sweet man was back.
You were relieved. You had over reacted, you thought. He was still the same sweet, thoughtful, loving Andrew you fell in love with. The one who loved you for you. Wedding planning was back on, now more meaningful than ever. Everything seemed perfect.
That was until your Uncle Bill came in with the prenup. The one that stated that he would have zero claims to the company or its profits should the marriage end. That, and any premarital assets and inheritance in your name.
Things you never thought you would ever hear from him came out of his once sweet lips. The lips that promised you the world. How ungrateful you were. How deceptive. How callous. How unfeeling. How untrusting. You were a whore who took advantage of his kindness, of his love for you. You were using him. He should have dumped you ages ago. He should have known you were far too good to be true. He didn’t suffer through the years with you only to be left with nothing. How could you?
So, here you were, sitting at the departures hall at the airport, waiting for the flight to Japan. The upgraded trip you had booked as a surprise for him before your Uncle Bill came in with the prenup, before you came home to an empty apartment cleared of his belongings and almost all your furniture with a note on the kitchen counter asking you to return your engagement ring to his parents, and, oh yes, that he hoped you would end up dying alone in that crappy apartment you insisted on living in after being eaten by the many, many cats you would inevitably get.
It was supposed to be a thank you trip for him, as well as a trip of a lifetime for you. You upgraded the package for the two of you, first class seats on the flights, upgraded rooms at the hotels. You wanted him to have a good time. You asked for a refund for his half of the trip when he left, but it was too late. They returned only 25% of what you paid instead of 50, seeing as there was less than a week to go when you asked for it. You didn’t care. Whatever.
He somehow found out about the trip and had the audacity to ask if he could still come, since ‘you’d already paid for it and all’.
Fuck that. This was the trip of a lifetime for you. And you were going to enjoy it if it’s the last thing you did. Without him putting a dampener on the whole thing.
Yep. That’s what you were going to do.
***
“I can’t believe you’re making me do this. I’m a grown ass man, Ma, not a child.”
“Language, dear. We are only thinking of your own good sweetie,” Anita coaxed, rubbing her son’s extremely stiffened back, the man’s jaws clenched so hard his face looking far too much like his late grandfather’s, a man whose grumpiness was still being talked about. “You need this, Joel. You know you do.”
“Well I don’t need all of you sending me off like I’m going to war or something. You can leave now,” Joel grunted.
“Why? So you could take a cab back home and not go? After all the money we’ve spent to get you on this trip?” Jake guessed. His oldest son’s eyeroll told him his hunch was right.
“I didn’t ask you to pay for anything. I’m fine,” Joel grumbled.
“We know you didn’t, sweetie, but trust me, you need this vacation,” Anita gently said.
“I’ve got work to do. You think Tommy can handle that project alone? He’ll have the roof collapsing within a day.”
“Your brother can handle things without you for a couple of weeks. I’ll help out while you were gone,” Jake countered.
Joel scoffed.
“Hey, if I remember right, that was my company. I built that place up from nothing. If I hadn’t retired, the two of you would still be getting paid by the hour. So don’t talk to me like I don’t know what I’m doing son,” Jake chastised.
Joel chewed his own cheek at that, saying all the things he wished he could say out loud to his Pa’s face without fear or repercussions in his head instead.
“I don’t know why you guys are so adamant on me going on this trip. I’m fine. I’m functioning. I don’t need a vacation. I perfectly okay to go about my life. I don’t need this.”
“Joel, you know that’s not true,” his Ma protested.
“Ma, don’t start…”
“Joel, you are barely sleeping. Jen is guilting you with every opportunity she’s got, milking you for every cent you have, sucking the life out of you! You are drinking far too much! You got callous with your own life and safety!”
“Ma, I’m not…”
“You tried to grab a live wire with your bare hands Joel!”
“That was an accident! I wasn’t thinking!”
“That’s right, you weren’t thinking. You haven’t been thinking. You are grieving. Mourning.”
His Pa’s remarks earned him another scoff. “Well I’m sorry for not walking around as if my life is perfect. I’m sorry I’m not contributing to your hunky dory definition of the world anymore.”
“Joel, we all loved Sarah, but…”
“Don’t,” he snapped.
Anita stopped. “Joel…”
Joel picked up his backpack and suitcase, walking towards the entrance. He was a few steps away when his brother and cousins blocked his way.
“Where are you going brother?” Tommy asked.
“Get out of my way guys,” Joel ordered. The three Miller men in front of him refused to move.
“Turn around, cousin. You’re going to Japan,” his older cousin Will was bigger than him, there was no way he was getting past the man, especially with his younger cousin Benny there as well. These two men spent their free time at the gym, boxing for sports.
“Get out of my way, I’m not telling you again,” he dared, his knuckles whitening as his grips on his suitcase and backpack handles tightening.
“Or what? You’re gonna give it to us? Oh Boo Hoo Joel. Poor Joely. His family got him a free trip to Japan, but he wants to stay home and sulk,” Tommy snarked, his eyes cold.
“Tommy!” Anita scolded, “Don’t talk to him like that!”
“Sorry Ma, but he’s acting like a child. I know he’s in pain, we all know he’s in pain, but he needs to do this, we all know that. Heck, he knows that! Sarah would want him to go!”
Joel’s body retreated, all the fight in him evaporated like steam in the air. He reluctantly turned, not looking his worried parents in the eyes.
He felt defeated. He was forced into taking two weeks off after an incident at the house they were building. One of his workers accidentally cut through a cable, electrocuting himself. The cable ran amok, slithering across the yard like a python on crack, preventing anyone from helping the guy. He tried to stop it, almost electrocuting himself in the process, only saved when someone cut the power just as he caught the wire with his bare hands.
They had an intervention for him. He walked into his living room less than a week later with his entire family there, his bags packed, his passport - which he only got for the trip he planned with Sarah just before she… - in his Ma’s hands. They were worried for him, accused him of isolating himself, of being suicidal, of trying to destroy himself.
Yeah, maybe he hadn’t felt like socializing much these days, maybe he would rather be alone at home drowning in his sorrows in peace than be told how many drinks he’d had. Maybe he’d been drinking a tipple more than he should these days. Maybe even took a pill or two every few hours, if not more, anything to make him forget. Maybe he was a bit careless at work, maybe he had been a bit blasé with his own health and safety, maybe he wasn’t eating or resting as much as he should.
Maybe he hadn’t felt like life was worth living anymore this past year.
Excuse him for missing his daughter.
In truth, he could understand why they were doing this. But why Japan, of all places? She was so excited when he told her that morning before school. It was his birthday, and they were exchanging gifts as they usually did. Since she was old enough to know what gifting meant, she was always insistent that gift giving should be a two-way street, but only between the two of them, of course. The sucker that he was for his daughter, he agreed, always getting her something substantial for his birthday, more so on hers. Nothing was too much for his little girl. She had gifted him a watch for his birthday that morning, his old one that she had repaired, knowing that he would never spend money on himself, even the twenty dollars it took to repair that ratty old thing. He, in turn, showed her the booking he’d made. One week in Japan. Booked everything, a week during the mid-term break for him to spend time with his special little lady, just in time for her birthday.
She had always wanted to go. Wouldn’t stop yapping about it. Practically knew the language. Loved the animals cartoon thing they had, watched them on YouTube all the time, followed everything she could on Instagram. She loved the food, the culture, always reading up on them, even talked about maybe travelling there or going to college there one day. She wanted more than anything to go, see everything with her own eyes. And now, they’re going. In just a few weeks, just the two of them. Him and his favourite girl. She gave him the biggest hug before giving him wet, smacky kisses all over his face, thanking him, squealing his ears off as she exited Tommy’s truck at school that morning.
He was working at a house a street away from his ex, Jen’s house that evening when he heard the gunshot. His Dad heart just stopped. He knew. He somehow knew, immediately running over, only to have his worst fear confirmed.
He died that day with her, as did the watch she repaired for him.
The Joel Miller everyone knew before then never returned.
And now they’d bought him a package to Japan. A trip to a country he’d only ever been interested to go to with her. Why the fuck would they think this was great idea? So he could eat at himself alone, missing her more than ever, wishing she was there with him? What kind of genius plan was that?
He sat down on one of the chairs, no energy left in him to protest. He shook his head, rubbing his face with his hands. His Ma’s gentle hands wrapped around his shoulders as they started shaking, emotions overwhelming him.
“Why are you making me do this? Why can’t you just let me grieve in peace?” he asked, trying hard not to sob.
“Joel,” Tommy sighed, sitting next to his brother, regret clear in his voice. “I’m sorry for being harsh. I didn’t mean it, really, I didn’t. But you know as well as I do that she was looking forward to that trip. Heck, I wasn’t even going, never had the desire to see Japan, but after hearing her squeal in the truck that morning, telling me everything about the trip she’d only found out about, to the country she’d always wanted to visit? I was looking forward to seeing a very excited girl prepare for the trip. And I looked forward to a very excited girl telling me everything about it when the two of you got back. I was more than prepared for her to talk my ears off all about it. But she never got to take that trip she was so excited to go to. You can do this for her, Joel. Go, for her. She loved you with everything she had, she wanted you to move on, be happy. So go, brother. Don’t continue living in sadness like this. I miss her too, we all do. And we know, believe me, Joel, we know that you have it worse than we do, that you miss her more than we do. We can’t even imagine, Joel. None of us can. But I already lost my niece. Please don’t make me lose my brother too.”
Joel didn’t say anything. He looked around the hall, seeing how everyone was sort of paired up. Couples, girls in groups, parents and children, all headed somewhere, happiness clear across their features. He had wanted this with Sarah. Going somewhere with her. Spending some time alone with her without Jen screaming in his ears.
Just then, his phone vibrated. He glanced at it, seeing Jen’s name flash across the screen. He rejected the call. He hadn’t even placed the phone down when it vibrated again. Rejected. Again. He let it go to voicemail. One more time. Rejected.
And then the texts came flooding in.
This was gonna be his two weeks off if he stayed. Just two weeks of his ex, screaming at him, faulting him for everything wrong with her life, blaming him for Sarah, her husband, the cold weather, then rain, the traffic, the dogs barking, all of which would be fixed if he would just send her some money. The same old thing since Sarah passed over a year ago.
Another text, this time from his buddy Jim, asking if he was up for a drink later that evening. Joel wanted to roll his eyes to the back of his head and never have them roll back into position. Jim had been trying to ‘have a drink’ for a while now, since Jen left him. Every single time, a single mother cousin of his, Lucy, or something or other, would always coincidentally be in the vicinity. He had given up trying to avoid this ‘meeting for a drink’ thing for years. The guy never got the hint. Neither did Lucy, apparently, always feigning surprise when she ‘ran into them, what a small world, huh Joel?’.
Fuck this. Tommy was right. He needed a vacation. Plus, what’s the worst that could happen? It’s a free trip to Japan. He could just switch his phone off for two weeks. Get one of those disposable phones to make sure his Ma knew he was alive. And he’d be alone. No one would know if he was having fun or not. No one would know if he just spent the entire time holed up in his hotel room or sulking on the bus. Maybe he’ll hang out by the bus while the others vacationed. He was under no obligation to have fun. They couldn’t force him to have fun, right? And what his Ma didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.
A tall, lanky man about his age and a younger one stood in a clearing, the older man waving a flag above his head.
“That’s you, Joel. Go,” Tommy patted his shoulder, giving him an envelope with his name on it. “Your passport and the booking details. Come say goodbye before you go in.”
Joel took a deep breath and walked towards the man who now had a bunch of people surrounding him. The men said some things beyond his hearing, all the people giving them an envelope similar to his. He waited patiently for everyone to do so, not at all interested in being crowded by the rest.
“Hello,” a woman’s voice greeted him. Joel turned, a young woman, probably still in college, was standing behind him with a group of girls her age. “Are you in this group too?” she asked, eyeing him up and down, clocking the envelope he was holding in his hand. She held up her own, “Cause I am, and I don’t have a partner. There’s five of us. Everyone said its safer to have a partner when travelling,” she said, her friends snickering behind her. “I’m Cleo, and you are…?” she asked with a giggle of her own, her head tilted to one side, her hand extended in an offer to him.
Okay, this girl was far too chirpy for his liking. Too happy. Too eager. Too presumptive. Too… something else…
“Oh, hello,” an older woman greeted him, a lady around his age with her. “Are you in the group too? You give them your envelope, they’ll check us in,” the lady said. “Are you alone? Is your… uh… girlfriend joining us?” she asked, eyes glancing at his ringless finger. “This is my daughter, Tess, I’m Esther,” she cooed.
“Well, the two of you are together, right? If he’s alone, he’ll pair with me. You know how it is. You two should stick together,” the Cleo one said.
The Esther eyed the Cleo one up and down, “Aren’t you far too young for him?” she snarked.
“Aren’t you too old?” the Cleo one snarked right back.
“Mom, stop,” Tess urgently whispered. “Sorry,” she mouthed to Joel and the Cleo one, pulling her reluctant mother away.
The Cleo one smirked as if she’d won something, turning her attention back to Joel. “So? What do you say?”
“Joel? Annie?” the older man called out.
Joel felt as if someone was watching over him. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck with a bunch of girls for the whole two weeks. He quickly raised his hand, walking towards the man.
You quickly walked towards Frank, introducing yourself.
“Hi Annie, hi Joel, my name is Frank, and I’ll be joining you on this trip. The two of you are booked under a similar package, so if the two of you will come with me, I will take you to the check in counter.” He turned to the rest of the group, telling them to follow his assistant Jesse to the check in, all their envelopes in his hands already.
Joel gladly followed Frank and you, relieved that he didn’t have to deal with the Cleo one, or the Esther right then. He just didn’t have the energy to handle neither chirpiness nor overbearingness, he felt. He just wanted to be his lonesome and grumpy self, thank you very much. He stopped when Frank stopped at the first class counter. He turned around to look at Tommy, who just nodded, gesturing for him to just go along with the man. Within minutes, he was holding a first class ticket in his hands, Frank telling him and you that the two of you were free to go the lounge now, he will go get the two of you when it’s time to board. Joel turned around to go back to Tommy and his family, wondering what the heck was going on.
“Did you really book first class tickets for me? Are you out of your mind?” he hissed.
“Actually, we paid half price for the whole thing, which basically meant we paid the same price as everyone else, but for the fancier package. Someone dropped out, and we got their seat for half the price,” Tommy said.
“Still, that’s money you didn’t have to spend!” Joel sighed, feeling worse about the whole situation.
“Just don’t worry about it, Joel. We all chipped in, it’s really not that bad. We just want you to go, have fun, relax, clear your head. Go, enjoy yourself,” Jake said, hugging his son.
Joel shook his head, “I’ll pay you back. When I get back, I’ll pay you back,” he promised.
Tommy rolled his eyes, “No, Joel, just go. From the looks of it you’ll be having a lot of fun!” he said, eyeing the Cleo one at the check in, the young lady waving at Joel with her forefinger.
“I’m not doing that. You know how I feel about that,” Joel hurriedly whispered, not wanting his Ma to hear.
“Oh, lighten up. It’s just a holiday fling. Maybe you’ll loosen up a bit, huh?” Benny joined in, patting his older cousin in the back.
“Who was that other woman talking to you?” Tommy asked, looking at the Esther.
“I don’t know. Some woman and her daughter,” he grumbled.
“See? You have options! Things are looking up!” Benny jested. Will pushed him away.
“Don’t listen to these clowns. You do what you want to do, whatever that is. Just go, heal. Come back and start over. Call me if you want to talk or need anything,” he said, giving Joel a gentle hug.
“Joel? Mr Miller?” your voice hesitantly piped up.
Joel rolled his eyes, “What?” he asked, turning around rather aggressively. He immediately clocked your startled face and apologized, “Sorry, I thought you were… I’m sorry. Annie, right? I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. How can I help you?” he hurriedly asked, worried he had hurt your feelings.
You were indeed startled. But seeing that he was with who you presumed were his family, you recovered quickly, holding his boarding pass out to him.
“Frank gave me your boarding pass by mistake,” you said, your voice low, suddenly very aware that his entire family was staring at you.
He looked at his own pass, realizing he’d had yours all along, immediately passing it back to you. Your fingers brushed as you exchanged the rectangular piece of plasticky paper, a small burst of static making you jump.
“Do you have the other half of the package, then?” Anita quickly asked, introducing herself to you.
“Uh… I guess so,” you semi-confirmed, realizing now no one else checked in with the two of you.
The rest of the Miller men introduced themselves to you, Anita solemnly suggesting Joel go in with you, asking you if you knew where the lounge was.
“He’s never travelled alone before, at least, never in first class, maybe you can show him?” she asked, worry clear in her voice.
“Ma,” Joel started protesting.
“Sure, why not?” you answered, wanting to be nice to the nice woman who reminded you so much of your own Mom.
“Promise me you’ll text, and try to have fun okay?” Anita hugged her oldest, giving him a kiss, immediately pushing him to go with you, whispering that it wouldn’t hurt to have a friendly face in the next two weeks.
Joel wanted to protest some more, but the Cleo started to walk towards your little group, and he quickly got his backpack, hugging his Pa goodbye, asking you if you would be okay for him to follow you in. You smiled, nodding a little, before saying goodbye to his family. It was only then that Joel noticed – Tommy and his cousins were on their best behaviour, all three politely smiling back at you,
The family stood together and watched as you and Joel walked towards the gate.
“She seems nice, right?” Jake asked.
“Yeah, she does,” Anita hoped out loud. All she could wish for that her oldest son could find a friend in you in the coming two weeks, maybe you could just be what he needed to come back to the land of the living.
***
Joel looked around the cabin, never having sat in first class before. Truth be told, he was extremely glad. It was actually one of his worries back when he had planned to take this trip with Sarah. The trip would be about 18 hours long. The idea of sitting in coach for 18 hours made him want to die. He was willing to endure it for Sarah, but had he been made to sit in coach when he really didn’t want to be here, well…
But now he was sitting across the aisle from you in a seat that fully reclined. And they were offering him free alcohol. Things were not too shabby.
You and Joel introduced yourselves to each other properly at the lounge. He had planned on getting himself a drink there, but since you declined when asked, he didn’t want to seem like a drunkard immediately. He learnt that you had booked the vacation for yourself and a friend, but the friend had to cancel. So he thanked you for your friend’s seat, and the two of you sort of… sat next to each other for the duration of the wait. Didn’t really talk, didn’t really anything. But Joel found himself wanting to behave in your company, especially since the Cleo one and the Esther eyed you leeringly when the two of you went in together.
Maybe his Ma was right, it wouldn’t hurt to have a friend these next two weeks, right? After all, your friend cancelling was the only reason he got to travel in comfort, so why not be nice to you, right?
When asked what you would like to drink for take-off, you asked for coke with a twist. He desperately wanted a whiskey to go with his sleeping pill but felt weirded out by the prospect of being a sleepy drunk with you next to him, so he asked for the same. He could wait until you fell asleep, he thought, knowing there was not a chance in the world he could sleep on a plane without that combination.
Imagine his surprise when he effortlessly fell asleep without their help, long before you did.
***
Joel stood silently next to you as Frank and Jesse were handing everyone their keys for the night. It had been a long, long, very long day indeed. A very long two days, in fact, it can be argued.
He had somehow managed to be civil with you, not once snapping at you, or even be annoyed at you in the hours you two spent together, to his own shock and awe. Not that you gave him any reason to. You were clearly a well-travelled person, seemingly not at odds in keeping yourself busy during the mind-numbingly long hours of travelling. He didn’t want to bother you, you clearly wanted to rest and enjoy yourself, so he found himself simply copying your activities, watching a movie when you were, quickly asking you how to navigate the entertainment system on board. He read when you read, reading the book he once saw his Pa read at their place, his Pa clearly the one who packed the book into his backpack.
At the layover, he shocked himself by politely asking you if you could suggest something for him to do while waiting for the connecting flight, joining you in the lounge instead of doing what you suggested – seeing the Cleo one appearing around the corner. The two of you actually chatted a bit about Japan, him finding himself a bit more excited to actually see Japan. He liked that you didn’t probe. As private as he was, he knew he would have been curious to find out a man such as himself going to Japan on his own for leisure on a group tour like that. He never would have done that, nor any men he personally knew. Maybe a few would backpack across Japan, but this group tour thing? Never. But you never asked. So he decided to keep an open mind about you.
He didn’t ask much either. He guessed that you were well off, knowing that you had booked the higher priced package from the beginning. But other than that, he never pried. It wasn’t his business, and he appreciated that you respected his as well.
So when the group boarded the booked bus, he immediately sat himself next to you, much to the disappointment of the Cleo one, as well as the Esther. That one had tried to sit with you so he would sit with her daughter instead, but he quickly corrected her, whispering his appreciation if you’d just go with it, please? The fact that you simply told the Esther that she was in his seat made him appreciate you more. The fact that you, again, didn’t pry, made him – horror of horror – perhaps even, like you? A little? Maybe?
He didn’t even know he was capable of liking someone anymore this past year.
When the lobby slowly cleared of the group, the Cleo one came to him, giving him a piece of paper with her room number on it. “In case you need me,” she whispered, eyeing you from the corner of her eyes as you talked on the phone with someone. Joel didn’t take it, but that didn’t deter her, it seemed. She quickly shoved the paper into the pocket of his jacket, turning around before he could protest, her face falling when she saw him toss the paper into the trash.
Finally, only the two of you were left. Frank was still at the counter, seemingly arguing with the receptionist, Jesse joining him after a while. Frank finally came to join the two of you, his face in a panic, telling you there had been a slight mishap on the hotel’s part.
“I’m so sorry, but it seemed they are overbooked, they have the suite for you, Annie, but failed to reserve a room for you, Joel. Someone messed up, and the new booking was looked over. They are fully booked right now but will have a room for you in two days. Until then, you’re gonna have to share,” Frank cautiously told the two of you.
“But, the agency will take full responsibility and will look for a room in another hotel for you if you wish, no charge,” he quickly told Joel.
Joel could feel the beginning of his anger begin to bubble. He didn’t even want to be here, but now this? Fuck!
But before the bubble could even fully form, you spoke.
“Well, my suite has two rooms, right? A pullout couch in one of them, if I recall correctly? They could put a proper mattress on it, surely? I don’t mind if you don’t, Joel. We’ll have to share a bathroom, but I promise I won’t bother you,” you offered.
To his own surprise, Joel shrugged, “I don’t if you don’t. Are you sure, though? I wouldn’t want to…”
“Oh, come on, we’re all tired, it’s been a long two days. I’m hungry. I just want to sleep. I’m sure you do, too. Getting another room in a different hotel is going to take time. I have room, take it. You did pay for it, after all,” you firmly said.
Frank looked at Joel with hope in his eyes. Joel found himself in an unfamiliar situation, one where he had no problem agreeing to a solution he would normally have a problem with. He could easily see himself making a scene before, but today? Nope. He just wanted to sleep. Rest.
He didn’t know why he was okay with it, maybe the fact that you were not at all intrusive or annoying helped, but really, he was just tired. And he just wanted to get on Tokyo time and enjoy Japan tomorrow. For Sarah.
“Okay.”