"I can't believe you live here," I said as the Miami coastline came into view.
Emily turned towards me with her head tilted. "Hm, what did you say?" She was distracted by the view herself. Her voice was muffled by the droning of the plane's engine.
"I said you're very beautiful."
Emily bit her lip and gave me a kiss before turning back to admire the view.
I grinned like an idiot but meant every word. I admired her features in the reflection of the window. I was especially taken by her beautiful brown eyes and smooth brunette hair.
I leaned in and kissed her shoulder. Her skin felt nice on my lips. This wispy white dress was the most revealing thing she had worn in a while, and she only wore it because we were in Florida in the middle of summer. I was glad the dress ended at her knees. My glance traveled down her calves to her bare feet.
"Are we gonna have any time to ourselves at your family's estate?" I whispered into her ear.
She giggled. "It's not an estate. You make me sound like an entitled princess."
"Aren't you?" I was referring to the nice condo we shared back in New York and the fact that I bankrolled her shopping habits.
"Tsk!" She elbowed me, but I could tell she enjoyed the teasing.
She refused to take her eyes off the view of her home. Did she ever consider our place in New York her home? I could never tell how permanent she thought our arrangement was, and I was too afraid to ask.
"I'll take that as a yes." I rested my chin on her shoulder, like a dog begging for attention.
She snorted. "You wish. You're here to meet my family, so get those dirty thoughts out of your head."
"Mmm, but I love youuuu." I assaulted her with puckered lips.
She giggled and shoved me away. "Stop it!" She glanced past me to the man sleeping in the aisle seat.
Just then, the pilot announced our landing over the intercom. We buckled up and behaved ourselves, occasionally sneaking playful glances at each other. For now, I would have to admire her beauty from a distance.
———
Would I really be deprived of Emily's healthy chest and sensuous curves for a whole week? "Why don't we just rent a hotel room?" I had asked. She brushed it off, saying I was just horny. I was too embarrassed to admit it or to proposition her more directly.
I was always a timid person. So timid, in fact, that Emily and I almost didn't end up together. I first met her when she got off the elevator and asked me where the front desk was. I pointed absentmindedly at our office receptionist and admired Emily's strut as she thanked me and continued walking. I later learned that she was the new intern. She was nineteen at the time, a finance major at NYU looking for experience during her summer. I was a twenty-seven-year-old analyst too focused on work to be in a relationship. I had a girlfriend in high school, but we broke up when I moved to New York. My college relationship ended after she moved back to California. I couldn't bring myself to leave New York. I dated no one else until Emily.
We bonded a lot over that summer. She was as obsessed with the work as I was, so naturally, my boss assigned me as her mentor. I dreaded it at first. How was I supposed to talk to this angel on a daily basis without my voice shaking? But her gaze had a way of calming me down. That and her smile. That damn smile. The way she looked at me made me feel like we were old friends, like she could save me from the darkest pit of despair. I felt as if I were coming home whenever I went to work, as long as I saw her. We were often the only ones in the office after everyone else clocked out. We would order takeout and talk about personal things. Those nights together were the only time I ever exposed my humorous side. Her laughter rang in my head each time I went to bed.
On the last day of that summer, I was unimaginably sad. But of course, I didn't utter a word about how I felt. I just stood in the elevator with my head hanging down on the way to see her off. As we approached the ground floor, she turned around, pushed me against the wall, and kissed me. We lost our virginities that night on the floor of my living room.
———
I kissed her hand as the taxi raced down the interstate. It was mid-afternoon, and the sunlight hit her face at the perfect angle.
"They'll love you." She reassured me with that same smile.
I smiled back and nodded. Nothing from that beautiful mouth could ever be a lie.
We made it just in time for supper. A maid met us at the taxi and took our bags. What was that about not being an entitled princess? We didn't even have the opportunity to step inside the house because dinner took place on the side lawn. Of course it did.
The chef did a perfectly fine job, but it was nothing compared to a home-cooked meal. I ate dutifully as the usual pleasantries droned on, only speaking when spoken to. This was a large family gathering, and it seemed every Johnson in the fifty states was seated at the elongated table. Cousins, uncles, and sons-in-law who hadn't seen each other in years shielded the introvert in me with their exaggerated stories and overlapping voices. Because of them, I was spared from the dreaded task of explaining how I met Emily or when we would bring back grandchildren.
"Oh, guess who decided to finally show up!" Mrs. Johnson exclaimed. "And what in the world are you wearing?"
A young blonde with ripped jeans and a sweater bearing the logo of an outdated rock band sat down at the empty seat across from Emily. Her hair was wavy but cropped just below her ears. I noticed her nose ring right away.
"What am I, seventy?"
I nearly choked on my food. She had a point. The rest of the table was filled with people wearing button-up shirts and wool sweaters. Even Emily and I argued over how much gel to put in my hair. "Not a strand out of place," she had said.
"No, you're a classy young lady who will show some common decency toward our guests," Mrs. Johnson retorted.
"I'm here, aren't I?" The girl shoved aside her plate containing the salad that was our first course and stuck her spoon into the remaining bowl of mashed potatoes.
Mrs. Johnson turned to her husband for support, but he merely shrugged. She shook her head and gave up with a sigh.
"And this is my sister, Lucy." Emily feigned a disapproving look at her sister, but I could tell she was suppressing a grin.
Lucy gave me a fake smile before returning to her mashed potatoes.
Emily reached out to grab Lucy's hand. "I missed you, sis."
"Missed me so much that you forgot to visit my room."
Emily rolled her eyes. "We thought you'd be down here."
"Figured I'd let you guys eat all the garbage first." Lucy scarfed down the rest of the mashed potatoes.
"What did I do to deserve this? Donald, talk to your daughter." Mrs. Johnson chimed in.
"The food's not garbage. We have a great chef." Mr. Johnson remained buried in his phone.
"No, that's not what I-" Mrs. Johnson buried her face in her hands.
Emily snickered loudly, causing her sister to burst out in giggles. Soon, they were chatting and gossiping, catching up like old friends. When the conversation became more exciting and they burst into a raucous laughter, Mrs. Johnson put her foot down. "That's enough! Both of you."
Emily bit her lip and looked down guiltily, like a child who had been scolded.
Lucy stood up. "Well, it's been fun, family. I'm over it."
"You won't humor me, will you? Not even for one night." Mrs. Johnson looked up at her younger daughter, shaking her head.
"Love you, Mom." Lucy kissed her mother on the forehead and skipped off.
Mrs. Johnson addressed me. "I'm glad you ended up with Em and not the other one."
"Mom!"
"What? It's true."
"She's been like this her whole life. How do you expect to change her?"
"I'll go talk to her," I suggested.
"Please! God knows I've tried for years," Mrs. Johnson said.
