In Plane Sight
He closed the car door after her and glancing around him he crossed in front of his car, pausing at the driver's side headlight while a SUV passed.
Climbing in, he pulled his seat belt around him, as it clicked, she sighed heavily, deliberately.
"What?"
"Why do we always have to come here?" She pointed to the restaurant they'd just left, a small family owned Italian joint off the strip. Way off the strip. Straight out of a black and white movie, it was complete with red and white-checkered tablecloths and candles stuck into the necks ofround-bottomed wine bottles, long since emptied. A nice place, good food, but the neighborhood was bad. And she was tired of eating the same thing.
"What would you rather?" He asked starting the engine.
"To be in public. To not sneak around like we're doing something wrong, 'cause we're not. I'm starting to feel ashamed of myself; that you're ashamed of me." She paused, watching his face, and knew that he'd been feeling the same. "Neither of us have reason to be."
"Alright" Without another word, he put the car in drive and eased out onto the street. She expected him to head to her place, which would have meant taking a left at the corner. Instead he took a right and a few miles later, pulled onto the freeway.
"Where're we going?"
He merged into traffic before turning his head briefly to her, and smiled "In Public." He said the word capitalized, as if referring to public as Fate or Destiny, like a poet would.
"Public?" She asked, simultaneously intrigued and frightened.
"Mm hmmm."
She tried to coax hints out of him but failed, getting only smiles for answers. Smiles that grew brighter as her anxiety grew. He liked to drive her nuts once in awhile, God knew she made him crazy enough every day, just by hernearness.
She gave up the interrogation after awhile, when she realized the road signs were telling her more than he ever would.
He hit the turn signal, changing lanes and slowing down as he steered the car down the off ramp.
"The airport?"
He gave her a self-satisfied grin.
"The airport." She repeated, trying to figure it out. There was no way they were flying anywhere, as if Public could be a destination, and besides, what city could be more public than the one they were already in?
She was nearly vibrating with curiosity, and her stomach flip-flopped with apprehension. She didn't really like surprises.
Taking a deep breath, forcing herself to let go and relax into her seat. It only seemed to encourage him, he grinned at her from his seat as he rolled down the window, taking the parking tag an automated mechanism spit out at them as they pulled up. It looked to her like the machine was sticking its tongue out at her, mockingly. I know something you don't know a robotic voice sang through her mind, and she had to force herself not to stick her own tongue back out at the contraption.
He eased the car through the maze of the parking structure, passing full slot after full slot. On the third level of the deck, he spotted an older couple loading bags into the trunk of a Toyota, and he waited as they climbed into the car and backed out. He parked in the space and hopped out. "Come on." He teased through his open car door, looking back in at her. She hadn't moved, and was considering staying put, holding herself for ransom, demanding an explanation, but as she looked at him, he looked so endearing; she couldn't bring herself to ruin his surprise.
"Come on." He repeated, his voice animated, and for a moment, she could picture him as a boy, riding his bike down the street, looking over his shoulder calling back to his friends. His excitement was contagious, and she grinned in spite of her apprehension, and climbed out of the car. The two doors slammed shut in unison, sending a hollow echo through the parking garage.
Half way through their trek to the terminal, he grabbed her hand as they threaded their way through the congestion of cars dropping people off and picking people up. "What do you see?" He asked, raising his voice a little to be heard over the honking of an inpatient driver.
Together, they stepped up on to the curb, and when she realized he'd stopped walking, she turned to face him. He took both her hands in his. "Look around, tell me what you see."
Doing as she was asked, she looked around. Cars were lined up, three deep and stretched back as far as she could see. Those vehicles lucky enough to have made it curbside sat with their trunks open, waiting to be either loaded or unloaded as their drivers hugged and kissed hello or goodbye. "Cars." She answered his question. "People, hugging and kiss-" She began to understand why he'd brought her here.
"Kissing.. . " He finished for her, the deepness of his voice and the catch in the back of his throat told her she had guessed right. He pulled her closer to him, brought his face near hers and she braced herself for their first kiss in front of anyone. Instead, he teasingly turned his head at the last moment, bringing his mouth to her ear. "...in Public." He whispered, his breath hot against her ear. And then he kissed her.