Page 90 of Flight of Fancy

“Jesus. Okay. Give me a few minutes. You woke me up at four in the morning.”

Elle would apologize later. Some things were more important right now.

Arianna’s building was right on the edge of Changi before it blended into Tampines. Unlike some others in its vicinity, the building was not as grandiose as its neighbors, which Elle did not doubt cost double whatever her girlfriend paid when she first moved in.

There was little time – and little light – to take it in. Nor was there a doorman or lobby receptionist to welcome Elle. A few other residents shuffled by with shopping bags and briefcases, most of them more tired than energized by what they had done on a normal Sunday.

Arianna is supposed to fly to LA tomorrow. Elle had a feeling that wasn’t happening. All the more reason for her to hop in the elevator and hit the button for the seventh floor.

The hallways were steel gray with black doors. Bronze numbers were the only form of decoration, aside from a picture of Changi Airport hanging on the far end. Arianna’s apartment was right in the middle. Number 712. Before buzzing, Elle wondered if that was a lucky number in Singaporean culture. Or Malay culture, for that matter.

She buzzed again. Is she not home? Is this not the right address? She clearly saw the name “SONG” written on the nameplate by the door. Isaac wouldn’t have lied to her, right?

Maybe Arianna wasn’t even in Singapore. Had she gone back to Malaysia? Was she staying with her sister? Was she pulling an Elle and already in America, looking for her?

Had they just missed each other?

“Ah…” That timid voice startled Elle into paying attention to the door slowly clicking open. “What are you doing here?”

That was Arianna’s greeting to the woman she claimed to love… and Elle didn’t blame her, because those puffy eyes and that beige sweat set hadn’t been washed in days. When did she find out? Why didn’t she tell me? Elle resisted the urge to embrace her girlfriend if Arianna wasn’t initiating.

“I… I heard what happened. I had to come see you.”

Only then did she realize that Arianna had answered the door with her hair down around her shoulders. She looks so much younger with her hair down. Elle hadn’t noticed it before. Instead of the mature and stylish lady she had first asked out in a hotel restaurant, she beheld a young woman who didn’t look a day out of university. I never realized how much hair makes a difference. No wonder Arianna was so particular about how she presented herself to the world. She was a chameleon with her hair and makeup.

“You came to Singapore? To see me?”

Elle nodded. “You weren’t answering your phone or messages. I was worried about you.”

“You came all the way to Singapore over that?” Shaking her head, Arianna hustled back into her apartment. She did not tell Elle to go away, nor did she welcome her in.

But the door was left open,

Elle followed her in, instantly hit with the musty smell of old food and linens that needed to be washed. Take-out bags lined the tiny kitchen counter that was barely big enough to prepare dinner for one, let alone a couple. The garbage overflowed beneath a sign that helpfully reminded residents of which day was for combustibles, which was for recyclables. The air conditioner churned on the wall, but it still felt like someone’s inevitable tomb.

The curtains were drawn. Only one bright white light shone in the kitchen. Otherwise, Arianna had been living in her bed, watching shows on her laptop.

I’ve been in some cramped apartments before, but… The cost of living was large in Singapore, but didn’t Royal Asia pay better than this?

“Sorry it’s such a mess.” As if moving through a fog, Arianna sorted the takeout bags on her counter and gave up when she realized her garbage was full. “I haven’t stayed on top of things since coming home. You’d never guess I was gone for so long.”

“Aria.” Elle caught her girlfriend’s shoulder before she walked by. “We need to talk about what’s happened.”

Arianna only briefly looked her in the eye. “I’m on unpaid leave because they found out.”

“I know. I’m here to help. Tell me what to do.”

“Are you suspended too? How does that work with someone so far up the chain?”

“I’m taking some personal time off. Wait, did they tell you?”

Arianna leaned against the patch of wall between her kitchen and dining table. “They asked me if I knew who Elizabeth Sabin was. That’s you. One of my bosses, apparently.” A hand clutched the other. “Why didn’t you tell me that you worked for Royal Asia?”

Any resolve Elle harbored instantly deflated. “I was going to while you were in Seattle. It didn’t happen because it was not the right time.”

“Why not before then? Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

Elle held her breath until she spoke on the exhale. “I didn’t want to complicate things. When we first got together, it was casual, you know? I liked you. That was all there was to it. If you knew I was on the board, you may have been more guarded. I just wanted to get to know you as someone who liked you.”

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