Page 9 of Spring Fling
Aiden nodded vigorously as we approached the counter to check in for the flight. A woman stood there in a pressed stewardessuniform. With her dark chestnut hair pinned back in a tight bun, she gave us the warmest smile as we handed her our paperwork. “Hola! Thank you for choosing AeroMéxico. What’s your final destination today?”
I tried and failed miserably to hide the amused grin on my face while Aiden watched in fascination as I spoke to the woman in very broken Spanish. I’d taken the required two years we needed in order to get into college in Washington state, but I hadn’t wasted my time learning any more. If I ran into someone on the street, I tried to be a little less of an asshole and speak to them how they understood me the easiest. It was times like that when I’d been grateful I hadn’t slept through most of those classes.
When I nudged Aiden’s arm and motioned for him to set his bag on the conveyor, he laughed, a bright smile spreading across his face. Once our boarding passes were in hand, I waved goodbye to the woman behind the counter, wrapped my arm around Aiden once more, and led him off to security.
“You speak Spanish?”
I laughed. “Fuck, no. I’m terrible at it. She was just being nice. If there’s anything I’ve learned when going to other countries, if you make any type of effort with their language, they’ll instantly love you.”
“So you’ve done a lot of traveling?”
My steps slowed as I looked over at Aiden. He seemed so shy as he asked the question. “A little. Nothing extreme. Idon’t fucking know, man. Mom and Dad wanted us to experience other cultures or some shit like that. When I was in elementary school, we went on a trip to Europe and I made their lives such a living hell the entire time. They learned their lesson. We didn’t do another family trip until I was in high school, when we went on vacation to the Bahamas.”
His laughter did something funny to my gut. Maybe it was because my arm was still around him or the knowledge we were really about to spend the week alone, but I liked this side of Aiden. I enjoyed getting to know him on a more personal level, other than being Nathan’s little brother.
“Got it. Younger Joe was just as much of a pain in the ass as older Joe.”
A high-pitched squeal filled the air as my fingers dug into Aiden’s side as I tickled him. The people who stood in the security line stared at us like we’d lost our minds. And maybe we had. Couldn’t blame us for trying to have a little fun.
I normally wasn’t the touchy-feely guy, but the second we were through security, my arm found its way around Aiden again. It felt natural, but also like it was the best way of keeping him safe. He hadn’t seemed to mind and relaxed into the touch as we walked through the concourse to our gate.
Aiden was like a child on Christmas when we reached the gate. He ran right up to the large panes of glass and pressed his nose toit, oohing and awing at the airplane. “I’ve never seen one this close before. It’s so freaking big.”
I snorted a laugh. “Big, huh?”
Aiden slapped me on the chest before collapsing into one of the seats, waiting to be called for our turn to board. “I should have known you’d make a joke like that.”
“You fell right into that one. Fuck, kid. You’re in for a rough week if you can’t take one immature joke.”
He rolled his eyes. “I can handle them fine. I’m just a little nervous, I think.”
And damn, my arm slid right back around him, pulling him into my side. He nestled in like we were some real couple going on vacation together. “It’s normal to be nervous, Aid...” And like the fucking idiot I was, I kissed the side of his head.
Chapter 7
Aiden
Six freaking hours in a tin can flying through the air was not my definition of a good time. At least Joe had done his best to distract me by showing me random videos on his phone, and we had the added benefit of first class. The poor suckers in the back looked like sardines, while I had plenty of room. At one point, the flight attendant had tried to offer me a drink, only to ask for my ID. She gave me a sympathetic smile and said that at least I could drink once we landed.
Stepping off the plane was like stepping into another world. Things had still been cold and rainy back in Seattle. The weather didn’t normally improve until later in June, so the blast of slightly humid and warm air was welcome.
“You ready for this?”
I jumped as Joe’s hand landed on my shoulder, leading me to customs. Being in another country was such a trip. Would they ask me a million questions about my visit and how long I planned to be there? I had no idea what to expect.
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” I swallowed around the nervous lump in my throat as we moved with the crowd through theairport. My passport felt like it was burning a hole in my pocket; I was stoked to get it stamped for the first time.
The line in customs moved quickly and when we approached the counter, I held out my passport. I was a little disappointed when the man took it, stamped it, and handed it back to me. That was it. There was no fanfare or hard questions. Why I thought there was more to it, I’ll never know.
Once we gathered our bags, we headed outside, and my whole body vibrated with excitement as Joe led me to a waiting vehicle.
“I hope you don’t mind. The hotel has this shuttle service, but I thought you’d appreciate a more scenic drive?”
I laughed at Joe’s hesitancy. “It’s not a problem. This is fucking awesome.” I was already itching to pull my camera out and take pictures, even if it was just the airport. Everything was so bright and colorful. You could see the ocean from the concourse and the bright blue waves were already calling to me.
Once we were situated in the car, I finally pulled my camera from its case as the driver pulled out into traffic. He started talking in rapid Spanish, but I didn’t mind that I couldn’t really understand him. It was all part of the experience.
My camera shutter clicked repeatedly as we passed resorts, shops, and bright green palm trees. People in all sorts of beach-going attire lined the streets, and I couldn’t wait to join them and explore everything. Spring break was in full swing and most of the people looked to be about my age as it was.
