Page 102 of Kissing Games
Charlie may have been first off the plane, but his bags were not. His eyes flicked from his watch to the carousel as bags came and went and the hall emptied.Fuck!Any later and he was going to miss the bus. Was there another he could catch? He searched on his phone and found one with a connection at 3.00 a.m. in another city. That would have to do. He glanced up.Finally.He grabbed his bag and stalked out of the hall, through a deserted customs area and out into arrivals.
Behind the barrier was a long line of middle-aged men holding signs. He stopped abruptly as he read the first one. In big, bold letters were the words ‘Charlie Hamilton’.Huh?
He walked over. ‘I’m Charlie Hamilton.’
The man stared at him with a look that made Charlie wonder if he should now claim to be someone else.
‘Do you have a tattoo of a dragon?’ the man asked.
Charlie nodded. Had the abuelas arranged a car in case he missed the bus?
The man looked unimpressed. ‘Show me.’
Fuck’s sake!Charlie dropped his bags to the floor and pulled up his shirt.
The man’s expression changed. ‘Where does it end?’
‘Where do you think?’ replied Charlie testily, tucking his shirt back in. He never knew the tattoo would cause him so much trouble. He picked up his bags. ‘Happy now?’
The man shrugged in response.
‘Are you here for me?’
The man shook his head and pointed to the man standing next to him, also carrying a sign. This one read ‘I thought I was fine, with my plan and my life.’
What the fuck?
Charlie looked right, to a third man holding another sign, this one reading, ‘But then you came along, to cut my lies with a knife.’
Charlie stepped back to see that the line of over twenty men were all carrying signs the same size and shape. His heart stuttered.Valentina?Was she here?
He couldn’t see her.
An ostentatious cough drew his attention back to the first man, who pointed at the signs. ‘Read please, Mr Hamilton.’
Charlie’s throat was tight, his head buzzing. Was this some kind of crazy joke by the abuelas? He returned to the start of the line and started reading.
Charlie Hamilton.
I thought I was fine, with my plan and my life,
but then you came along, to cut my lies with a knife.
I was actually lost, adrift out at sea,
but then you swam out, and rescued me.
You showed me new places, out there, and in me,
and I dared to believe there was more I could be.
Charlie stopped and looked around again. This was from her. It had to be. Emotion was rushing through him, an urgent anxiety to get to the end and find her. He carried on reading.
You showed me the stars, the moon and the loch,
then showed me the way to the head of your… Croc.
Charlie let out a laugh. She was amazing. She was fucking amazing.
