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Except she was here, Elle was over there, and someone wanted Arianna’s attention.
“Most of the American crews go to Changi Pat’s because it’s a short walk from the hotel most airlines lay you over at.” Arianna lost more of the wind from her sails the longer she stood between Charmaine and Riley, both of whom were excited to be back in Singapore for very different reasons from Arianna, who was either getting good takeout from her sister or getting laid with Elle. It’s been nearly thirty hours since I was last touched by her. I’m addicted. “It’s an English-only bar where they only sell Western food.”
“What’s the point of that when I’m in another country?”
Arianna shrugged. “Familiarity when you’re jet-lagged. Didn’t you ask Capt. Fan where everyone goes to unwind?”
“Hate to break it to you, but I’m not one of the boys yet.” Riley crossed her arms and kicked one foot over the other. “James and Tom are cool and respectful, but it’s clear they don’t know what to make of me. Being a woman who is… well, you know.”
Arianna was too tired to get her meaning.
“I’m like fifty shades of gay. I’ve got the haircut and everything. Look how I stand.”
“I know about that,” she politely said. “But I hadn’t… no, I hadn’t put it together. When it comes to Americans, we know you all are very into individual style.” Arianna chuckled. “Nobody tells you what shade of lipstick to wear, huh?”
“I’d die before anyone makes me wear lipstick.”
Must be nice. As much as Arianna liked getting dolled up, there was something to finding her style. She had been doing her hair and makeup the way her employers wanted for so long that sometimes she forgot she could do whatever she wanted in her own time. As the years went by, the more she defaulted to the assigned makeup because it was easier. Too many decisions… too little time to figure out what I want at thirty. It led to people either praising her “classic” Singaporean beauty or gently making fun of her for doing herself up like “an auntie.” But it also conveyed that she had money, so…
What were they talking about, again?
“Where do you go to unwind when you get back from work?” Riley asked.
It took her a moment to answer, a dire hope that they were moving forward soon unfounded. “Usually, my sister picks me up and she buys me takeout in exchange for me buying her whatever she wants in Los Angeles. It’s not exciting, sorry.”
“Hey, free takeout is great no matter where you are. I’d unwind like that too.”
Arianna put down her bag and matched Riley’s stance against the wall. “You just moved to LA, didn’t you?”
“Worst part of the transition. Do you know how expensive LA is? It’s like marginally cheaper than Seattle, where I was before.”
She’s also from Seattle? Suddenly, Arianna imagined Riley and Elle randomly meeting at a lesbian bar and dating. That’s absurd. Or was it? Seattle wasn’t as populated as Singapore, right? Anything was possible.
“Do you know someone named Elle Sparrow?”
Riley was almost too alert for someone who had hopped off a sixteen-hour flight from LAX. “I’m… sorry?”
“Oh, someone I know from Seattle. She’s actually a frequent flyer on the airline. In fact, she’s over there somewhere. She flies First Class a lot. Just wondering how possible it is for random people to have met each other.”
Riley looked at her as if this were a trick question. “Eh… Sparrow? Can’t say I’ve ever met someone with that last name.”
I had a feeling. It was too good of a story to be true.
“Maybe we’ll have to get a drink sometime.” Riley turned as the line started moving and an airport employee showed the crew where to go. “You can show me around your hometown.”
Although Arianna knew what she meant, she held back the urge to correct Riley on what her “real” hometown was. Love to see you in Kuala Lumpur sometime. She kept it to herself. Like so many other things.
“I thought I was supposed to be meeting your sister.” Did Elle halt Arianna’s amorous pursuits once they were in her Lion Orchard suite, though? Absolutely not. Even if they had to be out of the hotel in another five minutes, Elle couldn’t say no to a beautiful woman rubbing all over her. Especially if it included kisses on the cheeks and throat as if Arianna were discovering the female form all over again. “Or is that tomorrow? I might have a business dinner tomorrow.”
Arianna finished unbuttoning her girlfriend’s blouse but stopped short of messing with her bra. “It’s Sunday night. Before we fly back to LA.”
“Oh, good. That means we can continue doing this."
She served Arianna a delicate kiss to the lips that was soon transfigured into something a bit raunchier. My favorite kind. As Elle slammed herself against the wall and drew Arianna into her arms, she thought of all the times they hadn’t gone straight to sex upon meeting. Hell, they had slept together only a night ago. More like two nights ago when you factor in the traveling. Elle didn’t think of it like that, though. She only knew that her girlfriend had been within reach for so long, yet untouchable.
Other women would have found the whole arrangement exquisitely dirty, like a clandestine affair they got off on purely because it was naughty. Yet Elle knew it wasn’t like that for her and Arianna. Theirs was a secret out of practicality. It gave them some room to decide this wasn’t working, and Arianna would either change routes or Elle would politely find other travel – or get out of the Singaporean meetings altogether. Except they got on swimmingly. They were more comfortable around each other with every meetup. Whether they were in LA or Singapore, there was always something to do, someplace to go for a date, and if they were pressed for time… well, staying in Elle’s hotel room was never a bad idea. There was plenty to get up to in there, even if one of them didn’t feel well enough to fool around.
That was what Elle wanted from a relationship. Someone she knew well. Someone she was comfortable around. And someone who understood that sometimes “no” wasn’t a rejection of her partner. There was no pressure for sex in the precious nights they had together. It happened naturally, like now, when Arianna came through the door hot and needy for the woman whose lips she now kissed and whose body she grabbed like they would never see each other again.
