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“I aim to be sweet,” I replied.
Now, we sat knee to knee on the bed. She had moved the blankets so that I wasn’t sitting on them, but so that they were completely around her shoulders. I had my blanket around my shoulders, wrapped around my arms to keep it from slipping off easily. As much as I wanted to fall asleep, there was now something different in the air.
Something sweet.
“If I can be honest with you,” I continued, deciding that there was no better time to say it than now, since I didn’t know how much longer the power would be off, “You’re a very attractive person. Something about your curiosity, I believe. I’d like to get to know you better, if that’s alright with you.”
“Is that so, Gabriel Delaney?” She raised an eyebrow with a bit of a smirk. “Well, I’m glad to hear it.”
“And why is that?” I couldn’t help asking the question.
Had something more changed over the last few days than just seeing her as a reporter?
“I think it’s quite handsome that you have such a realistic outlook on life. You could say you’ve hooked me with it,” Grace said as she leaned in a little more. “I’ve always needed someone to ground me in reality at times. Seeing that you were willing to go with what I wanted to do, but you also had the sense to keep it realistic… I can’t say how much I appreciate that.”
For a half second, I wondered if the cold had finally gotten to my head as another idea popped into my brain. However, I couldn’t argue that this was the best chance to do it.
I leaned in closer.
It didn’t take long for our lips to meet, and Grace practically melted into my embrace as I pulled her a little closer so that the blankets could cover both of us.
She pulled away a moment later as a deep humming throttle started up beside the bed. The heater in the room had started up, full power, once again.
“Did the power…?” Grace didn’t finish her sentence, but she didn’t move to check it out, either.
As much as I didn’t want to move her, I gently pulled away and turned my heater off.
“Why don’t you go try the door to your room?” I looked at her. “If you can get in, we could get ready to leave tomorrow morning. Based on how long the FAA takes to approve private flights after commercial flights start going, I think we’ll be leaving tomorrow.”
Grace nodded slowly.
“Then, I’m going to go see if my room will open while you do that.” She stood up.
She had kept her keycard on the table by the door into the hallway. As she passed the door, she took the keycard and placed the one for my room where hers had been.
“All right. You know where to find me if you can’t get in. Wait!” I stopped her before she entirely left the room. “Take the heater. The on/off switch is on the back.”
I showed her quickly how to work it.
“You know, just in case the power goes out again. I suggest you plug it in to at least make sure the battery is going to be at full charge. The red light here will turn green once it’s fully charged.”
“Thanks, Gabe. For everything.” She managed a small smile as she held the heater in her arms.
I stood in my doorway, with the door open, just to make sure that she was able to get into her room.
As she walked briefly out to the lobby with the defunct keycard before coming back, waving it hopefully, I noticed that the hall lights were completely on. The power must have come back on during our kiss. It was nice that the power was back, but I couldn’t help but wish it had stayed out for a few more seconds.
She stopped at her door, and I heard a click as the door unlocked. I opened my email on my phone. There were quite a few new emails since I had been busy talking to Grace pretty much all day long. However, there was indeed an email from the FAA. The flight plan had been approved, and we were clear to fly out in the next couple of days. Emergency weather always made nailing an exact flight date on a flight plan difficult, especially when the original flight had to be interrupted.
“Gabe?”
I looked up from my phone.
Grace had her door open, smiling at me.
“I got it. Thanks for the heater tonight. Did you find what the FAA says?”
“We’re cleared for takeoff before the end of the week,” I replied. “Get ready. We’ll be leaving tomorrow. The sooner we get out of Dawn, the better, in my opinion.”
