"We have a problem."
I look back at the brunette through the camera on the phone.
"Good morning to you too, gorgeous," I tell her, raising a brow. "There can't be any problems, because you're getting on a flight in," I look at the clock next to my bed, "six hours."
"That's the problem."
"More, Ope. I need more. Did they cancel the flight? Is Pops sick?" I shift to sit upright in the bed, causing the sheet to fall off of my bare chest, rubbing against my eyes in an attempt to wake up a bit more. "What's the problem, love?" With a quick yawn and a shake of my head I focus back on the screen. Seeing Opal staring at my chest, biting her lip. A smirk catches my lips.
I love that I do that to her.
"Earth to Opal!" I startle her back to reality. "What's the problem?"
"Oh, I uh," she stumbles over her words, flustered by the fact that I caught her staring. She gives her head a small shake before continuing. "No, nothing like that. Look." She flips the phone around to show me her luggage sitting by the front door.
"I'm not seeing the problem, babe."
The camera turns back to around. "I'm ready to go now."
I can't help but laugh at her silliness. "You're gonna have to find something to occupy your time then."
"But," she starts to protest, "I could get in my car right now and be there at your door before the plane even lands."
"That's a long trip for just one person. I don't know how I feel about you being on the road like that." I'm sure she would be fine, but what if she starts feeling ill, or there's an accident.
"Then give me something to do to occupy my brain and time, Evans."
I think on this for a moment, genuinely trying to come up with anything to keep her from getting on the road. "You could visit Pops."
"Already done. I took him breakfast." She plops onto her couch with a grunt.
"You got up that early?" I ask, shocked. It's just now 7 AM.
"Who said I slept?"
"Woman," I say sternly. "Tell me you slept. You can't be getting exhausted."
She rolls her big brown eyes at me, huffing. "I did sleep. Just not much," she whispers the last part.
"And why not? Are you feeling alright?"
"I feel fine except that my boyfriend lives 300 miles away!" she yells at me, throwing her head back on the couch. "I miss you. These four weeks have felt like pure torture and I'm ready for the torment to end."
My expression softens at her words. I know exactly what she means. This has been difficult to endure, quite possibly more for her because she doesn't know what is just over the horizon at this point in our relationship.
But now I'm starting to wonder if it will make things even more difficult for her. I decide not to think about that right now, a bridge to cross later on.
"It was amazing having you here when I woke up," she admits. "The last thing I heard each night being your voice telling me you love me. I just miss it."
"Does it help that you'll have all those things again soon?" She shrugs her shoulders, pouting. "I'll even record myself telling you I love you so you can play it each night before bed."
"You're a dork." I smile at her words.
There's a knock on her door, before I overhear some shouting. "Opal, what is that?"
"It's Lily. Probably wanting to make sure I'm up and packed. She doesn't trust me to be on time after almost missing our flight for her party in Atlanta." She shuffles to the door. "I'm coming!" she shouts loudly, causing me to grimace at the pitch through the phone's speaker.
I hear her pull the door open, and then Lily's voice. "Let's get you packed." She moves past Opal, further into the house. "Hey, Chris!" she calls over her shoulder.
"I am packed, crazy lady."
"I don't believe you," she says to Opal. I can see Opal point to where her suitcases are sitting.
I'm relatively sure both women have forgotten I'm still on the phone, at this point I'm just a spectator.
"You got your meds?" Opal nods.
"Dresses?" Another nod.
"Birth control?" This time her eyes narrow, lips in a thin line. "Ya never know." Opal shakes her head.
"Hey Ope," I call out to her, gaining her attention back on myself. "If you wanted you could always go to the airport and see if you all could get an earlier flight."
"I had that thought, but Jameson doesn't get off until eleven." Her expression saddens my heart, and yet makes me happy that she wants to be with me so much sooner.
Lily speaks up. "You could always see if you could get an earlier flight. There's no way they'll be able to get us all on one anyways. If you want to give it a shot I'll take you now."
The smile that comes over her face warms my heart. "I'll call you back soon, okay?" she tells me.
"Looking forward to it. I love you."
"Love you too, Sergeant."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Opal POV
"Kiss me again."
Chris leans against the center console of his car while we sit in airport traffic. I pucker my lips playfully and give him the smallest peck. I lean back just staring at him. "I can't believe you're actually here."
"I mean, it's just two hours earlier, but at least it's something." I smile up at him. "So, what's the plan?"
Chris glances over his left shoulder, checking the traffic as he pulls onto the highway. "Well, I need to stop by the precinct for a few minutes if that's alright with you. I've got a short meeting. I can run you to the apartment or you can wait at my desk."
"You've sat at my desk, I think it's only fair that I get to sit at yours," I sass, unable to lessen the smile that has been plastered on my face since seeing that Boston ball cap bouncing through the airport.
"Fair enough," he answers, picking up my hand and squeezing it gently.
"So," I shift in my seat, turning towards him a bit more. "It looks like I'm being kidnapped for the day on your birthday."
"Okay," he says simply.
This confuses me. I figured there would be a bit of an argument, some type of disagreement over it, but nothing.
"Laura wants a girl's day before the Bachelor/Bachelorette party."
"Alright." His eyes shift to the rearview mirror, checking on the car behind him.
"I'm sure I can at least make you breakfast or something before she steals me away," I offer.
"Up to you, whatever you want to do." He checks the lane on my side before moving to the right and getting off on the next exit. "I may have to work a shift that day anyway."
I let out a small sigh, turning back to sitting correctly in my seat, leaning back I unconsciously cross my arms against my chest. "What?" he asks taking a quick glance at me.
"Nothing."
"It's Laura's wedding, Ope. Just go with the flow."
Her wedding, but your birthday, I think to myself as he pulls into a parking space at the precinct. I don't wait for him to come and open my door, letting myself out instead. I come around the front to find him with his hands on his hips. "What?" I ask, throwing my purse over my head, challenging him.
"Why are you upset?"
He's gotten to know me too well.
"I'm not upset." His look gets a bit more intense. "I'm not. Just aggravated."
Chris takes two long legged steps to stand in front of me. Once his hands touch my face, I feel my frustration begin to soften. "I've missed you," he smirks down at me, rubbing his thumbs along my cheekbones.
"You gonna just stare at me, or are you gonna kiss me?" If I'm gonna be frustrated I might as well use it a bit to my advantage and be extra sassy.
Unfortunately for me, it doesn't go my way. Instead of his lips finding mine, they find my forehead. The expression on my face giving off dissatisfaction. His face, laughing.