Lux boards her plane with a hangover - never do that, it's always a bad idea. She is half asleep by the time the plane takes off and she hopes she sleeps all the way. She has no idea what the length of the flight is or what the hotel name is - she still has not looked at the invite. If she gets lost and dies - she will have her excuse so it's a winning situation. She shifts in her chair to get comfortable but freezes when she hears a man's loud echoing laugh.
Fuck no!
She leans into the aisle but there is a curtain blocking her view. The laugh is coming from first class, behind the curtain. There is no way. She laughs to herself and rolls her eyes - she must have had way too much to drink last night and is still drunk. The cabin pressure must be fucking with her so she settles back into her chair and closes her eyes. She will sleep it off. But then her eyes pop open when she hears that laugh again.
This can not be fucking happening!
It's just a laugh, millions of people have that same laugh. She sits ridged in her chair and listens carefully then relaxes when she hears nothing. It's all in her fucking mind. She calls the air hostess and asks her for a drink. Two drinks. But, before she takes a sip she hears that stupid laugh again. Of all the fucking planes and all the fucking countries, Austin has chosen this plane? Can her life not get any more fucked up? She should have insisted Demi have her wedding in LA after all. The curtain to first class gets pulled back by an air hostess as they get ready to serve lunch and Lux's heart drops right out of her ass.
First class is nice. It's more like a lounge with a bar in it and fucking Austin is leaning on the bar talking to a bunch of people while he has a big bright smile slapped onto his stupid face.
He looks stupid.
When she was with him he was tall and lanky - still growing into his man body. He also had long hair he used to wear up in a stupid top knot - she hated it. She hated his long stupid frizzy hair and his pathetic excuse for a beard grew in patches on his baby face. She always hoped he would look more stupid the older he got - she would snigger about it.
But, now?
Fuck.
He is tall and his body has filled out. Stocky, broad chest, big arms, and large shoulders - he is a big boy. She has a thing for big boys - she mentally scratches big boys off her A list and moves it to her Z list, just under Austin's name along with frizzy hair, top knots, and patchy beards. He has cut his hair, shaved short on the sides with a short mullet in the back - mullets are on every girl's Z list. Then there is his beard - it's thick and rich, shiny too. Beards have always sat firmly on her C list so she has to force herself now not to put it on the A list. Z list! Come on Lux! Everything Austin-related goes on the Z list along with baby blue eyes, wide smiles, and contagious laughs.
But, he makes that beard look so good - NO! Z list.
Fuck Austin for looking good the older he gets - she fucking hates him. He looks stupid.
A timid-looking girl is standing next to him staring up at him while he talks with stars in her eyes. That must be his wife. Keeping them sweet, Austin - fucking chauvinist asshole. She can also see the back of his friend Shawn's head, she remembers him because he was around so much - Austin and Shawn were thick as thieves. Dre is there too and so are Harry and Pete - how does such a dooshbag hold onto friendships as long as he has?
"Ok! Ok!" Shawn lifts his hand to quieten down the crowd of people around them. "This has been an amazing boys' trip! Austin, you are the best man I know, and bumping us all up to first class just proved my-" Shawn starts some soppy ass speech while Austin looks at him with a soft smile on his face but Lux does not hear the rest as the air hostess closes the curtain and gives her a pointed look. What is this? The 1700's? She can't look at rich people? What the fuck?
She accepts the tray of food the air hostess hands her like the poor mutt she is. "Thank you, master," she groans. Her snippy joke is wasted on her but it's not lost on the guy sitting next to her. He cackles and shakes his head. "If it looks like a bitch and sounds like it's a bitch - it shall be my friend. I am Louis," Louis says stretching out his hand to her. "Lux," Lux says shaking his hand. Now, Lux does not like people, it takes her a while to warm up to anyone and usually she will find a reason to hate them. She also hates all men, one in particular. But, she likes Louis. It could be his sweet smile or the fact he is the first man that hasn't come onto her in the first ten seconds of meeting.
"You traveling alone, Louis?"
"I am."
"Only drug mules do that."
"You shot yourself in the foot with that comment, didn't ya?" Louis says taking one of her drinks.
"Fair enough. I am going to a wedding."
"Alone? That's depressing."
"Fuck you, Louis. What are you traveling for?"
"Holiday."
"Alone?"
"Yup."
"Well, that's depressing."
"Fuck you, Lux," Louis says flagging down the air hostess and ordering another drink for himself and Lux. She likes him, he can stay.
The curtain opens again and Lux tries not to look, but who is she kidding? Her eyes flick to the open doorway straight away. Everyone is still crowded around the bar or more so Austin specifically while his wife hangs on him. She snorts to herself - there ain't nothing more pathetic that a woman who insists on going on a boy's trip. She is the only woman there and by the way Austin seems to be leaning away from her and then sighs and frowns slightly at her when she tries to draw his attention back to her while Dre is trying to talk to him makes her think that he may just regret walking down the aisle two fucking months after their bust-up. Serves him fucking right, she hopes he is miserable. She watches him throw his head back and laugh at whatever Harry said to him and Lux groans - his fucking laugh used to get her hot and heavy now it sits on her Z list.
"What's going on there?" Louis leans over and looks through the opening. "Just first class," Lux mumbles.
"That's not what I meant. I will elaborate. Why are you starting at that man...that very very nice-looking man like he is the one that got away?"
"He is not that good-looking. Average at best."
"He looks like angles sculpted his face. Like the gods came down dug sapphires out of the earth, blessed them, and then put them in his eyes."
"Fuck me."
"I am sure you wish he would."
"Fucking never."
"It's like the sun woke up one morning and said - hey, here have some of my sunshine and wear it as a smile. His arms and hands look like they were sculpted by Greek gods - perfection."
"Hardly."
"And his hair...I don't think I have ever seen a man who can pull off a mullet - his is...well...magical."
"You want to have a moment alone in the bathroom? Wack one out quick?"
"I do."
The curtain closes again and Lux releases the breath that she did not know she was holding. Fuck. And fuck Louis too.
"You lonely, Louis?"
"No, just single. Very single."
"Well, you are in luck - I am single too."
"Yeah, I bet, and I would not fucking touch you. You look like a fucking handful."
"I think...no...I know I have fallen in love with you, Louis. Marry me."
"You know anything about physics? Karma? Destiny?"
Lux makes sure to let him see her dramatic eye roll before she pretends to fall asleep.
"Mock all you want but the law of three does not care how little you believe."
"What the fuck, Louis? I retract my proposal. You are weird as fuck."
"Never heard of the law of three?"
"No."
"Third times a charm? Third time lucky? When that curtain opens for the third time his eyes will meet yours - you will know then if you stand a chance with him."
"Switch seats with me!" Lux says standing and shoving Louis up. "What? Why?" he groans but gets up. "That man you are fucking in love with is my ex and I do not want him to see me," Lux says as she settles into Louis's seat.
"Well fuck me."
"No can do. I retracted my proposal and I only believe in sex after marriage."
"No wonder he is your ex."
"You know what? Fuck you!"
"Shhh, it's opening again," Louis says. Lux ducks behind the onboard magazine and watches Louis as he leans over and looks through the curtain. He smiles and lifts his hand in a small wave then sits back. "You can come out now it's closed. We made eye contact - no spark I am afraid. Just was not meant to be," he says with a sigh. Lux lets out another breath, fuck that was lucky. "Why are you going on holiday alone?" she asks, curious now. "I will tell you mine if you tell me yours," Louis says. Lux sits up and nods - she has nothing better to do. "Skanks first," Louis says motioning to her.
Lux dives into her toxic failed relationship with Austin and how it eventually played out. When she is finished Louis looks at her confused.
"So you broke up with him because he didn't clean?"
"No! It was what was behind it. The cleaning was just the last straw. The thing that pushed me over the edge. I wanted to know when I ask for his support or not he was giving me his energy and time by doing something that makes life good just because he loves me. Actions reflect an intimate awareness. He was not intimately aware simply because when he said 'I love you', he did not mean it - it was all bullshit."
"Ahhh - acts of service."
"What?"
"Your love language. Acts of service. That's what makes you feel loved."
"What the fuck are you talking about, Louis?"
"Different personalities have different love languages - there is a fucking test you can take, Lux. There are five different types - Acts of service, gift-giving, physical touch, quality time, and words of fucking affirmation."
Lux looks at him in disgust. "Aww, fuck. You are a shrink!" she groans. "Couples therapist to be exact," Louis says with a judgmental roll of his eyes. Lux does not appreciate that and she has yet to meet a shrink she likes - Louis being a couples shrink is a problem for her because she likes him but he disgusts her.
"You want to hear something really fucked up?"
"Sure, why not? This convo has gone so far south we might as well drive it home."
"A week ago I married my girlfriend of five years. I found her fucking my brother in the wedding reception bathroom. I am on my way to my honeymoon alone. But, I have this text from my wife to keep me company," he says pulling out his phone and showing her a text from his wife.
I understand you are upset but I think you are selfish for just leaving me. You don't even give me a chance to explain and you know how badly I wanted to go to Thailand. You are so self-centered.
"You didn't catch on that she was psychotic until after the wedding?"
"No."
"Thank you, Louis."
"For what?"
"For helping me see that no matter how fucked up my life is - it's not as fucked up as yours."
"You are welcome."
Lux rests her head on Louis's shoulder and closes her eyes with a yawn. "If you want we could take some fucked up pictures and send them to her, make it look like you are sticking it in my ass while I drool for your cock," she says. "I would like that very much, you are a true friend, Lux," Louis says resting his cheek on her head as they both drift off to sleep.