Flat-Out Celeste (24 page)

The landing was smooth, and in fact, Celeste found that she liked the rush she felt from being pushed back against her seat as the plane braked to a stop. It was a build, the force picking up gradually until reaching a peak, then gently easing up. She almost wanted more. What she had feared so much was now what she craved.

Or, she thought with no small degree of embarrassment, braking in an airplane was not what she craved. Justin’s texts may have ignited something else.

When the lights came on and the seatbelt sign pinged off, she and Matt retrieved their bags from the overhead bins and stood to exit. The flight attendant nodded as they walked by. “Thank you for a most pleasant flying experience,” Celeste said. “My first flight was significantly less traumatizing than I imagined. A job well done! Please extend my thanks to the pilot.” Celeste beamed and stepped off of the plane.

“You really liked flying that much?” Matt asked, sounding more than a little surprised.

“Well, I confess that I was unnerved for most of the flight. But then, Matt?” She stopped them in a crowd. “Justin texted me.”

“Okay. And?”

“Matty, he said wonderfully kind things to me. He said… he said…” Celeste was now uncertain how, or if, she should tell him. “Well… that he… had feelings of a certain nature….”

Matt frowned. “What the hell do you mean
of a certain nature
? I don’t like the sound of that.”

“Matthew! Not that nature! The sweet sort.”

“Oh.” He relaxed his expression. “Oh. Then, I guess that’s okay. I mean, that’s good.”

“He is quite romantic.”

Matt nodded and started walking again. “Then let’s go see him.”

Celeste followed Matt, suddenly a bit nervous with anticipation. But then they passed by security and took the escalator downstairs. And he was there.

Justin stood looking up at them as they descended, his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, a baseball hat pulling the hair from his face so that she could see every handsome feature of his face. When they reached the bottom, Matt had to nudge Celeste forward. She couldn’t stop staring, could barely remember how to walk. Justin didn’t move either, seemingly as transfixed on her as she was on him.

“Oh God, go. Go get him,” Matt said with a laugh. He shoved her forward until she walked slowly toward Justin.

Nearly crippled by the sight of him, she couldn’t get herself to move faster. But then she involuntarily let out a sound, a near cry of emotion, when his arms clutched her to his chest and held her body against his. She squeezed back, not able to get enough of him. The only reason she eventually pulled away was for one reason. His mouth. The urgency to kiss him.

So she eased her head back, letting her lips find his. How she had missed this. Missed him. Just as Celeste’s tongue started to touch his, he pulled back. “Boy, do you taste like bourbon.”

Celeste blushed. “Oh no…”

“And also gin. And you’re delicious, and I’m going to give you that proper kiss I promised, but right now your brother is glaring at me.”

“Oh! Indeed.” She got her breathing under control, and turned to Matt, slipping her hand into Justin’s. “Sorry.”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s okay. Hi, Justin.”

“Matt, good to see you!”

Celeste smiled when they shook hands. Matt genuinely did seem to approve of her boyfriend. That was important to her.

“Look, we need to rent a car, but the fact is I’m likely still hammered out of my mind, so you’ll need to drive. Justin, would you mind leading us to our hotel? I don’t think either of us should be responsible for locating anything right now.”

“Of course. Where are you staying?”

Matt shrugged and laughed at himself. “I have no idea.” He checked his phone. “Apparently someplace called The Grand Del Mar?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, why? Is it a dump?”

“Um… no. Quite the opposite. You’ll like it.”

Matt continued staring at his phone and shaking his head with a bemused look. “It also seems that I reserved a car already. It’s being delivered here.”

“Well, all right, man!” Justin patted him on the back. “Nice going?”

“What?” Celeste was confused. “What does this mean?”

“It means,” Justin said, “that your brother rented a luxury car that’s not available for rental from any old regular agency. I like how you think, Matt,” Justin said tapping his head with a finger. “I really do.”

Thirty minutes later, Celeste was behind the wheel and following Justin’s old two-door Ford. “I am flabbergasted at your choice of vehicles, Matty. This is quite unlike you.” She shifted the car into fourth gear and sped up. “If you ask me, a black Corvette convertible is a bit much for our needs. And perhaps on the cliché end, although not that I am complaining. The weather is magnificent. I gather this is unusually warm for this time of year, but the wind feels lovely. It turns out that I may very well have been a race car driver in another lifetime. If I believed in other lifetimes, that is. But this convertible? Not what I would have expected from you. I don’t even remember you ordering this. I mean, Matt, you had to make special arrangements to have this car waiting for us.”

“Just let me have my mid-life crisis.” Matt had his eyes shut and his head tipped into the headrest while the wind blew his hair around.

Celeste had tossed hers into a bun on the top of her head so that she could see enough to drive. “You are too young for a mid-life crisis. But I will enjoy whatever episode you are having.” She took a corner hard, reveling in the control. “I quite like this vehicle.”

“Please don’t kill us before we get to the hotel.”

“I shall not kill us because based on the first-class airplane seats and now this car, I cannot wait to see the hotel. Oh, here it is!” She pulled up to the hotel behind Justin’s car, driving past a lit-up fountain and under illuminated palm trees, and let the valet help her from the car. “Matthew, the Grand Del Mar is indeed grand! I had no idea that you had such good taste. Given your wardrobe and general chintzy nature, I am entirely shocked, albeit delighted.”

Justin left his car for the valet and strode over to the Corvette.

Matt looked at the outside of the hotel and just shook his head in disbelief. “Justin?”

“Yeah, Matt?”

“Oh God. What have I done?”

“Look, you treated yourself to a nice hotel. So what?”

“Okay, yeah. You’re right. So what?”

So when they all stood at the desk and the clerk confirmed their two-bedroom suite, Matt simply nodded as though this was exactly how they traveled all the time. Celeste was awed by the massive arches, the wide wrought iron staircase, and the marble pillars and floors. But Matt didn’t so much as flinch when they walked into the living room of the luxurious suite, or when he looked out the window to see the stunning view and the glowing moon. He simply flung himself onto the striped couch and smiled sleepily. “This was an awesome idea. Do you know they have a pool? I’m never leaving this place.”

Celeste put her hands on her hips. “You are having some sort of severe psychiatric break, are you not? You could have changed our room to a more reasonable one, you know.”

“I don’t care. I like this room. It’s very distinguished and formal. Perfect for you. I want to keep it forever. Let’s move in here. Let’s never leave. Let’s have more of those crazy Old Fashioneds.”

It was all she could do not to stomp her foot. “We are never drinking Old Fashioneds again. Look at us!”

“I know, right?” Matt giggled. “We’re awesome.”

Celeste sighed as Justin rubbed her back. “Fine. We are rather awesome. And one of us is most definitely still intoxicated and should not have continued drinking on the airplane. But if it were not for the multitude of cocktails, I would not be here with Justin, so I can thank alcohol for that. But from now on, we are staying away from it.”

“I think I should get to bed,” Matt said. “I feel heinously awful.”

“Well, for heaven’s sake go sleep in one of the expensive beds that you paid for.”

“I should probably get going…” Justin started.

“What?” Celeste said with alarm. “No, you mustn’t go. You can’t.”

“Well…” He tipped his head toward Matt.

“Matthew, may Justin stay for a bit?”

“Sure.” Matt pulled himself up. “On two conditions. One, if you ever tell Mom and Dad, I’ll disown you as my sister. Two, if anyone takes off even a single item of clothing, I—”

“Matt!” Celeste said loudly. “Honestly!”

“Yes, honestly.”

“I can go, really,” Justin said.

Matt yawned and got up, now squinting and shuffling to the far bedroom. “It’s totally fine. I’m just giving you a hard time. I was young and in love once, so I have a vague memory of it. I get it.” He leaned on the door jamb. “‘Night.”

Celeste couldn’t help herself. She rushed across the room and flung her arms around him. The sad, even bitter, edge in his voice pained her. “Thank you, Matt. Thank you for this trip. And for being with me.”

“Yeah, yeah. Calm down. Don’t be up too late. It’s four in the morning or something.”

“It is only one o’clock. Time change, silly.”

“Whatever. Stay up all night.” He shut the door. “But all clothing stays on; or someone loses an eye, and it won’t be Celeste!” he shouted from his room.

Justin dropped his head onto Celeste’s shoulder. “Really. I should probably go. I don’t want to upset Matt. And you must be exhausted.”

“I am tired. Very tired. But I cannot bear to have you leave. Please stay.” She hesitated, but then said what she felt. “I want to fall asleep with you. Would that be all right?”

“I’m so glad you said that.” He nuzzled his face into her and kissed her neck softly. “I would like nothing more.”

She smiled. “I believe that I must take a shower and brush my teeth. I cannot possibly smell anything less than questionable.”

“I’ll take you in any condition, but you may feel better after a shower.”

She led him into the second bedroom and then stopped short, causing him to crash into her.

“Ugh, sorry. I knew I couldn’t get through the night
without doing something klutzy.”

“No, no. That was my doing. Justin?” She couldn’t look at him. “I am suddenly aware that I am taking you into a bedroom. And that may indicate… something… um, something…”

“I know. And I understand. I told you that I’m not like that, okay? And I can still leave now. I just want to be close with you. That’s all.”

“I want that, too.”

He zipped in front of her and jumped onto the bed. “But that doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate a fancy hotel bed. It’s good for bouncing, see?”

Celeste left Justin to bounce and took a steaming shower in the luxurious bathroom before slipping into one of the hotel robes. “Justin, would you hand me my bag that I left out there?”

“Of course, doll.”

She cracked the door and took her bag. She looked through it for a moment and nearly screamed. “Oh perfect!”

“What’s the trouble?”

“It appears one should not pack for a trip after drinking. I have an unusual assortment of items, but we are in luck should either of us require knee socks with rainbows and unicorns. My mother thought they were a funny Christmas gift. Well, I’ll just have to make do.”

“But, but, but
I
might have interest in the unicorn socks!” Justin teased. “Unicorns represent purity, and truth, and strength, and stuff like that. I like to wear my value system on my feet.”

“You will do no such thing.” Celeste emerged in soft shorts and the
All This Science Gives Me a Hadron
shirt that Matt had given her. “Please do not acknowledge this shirt.”

Justin raised his eyebrows. “You want me to pretend it’s not there? That you’re not wearing a top? If that’s what you want…”

“Justin!” Celeste laughed.

He softened his look. “Come here, you. You’ve got to get some sleep.” He pulled back the bed covers for her.

“I do.” She turned off the lights so the room was barely lit by the lamp in the living room.

Celeste slipped under the sheet and Justin lay on his side, his head propped on his hand. He kissed her cheek, then her lips, very gently. “Sleep, baby.”

She was exhausted now. Drained and overwhelmed, and desperately needing to fall into a deep slumber. Justin started to move from the bed. “You’re leaving?”

“Call me when you get up, okay?” he whispered.

“Stay,” she said. “Stay.”

“Sleep here?”

“Yes. I want to wake up with you.”

He dropped his head down onto the pillow. “And I want to wake up with you.”

“I like that I can say that to you.”

“I like that you can, too.”

Celeste rolled into his chest, and Justin’s arm moved over her waist. And enveloped in each other, they slept, and they dreamed.

WATCHING PERFECTION

WAKING UP IN San Diego was less disorienting than Celeste would have imagined. That may have been because she was in Justin’s arms, he on his back and she with her body in the crook of his arm and her head on his chest. She felt whole and at home. It was odd, however, that she felt so physically comfortable with someone she wasn’t able to see on a regular basis. But she did. And she wouldn’t question it now because who knew how many times she would have this opportunity.

She glanced at the clock to see that it was just after eight. He had not moved from her all night, but was now under the covers, still close to her, with his l
egs entwined with hers. Celeste eased down the covers and slipped into the bathroom to brush her teeth. This may be the first time that she was waking up next to a boy, but she had common sense. When she had freshened up and run her fingers through her hair, she returned to her spot in bed and in Justin’s hold.

She placed her hand on his chest. In the early morning light, she watched the way her hand moved with his breathing. It was watching perfection. Her hand slowly moved over his shirt, up to his shoulder, down his arm as she explored the shape of his body while he slept. Celeste slid her hand down to his waist, accidentally catching the hem of his shirt. Then her hand was on his stomach, his skin hot and wet.

Never had she felt this way. She had to laugh at herself; this was by far the most intimate moment of her life, and the other person wasn’t even conscious. She hoped this wasn’t creepy, but touching him, feeling his body under her hand… Well, she didn’t know exactly what she wanted, but she wanted something. And she was scared out of her mind about what she might want. But nonetheless, she let her fingers inch up under his shirt a bit more. Justin sighed in his sleep and rolled to lie facing her, and she eased her palm over his waist to his lower back. His workouts must be more frequent than he let on, she decided, because she could feel how toned he was, the dip of his spine surrounded by muscle. She’d known he wasn’t so muscular that he was bulky, but it was only now that she felt how defined his body was.