Chapter 53: Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

The soft ringing of the alarm woke me up, and in the semi-darkness, I saw Dana struggle and roll away from Sarah to turn it off. Sarah was just awakening, but as soon as the noisemaker was quiet, she seemed to fall back to sleep. Dana tried to wake her up, with soft little whispers, but I heard Sarah mumble that it was too early, and I felt her snuggle to Dana, perhaps searching for warmth. To tell the truth, it was very early, even for me, despite the fact that, when I was working, I woke up around five—or even earlier—more often than not. I was feeling pretty tired, and needed more sleep—another hour or two. Half-awake, I became aware of the built up hydraulic pressure, and knew I couldn't go back to sleep without relieving myself. So, with a silent curse, I forced myself out of the bed to make a short trip to the bathroom.

When I returned to the bedroom, only Dana was awake, and she seemed to have given up on Sarah. I told her I would put on the coffee, and she told me she would wake up Sarah.

On the way to the kitchen, I turned on the hallway light, then stopped at the guest bedroom to put on boxers and a t-shirt, and went to the living room to turn up the heater. Picking up my cigarette and lighter, I went to the kitchen, and started the coffee. While the coffee was brewing, I lit the first cigarette of the day, trying to wake up. About ten minutes later, which felt like an eternity, the coffee was ready. I went to the cupboard and took out coffee mugs. As I was filling my cup, I heard Dana come into the kitchen.

"Morning," she said.

"Morning. Coffee is ready. Want a cup?" I asked, taking a quick look over my shoulder.

"Bit later. Sarah's still in bed. Will you join us in the shower?"

"I think I'll take a cup first and I want to finish my cigarette. I want to wake up."

When Dana didn't acknowledge me, I finished filling my cup and turned to look at her. "Am I disappointing somebody this morning?" I asked.

She smiled softly. "Not really... I wanted to tell you that you were welcome to join us," she said.

"I see. Well, I will... as soon as I finish this cup. I really need some coffee."

"You're not a morning person, are you?" she asked.

"Kind of. I enjoy a bit of quiet... solitude... the first thing in the morning. And a cup of coffee, most of the time."

She nodded, flashing an indulgent smile and turned to leave to get Sarah up and running. I located the sugar bowl, mixed in a couple spoonfuls of sugar, and took my cup to the table. A bit later, I heard the shower running. I considered hurrying up with my coffee to join the girls, but decided against it. It was going to be a hectic day, and I wanted a bit of quiet to gather myself, and prepare for the day. Still, I felt a bit of guilt, thinking I was being egoistical despite my rationalization about a busy day coming up. However, I also knew I was a bear in the morning, especially after a few hours of sleep. On the rig, people tended to avoid me when we had had an all-nighter—an operation that continued well into the early morning hours—leaving me only 2-3 hours of sleep. But then, most of us suffered from excessive stress and irritability at such times. Perhaps by unspoken agreement, people tend to keep some distance to avoid setting each other off in an already stressful situation.

By the time I finished my cup, the shower was still running, so I made my way to the bathroom. Inside, I yelled "Good morning," over the sound of running water, and brushed my teeth, before commencing with a quick shave to get rid off the stubble. In the meantime, the girls finished their shower, and stepped out of the tub. I saw two wet nymphs in the mirror. When they saw me watching them, they posed, and I smiled at them from the mirror.

Now that's a sight for sore eyes! What a way to start the day!

"You want some help washing?" Sarah asked.

I turned to face them before I replied. "I think I can wash myself." Then I noticed that Sarah's eyes were a bit swollen and red. "What's wrong?"

Sarah must have been startled, perhaps by my concerned tone, because she only managed to mumble, "I-I..."

"She got shampoo in her eyes," Dana said while she caressed Sarah's arm in a soothing manner.

Sarah nodded, giving me a sheepish look.

"It was my fault," Dana added with an apologetic tone, and Sarah turned to her as if to object. Without giving her a chance, Dana said, "I'm sorry, honey. I should have been more careful." She kept caressing Sarah's arm.

After a pregnant pause, Sarah said, "Me, too, but no harm was done." Then, she kissed Dana.

After the kiss, they pulled back and looked at each other, their gaze lingering for several seconds, before they finally turned to me.

"Are you sure you don't want any help?" Sarah asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

Seeing her perky, I relaxed. "OK. Let me finish here and we help each other. What about you, Dana?"

"I finished washing, but she didn't," she said with an amused smile. Wrapping a big towel around herself, she left the bathroom.

I turned back to the basin to finish shaving. Sarah moved to me, plastered her body against my back, wrapped her arms around my belly, and watched me over my shoulder. I guess it was one of those woman things, a shared intimacy, to watch a man shave. Feeling her body against me was a bit distracting, but I managed it without any accidents; I was quite proud to keep the cotton usage to nil. Before we stepped into the tub, she ran her fingers along my cheek to check for stubble, and kissed me.

We had a quick shower, and contrary to what I thought, she seemed to need just the physical closeness rather than anything else. Although I quickly developed an erection, she took it as a compliment instead of a prelude to something more amorous. I asked if she wanted to do something, but she told me she was a bit sore from all the activity before, and just wanted to feel my hands on her body, and my body next to hers. So, she went about washing me, and asked me to put some hair conditioner on her hair—another intimacy thing I guessed—before we finished showering.

To tell the truth, I began to get a bit concerned by her behavior; instead of her usual playfulness and teasing, she was subdued. I suspected she was thinking about the upcoming separation. Unfortunately, there wasn't much I or anyone else could do about it. I also hoped it was more a result of the emotional roller coaster we had experienced since Sunday night, and once away from the scene, she might be able to get back to her normal self.

As these thoughts were running through my mind, we dried each other. When we were done, I gathered her in my arms and looked into her eyes trying to assess how she was doing. At first, she smiled shyly, before it gave way to a mischievous twinkle. Rising on her tiptoes, she locked her lips to mine for a soft kiss, probing my mouth, dueling with my tongue, and slowly increasing the passion. When we parted, she said, "I don't think I could kiss you in public like that."

"Are you all right?"

"Of course, I am. Don't worry, Mitch. I'm going to miss you, but I'll be all right," she replied without hesitation.

"I'm going to miss you, too, Sarah. I wish—"

"Yeah, me, too. What a trip, eh?" she responded, smiling fondly. "I wouldn't have missed it for anything."

"I know I wouldn't," I said, before kissing her again, and held her tightly to my chest, trying to hold onto the tender moment just a bit longer.

"Now, now... unhand me, Sir. I need to get dressed and ready," she retorted, making me chuckle.

Releasing my hold on her, I cupped her face in my hands, and looked into her smiling eyes. Quickly, I was lost in them, until she broke the magic by brushing my lips for a short kiss. Then she sent me away, telling me she needed to dry her hair, and would join us in the kitchen.

I collected my boxers and t-shirt, and went to the guest bedroom to get dressed, and then I headed to the kitchen. Dana was sipping her coffee, dressed in a short robe, and her hair was wrapped in a towel. She was busy cooking sausages in a pan.

"How is she?" she asked with a quick look over her shoulder.

Collecting a kiss, I said, "I think she's already missing us."

She nodded, and returned a sympathetic smile, but it was a bit strained. "I know," she said, softly. "I'm going to miss her, too. We're both going to miss her."

I nodded, while filling my cup. "Why don't you get ready while I take over the cooking?" I checked my watch, and added, "We shouldn't be late."

"We have time. The airport is ten minutes away," she replied, but hurried with her coffee. Finishing her cup, she left, saying, "I'd better get ready, and see how she's doing."

She had already set the table, so I took over the cooking, stirring the sausages in the pan. With those done, I went to the bedroom to check on the girls before starting on the eggs. They were putting the last touches on their make-up. Back in the kitchen, I prepared scrambled eggs, and they arrived just as I was filling the plates. Dana was dressed in a sweater and jeans, and Sarah was dressed in a simple, dark colored skirt, dark nylons, and a cream-colored blouse. From the way her breasts were moving unfettered under the blouse, I surmised she wasn't wearing a bra.

"You don't have to wake up everybody in a hurry, this early in the morning, you know?" I teased.

"Men!" Dana retorted with a disgusted tone. "They don't appreciate the trouble we go to for their benefit."

"I appreciate it very much. I was thinking of the poor souls in the cabin," I returned.

Sarah moved in, and wrapped her arms around me. Then she turned to Dana, and reaching for her, pulled her in for a three-way hug. "They can look," she said—her eyes moved between Dana and me—"but they can't touch," she finished emphatically. Pressing her breasts to my chest, she kissed me. Turning to Dana, she kissed her too, meshing her chest against Dana's. After that, we took our seats at the table in the breakfast nook.

Despite the early hour, there was nothing wrong with our appetites, and we made quick work of the breakfast. Dana served the last of the coffee, and we made some small talk. While Dana and I collected the dirty dishes, Sarah went back to the guest bedroom to collect her suitcase, garment bag, and other belongings, getting ready for her departure. Finally, it was time to head for the airport, and I took her suitcase, which was quite heavy, because of the books she had put in it. They put on their coats, and we took the elevator down.

As Dana said, it was a very short trip to the airport, not even ten minutes. Despite the early hour, there were a lot of vehicles parked in front of the departure building. I parked behind a shuttle bus and helped Sarah with her suitcase. There was a short queue at the entrance—security check prior to admittance into the building. While the girls waited for their turn, I drove to the short-term parking lot. After parking the car, I hurried back and caught the girls at the security gate. We helped put Sarah's suitcase and garment bag on the conveyor belt to be X-rayed. The girls were asked to place their purses and coats on the conveyor belt as well by the security officer—actually, an airport policeman—while handing them a small tray for any other metal objects. Following behind them, I emptied my pockets, placed loose change and my keys on the tray, and then passed through the metal detector, which for the first time, didn't buzz.

Our first stop was the ticket counter. Sarah got her boarding pass and checked in her luggage. Since we had some time before they would call the flight, we headed towards the departure gates. We stopped at a small kiosk to get some drinks and Sarah bought a magazine to read during the flight. We watched other passengers going through final security checks in small curtained cubicles where hand luggage, IDs, and boarding passes were controlled in privacy prior to admitting them into the departure hall waiting room where the gates were located.

We heard the PA announcement, asking the passengers for Sarah's flight to proceed to the departure hall. Sarah hurried to finish her drink, but Dana told her to relax, and take her time; the call would be repeated several times, before they would ask the passengers to proceed to the gates opening to the apron. Learning that, Sarah settled back on her seat. About ten minutes later the announcement was repeated; we saw several passengers hurrying to the security check, and Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"Don't worry, Sarah. There's still time," Dana said. Pointing to one of the curtained checkpoints where a woman airport officer was standing, she said, "Look. There's no queue, and usually there will be a short one."

"Yeah. Look at those cattle," I said, pointing to the three other security checkpoints, where other passengers were forming queues, and some were switching from one queue to another, trying to get into the shortest one.

Noticing that all the passengers in the other queues were all males, Sarah turned to Dana.

"Yes, that's for women," Dana answered the tacit question, nodding in the direction of the woman officer. Turning to me, she said, "Cattle?"

I returned a strained smile, feeling awkward. "Well, you know how they behave... pushing and shoving, and trying to cut in front of each other... as if that would help..."

"I know. It's worse after the aircraft lands. As soon as the plane is taxiing to the gate, most of them are out of their seats, busy with their hand luggage in the overhead compartments, despite our warning to them to stay seated," Dana responded sympathetically.

"Yeah. And then they rush to the doors before they are open." I turned to Sarah, and said, "Just wait in your seat, until the crowd leaves, and then leave the airplane. Since you have to wait for your luggage at the baggage carousel, no reason to hurry, and get stampeded by those assholes. And..."

"And? There's more?" Sarah asked.

"Well..." I said, and with a mischievous smile, I continued. "You know what you said; they can look but they can't touch. I'm afraid someone might try to take advantage of you if you get caught in the crowd."

"Oh!... OH!..."

"That was mean!" Dana said. "That doesn't happen." Turning to Sarah, she added, "Don't mind him. I'm sure you'll be fine."

"I can take care of myself," Sarah said. "But, I don't want a run in my nylons."

The last quip was directed at me, and I couldn't help but chuckle at her sense of priorities. They started to laugh at me.

"OK. I know I earned that," I said feeling a bit put down.

Sarah reached to pat my hand and followed up with a kiss. At first, she looked like she was going to kiss me on the lips, but seeing me hesitate, she realized we were in a public place, and decided to buss me on my cheek. I looked around to see if somebody saw, and when nobody seemed to take notice of us, I relaxed.

We heard the last call for security check for Sarah's flight. Finishing our drinks, we made our way to the checkpoint. Sarah stopped, and turned to hug Dana, and the girls said their goodbyes, and kissed each other. I could see they both wanted to have something more than that, but they knew they couldn't. Finally, Dana traced her fingers lovingly, along Sarah's temples down to her cheek, before they disengaged. Then, it was my turn. When Sarah looked at me expectantly, I opened my arms, and she moved in, plastering her body. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and pulled me down. Our cheeks met, and she nuzzled my neck. I inhaled her sweet fragrance and perfume, and rocked her gently to comfort her.

"I love you," she whispered. "I want a goodbye kiss, but..."

"Me, too, love. But, we'll see you shortly," I said, and pulling back a bit, I placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

She looked in my eyes, and I could see she was trying to smile, but it was an effort. I hugged her again, and she rested her chin on my shoulder, letting me rock her. I quickly checked around, discreetly to see if we were drawing any attention, and to my dismay, I saw several men watching us. A few of them were trying to be discreet, but most of them were very obvious. I also saw the woman officer watching us, but she was at least being considerate, and trying to give us some privacy. She opened the curtain to the small enclosure, getting ready to admit Sarah for a final check, and waited patiently, while trying to look busy. I continued scanning the immediate surroundings, and saw a few old guys—very much older than us—openly staring, as if they haven't seen young couples saying goodbye to each other before in their lives. That really made me angry, and I flashed a challenging look—What? You've got nothing better to do than watch? Mind your own fucking business!—and when they saw me glare at them, they hastily looked away.

Sarah must have felt my irritation, and she tried to calm me. "We're attracting attention, aren't we? I'm sorry. It's my fault," she said.

"No, it's not. Some people never learn common courtesy," Dana said.

She moved and positioned herself to block the view of most of the people, receiving a look of gratitude and a smile from both of us. Finally, Sarah pulled back and I kissed her cheek, and she returned my kiss in the same manner, perhaps not to cause further attention to us. I gave her one final hug, tightening my arms around her, and then released her, and Dana gave a final hug as well, before Sarah turned and walked to the cubicle.

As we watched her walk away, Dana leaned and whispered, "She'll be all right."

I kept on watching Sarah. Her steps were light, as if she was walking on clouds, and for a moment, I could see a happy, teenage girl, almost skipping on the marble surface. The momentary image calmed me down, and wordlessly I nodded to Dana. Sarah turned to take one final look and shyly waved her hand, and that really completed my mental image. With a small smile, I waved back.

The woman officer greeted her, and bid her in, before closing the curtain behind her. Dana and I walked to the side of the cubicle, to the glass partition that offered a view of the waiting hall and the gates to the apron. A few minutes later, Sarah walked out of the cubicle into the waiting room, and turned to look around. Seeing us by the glass partition, she walked next to the window, and discreetly blew us a kiss. We signed her to give us a call, and she nodded. With a final wave to us, she motioned for us to leave.

We turned to leave, and I noticed the woman officer had been watching us with a sympathetic expression on her face. I'm not sure why I did what I did next, but I gave a short nod, perhaps to acknowledge her sympathy, and received a polite smile.

"She'll be fine. First time flying?"

I wasn't expecting a conversation or a comment, and I was caught unprepared.

"Not really," I replied, automatically.

She turned to Dana, perhaps sensing my surprise. I saw her staring at something, and my eyes followed her gaze. I noticed that Dana had an ID card hanging at the end of a ribbon around her neck—the kind that airport and airline personnel use.

Stepping close to us, she asked Dana, "May I see another identification, please?"

Without hesitation, Dana opened her purse, and took out her passport. Still surprised with the developments, I found myself following Dana's example before I was asked. I took out my driver's license from my wallet, and we both handed them to her. She took Dana's passport and compared to the ID card, and then checked my driver's license, before handing them back to us.

"Please wait a moment," she said to me and guided Dana into the cubicle, and half closed the curtain.

From the gap, I saw her run a hand-held metal detector on Dana, and then she quickly inspected the contents of her purse, before sending her inside the waiting room. She opened the curtain and invited me in.

"Just a quick check. Then you can follow her in," she said, by way of explanation, and ran the metal detector. Of course, it buzzed at my watch and the coins and car keys in my pocket, which I hastily took out. After a final scan, I was clear.

I wasn't going to ask what was happening, but to tell the truth I was curious why she had decided to allow us into the waiting room.

"Girlfriend?" she asked.

I nodded; still a bit bewildered at the developments—I was unable to form words.

"For ten minutes, only, and please do not wander far away. Then you can leave via here," she said giving me a sympathetic smile.

"Thank you," I finally managed to say.

"You're quite welcome," she said. After a pause, she added, "You're a handsome couple, and I think she's already missing you."

I couldn't think of a reply to her comment, but by then she was opening the curtain to the waiting room, and motioned me out, into the waiting room. I moved a few steps away from the small enclosure and looked around. I saw Dana steering Sarah to where I was standing, and took a few more steps away from the cubicle to have some privacy, but didn't wander too far, remembering the warning. Sarah looked like she was over her surprise to see Dana. When she saw me waiting for her, she hurried up. She was trying very hard not to run and Dana looked like she was trying to keep from laughing at her enthusiasm.

"I thought you guys already left," she said, trying to catch her breath.

"Well... we were lucky. An understanding officer helped us," I said, turning half-way towards the cubicle.

Sarah looked in the direction of the officer, and flashed a smile of gratitude, receiving a quick nod and a smile.

She turned to me, and her expression changed into one of mischief. "I know Dana can easily get into the plane. How are we going to sneak you aboard?"

"Uhm... I don't think that's a good idea. The airport security might take exception. I have to keep a clean—" I barely managed to stop myself in time.

"You have to keep a clean?"

"Ah... ummm..."

Shit! Think man! THINK!

"What?" she insisted.

"I shouldn't get into more trouble," I said very reluctant to remind her the trouble from the last few days. "I mean... I'm not in trouble, but there's no reason I should go looking for trouble," I rephrased hastily, trying to save the situation, but I knew I had botched it up completely!

Her smile faded, and her eyes darkened. Quickly, I pulled her into my arms, and hugged her. "It's all right. It's going to be all right. Don't worry, love. We'll keep in touch," I whispered.

Before we drew attention, I released her and reluctantly she pulled away. I quietly said, "Please keep it to yourself, Sarah. I don't want Kathy worried, OK?"

After a momentary hesitation, she nodded.

"So... looking forward to the flight?" Dana asked, coming to my help to change the subject. "You have a lot of things to tell to Kathy, especially the singing."

That brought on a brilliant smile, and Sarah nodded excitedly. "Yeah. I think she'll be very surprised."

"Are you going to visit her during your lunch break, or wait until the evening?" I asked with a knowing grin.

She slapped my arm, then, with a huge grin, she replied, "What do you think?"

"Ahh... yes... of course... You don't want to keep Kathy and Mark up late into the night," I retorted, receiving another slap.

"You're sooo baaaddd!"

"I thought I was being very good, my dear."

A soft laughter from Dana stopped Sarah from responding. "Well, he has a point, you know."

I quickly glanced in the direction of the officer to see if we needed to leave the waiting room. Dana and Sarah noticed. "We are supposed to have a few minutes with you," I offered.

"That's all right, Mitch," Dana said. "She's keeping an eye on us."

"Well, that's all good and nice, but I don't want her to get into any trouble by taking advantage of her kindness."

Just then, we heard the announcement, calling the passengers to proceed to the gates, and Sarah's flight was among the flights called out. Hastily we exchanged hugs, and promised to keep in touch. Reluctantly, Sarah turned and headed for the gate, and we went to the officer who steered us out of the waiting room via the cubicle. We thanked her and headed out. Now that all the surprises were over, my mind was busy with what happened, especially the way the security officer treated us. I couldn't help but take a quick look over my shoulder, and caught her watching us depart. She didn't seem to be concerned about being caught watching us; in fact, she looked like she was expecting me to have a quick look. Then, a faint smile appeared on her face, momentarily, breaking her professional image, and she looked like a woman rather than a security officer.

While we continued to walk, I tried to find some answers...

Why did she do what she did? Wasn't it a breach of security? I could have been a terrorist or something...

I almost laughed at myself. I admit, sometimes my mind strays to strange destinations, and I guess, you could say I might be prone to overanalyzing things, but still... my mind was busy trying to find answers to some improbable questions, as well as probable ones. I had watched enough movies, and read thrillers and spy novels. They might have been fiction, but they did contain parts that sounded credible or within the realm of possibility. In addition, living and working in a dangerous area kept me on my toes. Even when I was vacationing, I tried to keep my eyes open and pay attention to what was going on around me.

Well. The security is tight in the airport, and I passed through metal detectors, and they check personal effects with the X-ray machine. I know I'm not a terrorist or a criminal, but the security guys—she—didn't know that. If I were planning to do something...

I tried to imagine myself as a bad guy with an agenda: to gain access to a place where I wasn't supposed to be—like the departure hall where only passengers were allowed. I knew the three of us looked innocent, and we were innocent, and thinking about how we were allowed inside without trying, I wondered how difficult it would be for a professional to pull something like that off.

Maybe I read too many thrillers!

I remembered an old movie, The Day of the Jackal, and several favorite novels from Ludlum and others, that dealt with professionals who were like a chameleon, who could move in and out of places easily.

"What are you thinking?" Dana asked, interrupting my chain of thought.

"Huh!"

"You seem to be preoccupied. Are you worried about Sarah?"

"No. I was... I was thinking about why the security officer let us into the waiting room?"

"She must have thought us harmless."

"I guess. It was just... unusual," I replied.

"Marianne is a nice person," she said.

I came to a sudden halt, wondering—

"Marianne? Marianne, who? The officer?"

She nodded. "We know each other."

"But, she didn't act like..."

"You were distracted," she said with an amused glint in her eye. "She recognized me, when you were... distracted."

"Is that why you had your ID on?" I asked, directing my gaze to her ID and received a nod. "Then, why the..."

"She had to. She couldn't just let us waltz in there without a check, could she?"

"I understand that. That doesn't explain the way you two behaved, though."

"Oh, that!" she replied coyly. "I guess she wanted to look professional."

I wasn't buying that. "You both knew each other, and she wanted to look professional?"

She laughed. "Well... we know each other professionally. We see each other enough times at the airport."

"Uh... OK!" I said, still not convinced.

"All right! I told you she's a nice person. And, she has a good sense of humor. When she approached with her professional mask on, I knew she was going to pull a stunt, so I went along. Happy now?" she huffed.

I couldn't let her get away with it, so I said, "That wasn't so difficult, now, was it?"

"It did hurt," she retorted.

"Really? How much?"

"You better behave yourself," she warned with a playful tone.

"Hey! I'm not the one being sneaky here."

"Neither am I. It was all Marianne's doing."

"And you weren't doing anything?" I returned.

After a momentary pause, she gave me an appraising look, and said, "I didn't do anything."

"Did, too," I replied immediately, and noticed the small smile forming on her lips.

"Did not!"

As I said, "Did, too," she couldn't keep a straight face and broke into a grin, and we both laughed at our childish argument.

When we managed to collect ourselves, she hooked her arm into mine and said, "Come on. Let's get going."

She dropped me at one of the cafes, while she went to the administration building to check on her schedule, and make arrangements for next Monday, when she would be going back to work. Hopefully she would be able to fly back on Monday on one of their scheduled flights out from where we will be going on our vacation. I grabbed another cup of coffee, while waiting for her, and about three quarters of an hour later, she showed up with a smile on her face, which I took it to be good news. She told me she was going to be an extra hand on Monday's early morning flight and would catch up with her crew on the next flight.