Chapter 29: Gary

"Okay, ladies. I'm taking A2. You can figure out where you all sit."

Malia, Saralinda, and Moira all looked at each other and at the three boarding passes I was holding out to them, and they all looked like they wished I'd be a dictator and tell them each where they should sit.

I had a bet going with myself that Moira would take the initiative and either claim A1, or decide she wanted to sit across the aisle with Saralinda in A3 and A4. I was wrong. Malia suddenly looked at Saralinda and asked, "Want to sit with me?" Saralinda seemed pleased to be asked, but then she looked to Moira. "You okay sitting with Gary?" she asked. Moira smiled and we were set.

Not that it really mattered which seats we sat in. The Air Pacific flight was scheduled out of Honolulu half an hour after midnight, and would be getting in to Fiji before seven a.m. the next day. We were supposed to sleep. I actually needed some sleep. Hawaii can be exhausting, especially when you have guides like Malia and her family and friends to lead you around.

About an hour before we were due in to Fiji, the flight attendants turned the cabin lights back on to wake everyone up. My neck was stiff, as was the arm that had been looped around Moira. I looked across the aisle to see Malia and Saralinda looking very sleepy as they awoke. They, too, had been nestled together as they slept. Moira slipped past me to use the restroom, and when she returned, her kiss tasted of toothpaste. She was looking amazingly chipper. It made me smile.

Flying First Class isn't as bad as Coach, but it's still not wonderful. The plane is still noisy, the seats are still lumpy (though far better than Coach), there's still not much room to move around. I know, I know, I'm a whiner. So sue me. I really don't like flying much.

The flight attendant, a pretty Fijian girl whose name tag read Sereana, came by with hot towels to wash away the sleep from our faces, and a few minutes later she came by with some mediocre coffee, some fantastic juice, and a breakfast of small fried 'pancakes', and mango. Quite tasty, though not to Michelle's standards. I was looking forward to her food, after so many days of restaurants and room service.

The pilot came on the intercom to welcome us to the southern hemisphere, telling us that we'd crossed the equator a few hours before, but that he hadn't wanted to wake us all in the middle of the night. It was just dawn, a few minutes later, as we came in to the landing. Moira's face was plastered to the window. On the other side of the aisle, Saralinda and Malia were like small children, constantly at each other to "let me see". As we stepped from the chilly airplane into the jetway, we were hit by the hot, humid, tropical air that reminds one that Fiji is even closer to the equator than Maui.

Okay, so First Class does have its perks. We were first off the plane and first into the airport, and among the first to pass through Immigration, baggage, Customs, and out of the secure area. As we spilled into the arrivals area of the airport, I spotted Jake, amid a forest of limo drivers holding up signs with last names on them. I hoped he, too, had some transportation waiting for all of us. I wanted to get to our cabins, take a nap, have some lunch, and maybe take another nap – or maybe I'd be daring and go to the pool. I wasn't going to let anything bother me.

Jake was just greeting Moira with a kiss on the cheek while giving Saralinda a hug, when I realized Kate was there too. I hadn't expected her, and I was just opening my mouth to say hello when I saw the look on her face. She was glaring at Malia and shooting daggers at me in alternation. Finally, she found her voice.

"You fucking bastard ... One week and you've already picked up another baby slut. Jesus, Gary, don't you get enough pussy already? Always need a young, fresh one, huh? Well that's it. I'm through with you. Fuck you to hell. You'll be hearing from my God-damned lawyer, asshole!"

I was stunned – too stunned to move or speak. Then I was even more shocked when gentle Malia took two strides quickly forward and slapped Kate across the cheek. "I am not a slut. I never even kissed him!" she hissed.