Mad Woman✓

5. Betty and James

"Hand under my sweatshirt, baby, kiss it better...."

   POV JOE ALWYN:

It's a long flight.

Eight hours.

Eight hours of waiting and sitting around.

Eight hours of drinking way too expensive red wine and eating fancy-ass shrimps.

Eight hours of being alone with the most beautiful woman I have ever met.

The first eight hours of a new, scary life in which we'll have to run, to hide, just to be safe. With countless more hours to come.

I never imagined my life would go like this.

I never thought my life could go like this.

My life was normal, basic. I went to college, I got a job and I hoped that I would find a girl I could spend the rest of my life with, to have children with. To grow old with.

And now I'm sitting here on a private plane, drunk, and with a wedding ring with 'Betty Anderson, 17-06-2016' engraved on the inside, around my finger. I'm wearing a whole new outfit; beige pants and a dark blue polo shirt. Comfortable sneakers.

I'm James Anderson now. A lawyer, for God's sake...

Taylor - or Betty, I guess - has been calling people for three hours now.. She started calling the minute we got on the plane. I have heard her speak Italian, Spanish, Polish, Dutch, she knows it all. She's giving us a new life.

She just bought us a house in LA, with our new names.

"I wish I was much drunker right now", I mumble, "Actually, maybe it's better that I am not. Because I am starting to think this is actually kind of funny. This is a life I have always wanted. Not the part where we're running from creepy dudes, but the rest... A house, a wife. And, finally, one or two kids."

She puts her phone down and looks at me. I'm lying stretched out on the blue velvet couch, my head resting on a yellow pillow.

"I think I should have a drink too", Taylor says, "I think everything's been settled for now. Harlow knows we're coming. He's picking us up at the airport. I will pick up our new papers tomorrow evening. We're Betty and James now."

She pours herself a glass of red wine.

"We are newlyweds", I laugh, "On our honeymoon..... We're.. we're honeymooners."

I reach for her hand and pull her closer to me. She sits down beside me and I sigh. "Thank you for keeping me safe. I know you're doing this for me, and I am so grateful. I hope you know that. I'm nervous and I hope it's all over within days even though I know it won't be..... But I'm still so thankful.. for you.. Just for the effort, really...."

She has leaned closer to me, her lips just inches away from my face. "I like you too much not to keep safe", she whispers.

I smile and run a hand through her soft hair.

"If this is our honeymoon.... Shouldn't we...." she mumbles softly, running a hand over my stomach.

"Yes", I say, "We should...."

I kiss the corner of her mouth and she smiles sweetly.

I look at her and push her curls behind her ears.

She hooks her hands around my neck and pulls me close, her forehead resting against mine.

"I am so sorry for putting you through this, Joe."