I Spy

Chapter 4

The afternoon passed much quicker than I expected it to.  Ant and another woman named Kelly took me around New York and showed me all the places I could get clothes.  Ant told me the kind of things I would need and Kelly assisted by telling me where to get them and what to buy or not.  We came back to the building at six thirty as Stan had said and then I was shown back up to the room I had showered in.  I was left to pack my new things along with anything I needed from the cupboard there.  After I had finished packing, I was given supper on the fifth floor.  I sat with Ant, Kelly and a man called Steve.  They were very nice to me and assured me I would enjoy London.  At twenty to eight, Ant came and helped me bring my suitcases downstairs. 

“Are you okay?” Ant asked as we entered the room with my bags.  I shook my head and tried to swallow the lump in my throat. 

“You’ll be fine, it’s really great there,” he said.  I knew he was trying to be enthusiastic and get me as excited as possible, but I could see in his eyes that he was also bleak. 

“I guess,” I said softly.  “What’s going to happen with us after I leave?” 

“I didn’t really think about that,” Ant admitted.  I nodded and bit my lip. 

“I mean are we together now or what?” I asked awkwardly.  Ant sighed and scratched his head. 

“Do you think we are?” he asked.  I shrugged. 

“Well how about we just see what happens,” he said.  “I don’t know if you’ll meet someone else in England but if you do, just don’t forget me, okay?” 

“I will never forget you,” I promised. 

I stood with my hands linked behind my back as Ant moved closer to me.  He took my cheeks in his hands and kissed me for the third time. 

A long time seemed to have passed before I pulled away.  I looked up into his sad blue eyes and forced myself not to cry.  He smiled quickly and picked up two of my cases, leaving the last one to me.  We rode down the elevator making small talk about the Institute and London.  By the time we reached the car I was being driven in, I was about to cry. 

“Goodbye, Ant,” I said softly, wrapping my arms around his neck.  He squeezed me tightly. 

“I’ll see you soon, Marley,” he assured me, pulling away.  He kissed me on the forehead before I set my feet back on the ground and looked up at him.  His eyes were glistening with tears.  A lump formed in my throat as I nodded and climbed into the waiting car. 

Ant stood on the steps and waved until I turned the corner and he vanished from my sight.  I felt like crying the whole trip to the airport, but I managed to hold the tears back.  I sat alone in the back of the car until we reached the big airport.  Once there, the driver helped me by getting me a trolley and showing me where I needed to go.  I checked in with a friendly lady and then went through security to the other side.  Once there, I sat down by myself at a coffee shop and had a cappuccino. 

I watched everyone from happy families to lonesome old ladies come and go through the shop.  After sitting in the shop for an hour, I tried to distract myself by buying a book.  I sat down and read until I was ready to board. 

The plane was pretty full, but luckily my seat in business class was almost silent.  The glowing bulk of light that was New York had faded into a small blaze when I closed my eyes and fell asleep. 

An airhostess woke me up five and a half hours later as she handed me breakfast.  It consisted of scrambled eggs, a fruit salad, coffee and a piece of toast with jam.  I ate it gratefully and then waited the remaining half hour until we landed.