Coffee, tea? Or me?

STRANGE DAYS-Part I

STRANGE DAYS

Strange days have found us

Strange days have tracked us down

They're going to destroy

Our casual joys

We shall go on playing 

Or find a new town.

I

After her first encounter with the paparazzi, Lucy felt much more relaxed about her relationship with James. Two weeks had passed and she hadn't seen any new pictures of them together, despite them not doing anything to disguise their relationship.

"Maybe you're not that famous anymore," joked Lucy while rolling a white blouse and stuffing it in her suitcase.

James walked to her.

"Don't be silly," he said with fake indignation.

He grabbed a flowery fabric ball from her suitcase and let it roll open.

"That's a very deep cut," he said, eyeing the low neckline on the bathing suit.

Lucy rolled her eyes and grabbed the item from his hand, throwing it back into her suitcase.

"Since when you're jealous?"

James shrugged.

"I'm not. Just protective, can't do anything about it, it's an animal instinct".

Lucy crooked her head to the side.

"You wouldn't like to be in my shoes with all the attention you get. And I mean thirsty attention".

"I would go crazy," admitted James, scoffing.

"Don't go," he said then, serious.

Lucy stopped folding a pair of trousers and looked at him

"What do you mean don't go. It's my job, I have to go".

"Maybe you could be sick..."

Lucy stared at him, trying to figure out if he was joking.

"I can't miss nine days of work," she said eventually.

James tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her on the forehead.

"I know. I'm just...going to miss you".

"So will I," replied Lucy sweet.

"I love you" he whispered in her ear.

For a moment, a nanosecond Lucy wanted to say "me too".

But as the thought crossed her mind, it was gone.

***

The nine days had dragged long and Lucy was looking forward to going home. They had flown to Singapore and then after a couple of days to Sydney, they had returned to the first city and were now waiting to board a plane back to London.

Lucy was jet-lagged, tired, hungry and was dreading the thirteen-hour night flight, but was ecstatic she would be sleeping in her own bed the following day and mostly she would finally be with James again.

When all the passengers were in their seats and the plane doors had been closed, Lucy took off her hat, put on her flat shoes and checked her phone for the last time.