We Can See STARS

Chapter 12: Bali or bust

After a nice lunch, we sat at our gate waiting as more travelers crowded the area. Ana and I people watched, watching the interesting fashion choices some people made in excitement for a beachy vacation.

"Check out this guy's shirt," I pointed at a portly fellow in a Hawaiian shirt of at least 25 colors.

"Oh, and his wife..." She replied. Just then, the man stepped to the side, revealing his wife wearing sunglasses on her face, on her head and on a string around her neck. Paired with a pair of bright yellow pants that stopped mid calf and a pair of hot pink socks.

"Oh honey no. What are you doing? At least she's in the island spirit I guess."

"Yikes, how can she walk in those?" Ana pointed over to another woman in the highest heels I'd ever seen.

"With great concentration I'm guessing."

Just then, the group of flight attendants for our flight walked by in a neat, put together line as we watched and admired their perfectly put together faces and hair. This signaled that the flight would soon be boarding so I text Jamie to let him know. He and Benn were off still enjoying their drinks at the restaurant.

"Woah...look at that dude's mint green shorts! I like the color but yeesh, they're like 5 inches above his knees. Oh wait..." as the figure came into view, I realized the owner of those shorts was my Jamie. Ana must have realized it at the same time as she started laughing out loud.

They stood in front of us, Jamie clearly pleased with his purchase. "You ladies ready for some island time?" I looked up and down between his face and those shorts in disbelief. Ana was still giggling between her fingers. "What?" He said, realizing our amusement.

"Babe," I started, trying to keep from laughing. "What are those?"

"I got them at one of the shops. What do you think?"

"Ummmm..."

"I would like everyone to know I had nothing to do with this," Benn said, hands up as he sat next to Ana.

I stood up and kissed the side of his face. "You are just too cute."

"So this," Ana gestured at Jamie's shorts, "is what we're going to the beautiful island of Bali with?"

Still fighting back giggles, I put my hand around Jamie's waist and replied, "mmhmm." Benn, meanwhile, was taking a picture and, I assumed, posting it to his Instagram. "They're a really nice color, J."

"Seriously though, what's wrong with them?" Jamie whispered to me while Benn and Ana were preoccupied with posting the picture.

"They're really short."

"Well, you try being 6'7" and trying to find clothes that fit."

I turned to hug his middle. "I know, honey. Even at 5'9" it's hard to find a decent pair of pants that don't look like high waters sometimes. I'm sure once we get there, they'll look even better."

After the longest 34 hours of my life, including a layover in Manila and a car to our resort, we made it. Time had no meaning and all I wanted to do was take a hot shower and sleep for another 34 hours. But, in trying to acclimate to the time, after taking showers and changing, we went out to eat at the hotel restaurant to enjoy the sunset, get some real food and start drinking. Truth be told, I was rather irritated from lack of decent sleep and travel but did my best to hide it. Knowing Ana, it seemed like she was just tired but could be holding a short fuse herself. Benn, oddly enough, seemed rather awake, annoyingly so. He took most of the talking on, talking about anything. It wasn't until after appetizers came and he scarfed down about half of it that I was now out for blood.