Cross My Heart

I hated planes. Hated them. Seriously couldn't believe that I was even on one to begin with. I most likely broke Jimmy's fingers as I squeezed them during landing but he didn't seem to mind. He just looked over and smiled at me then ruffled my hair. Which was already starting to curl because of the humidity.

The minute we stepped off the plane Jimmy let out a loud yell and then grinned at me. I knew he was up to no good, having only been married to him for forty eight hours things were going just too smoothly for him.

"Shhh." I said. "You don't want people to think we're tourists do you?"

He looked down at me. "Lay, we are tourists."

"No kidding but do you want to broadcast that? If you're crazy they'll throw us off the island."

He laughed. "Hey, you married me. For sickness and health and whatever else we said. YOU have to deal with me. Forever."

I smiled at him. "Yeah I know."

Jimmy leaned down and wrapped his arms around me squeezing
me tightly. "I love you. Doesn't that make up for what I'm going to do over the next week?"

"You might wanna say it one more time. Then we'll see."

"I love you. I love you. I loooooovvveee you." Then he proceeded to bite my forehead.

"Jimmy! Okay, alright! You're golden, now lets go get our stuff and go back to the hotel. I'm just glad we're off that damn plane."

"What did you think was gonna happen?" He asked as I walked beside him. "Like one of those movies or something? Because if so I would have went all Bruce Willis on them. You know? Hiding in the back, something like that."

"Jimmy, you're almost six foot five... well you are if you include your hair most days when it stands up, but you can't exactly 'hide' very well."

"It's always the tall ones you gotta watch out for." He said winking at me.

We made it to luggage claim and grabbed our things then somehow by a strange miracle found our hotel and then our room. It was beautiful. The bed, the walls, the dresser for our things.
Everything seemed to be at tip top shape. Jimmy had said we
might as well spend a lot of money on it since we weren't going to be able to afford a vacation again until we were old and retired. I liked how he was already picturing us old together, for some reason it really made me feel the reality of our vows.

"Swimming, eating, drinking. Or exploring, eating, drinking swimming. OR Eating, drinking, swimming touring. Oh wait no!" Jimmy was going on excitedly. "Maybe we should eat. Then drink. Then tour. THEN swim late tonight."

I shook my head. "Or maybe..." I said pausing as I walked up to him. "We can do nothing and just lay in bed all day."

Jimmy broke out in to a grin and pulled me to him. "Really?" his voice was low.

"Yeah...who says we have to go out and do anything now?"

"That's true. We could just spend the entire vacation in here if you want..." He bent down and kissed me, one of those kisses that could make you weak in the knees, then pulled away. "But I want to swim and eat and explore! We can spend the rest of our lives in bed! If you want. I mean, I don't really have any objections to that."

"Alright, alright. We'll go explore and drink and eat and mingle and whatever else you think of on the way out."

We put our things away and Jimmy dressed in a pair of flower print shorts and no shirt, it wasn't like he needed one anyway given the fact he was covered in tattoos, while I tried to fix my hair. It was a never ending battle.

"So did you decide what we were gonna do?" I asked. "Because
I've been thinking, drinking and swimming don't sound like they go together very good."

"I figure we'll grab something to eat, and explore while we do it. Then we can scope out what we'll do for tonight while we eat AND explore. At the same.time." He said, putting emphasis on the words 'same' and 'time'.

"Ahhh, well then Mr. Sullivan, why don't you lead the way."

He grinned. "Okay Mrs. Sullivan. Follow me."

It was still hard to believe I had married Jimmy. Not in the sense that I didn't love him or that it was a mistake, but the sense that I couldn't believe I was married at all. I had always figured my future would be horrible dating experiences and spiders. Oh, and loneliness. Sulking when Jimmy found someone to move on with.
Instead however here I was. Married, to none other than Jimmy
himself, and in Hawaii of all places.

We had stopped for a little while in California and I got to meet his parents, who were incredibly kind. I only had the pleasure of meeting one sister though, the other was on some kind of business trip. In the end I didn't want to leave. The neighborhood they lived in was amazing, the ocean was right there in their front yard basically and Jimmy's father was the best cook in the world. How he didn't have his own TV show I wasn't sure.

"Swimming with turtles, yay or nay?" Jimmy asked looking through a brochure. His eyebrows were together in the middle of his forehead while he concentrated.

"I have always wanted to..." I said.

"Then yay it is! We can do that." He closed the paper and stuck it in his pocket then looked around. "Ah shit."

"What?" I asked looking at him then around at the other people, thinking maybe he saw someone he knew. The odds were slim but weirder things had happened.

"Nothing. I just realize this is a big place and we only have a week.
We're gonna be so busy with everything going on that you and I aren't gonna have any alone time... so. Maybe we can wait ONE day to go and do all that stuff I wanted to do. Let's just enjoy the fact that you were dumb enough to marry me."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm fairly smart actually, I think it's you that got dooped."

Jimmy grinned then slung his arm around shoulders. "We're both lucky. Now that we've established that come on. We're gonna go do married couple stuff! Having fun can wait!"

I snorted. "Being married isn't fun?"

"Hey, I'm new. It's only been forty eight hours. Give it a chance I'm sure I'll learn to love it."

"You better." I said as we headed in the direction of the beach.

-

If you've never seen a sunset in Hawaii you're missing out on one of the most beautiful things in the world. The colors in the sky, the darkened palm trees in the background. All of it. Maine was beautiful but this was in a totally different category.

"Just curious, how would you like to see some half naked island guys dancing around with fire?" Jimmy asked. He was stretched out in the beach chair next to mine in the sand, with one hand resting above his head and the other on my knee.

I glanced at him. "Why?"

"Why not? Isn't that something women like. Half naked men dancing around with fire?"

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What? I mean as your husband... I wouldn't get mad if you wanted to check out some beefy dudes in butt flaps. Since you know, I'm kind of skinny and all. No six pack..and stuff."

"Jimmy?"

"Yes dear?"

"Do YOU want to see half naked men and fire?"

"No, I most certainly do not!"

"Ahhhhh I know what this is!" I said and smirked at him. "You want to see half naked LADIES with fire!"

"Hey! I'm just saying if you get to then it's only fair I should!"

I shook my head and leaned back in my chair. "I'm still not entirely convinced you don't want to see the men too, but alright fine. You twisted my arm. I guess I'll go see this whole fire and naked people act with you."

"You're the best wife ever." he said and leaned over giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah, we'll see if you still feel that way once the dudes get out there and start dancing and I ask to feel their biceps and more."

Jimmy laughed and leaned back over in his seat. "If you think you're the embarrassing one you've got another thing comin'."

"Excellent." I said.

When the sun had completely gone down and the stars were staring to come out peppering the sky Jimmy and I returned our chairs to the hut we rented them from and found our way to an outdoors bar type deal. There was a stage where the performers would be coming out and tables filled with people in front of it. Jimmy grabbed my hand and lead me to an empty table in the corner and we sat down.

"This is pretty cool, I gotta admit." I said to him.

"Really? Queen of liking her own space and not wanting to be anywhere near a crowd thinks THIS is cool?" He leaned his elbows on the table and leaned forward.

"A lot has changed about me, I guess." I said. It was true. I hadn't liked crowds, or meeting new people, or planes but there I was in a place far from home having gotten there by plane. I was sure we would meet new people too. Everything I was terrified of doing all made easier just because I knew that no matter what happened I would always have Jimmy.

"Don't change too much. Otherwise I'll get confused." He said.

A waitress came up to us, dressed in the typical grass skirt and a brown top that was shaped like coconuts. Her long dark brown hair hung down past her waist and the lei around her neck was colorful.

"Hi! Are you having fun here in Hawaii?" She asked with a smile.

"I am, and I know he is." I said nodding toward Jimmy.

She looked at him and he smiled. "Oh I'm definitely having a good time." He said.

"That's good! I'm glad you're enjoying yourselves. So, what can I get for you tonight?"

"What would you suggest?" Jimmy asked.

"What are you looking for?"

"How about something to drink. You, babe?" He looked over at me.

"Yeah sure."

The waitress named off a long list of drinks that they had to offer but in the end Jimmy wasn't picky and just got a few beers. I wasn't sure if I was being offensive or not but I ordered a Blue Hawaii, thinking it was appropriate given where I was and who would be making it. An actual person from the place the name of the drink came from.

When she came back she gave us our orders then smiled again.
"If you need anything feel free to come find me, but if not I'll be back in a few minutes to make sure everything is good."

"Thanks." I said.

"So Layla, can I ask you something?" Jimmy scooted his chair closer to me and I turned my attention from my drink to him.

"You know you don't have to ask permission just to ask me a question, right?"

He nodded. "I know, I guess it was just my way of starting a conversation. Like before when you were just best friend Layla."

"Still not used to being married?" I asked.

"Kind of." He admitted. "That's not a bad thing though. Or.. is it?"
I shook my head. "Of course not. It's still new. In like ten years if you said 'I'm still not used to being married' then I'd start to worry a little but... I feel the same way."

He looked satisfied with the answer. "Okay, well anyway, back to the question. Do you... ever think about starting a family?"

The drink that I had just taken a sip from was now going down the wrong tube and I choked slightly. Jimmy smiled and slapped my back a few times before he spoke again.

"If I'd of known it was that easy to kill you I would have been collecting on the insurance money a long time ago." He smiled.

"No, you didn't...You just took me by surprise is all."

"I can see that."

"I don't... know. Why are you asking now?" I gasped dramatically and looked at him. "Oh my God, Are you pregnant?!"

"Yes." He hung his head. "I am."

"I can't believe this! Who's the mother?"

"You?" He looked at me.

"Oh. Right. Well. Dammit, I knew we should have been more careful."

Jimmy laughed an honest laugh then took a drink of his beer. "I'm just teasing."

"Well you can't tease like that! I nearly died! Twice."

"Twice? How?"

"Once from the drink getting lodged in my throat then the second time from a heart attack."

More laughter. "Oh Lay, relax. We're not grown up enough to hop on the baby train."

I nodded. "I know. That's exactly why I almost fell over right here. That'd be terrible. 'Wife dies on honeymoon.' Not such a good way to remember this week."

There was a sudden cheer in the crowd and we looked to the stage where the performers were coming out. I had never seen so many good looking guys in one spot in all of my life, and usually I wasn't in to the whole 'muscly' type of guy. Matt had once even gotten offended because I had said that muscles sometimes were overrated. I had to apologize and touch his biceps every ten minutes to prove that it was okay to be buff.

"Hey....wait a minute." I said barely loud enough for myself to hear. I squinted and looked down in the front and then snapped my head around to Jimmy who wasn't paying any attention to me what so ever. "Jimmy!" I said poking him.

"What?"

"I swear I just saw Dillon."

"Babe, we're in a land of dark people. Dillon would blend right in, you wouldn't even notice him. Maybe you just saw someone who looked a LOT like him. Have you ever noticed that he looks just like the Rock? And the Rock is Hawaiian. Isn't he?" He looked thoughtful for a second then nodded. "Yes he is. Even if he's not I say he is anyway."

"No, I swear. This was Dillon. I can tell the difference between a Mexican I've known for years and a Hawaiian person."

"I don't think you can." He said and smiled.

I grunted and looked back down where I thought I had seen him but he was gone. It figured.

"Why would they be here of all places? They're supposed to be watching our house for us. Remember? Plus, this is a honeymoon.
They're not getting lucky on this trip. I am."

I looked at him and he broke out the cutest grin he could have mustered and I sighed. "Yeah we'll see about that."

"You wouldn't dare." He said.

"I might."

"You'd hold out on me!?" He shouted. I was glad that there was a lot of commotion going on at the time so no one else could hear.

"Well I was on the fence but since you yelled that to the whole world, yes. Yes I am holding out. THE ENTIRE WEEK!"

Jimmy pretended to be shocked to death and leaned back in his chair, sticking his tongue out for good measure. I just grinned and turned my attention back to the dancing men.

After the show was over they took a bow and then asked if anyone in the audience wanted to come up and try to do the dancing part, not the fire though which of course I understood. If Jimmy would have been tempted to play with fire he would have, and upon doing so would have set himself on fire along with everyone else in the place.

"I see there are three gentlemen over there toward the back." One of the large guys said. "Why don't you guys come up here."
I took another sip off from the new drink our waitress had brought
me and then back to the stage, only to spit my drink everywhere.

"Jimmy!" I yelled and turned to him. He was wearing a look that said he had no idea what was going on.

"I didn't know! I swear!" He yelled back.

I squinted and looked back toward the stage to see Charlie, Matt and Dillon all standing up there looking sly.

"What are your names?"

"I'm Matt." Matt said.

"Dillon."

"Charles."

"Charles." I muttered. "It's CHARLIE!" I tried to yell over the crowd but only Jimmy heard. He laughed.

"Alright then, are you three ready to learn the moves?"

"You bet." Matt said and turned to the crowd and smiled. There was an eruption of loud screams from a few girls in the crowd.

"Dear lord." I said and rubbed my temple with my hand. "I can't believe those fools are here."

Needless to say, though I wanted to cover my face with my hand and ignore them I couldn't. Instead I ended up watching them as they swayed around trying to look like professionals. Soon I was joining the girls, screaming their names.

"Maybe if we leave now they won't even know we're here." Jimmy said standing up next to me.

"They know what hotel we're in. I'm sure they could find us."

"Hey it's a big enough place, we can avoid them." He said wrapping his arms around my middle and leaning his chin on my shoulder. "Besides, we still have that agreement of staying in bed all day, remember?"

I turned my face and kissed his cheek. "I know, but why not have fun now and save the mellow married couple act for home?"

He laughed in my ear, his breath brushing my neck. I shivered.

"Ohhh, are you SURE that's what you wanna do?" He asked knowing what he had done.

"Yes." I turned so I was facing him. "Now come on, let's go see what brings the three stooges to OUR honeymoon."