What Happens Under The Sun

I was so-

''AH!'' I screamed as I tumbled to the floor.

''What is it? What happened?'' Tom asked in an alarmed but still half asleep voice as he raised his head off his pillow and looked around.

''I fell.'' I said with a bit of a laugh.

We had been wrapped up in each other just a little too close to the edge and I had fallen off of the bed when the alarm clock had gone off. Tom looked down at me with an I'm-trying-not-to-laugh smile.

''Are you ok?'' he asked. I stood up and made to get back into bed but as the obnoxious buzzing of the alarm clock continued I knew I didn't have time. Even though every nerve in my body itched to drawl back into bed with Tom, I couldn't. I was leaving today and I had to get ready.

''Fine.'' I sighed as I started to look for my clothes from last night.

As I finished rounding up my clothes and putting them on, Tom pulled on his boxers and got out of bed. He walked me to the door with one hand on my waist.

''I'll meet you in the lobby in half an hour, I've got to shower.'' I told him. He nodded and kissed me lightly on the lips before I left.

I got to my room and started to strip, putting my dirty clothes in the designated suitcase. I hopped in the shower, washing as fast as I could while still getting clean. As I got dressed, I went around my room to make sure I had everything.

I pulled both suitcases off the bed and onto the floor. I popped up the handles and then headed out into the hallway. My suitcases bounced on the way down the stairs and I almost lost control of the one with my worn clothes in it.

When I arrived in the lobby, Tom was sitting in a chair talking to Bill who sat opposite him. He smiled when he saw me and Bill turned in my direction and waved.

''Ready to go?'' Tom asked. Although I could hear the enthusiasm to see me off in his voice, written across his face was his desire for me to stay.

''As I'll ever be.'' I replied.

''It was good to meet you Kate.'' Bill said as he stood up. I smiled and extended my arms towards him.

''You too Bill.'' I replied as he wrapped me in a friendly hug.

''Miss! I just wanted to thank you for staying with us these past weeks. We hope you enjoyed your stay and that we will be your choice for future vacations.'' The concierge said and I smiled.

''Thank you. I will definitely be coming back, I've had a most satisfying experience.'' I said with a slight sideways glance at Tom who was smirking.

''Your bags miss?'' a bellhop –who had appeared out of nowhere- asked, reaching towards my suitcases.

''Thanks.'' I said, handing him the handles.

I looked and Tom and sighed.

''Let's go.'' He said with an obvious reluctance in his voice.

He took my hand as we left the lobby in the direction of the dock. He swung our hands gently back and forth as we walk and I felt rather like a six-year-old holding hands with her first 'boyfriend' at the park.

Most of the time Tom and I stayed silent, simply watching the resort fade away as the ferry took us back to the main land. He sat with his arm around my shoulders and I drummed tunelessly on his leg.

I could feel the ferry slowing down and my vacation slowly but surely becoming less of a reality and more of a memory. It was quite heartbreaking.

Tom walked with me, both of us silent more of the way, into the airport. He went with me right up to the security check with all the metal detectors. This was where we parted.

He slowed to a stop and so did I.

''This is it.'' he said, his hands in his pockets. He looked like he didn't know what to say.

''Yea.'' I replied. It was silent then, not an awkward silence, but a longing one, as if we both knew there was more to say, but neither of us dared to step on that forbidden path.

''This was fun.'' I said, reaching out to put my hand on his arm.

''Yea.'' It was his turn for a one-word answer.

''Will I ever see you again?'' he asked casually, though the fact that he was trying to make it sound like he didn't care that much couldn't stay hidden from me.

''Probably not.'' I answered in all honesty and he nodded.

We stood in silence again, neither of us knowing what to say, what we could say. Tom opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off by fastening my lips to his.

We pulled apart minutes later, both slightly out of breath but smiling all the same. I could see the clock behind Tom and I knew I had to get going.

''Goodbye Tom.'' It had come out easier than I though.

''Goodbye.'' He replied and with that I turned and walked towards the security post.

I knew Tom was already gone, it was what we had agreed on, we'd both leave at the same time.
Saying goodbye to him had been much easier than I thought, at least when the words were coming out of my mouth. But now as I thought about it more, it started to really weigh in.

It wasn't just Tom I had said goodbye to, it was also the vacation that had been almost too good to be true, and the best sex I'd ever had in my life, and the first guy who'd been able to break through my wall in so little time, and the best fling of my life.

I mean, if I really thought about it, that's all this was, all he was. A vacation fling. We'd probably end up forgetting each other's names in a week. It's not like these thing ever lasted anyway. Leaving it at goodbye was probably much easier than trying to make us work as an actual couple off of the island.

And with the acceptance off all of this, my vacation faded from a current event to a memory, something that had happened to me once.

But then again, really this wouldn't just be a memory, it would be a great memory, and it wouldn't just be something that had happened to me, it would be the best thing that had happened to me.

My plane was already here and first class –where I would be for the trip- was already boarding. I checked my luggage and headed for the plane.

With my goodbye and its many possible meanings floating through my head, I handed my ticket to the woman at the desk. She returned it with a smile and I boarded the plane.

Flight 182 to Germany.