While washing his hands, he also splashed some water on his face and checked his reflection. The fluorescent lighting washed out his skin, and sitting in an airport for hours could make anyone glassy-eyed, but all in all, he looked much the same as he had this morning. His clothes weren’t travel-rumpled (yet), and when he ran long fingers through his blond hair, it fell softly into place.
He finished up and exited, feeling refreshed and relaxed for the first time in hours. His relief was short-lived, however. He made it all of three steps before he skidded to a halt, his heart pounding.
His seat was still empty, but his stuff was gone. No laptop, no phone, not even his bag. It’d all disappeared.
Did Mika . . .? Could he have . . .?
Holy shit. He scanned the nearby area frantically. Two seconds later, his eyes landed on a familiar head of dark hair. Mika was sitting in the exact same configuration as before, only one row over. And, sure enough, James’s stuff was across from him.
James stood there for a moment, flabbergasted, but then Mika caught sight of him and burst out laughing. James could only imagine how panicked he must appear, and clearly Mika thought it was hilarious.
James stomped over, thrumming with fury and mortification. With every step, Mika’s laughter grew until his whole body was shaking with it. People from the other rows were looking over to see what all the commotion was about.
James ignored them, his vision tunneling until it encompassed only Mika. The second he was within earshot, he struggled to articulate the anger coursing through him. “Mika, what the hell! I can’t believe— You— I— You mother—”
Naturally, this only made Mika laugh harder. He clutched his sides as he wheezed for breath. There was nothing James could do but stand there and sputter.
After what felt like years, Mika pulled himself together enough to speak. “Oh my God. Even better than I thought.”
James gritted his teeth. “Why did you do that?”
“Your face!” Mika wiped away tears. “Priceless.”
“Joke’s on you, asshole. You gave up our outlets.” James glanced back at the row they’d previously occupied. Sure enough, in the course of the past minute, someone else had hermit-crabbed into the spot.
Mika wasn’t kidding. Those seats really are coveted.
Looking unperturbed, Mika smiled. “It was worth it. Oh man. I wish you could have seen your face when you walked out. Good thing you went to the bathroom already, because I thought you were going to piss yourself.”
“Charming.” James’s laptop and phone were stacked neatly on the seat across from Mika, and his bag was on the floor beneath them. He grabbed the bag, packed his laptop into it, and pocketed his phone.
Mika eyed him. “Where are you going?”
“Away from you. And you know what? On top of being childish, your prank wasn’t well thought-out. You could have swapped my stuff for yours. Didn’t you have a dead tablet that needed attention?”
“Yeah, that’s true.” Mika smirked. “But then I wouldn’t get to cherish the memory of watching those big blue eyes of yours pop out of your skull. You looked like one of those women in old-timey movies who’d clutch their pearls and put a hand to their head. I half expected you to shout that a scoundrel had made off with your valuables.”
James rolled his eyes and checked the time on his phone. It read 6:42 p.m., which meant he’d been here for nearly seven hours. God, that was way too long to be stuck in an airport. No wonder he was crabby.
Or maybe you’re frustrated because every time you and Mika start to make progress, something gets in the way.
James glanced over, curious to see if Mika was still watching him. Sure enough, instead of disappearing into his headphones again, Mika was staring back. They sized each other up for a moment before they both looked away.
Don’t let him get away with this, said a surprisingly vehement voice in James’s head. You were even before, but he just had to have the last word. Don’t let him. Get him back.
Revenge sounded damn tempting right now. But what could James do? He wasn’t exactly a criminal mastermind. In fact, he’d never pulled a prank in his life.
Regardless, he couldn’t let Mika win. There had to be some way to prank someone in an airport without hurting anyone or causing a panic. Or getting them both arrested.
Without another word, James started down the aisle. Out of his periphery, he saw Mika’s head turn to follow him, but Mika didn’t say a word. James kept his eyes on the tacky carpet as he strode toward the airport’s main wing. He almost expected Mika to sense his ill intentions somehow and run after him, but Mika didn’t.
James wound his way through the crowd, passing shops, the airport bar, and kiosks on the way. He scanned each store as he walked, but unless he intended to get revenge by buying Mika a tacky souvenir, there was little he could do.
The more he walked, the more his anger abated, and the more he recognized his problem. He wanted to get Mika back, but he didn’t want to hurt him. That meant he couldn’t do anything dangerous, like dump hot coffee in his lap. He didn’t really want to do anything mean either.
Man, I suck at this.
He found a toy shop with a remote-controlled helicopter, and for a moment he considered buying it and having the helicopter hover right above Mika’s head. Every time Mika swatted at it, it would fly out of reach, and Mika wouldn’t be able to say anything because technically the helicopter wouldn’t be touching him.
Tempting as that idea was, it would get security’s attention for sure. James sincerely didn’t want to get strip searched or thrown in airport prison.
By the time he reached the far end of the airport, he was no better off than before. He stood in the middle of the dull tile floor—people sailing past him as if he were a piece of furniture—and wondered if there was such a thing as a kind prank. Perhaps he lacked the killer instinct necessary for this.
He was considering going back with his tail between his legs when he spotted a small bookstore. Maybe they had a book of practical jokes he could peruse for ideas. He walked in and was disappointed to discover their selection consisted primarily of books about New York, romance novels, and activity books meant to entertain mercurial children. Not exactly the Library of Alexandria.
He approached the romance novels, gears turning in his head. After some debate, he discarded that as a possibility. What could he do? Buy one and give it to Mika? Suggest that Mika might be interested in such unorthodox things as love and sex? Perish the thought. He moved on to the next section, and that was when he got his first real idea.
In the children’s section, dead center, was the biggest, most vibrant coloring book James had ever seen. It was bright yellow with a cartoon elephant on the front and bubble lettering. He plucked it off the shelf, his thoughts going a mile a minute.
This could work, but he’d need some supplies.
There was a young woman standing by the cash register. He approached her. “Do you have any crayons?”
“No, but we have pens.” She pointed to a plastic display on the counter that housed an assortment of touristy pens.
That would have to do. James grabbed one at random, bought it along with the coloring book, and left the bookstore. He made a beeline for the nearest trash can. There, he tossed the shopping bag and opened the book to the inside cover. Using the pen, he scrawled the name Mika Bailey in a halting, uncertain hand.
Perfect. Now he just had to pull off the second part of his plan. Which would involve lying to a member of airport staff and also keeping a straight face.
Gulp.
Concealing the coloring book in his laptop bag, James made his way back to gate three. The second he entered the area, his eyes started to look for Mika, but he snapped them forward. He picked a row that was two over from the one where he’d last seen Mika and walked down it to the desk in front of the gate.
A frazzled-looking flight attendant was standing there, typing away on a computer. As James approached,
the attendant glanced up with wary eyes. He was probably expecting James to complain about the delayed flight, as undoubtedly many others had.
“How can I help you, sir?” He smiled.
James pulled out the coloring book with hands that shook no matter how much he willed them not to. “I found this on the ground over there. A kid probably dropped it. Is there a lost and found?” He flashed his brightest Good Samaritan smile and handed the book over.
The flight attendant ate it up. He was probably relieved to have something to do other than listen to people complain. “That’s very kind of you. The airport has a lost and found at Customer Service, but I can’t take it there right now. Where did you say you found it?”
James pointed to a nearby row. “Right over there, in front of the gate. The kid who owns it is probably on this flight.”
“You didn’t see who they were?”
“Unfortunately no.” James paused and cocked his head to the side as if in thought. “Maybe they wrote their name inside the book?”
“Good thinking.” The flight attendant flipped it open on the counter and then dropped a finger onto the name scrawled in pen. “Bingo! I’ll page them. Hopefully their parents are nearby.”
James struggled to keep a grin off his face. And the Oscar goes to . . .
Then came the pièce de résistance. The flight attendant frowned at the coloring book before pushing it closer to James. “Hey, how do you think this name is pronounced?”
James almost spat in his haste to reply. “Looks like Micah to me.” He glanced at the book for effect. “Yeah, that’s definitely Micah.”
“Thanks for your help.” The flight attendant picked up the phone.
“I’ll be right over here if you need anything.” James moved off to the side and pretended to dig through his bag as he sequestered himself behind a decorative ficus. From here, Mika wouldn’t be able to see him, but James would be able to watch the whole, beautiful thing.
The flight attendant hit a button on the desk phone, and the PA system buzzed to life. “Will the parents of Micah Bailey please come to gate three? Micah Bailey, to gate three.”
James peeked through the waxy leaves just in time to see Mika perk up. From the frown on his face, he wasn’t at all amused at having his name mispronounced yet again. He got up and trudged to the desk. A few people who’d heard the announcement watched him with curious expressions. James did his best not to laugh.
“I’m Mika Bailey,” he said when he’d reached the desk. His tone was sour with a hint of confusion. “You said something about my parents?”
“Pardon me, sir. I’m looking for the parents of a Micah Bailey.”
“It’s pronounced Mee-kuh.” Mika rolled his eyes. “Why is that so difficult for everyone?”
The flight attendant’s brow furrowed. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same person?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I’m Mika Bailey, and I know how to pronounce my own name.”
More hesitation on the flight attendant’s part. “Do you have a child with your same name?”
“Uh, no. Why?”
The flight attendant gave him a slow once-over. “Oh. Well, someone found your, uh, book and turned it in.” He held up the giant coloring book. The cartoon elephant on the cover seemed to be smiling right at Mika.
It might not have been that bad, except Mika’s exasperation over his name had caught the attention of several of the people sitting by the gate. At the sight of the coloring book, they snickered.
Mika glanced from the book to the flight attendant and back again. “I don’t understand. This isn’t mine.”
“It’s literally got your name on it.” The flight attendant flipped it open and pointed it out. “I doubt there’s another person at this gate with your same name.”
For once, it seemed Mika couldn’t scrounge up a smart reply. “Uhhh.”
“Please take your book and have a seat.” The flight attendant appeared to have run out of patience. He pushed the book toward Mika and went back to typing.
Mika flapped his mouth uselessly before he curled his fingers around the book. Promptly, his face turned red.
James couldn’t take it anymore. A giggle burst from him. He had to clap a hand over his mouth to hold it back. He slipped away and managed to make it to an empty seat without losing it, but it was a near thing. Once there, he let himself laugh to his heart’s content.
Within a minute, Mika stalked over. James hadn’t known before that it was possible to sit angrily, but that was what Mika did as he took the seat right next to James.
“You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”
James smothered his laughter and affixed what he hoped was an innocent expression on his face. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Cut the crap, James. I know it was you.” He held up the coloring book. “You must think you’re so funny.”
“Don’t be like that. It was harmless. See, I picked a coloring book because—”
“Oh no, I get it. No need to explain your brilliant joke. I’m a child, right? Hardy har har.”
“Well, you were acting like a child, so if the bootee fits.” James gave him a toothy, unapologetic grin.
Mika rolled his eyes. “Truly, the art of comedy has reached its peak. It’s all downhill from here.”
Forget him. He just wants to get a response out of you.
Happy to let Mika grouse in peace, James pulled out his laptop and flipped it open with the express intent of ignoring Mika. He connected to the airport’s wi-fi, and a desktop notification told him that he had new emails waiting for him. Probably scheduling changes for his classes next week—Professor Martinez was always moving them to different lecture halls—but he feigned concentration as he scrolled through them.
He did such a good job of pretending to focus, he almost didn’t notice Mika get up and storm off.
Uh-oh. James resisted the urge to watch him go. Is he still angry? I mean, I didn’t expect him to keep sitting next to me, but . . .
With a start, James realized he was getting accustomed to having Mika around. Whoa. When had that happened?
Unable to resist, James peeked over his laptop in the direction Mika had gone. Mika had moved another row over. He was now sitting in the seat James had occupied earlier, the one by the outlets. The person who’d stolen it had left. A tablet that James presumed was Mika’s was resting on the floor with a charger plugged into it.
When Mika noticed James watching him, he smiled and waved. Then he took the coloring book and tossed it pointedly into a trash can next to the pillar.
James frowned. He’s not doing anything to disprove my child accusation.
Mika was only using one of the outlets, and the seat on the other side of the beam was free. James jumped to his feet, grabbed his stuff, and scuttled over. He plopped into the seat and plugged in his laptop before Mika could do more than sit up in his chair.
James met his gaze dead-on and raised an eyebrow. Mika opened his mouth only to close it again. Then he sat back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest.
James fought not to grin. He took his time going through the remainder of his new emails. It wasn’t until after he’d finished that he finally addressed Mika. “You realize the coloring book thing makes us even, right?”
Mika’s eyes snapped to his face. “What? How do you figure?”
“You took the charging station, so I took your outlets. You hid my stuff, so I embarrassed you in front of that flight attendant. And all the people sitting nearby.” James had the good sense not to giggle again, no matter how badly he wanted to. “Now the score is tied, and we both have an outlet. Don’t you think it’s time to call a truce?”
Mika’s eyebrows pinched together. James could sense irritation rolling off him in waves, but after a moment, he huffed. “Yeah, whatever.”
That was probably as good an answer as James was going to get. Satisfied, he was about to turn back to his laptop when a voice came over the PA s
ystem again.
“Attention passengers flying from Islip to Charleston. The lightning storms have intensified and are preventing any aircraft from arriving or departing. Until these severe weather conditions resolve, your flight has been delayed. We will update you with new information as it becomes available.”
A groan rose up from the crowd, including James and Mika.
“Man, George is going to be so pissed at me,” Mika grumbled. “I was supposed to be home hours ago.”
George? Is that his boyfriend?
The idea made James’s stomach flop. All the times he’d thought about Mika, it hadn’t occurred to him that Mika might not be single. But of course he wasn’t. Mika was handsome and funny and—
And none of your business. You’ve entertained this little crush for far too long. Time to come back to reality now.
Miserable, James tried to go back to work, but the words on his laptop screen kept rearranging themselves in front of his eyes.
Perhaps Mika sensed something, because he dropped the attitude for once and asked James a genuine question. “Did you tell whoever’s picking you up that you’re going to be late?”
James hadn’t asked anyone to pick him up. His sister didn’t have a car, and his parents had moved to Phoenix last year. He hadn’t made that many friends in his graduate program. If he were still with David, that would have been his best bet, but he wasn’t. He was alone. There was no sense in rushing home. It wasn’t like he had anyone waiting for him.
“Yeah, I did,” James lied. Then he pretended to work until Mika slipped on his headphones.
So much for their first real conversation.
Mika wasn’t at all surprised by the announcement that their flight had been delayed indefinitely. With the way things had been going so far, he’d almost expected them to say the plane had caught on fire. Or for a member of the airline’s staff to come out and personally punch him in the face.
Somehow, he was going to have to keep himself entertained for the next fucktillion hours. Once his tablet was charged up enough, he could watch a movie, but that didn’t do him any good until then. He always had his music, but right now, he wasn’t in the mood. That left him with few options. Walk around. Eat again. Do some shopping.
New Heights Page 5