Drink Me

46. GO AROUND

GO AROUND

It was still dark when Riley and Alice entered the terminal at Heathrow Airport.

Alice wasn't going for subtle in blue high heeled suede boots and a multicoloured seventies dress in the tones of rust, cream and blue. Riley looked at his black joggers and hoodie combo and wondered if he had underdressed. He had never travelled business class before. but then again comfort was his middle name so he didn't care.

They made their way to the check-in desk where a cheerful lady greeted them with a contagious smile. She took their passports and clicked away on her keyboard.

Riley observed the woman studying their travel documents, her eyes darting from the passports to the screen; Alice was scrolling through her phone with indifference, apparently unbothered by the woman toying with her fake American passport.

Finally, the check-in agent smiled as she printed two boarding passes.

"There has been a missed connection this morning," she explained. "So we have a few spare seats so I could sit you together. You're seventeen A, Miss Hart," the woman said, handing the blue passport to Alice. "And Mr Murphy, you're seventeen B."

"Oh, that's wonderful," Alice exclaimed with a bright smile as Riley took back his ID.

"Going home for New Year?" the airline employee asked then, as she wrapped a long tag around Alice's suitcase.

"Yes," Alice replied, keeping her tone light. "I can't wait to see my parents." She beamed, and the lady mirrored her smile.

"Excited to see the in-laws?" she asked, looking at Riley.

"We're not together," the man replied quickly and maybe a little too harshly. "I mean, we're travelling together, but we're just friends," he added as an explanation.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, it wasn't my place to assume," the lady replied, eyeing Alice's engagement ring.

"No worries," Alice smiled again. "We get that all the time," she playfully rolled her eyes, causing a soft chuckle from the check-in agent.

"Well, you two have a safe flight, and happy New Year," the lady said eventually, and the two reciprocated.

Once airside the couple found a comfortable seat in the business class lounge where they ordered coffee to go with their conversation. Two burgundy leather chairs overlooked the departure lever thought a glass wall. In between them was a round coffee table where Alice had displayed a wide selection of biscuits and pastries from the buffet.

"So, how are your parents?" Riley asked, curious about how the arrangement with her cover family would work.

Alice blew over her steamy mug. "They're great, thanks," she replied, not taking the hint or willingly ignoring it.

But Riley was curious, so he tried again. "Glad to hear that," he said. "What do they do when you're not there?"

Alice blew on the coffee again, or better yet, she sighed on it. "Dad's head of logistics for a delivery company and mom is a secretary," Alice said, producing what Riley knew was a fabricated smile.

"Has Aidan met them?" he asked again.

"Yes, of course, he has," replied Alice now with obvious annoyance. "We do things properly, you should know." She winked and her look softened.

Riley smiled and dropped the subject. Well, he changed it slightly.

"Do you have any sibling?" he tried, remembering the story Alice had told him about her dead sister, which was probably a lie too.