Airport 8

after recalling his skt mission, chris finally leaves the airport with katie. this is the point of the book where time has come current, and chris no longer recalls the events taking place.

Not so much as the last time she knocked me on my heels last time I saw her, her presence today was nonetheless stunning. She was still on the escalator, yet easily discernable in the crowd of family members and business travelers. Yellow skirt, fashionable blouse, gaudy jewelry...and her nose appeared to be pierced. She was dressed more conservatively, I would say, than the last time she came to see me at the airport. Of course, there was a reason for her choice of outfit that day, and obviously, a reason for her choice today. Finally, she spots me. My pulse quickens, as I remind myself to keep the conversation focused on the here and now, rather than the when and why.

"Hey!" I smile, as she walks closer. I can smell her perfume, I can see the color of her eyes. "It's been awhile, good to finally see you again."

She hugs me, something I wasn't expecting. It was my intention to refrain from any sort of physical embrace, to make a point of it really. But that no longer seemed to make much sense, as I closed my arms over her and pulled her just a bit closer. This is what I had wanted, for more than a year, and now that I had it, it only confused me.

"I know, I know. I can't believe you're here!" She answered. There was an awkward pause, though we both seemed to want to fill the gap with thoughtful conversation. Dom, it appeared, was going to dictate our simple reunion after all. No sense in holding anything back then.

"Thanks, Katie, for coming to pick me up. I know you've got other plans, I realize I probably caught you on short notice. If you wouldn't mind just dropping me at my house, that would be a huge help," I said, trying to offer her a way out.

It seemed as though she would just as soon have said no when I called her, but the idea of leaving me stranded at the airport was hardly what I deserved after what had happened between us. She must only be here because she doesn't know how to apologize. This is her way of making things right between us.

"No way, you're not getting off that easy. I believe there was a promise of a meal, and it was, what was it, your treat? Yes, that was it. And I know the perfect place." She was smiling now. She did that alot. When I first met her, it used to cover up a lot of things left unsaid. However, today, now, it disguised very little. She must have talked to Dom about this, they must have worked something out. Katie's conscious, if nothing else, was never insincere. Though, as pure as she came across, she was fragile being, and treated others the same.

"Great, lets go then," I replied, stooping to pick up my bags. She turned and started towards the exit, and I was not far behind.