Sady didn't fall asleep until after eleven. A few hours later she heard a sound in her dark bedroom. She reached under the extra pillow on her bed and pulled out her billy club. Someone was in her room. She'd have to find another place to live. This building had lousy security.
Someone turned her bedside lamp on, and she jabbed her club into the stomach of her intruder.
"Dammit, Sady. Will you quit beating on me?" Matt asked, doubled over and trying to catch his breath.
"Excuse me? I don't think you have your story right. Maybe I should have clubbed you on the head," she declared. "What are you doing in my room in the middle of the night?"
"Trying to wake you without the whole building knowing," he scowled. "I guess it's too late for that."
"Why? Better yet, how exactly did you get into my apartment?" she asked suspiciously.
"I might have a key," he admitted. "Strictly for your own safety, of course. Obviously, it's not working out for my well being." She continued glaring, and he said, "Don't blame me. It was Morrow's idea, just in case. I'm starting to think they should post your door with a warning sign."
"Stop trying to change the subject. What are you doing skulking around my apartment in the middle of the night? No, why are you waking me up in the middle of the night?"
"I got a call from CJ. We're on the next flight out of Detroit Metro, so grab your stuff. We have to hustle if we're going to make the flight."
"Well, why are you wasting my time with chit-chat?" Sady yelled. She jumped out of bed, and Matt smiled at her over-sized night shirt. It read, Life's too short to be kissing frogs. French fry the next hot guy you see.
"I like that one," he said. "Care to give it a try?"
"I will when I see a hot guy," she smirked.
"Get packed, Morrow," he said with a sigh. "We're leaving in twenty minutes."
They made their flight. Matt wished they hadn't. Sady frowned from her seat a few rows in front of him. She was in the kiddie section with screaming babies, tired parents, and out-of-control pre-school children. Matt smiled at her predicament and settled back in his seat. At least he tried to settle.
A very large man in the window seat sprawled into Matt's space. Matt leaned toward the aisle, and the spinsterish looking bag of bones in the next seat looked at him like he was on the dessert menu. She smiled, baring her large yellow teeth. Matt tried to hunch into the center of his small seat. He shot a desperate look in Sady's direction and looked down quickly when he saw a baby spewing formula. He silently cursed CJ for putting them on a non-stop flight.
Unending seemed more fitting, he thought when they finally arrived. Even as he made his way off the plane the woman with the yellow teeth seemed determined to stick with him. Out of desperation he grabbed Sady. "Blame it on yellow teeth," was all he said before he hastily gave her a world class kiss, ignoring comments from the other passengers.
"Get a room."
"John, cover the children's eyes!"
"Buddy, just move it along, will you?"
"That behavior shouldn't be allowed in public."
"Way to go, dude!"
“Is this the line for the kissing booth?”
“You're a little too late to be reaching for the mile high club, fella.”
The attendant wedged herself in between them. "You can exit now. The plane's empty," she said with a smirk. Embarrassed, Sady gave Matt a shove that almost sent him tumbling down the steps.
"Finally," CJ greeted them with a huff in the terminal. "I thought you weren't on the flight."
"I wish I hadn’t been," Matt snapped. "If you see that horsey looking woman with the yellow teeth let me know so I can run."
"Enjoy the flight, Matt?" Harry asked with a smile.
"I don't know why you're so happy. If I'm not mistaken you're the one in the hot seat... or should I say the hot bed?" Matt grinned at Harry, then looked at CJ from the corner of his eyes.
"You'll be mistaken if you keep up that kind of talk," CJ warned.
"Candy Jane, is the honeymoon over?" Matt foolishly asked. A second later he was begging CJ's forgiveness from his position on the floor. CJ planted her foot firmly on his chest.
"Is there a problem here?" an airport security guard asked CJ.
"Yes," Matt wheezed. CJ pushed her foot down and smiled at the guard.
"No. I think he had a few too many on the flight. He fell down, and I stepped on him by accident. But he'll be fine once he comes to his senses. Isn't that right, Matt?"
Matt nodded when CJ increased the pressure of her foot, and the security guard cautioned him about drinking during an airline flight. Sady turned to hide her laughter.
Harry watched his wife with pride. If necessary, she could easily take out most of the terminal, including the guards, by herself. He could too, but it was more fun watching his wife in action.
Once the security guard left CJ asked Matt if he would behave. He nodded, and she removed her foot after grinding it once more for good measure. Harry reached down and pulled Matt to his feet. "You're getting off to a bad start," Harry cautioned.
Matt rubbed his chest with a glare at the women. "I'm getting off to a bad start?" CJ stepped toward him, and he apologized quickly. "Don't expect to see me at the pool," he told Harry. "Between the two of them I look like the victim of domestic violence."
"You're not here for a vacation," CJ told him in a withering voice. "You're here to work. Now can we get on with it, or do you have any more foolish insults to get off your chest?"
Matt shook his head. "I don't think there's much of my chest left. Let's go." CJ shoved them into a taxi and on to the hotel.