Behind The Scenes

87. Hero

It is not the first time that I have taken a trip followed by bodyguards, but I will never get used to it. I'll miss the freedom to travel alone. This is one of the cons when you are famous: you cannot be seen in public that a crowd of people surrounds you. We have already taken some photos with some girls but not many. I already feel fucking tired.
During the taxi ride I spent my time drawing abstract figures on Jo's thigh absent-mindedly with my fingers, just as I used to do on her chest. When I printed that kiss on her cheek — almost involuntarily — I felt stupid and satisfied at the same time, but I tried not to think about it because I know she appreciated it at least a little. In fact I'm sure of it. That little millisecond contact with my lips was intoxicating for both her and me. I miss kissing her and making her mine with a look too much.
We are waiting for boarding to begin and Jo is sleeping with her head resting on my shoulder. She has a calm expression and a slight smile on her lips.
Anna is reading something. Then she looks up from the book and turns to us.
I give her a half smile.
"You are cute," she says.
I chuckle. "We always have been, Anna."
I rest my head on Jo's blonde one and half close my eyes. At one point I hear the noise of a photo shoot.
She slowly opens her eyes and when she notices Anna photographing us she opens them wide. "Anna? What are you doing?" she asks in a voice thick with sleep.
Anna smiles at her embarrassed. "I had... of course to immortalize this scene, sorry."
I wave my hand and shake my head. "Don't worry."
Jo raises her head and puts a hand on my shoulder. "Sorry I slept on you," and she giggles.
"No, thank you. I rested my head on yours, so you're not in debt," I say with a grin, and she nudges me gently.
At the loudspeaker they announce that they are about to open boarding, so we go and get in line immediately, followed by our bodyguards.
"So... our seats are all near each other, right?" Anna asks, and Jo nods.
She is very simple today, literally soap and water. I love it when she's removed, she's even more beautiful, I must have told her a million times. She has a high ponytail and two tufts in front of her face, which she punctually puts behind her ears because they annoy her. I want too much to touch her hair...
"Why..." she begins to say, looking at me strange, "why are you touching my ponytail?" and she giggles.
I twist a lock in my fingers. "I like your hair, it's blonde and soft. And they smell of vanilla," I sniff them before saying these last words. She tilts her head to one side leaving that inviting neck exposed, and almost accidentally — but intentionally — my warm breath on her skin makes her shiver.
She bites her lip and then slowly moistens it. She's provoking me to death, but we're in a fucking queue at the airport. I hate her.
"What are you doing, Hero?" she says softly, so that only I can hear her. "Are you flirting with me?"
I roll my eyes and then whisper in her ear, "Yes, but you are provoking me, baby."
She closes her eyes to process those words and I go back to my place, to observe the various weird people who go back and forth to the airport.
It had been a long time since I called her 'baby' or we teased each other on purpose, which increases the effects. She is turned on, I see it in her dilated pupils and she has her legs tightened in what looks like a dance pose. I punctually put my hands in my pockets because... well, it's quite obvious.
Anna looks at us sideways, she guessed it. There is a certain tension between us, the one that can be cut with a knife.
I miss her, and I know she misses me too.
I miss her body, her lips, her hands... The times when we made love almost every day were beautiful, I miss them. Now as long as for a fuck I have to become president of the United States, be romantic, understanding, sweet and asshole, provocative and provoked... when I used to get it with a look and some dirty whispered words.
But that's not all I miss. I'm a man, yes, but that doesn't mean I only think about fucking. I miss cuddling on the sofa watching a movie, preparing dinner, making pizza and dirtying her nose with flour, kissing in the rain on the balcony, hearing her say 'I love you', taking care of her when she is unwell, holding her close to my chest. These are the little things that I miss most of all.
You don't realize how beautiful simplicity is until everything becomes simply complicated.