Elina (![]() ![]() @ 2009-06-04 14:02:00 |
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Entry tags: | emily, vincenzo |
Emily and Vincenzo at the Airport
"Ticket, ticket, where did I put it..." Emily mumbled and started rummaging her purse as soon as she and Vincenzo had stopped in the lobby of the airport. Luckily they were well on time for Emily to catch her flight to California to participate in the Culinary Institute of America's chef contest. She had all her working equipment - from her chefoutfit to her knife case full of very valuable tools of the trade - in one bag that she pulled behind her, and all the other things for the vacation they would have after the contest in the bag Vincenzo was helping to carry.
"Dammit. Did you see where I put it?" she asked him without looking up - she was too busy going through all the pockets of the bag. Sometimes a woman's purse really did seem bottomless.
Vinnie, smiled and reached for her bag. "This side?" he said. "I think you put it in the side pocket."
He'd miss her, he thought. During the week they saw each other in passing almost every day. The thought of her being a whole country away felt odd.
"I did?" Emily checked the side pocket and as she took out the papers, she looked up sighing with relief. "I did. Sheesh, I was starting to panic I had lost them already. Where would I be without you?" she asked and took a step closer to give him an affectionate hug.
Vincenzo held her close as he carried her larger bag towards the checkout. "Will you call me when you get there?" he asked. "Doesn'tmatter what time. I'm working tonight."
"Once I'm settled and showered, I will," she promised smiling and felt touched to hear him ask a sweet thing like that. "And I'll call tomorrow evening too to tell you how the first part of the contest went!" she added with more anxiety. She had been increasingly nervous about the contest for the whole week already anyway.
"Thanks," Vinnie said, scanning the check-in desks for the one she needed. "Oh look, you can scan your ticket. Do you know how much your bags weigh?"
Emily blinked and glanced down at the bags. "No? But these can't be over the limit, neither of these is very heavy? There's scales by the desks, they'll handle it," Emily said. "Wait here and I'll go get these checked in?" It was much easier to kiss goodbye too when you didn't have to have one eye open to look after your luggage.
"Okay," Vincenzo said giving her a quick squeeze then slipping his hands into his pockets. he smiled at her and looked at the queue - it wasn't too long.
Emily spent most of the queuing time checking that the bags were properly closed and marked and that she had all the necessary papers at hand. It went rather painlessly and soon enough she was already coming back to Vincenzo.
"Ohh, it always feels somehow relieving to get rid of that weight at this point," she said and as she put her ID and tickets back to her purse, she got out something else. "This is something Wayne wanted me to give you," she said and handed him a key into her apartment.
Vincenzo took it and laughed. "I'll treasure it and be sure to thank him at least twice a day," he said. "And I've something for you." He took a battered keyring from his pocket, worn leather fob with a silver medal hanging against it. "I carried that across two continents and a couple of oceans," he said. "St Christopher looked after me, now he can look after you."
Emily smiled and chuckled recognizing the saint. "So now I have double protection?" she said and moved her scarf aside to show him that she was indeed wearing the small pendant of St Christopher. "Do you still have anyone looking over you - you need to fly over the continent too on Saturday. I'd hate to break the cycle of safe traveling for you by taking this." She still was not religious but a year in the Manor had already taught her that there were indeed things that you - in most cases - could not see or prove.
"I have back up," Vinnie promised and closed her hand over the keyring. "Take it with my blessing and," he sighed, "every best possible wish for thecompetition. I'll miss you, you know."
Emily looked up at him adoringly for a moment and then, holding the keyring in her fist, gently wrapped her arms on his shoulders to hug him.
"Thank you. I'll miss you too, sweetie," she said on a low tone into his ear. "It's just a couple of days. But it's also the whole continent and three hours in time difference," she sighed and held him a little closer.
"Not that far, not for long," Vinnie reminded her. "I'll be with you in just a couple of days. And you'll be busy all that time - doing something you love doing." He pouted, "While I'll be being polite to stuffed shirts."
Emily giggled at his pout and patted her hands on his shoulders. "Aww, but then we have no obligations to anyone. Just you and me and no stuffed shirts, right? This vacation will do some good to both of us." She glanced over her shoulder at the huge clock in the lobby and sighed. "I gotta go very soon."
"I know," he said. "I'll walk with you to security." With his arm around her waist he guided her in the right direction and grinned. "Can give myself a thrill watching you take off your shoes and belt and suchlike."
Emily snorted, gently poked him with her elbow but laughed anyway. "Next time we see you'll be the one taking them off of me," she said and grinned in turn.
"You can count on that," Vincenzo said with a chuckle. "I'm looking forward to this. I've never been to the West Coast. It'll be great to look around a bit."
"Never? This will be great then! We're lucky it's not Los Angeles so we can be safe from my family too," Emily said reassuringly as they approached the security gates.
There was a medium length queue of people reading the notices and sighing and arguing about what they needed to take off or not. Vincenzo checked the time again and drew Emily to a halt then cupped her face in his hand and looked into her eyes for a moment, "Be safe," he said, "and kick their asses in the competition." He sealed his instruction with a long kiss.
Emily wrapped her arms around Vincenzo's waist to pull him against herself as they kissed.
"You bet I will," she said as they finally broke the long slow kiss. "If I win, I'll take you to the best restaurant in San Francisco and the dinner's on me," she promised knowing that the first place prize was $5 000. "If not, we'll have take away which you will eat while I'm crying. Deal?" she chuckled and slid her hands from his back to his waist knowing she should go soon.
"Not gonna happen," Vincenzo said and looked at the board and sighed. "Promise you'll call when you get there?"
"I promise," Emily said and patted his sides with her hands. Then she took a step back to turn and go to the security, but changed her mind and swung herself to him to kiss him once more for good measure.
He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her onto her toes while they kissed, then set her down again carefully. "Have a good flight," he said and stepped back to allow her to go. "Good luck."
"Thanks. See you on Saturday, sweetie," she said sighing wistfully, then gently wiped the corners of her mouth after the kiss, and finally stepped back. She walked to join the queue to the Security.
Vincenzo stood and watched her go through the hoops and saw her last wave then watched her put of sight. Then he turned to go back to the Manor, sighing and wishing he was still beside her.