“No.” Still, I had a difficult time trusting him.
He took my hand in his and squeezed. “Hold my hand and if you get scared, just squeeze it, okay? I’ll try and talk you through it.”
I nodded, and continued to take deep breaths. Then a feeling of tranquility fell over me as the pill and alcohol began to work its magic.
“I took a Xanax and had a shot of vodka. I’m starting to feel a little better.”
“Yeah, well, you’re slurring your words. You probably shouldn’t have mixed the two,” he scolded. He lifted the armrest between us and set my head on his shoulder.
“Why don’t you take a little nap, Sara?” he advised.
A nap sounded like the perfect idea right then. Besides, I wouldn’t be able to stay awake if I tried.
When I woke, I discovered my head still resting on Adam’s shoulder, now damp from my drool. I lifted my head to discover him and the rest of the plane asleep. Thank goodness, I had been spared the embarrassment of Adam knowing I drooled like a baby on him.
“Sleep well?”
So much for escaping embarrassment.
“How long was I out?” Judging by the crick in my neck, I’d wager and say at least an hour.
He peeked at his watch and smiled. “You slept about five hours. You missed dinner, but I saved you a couple of things I knew you’d like.”
“Five hours!” Then another thought occurred to me. “Did I snore?”
His grin grew even bigger. “A little.”
“Oh my God, just kill me now.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t think anyone else heard and even if they did, you snore cutely. You reminded me of a kitten.”
No one has ever compared me to a kitten. To say I was a bit surprised would be the understatement of the year.
Apparently my reaction embarrassed Adam, because he stammered, “Yeah, well, you don’t always snore like a kitten. On Passover, you snored like a lawn mower!”
“Oh there you are, Goldman! I knew you’d show up eventually!” I said sarcastically, angry he had broken our agreement five hours into the trip.
He had the decency to appear remorseful as he apologized. “You’re right. That was stupid of me to say. I’m sorry. I really want to start fresh with you on this trip.”
“Then you might want to stop insulting me. I have plenty of other people to hang around with this trip. I don’t have to spend any of my time with you!”
“I know, Sara. You always have someone else.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Forget I said anything. I’d like it if we could spend some time together in Israel. I want to prove to you I’m not the monster you think I am.”
“I don’t think you’re a monster,” I said unconvincingly.
“Then will you hang out with me in Israel?”
Before I could answer, Hannah and Alison stopped by our row.
“Hey, guys, how’s the flight going? Wasn’t dinner good for airplane food?” Alison asked.
“Oh, dinner! Didn’t you say you put some food aside for me?” I asked Adam, suddenly ravenous.
“I did!” He pulled out two rolls, some cheese, fruit, chocolate, and a can of diet coke. “Bon Appetit!”
“Ooh, Adam, you’re the best!”
I didn’t miss another knowing glance between Alison and Hannah. I was too hungry to care.
“We’re going to try and get some shut eye. Find us when we get off the plane,” Alison said to me, and they returned to their seats, leaving me to my smorgasbord of goodies.
I turned to Adam as I bit into a banana. For some reason his eyes flashed and he made a noise that sounded like a growl deep in his throat.
“Are you all right?”
He shook his head in disbelief and shifted in his seat. “Great, just great. I’m going to try and get a little sleep before we land.” He closed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest.
“Do you want to lean your head on my shoulder and drool on me? It’s only fair,” I offered.
One of his eyes opened to give me a quick peek. Then it closed again and he shook his head again. “No, that’s all right. I’m comfortable.”
He didn’t seem comfortable, but I wasn’t about to beg. I could tell the moment he fell asleep because his breathing became slower and deeper. I took the opportunity to watch him sleep. He looked sweet and innocent, almost like a child.
I tried to fall back asleep, but I found it impossible without the Xanax, and I needed to save that for the flight home. I read an entire book and watched half of a very bad movie I would have walked out of if I had been at the theater.
At some point, Adam’s head flopped over and rested right above my breast. It occurred to me he had intentionally landed there, but he kept on sleeping, unaware of his location.