I was seated in the slowly crowding airport, looking at the people moving around. When I started to feel restless, I got up and paced around.

“Dammit!” Where was she?

I winced as soon as I thought it. She wasn’t exactly obligated to come out and look for me just because I was leaving. Ever since I found out I was leaving, I hadn't found a chance to see her face to face, and if she didn’t make it to the airport in the next thirty minutes, she might be too late. I wanted to see her because I didn’t think saying goodbye on the phone would be enough for me.

Not that I can do anything even if she does get here, I told myself sternly. A hug, maybe, we were friends after all. But I wanted more, and that was the one thing I couldn’t have.

“Would you please sit down?” an exasperated voice told me.

I aimed a frown at my travel companion. Abigail, my colleague, had informed me she’d be going to Tokyo with me just yesterday.

Though we worked on the same floor, I couldn’t exactly say we were close. I knew her, and we sometimes talked when we were on breaks, but that was pretty much it. From what I’d heard about this little program we’d be doing, she and I were going to be working with each other for a while.

A part of me was grateful I didn’t have to go alone.

“Sorry,” I muttered, not sincere at all. She noticed and rolled my eyes.

“We still have time till we have to board,” she reminded me. “You don’t have to stress yourself out so much. It’ll be a long flight.”

“Then I’ll sleep on the plane,” I retorted. “I’m waiting for someone to show up and they’re a little late. Sorry for acting worried.”

She tilted her head a little to the side. “So that’s what your problem is?”

I sighed and sat back down beside her. “How are you so calm about this?” I asked, really bothered by her uncaring attitude.

She shrugged. “It’s for work, Zach, we don’t exactly have a choice, unless we want to quit. We were both picked because we were the best for the job.”

“Maybe… but I wouldn’t have minded passing it on to someone else if it wasn’t a fucking lifetime opportunity.”

It wasn’t like the whole thing was even all that beneficial. I was getting a slight promotion with the move, and a fucking long overdue raise, but I didn’t think it was anywhere near enough compensation for uprooting my life. It was a good opportunity.

“If you’re worried about leaving people behind, it’s not like this is forever. And you can keep in contact fine.”

I grimaced and shot her a look. “That’s not the problem.”

Her eyebrow went up, and she almost looked amused. “Girlfriend, then?”

“Not… exactly.”

I couldn’t say there was a classification for whatever relationship Scarlett and I had. I couldn’t say she was a friend with benefits. I didn’t think of her that way. Yeah, we were friends that occasionally hooked up, even though it hadn't been that long, but applying that term to her just felt kind of… wrong on some level. Scarlett was so much more than that, even if I wasn’t sure how much more.

“If it’s that, then I get it.”

I arched an eyebrow her way. “What, are you going to tell me you’re leaving a boyfriend behind?”

I glanced down at her hands and didn’t see a ring. She smiled at me.

“No. If I were seeing someone and they didn’t see just how much something like this meant, I’d dump them in a heartbeat. Honestly, I’m not the relationship type, though I’d be more than up for a little fun, anytime.”

She said that last bit with a sideways glance at me and a coy smile. I watched her a moment before turning away. She didn’t sound all that different from me, and if I hadn't been so worried about Scarlett, I might have even looked forward to the trip a little. Abigail was attractive, tall and curvy, a woman that carried herself with confidence, and was interesting to watch in a boardroom. I was a little surprised that she and I hadn't tried anything before.

I opened my mouth to speak when my roaming eyes landed on just the person I wanted to see. She was rushing through the airport, looking around, someone rushing behind her. I was on my feet the second she was in my sights, hand raised, and waved her over. She caught sight of me, relief spreading over her features, followed by a smile that immediately set me right.

“Zach, hey,” she called when she was near enough. “Sorry I’m so late, there was some traffic.”

I ignored the apology—we were in New York after all, there’s always traffic—and opened my arms to her. She didn’t hesitate to throw her arms around my neck in a hug, and something tight in my chest I hadn't noticed before relaxed as she did. When I pulled back, I looked at her, our faces a tad too close.

“I was so worried you wouldn’t make it,” I murmured, slowly releasing her. I’d like to think I wasn’t just imagining that she didn’t want to let go of me either, even as she pulled away and stepped back.

“Like I would miss saying goodbye to you,” she said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m sure everybody else will be pissed they missed it. Especially Sasha and Donny.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. “I can just picture it. It’s why I didn’t invite them. They’d have just embarrassed me if they’d been here.”

And besides, there wasn’t anyone I wanted to say goodbye to face to face as badly as I did to Scarlett. After how she’d sounded when I’d called her, I’d thought she’d be just fine with me gone, but looking at her, in the flesh… I realized the news had hit her at least a little hard. Granted, both times recently when I’d seen her, she’d been dressed formally and prepared for a party. This was nothing even close to that.

She was dressed in what looked like an old pair of cotton jeans, a T-shirt with a jacket thrown over it, and Converse shoes. Her hair looked to be in more disarray than usual, and her eyes were duller than I remembered. I felt like a dick for wishing she were more upset about the whole thing.

“I am so sorry, Scarlett,” I murmured, and suddenly I was the one upset. “I swear I knew absolutely nothing about this trip before I was called and told I was a replacement. I would have said no—”

“Don’t be stupid,” she said, cutting me off. “It’s your job. Your career and your future. It’s a good opportunity, isn’t it?”

“Well…” In a way, she wasn’t wrong.

“Then there’s nothing wrong. Like I already told you before.”

I tightened my lips but didn’t argue with her. Instead, I brought her in for another hug and pressed a kiss to her temple.

“I don’t know what my schedule will be yet, but I promise to Skype you as often as I can. The time difference will be a little awkward, but…”

She smiled up at me and patted my chest. “I’ve already told you, there’s no need to worry about it. I’m sure everything will be fine,” she said, trying to be optimistic.

“I’m sure they will be, too,” someone added.

I looked back to glare at Abigail for butting into the conversation. Scarlett’s eyes rolled over the other woman, and I could tell something like anger was growing over her face.

“Who’s this?” she asked, voice sharper than before.

Abigail must have caught it, but she just moved closer with her arm outstretched for a handshake. After some hesitation, Scarlett shook her hand.

“My name is Abigail, Zach’s colleague. We’re both being sent to Tokyo for the trip.”

“Is that so?” she murmured, looking at me.

“I didn’t find out myself until yesterday,” I explained. “That’s why I didn’t tell you about it, and I’m sorry.

“You don’t have to worry about your boyfriend,” Abigail said, butting in again. “I promise I’ll look after him for you if it would make you feel better.”

A small smile played on her lips, and I frowned at her. What she was saying sounded a little weird to me. When I looked to Scarlett, she had her eyes narrowed, and I wondered what was passing between the two women that I was unaware of.

Before I could ask, there was an announcement. I barely paid attention, so Abigail was the one to pat me on the arm to get my attention.

“That’s our flight,” she said, aiming the answer at everyone. “We need to go now, Zach, we still have to get through security and hope we don’t miss the flight.”

No. I didn’t get enough time. I wanted to stand there and talk to Scarlett some more. But as we stood facing each other, and our eyes met, I couldn’t get a word out. Because there was too much I wanted to say and not enough time for it. I sighed and glanced over to where Abigail was collecting our things.

“I’m sorry, Scarlett,” I said sincerely. “I’m going to have to go.”

She shrugged and smiled a little. “It’s fine. I came to say goodbye, after all, so I was expecting this.”

I leaned down to pull her into another hug. When I pulled away from her, I pressed a quick kiss to her lips. Then I turned and walked away.

The next fourteen hours passed in a blur. I didn’t sleep on the plane, and yet it felt like time was moving too fast. The next thing I was conscious of was arriving and making it to my hotel room, alone after I ignored Abigail’s attempts to get me to join her for a quick tour around the city.

I dropped my stuff just inside the door, then moved to the bed and fell backward onto it.

Loneliness wasn’t something I was familiar with. Usually, when I was alone, I didn’t mind it this badly. But right then, I felt lonely lying on a bed in a hotel room by myself, halfway across the globe and away from home.