Becca continued to probe those blue eyes, now turned sky blue in the sunlight that flooded Jo’s hospital room.  “You ever ask a girl to go on a trip like that?”

Jo shook her head from side to side again, heart in her throat.  She knew proposing this trip to Becca was a brazen move.  Her intentions could not be clearer.  But it felt like it would be now or never with this delicate, dark-haired beauty.  Well, if she turns this down, I’ll know where I stand, at least.

In this light, those green-grey eyes were now a shade lighter, with a bit of blue mixed in.  She really has the most interesting pair of eyes I have ever seen!

She tried to clear her throat again, before adding, “Look, I’ll be honest with you.  The thing in the plane scared me a little.  So, I’m taking this shot to lock down something that could be special.  It’s rare that I want something, want someone this badly, so badly that I’m grabbing this moment, this chance that’s suddenly opened, before it slips away.  I just want to tell you upfront that that’s what’s going on here.  At least on my side.  I don’t want to hide that.”

She slowly turned to face Becca, who had fallen quiet.  Becca’s eyes couldn’t mask the fact that her mind was racing, as her face grew hot, and her neck felt like it was on fire.  Jo’s heart pounded as hard as it ever had as she watched Becca process this completely unexpected proposal.  Neither one said a word.  They stayed like that, staring into each other’s eyes, for an interminable period, until the nurse came in to wheel Jo’s dinner in.

“Okay, you two.  Jo’s gotta eat something.  I know it’s not the finest that Chicago has to offer but it’s all we have …”

The two turned simultaneously, having reached an unspoken understanding.

Becca rose slowly from the bed as the nurse wheeled the food over Jo’s bed.  The nurse checked on a read-out of the heart monitor as she pressed on a button that made the back of Jo’s bed rise so that it forced Jo to sit up.

“Hmmm… your heart rate grew elevated there for a stretch,” she mused aloud.  She winked as Jo’s face reddened.  They both looked over to where Becca was standing.  Becca was facing the window, talking into her phone, arranging something.  The light cast her silhouette against the floor in a slim, sexy S- shaped shadow.   They overheard snatches of Becca’s conversation.  “Yeah, a sleeper cabin, not a sleeperette.  Chicago to Seattle.  And can you please arrange a cooler of food and drink to be delivered to our sleeper cabin?  Healthy, organic stuff.  If you can sneak in some of my favorite cheese, chocolate, and champagne that would be super.  Yeah, gotta have the sparkling water also.  No need for blankets and pillows or anything like that.  Thanks.”