Chapter 163: An Uncivilized Appetite

Chapter 163: An Uncivilized Appetite


My stomach suddenly growled so loudly that I froze with the sandwich halfway to my mouth. I looked down at myself as though my stomach had just betrayed me in public. "Excuse me?" I whispered. Another growl answered, even louder this time. Apparently, my stomach had decided subtlety was beneath it. I glanced around the lounge, hoping nobody had heard, but a woman sitting nearby briefly looked up from her magazine. I immediately lowered my eyes and pretended nothing had happened. Fine. Dignity could wait. I took another bite, then another, and within seconds my carefully planned strategy of one thing at a time completely disappeared. I reached for another sandwich, then something else, then another little dish, stuffing bites into my mouth with the determination of someone who had just discovered food for the first time.
At some point, I stopped caring about looking elegant. I was hungry. Very hungry. The kind of hungry where chewing suddenly felt like an unnecessary delay between me and the next bite. I reached across the table for another plate, only to realize my mouth was already full. I paused, stared at the food in my hand, and somehow decided that waiting was unacceptable. I shoved another bite into my mouth and immediately regretted it when my cheeks became so full I could barely move them. I looked around again. Nobody seemed to be paying attention. Excellent. I was safe. I chewed furiously, swallowed, and immediately reached for something else. "This is fine," I mumbled to myself, although the words came out slightly distorted because I was still chewing. "Completely normal." I took another bite. "Very sophisticated." Another bite. "Business-lounge behavior."
I glanced down at the table, which now looked less like a civilized meal and more like the aftermath of a very polite food war. I had no idea what half of the things were, but that wasn't going to stop me. If I had learned anything today, it was that apparently business lounges believed in abundance. And if they were determined to provide an unreasonable amount of food, who was I to disrespect their generosity? My stomach growled again, and I immediately reached for another sandwich. "Okay," I whispered, chewing as quickly as humanly possible. "This is the last one." I paused. My eyes landed on another plate. "...Probably." I reached for it anyway. At this point, manners had officially left the building, and I had no intention of chasing after them.
After a few minutes, I realized I was eating far too quickly. I stopped with another bite in my hand and stared at the table. "Okay," I whispered to myself. "Slow down." I swallowed and straightened my back. "You're a civilized woman." I reached for another piece anyway. "You're in a business lounge." Another bite. "Not a survival competition." I paused, chewing thoughtfully. "Although..." My eyes drifted toward the remaining food. "...it does feel a little competitive." I immediately picked up another sandwich. At this point, my stomach had apparently taken control of my body, and I was simply along for the ride. I stuffed another bite into my mouth and nodded to myself with complete satisfaction. "Very elegant, Liela." I glanced around the lounge. "Extremely sophisticated."
Unfortunately, the moment I said it, I heard footsteps approaching behind me. I froze. Slowly, I turned my head and saw Grayson walking back toward the table. My eyes widened. Oh no. I looked at the food covering nearly every inch of the table. Then I looked down at myself. My cheeks were full, my hand was still holding half a sandwich, and I was sitting there looking less like an elegant traveler and more like someone who had discovered food after being lost at sea for six months. Grayson stopped beside the table and looked at me. His gaze traveled from my face to the plates, then back to my face. I tried to swallow as quickly as possible. He raised one eyebrow. "Should I come back later?" "Noh," I managed, except it came out as something closer to a muffled nuh. He waited. I swallowed hard and tried again. "No." He nodded slowly. "I didn't understand a word of that."
I cleared my throat and attempted to restore whatever dignity remained. "I said no." Grayson glanced at the food. "Clearly." I followed his gaze and immediately became defensive. "I was just eating." "I can see that." "Normally." His eyebrow rose again. "Normally?" I nodded firmly, even though the evidence sitting between us strongly disagreed. "Yes. This is completely normal." He looked at the collection of plates. "For you?" "For anyone." "Anyone?" "Hungry people." He pressed his lips together, obviously trying not to laugh. I pointed at him. "Don't." "I haven't said anything." "Your face is saying plenty." He finally smiled. "I was just wondering whether the lounge had offended you somehow." "It didn't." I glanced down at the food. "We're actually getting along very well."
I picked up another bite, then stopped myself halfway. Grayson was still watching me, and suddenly I became painfully aware of everything I was doing. I slowly lowered the food back onto the plate. "I'm going to start over." He looked amused. "Start over?" "Yes." I sat up straighter, folded my hands neatly in front of me, and tried to look like a sophisticated woman who had absolutely not been inhaling sandwiches five seconds earlier. "Hello, Grayson. Welcome back." He stared at me for a moment. "You don't have to do that." "Do what?" "Pretend you weren't just having a personal battle with the buffet." I frowned. "I wasn't battling it." "It looked competitive." I sighed. "Fine. Maybe I got slightly carried away." "Slightly?" I glanced at the table again. "Okay. Considerably." He laughed, and I couldn't help smiling too. "Don't make fun of me." "I'm not." "You are." "Maybe a little." I picked up my sandwich again. "Good. At least we're being honest now."
I took another bite, this time deliberately and much more slowly, while Grayson pulled out the chair across from me. I pointed at him with the sandwich. "For the record, I'm hungry because I've never traveled internationally before, and apparently my body thinks crossing an ocean requires emergency preparation." He nodded seriously. "That explains everything." "Thank you." I swallowed and reached for my tea. "Also, the food is free." "I noticed." "And I don't know when I'll get another opportunity like this." He smiled. "So you're making the most of it." "Exactly." I nodded proudly. "Finally, someone understands." He leaned back in his chair, watching me with an amused expression. "I'm beginning to." I smiled and took another bite, deciding that if I was going to embarrass myself in front of Grayson, I might as well enjoy the food while doing it.

The boarding announcement came sooner than I expected. I grabbed my passport, checked my phone, and looked at my three suitcases. "We're actually going." Grayson picked up one of my bags. "Apparently." I grabbed the other two and hurried after him toward the gate. The moment I saw EDINBURGH glowing on the departure board, my excitement shot through the roof. "We're going to Scotland." Grayson glanced at me. "That's generally what the ticket says." "Don't ruin my moment." He smiled. "I'm not." "Good, because I'm having several."
We boarded quickly, found our seats, and settled in. I buckled my seat belt and immediately looked out the window. The engines roared, the plane accelerated, and seconds later New York dropped beneath us. I stared down at the city, my heart pounding with excitement. "Goodbye, New York," I whispered. Then I looked at Grayson. "How long until we land?" He told me. I stared at him. "That's illegal." He laughed. "You'll survive." "I hope Scotland appreciates what I'm doing for it."
The hours passed faster than I expected. Eventually, the captain announced our descent into Edinburgh. I practically glued myself to the window. Green hills, winding roads, stone buildings, and stretches of countryside appeared beneath us. My eyes widened. "Oh my God." Grayson looked over. "What?" I pointed at the window. "That's Scotland." He smiled. "Yes." "We're actually here." The plane touched down, and I couldn't stop smiling.
The moment we stepped off the plane, cool Scottish air greeted me. I pulled my coat tighter and looked around the airport, taking everything in at once. The signs, the accents, the unfamiliar surroundings—it all felt wonderfully unreal. I had left New York that morning, crossed an ocean, and somehow ended up here. I looked at Grayson with a huge smile. "I can't believe we made it." He took one of my suitcases. "Welcome to Scotland, Liela." I looked ahead, excitement bubbling through me. My first international trip had officially begun.