his heart skips a beat at her touch. arguably several beats, if he's honest. at any rate, point is, it decisively throws him off balance. surprise rushing through him at mach speed, breath catches in a sharp recoil, sending his still-forming comeback spiraling, chaotically hurtling down lungpipes like a jet in total freefall. hal vaguely registers her speak, words reaching him from a great distance — in simpler terms, he's too busy admiring carol's good looks under the dim light to notice anything else. it's harmless. really. he imagines she's doing the exact same thing across the table. granted, her style of admiring undoubtedly has an extra dash of elegance and poise to it. those qualities have always suited him better high in the sky than on the ground. ❝ well, if you wanted my two cents, sweetheart, the traitor deserves a big raise. whisking you away this weekend wasn't a patented hal jordan idea. ❞ fully attentive now, his grin can't be contained much longer. it soon erupts from ear to ear. it's infectiously bright, rivaling green lantern's might. surpassing his emerald light. ❝ wait, wait, wait. hold up! seriously? aw, c'mon, ferris, what kinda boyfriend do you take me for? i wouldn't have it any other way. ❞ brown eyes roll. hard. so hard, in fact, they nearly pop out of their sockets. his face scrunches up a scowl, conveying open repulsion towards the insinuation. ❝ soooo, destinations? ❞ one short syllable is playfully ( some would say needlessly, he's sure ) dragged out, deliberately letting carol mull her options over. hal allows her another moment's consideration before continuing. ❝ you should pick. gonna go out on a limb and guess that maybe, just maybe, a ceo's tastes are more refined than her humble, ordinary, down to earth pilot. ❞ broad shoulders rise and fall in a shrug, effortlessly charismatic. in the meantime, hal grabs his glass, bringing red wine to his lips. that cocky grin returns as his hand lowers to the table. ❝ hey, it's just a hunch. best i could offer is a two star, maybe three star motel in the middle of nowhere. ❞ then, in a softer hum of afterthought: ❝ unless you'd prefer somethin' quiet. in that case, we'll call it a day. ❞