Page 72 of Crosswind

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I hand the phone back.

The 787 lifts off behind us, climbing steeply into the Bali afternoon.

Patrick is smiling at me.

I pick up my coffee.

At the villa that evening, I watch the finished edit twice. Patrick waits without speaking.

"You can post it," I say.

The video goes live.

wait is that the Jan from Instagram??

he knows his aircraft oh my god

Patrick's boyfriend knows more about planes than most aviation channels

I love him he's so dry

the delivery. the delivery is everything.

can Jan be in more videos please

Patrick you did well

Patrick shows me the phone. I read the comments. I read them again.

"They like you," Patrick says. Insufferably.

"They like the aircraft information," I say.

"Jan."

"The MAX winglet content is strong."

He leans over and kisses my temple. "I told you so."

I look at the comments for a third time. Can Jan be in more videos please.

"Don't push it," I say.

The last full day I find a waterfall.

This is not as straightforward as it sounds. I found it in my research, the fourteen bullet points, which Patrick still brings up, waterfall called Banyu Wana Amertha, in the hills north of Ubud — an hour from where we were, two from Seminyak, which is why I hadn't mentioned it until I was sure we had the time. Not on the main tourist route. Mentioned in a single paragraph of a travel piece from three years ago that described it as worth the effort. I had marked it in the second week of August planning and not mentioned it because I didn't know if we would have time.

We have time.

"Motorbike," Patrick says, when I tell him.

I look at him. "I'm not getting on a motorbike."

"It's Bali," he says. "Everyone rides motorbikes in Bali."

"That's not a compelling safety argument."

"Jan." He is already looking at his phone. "There's a place five minutes from here that rents them. I have a licence. I've done this before." He looks up. "When have I ever put you in a situation you couldn't handle?"


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