The airplane door put the ladders with red carpets down the way.
On the ground, hundreds of security men in black uniforms stood in two lines on either side of the road.
They all had their hands behind their backs. There was a respectable distance between their feet. As Avery and Evan passed by, they would put their feet together and stand on their backs.
It was probably their welcome ceremony.
One little boy and girl walked to them from the center of the carpet. They handed the fresh flowers to them.
"Welcome to B Country."
Avery held the flowers and looked down. They were pink Julie roses. They were Rebecca's favorite.
"The people in B Country are famous for their hospitality, right?" Avery saw an orchestra in the far distance like they were welcoming national leaders.
"They are as hospitable as open-minded." Evan smiled slightly. He held Avery's waist with one hand while holding the same Julie roses, and only they were blue.
"Who sends them?" Avery knew Evan would have a large number of bodyguards wherever he went. But she never saw them on such a large scale. Also, she took a look at their suits. There weren't any Howel emblems.
"Rebecca sent them, I assume."
Was her family influential in B Country? From their security, Avery could say they were as powerful as Howel.
"Mr. Howel," A man in his 40s took a few steps. He had one hand in his chest and slightly bowed.
"Mr. Arlington was busy with business. He couldn't be spared to come here. He sent me over to welcome you."
He then turned aside and made a "please" gesture.
"The hotel and food were prepared. You must be exhausted from your long trip. Please have a good night's sleep. If you want to see Miss Arlington, tomorrow would be fine too."
Evan didn't respond. He held Avery to enter a Lincoln limo.
"Are you tired?"
Avery shook her head. She withdrew her look from outside the window. Evan always had a way of putting her attention on him.
From what Avery knew about Evan, he meant much more than its literal meanings.
Evan smiled with deep meanings. He locked his fingers with hers. Avery became alert. Maybe instead of shaking her head, she should have nodded.
Avery had to save her energy to refuse his excess urge to make love.
"I want to take you somewhere."
Avery didn't know what Evan had in his mind.
"Where?"
Evan told the driver the address.
Avery didn't know B Country well. Avery didn't know where they were headed, even with the address.
The car stopped at a port. There was a seafood market nearby with a giant sign at the entrance.
Avery was more confused.
"Evan, are you taking me to the seafood market?"
Avery failed to see the point.
"Don't you like it?"
"Should I?" Evan held Avery's hands. Avery thought, upon entering, she would smell the thick repulsive aroma of seafood. After all, there were sorts of seafood in the market. The smell was imaginable.
But as Avery walked in, she noticed the difference.
It was clean, unusually clean. It was not so much a seafood market than a SeaWorld park. The difference was that sea animals in the latter were not allowed for sale.
In this place, some licensed divers would capture whatever the customers liked. If the clients were interested, they could dive in and get the sea animals.
"What would you like?" Evan held her hands to the blue passage. Above their heads on the cupboards were curved water tanks. The water with blue light shined down.
"Anything was fine?"Avery was very fond of seafood. But she seldom had it since the pregnancy. It was not the ideal food for pregnant women.
"Only a little." Evan held her hands and kissed them.
"To satisfy your craving for seafood."
Avery didn't know the majority of the names in the water tanks. She pointed at the Australian orange lobster.
"I want that."
The lobster swung the clanks and put them together. Just imagine how hurtful it would be if getting clanked.
"Wait for me." Evan suddenly withdrew his hands and walked inside.
"What are you doing?" Avery grabbed his sleeves.
"I shall capture you the lobster you asked."
Avery felt shocked by an electricity flow of love. Numb yet sweet, she also felt guilty when he had done too much for her. However, what she did for him was less than ten-thousandths of what Evan did for her.
"They might clank you. Let the divers do it." Besides, they were more professional.
Evan held Avery in his arms and lowered to bite her earlobes.
"If I can't catch a lobster, how do I catch you? You're much harder to be caught."
Avery's ears were sweaty and hot. She could imagine how red her ears became.
"Wait for me! It'll be soon!" Evan asked Tinder to stay with Avery, while he went to get ready, accompanied by security.
Avery looked around for ferocious sea animals.
She found the sea creatures in the water tanks in the right were smaller in size; the ones in the left were relatively bigger. There were Emperor Crabs and other animals she couldn't name.
Suddenly there was a giant shadow from Avery's left side. Avery thought it was Evan. She looked up and stepped back in shock.
It was a shark...
"Mrs. Howel, where are you going?" Tinder watched as Avery ran to find Evan.
"Tell Evan to stop diving! There are sharks!"
Tinder faked coughing.
"It's alright. The sharks are trained to be not aggressive. They are just there for entertainment."
"Are you sure?"Avery still wasn't assured.
"Just tell him to drop the idea. I'll talk to him."
But it was too late. Avery heard water splashing. Evan, with black scuba diving uniforms, got under the water with oxygen tanks.
Evan wore scuba diving glasses and respirator on his nose. The uniform was tight, showing his well-built body.
Evan waved at Avery. She smiled at him and waved back. Then she pointed at the lobster.
Evan put up three fingers and swam towards the lobster.
Evan was tall and thin. There was a distinct grace when he swung his arms and legs.
Evan soon located the lobster that Avery pointed her fingers at.
Evan swam over slowly. When he was an arm's length with the lobster, he suddenly reached out. Unfortunately, it was the lobster's domain. It reached faster to swim back and dodged Evan.
Evan swam to it again. When he reached out, it clanked Evan's fingers ferociously.