Page 1 of An Unexpected Encounter

Chapter 1

Selena

“Hey Mom, yeah I’m late because I got drunk and railed by some hot ass stranger last night,” I say out loud, practicing how I’d deliver the news to her. Shaking my head, I laugh and focus back on the task at hand: packing.

My plane is set to take off in two fucking hours and I still need to get to the airport and check in. Racing around the room, I throw shit in my bag haphazardly. I don’t have time to double-check what I’m packing.

I promised my mom that I’d be there with a smile on my face. Deep down, I am happy for her. She found love again. Losing Dad was hard, especially the way he suffered in those last few years as cancer slowly took him from the healthy, muscular athletic trainer, to looking like the king from that dragon show everyone raves about.

It just seems like we’re saying goodbye to the chapter of our life that housed him and ushering in a new one with, what was his name again—ahh, shit, I know it started with an ‘A’. It’s one of the reasons I went out with my friends last night instead of packing. To drink my sorrow away. Getting blackout drunk and waking up in a panic next to a naked, chiseled body this morning wasn’t part of the plan.

That whole interaction is one big black hole. When I realized what had happened, I got dressed and ran the hell out of there as fast as my feet would take me. Which leads me to the predicament I'm in now, trying to get everything done to get to the airport before my flight takes off without me and I have to explain the shitshow of events to my mother.

I’m walking out the door to wait downstairs for my Uber, trying to juggle my coffee, purse, phone, and keys in one hand as I lock the door with the other when my phone rings. The unexpected sound causes me to jump and about drop my coffee.

Seeing my mother’s picture flash across the screen, I let out a groan. If I don’t answer now, she’ll continue to call until I do. Might as well pull the bandaid off.

“Mom,” I huff out, short of breath as I try to lock the door, only to fumble and drop the keys.

“Selena Reign Middleton, please do not tell me you’re still at home!” she screams in panic through the line, and I wince.

“No, Mom. I’m at the airport. Just heading to the gate.” God forgive me for lying.

“Selena, I may be old, but I’m not dumb. If you miss your flight, I’m going to kill you. Abel’s sons are already going to be late, just barely making it for the ceremony. I need you here,” she chastises me.

“Mom, I know how important this is to you and I won’t be late. Well, the only way I would be is if the flight is delayed, so don’t worry. I’ll see you this evening. I’ll call you before I board my connecting flight, so you’ll know when to expect me. Now I have to go. I love you. See you soon.” I disconnect the call, awkwardly slide the phone into my bag, and lock the door.

Hurrying to the elevator, I step inside. My hands are full, so it’s a struggle to hit the first floor button. After a couple of tries, it finally lights up, and I thank whoever is listening. I back up and rest against the wall, blowing out a deep breath.

I miss you, Dad! If you were here, I wouldn’t be going through this. Dealing with Mom’s criticism all on my own. Seeing her marry another man who isn’t you.

It’s not fair.

The Uber arrives just as I step out of my apartment building and onto the sidewalk. A middle-aged gentleman with graying hair, receding hairline and a potbelly exits the driver’s side as the trunk of his car pops up and helps me store my luggage away.

“Selena?” he asks.

“Yes.” I smile, handing him my last bag. You’d think my name would be the first thing he confirmed.

“Heading on a trip? I see I’m taking you to the airport,” he asks, no doubt trying to make idle chit-chat.

“Yeah, my mother’s getting married. I’m actually going to meet her husband and his sons for the first time,” I tell him as I move toward the rear passenger door and climb inside his royal blue Toyota Camry. He closes the trunk, and seconds later slides in behind the wheel.

I scrunch my nose when the smell of smoke and body odor hits me. It’s then I realize I never showered and still reek of sex. God help me. Hopefully, the stench in the car will overpower the smell coming off me.

“Second marriage?” He glances at me in the rearview mirror.

I guess he took when I spilled where I was going as an open invitation to ask more questions.

I purse my lips, not wanting to talk about my life with some random stranger. He continues to stare, waiting for an answer. Guess my silence isn’t an obvious enough clue, so I finally speak up, not really wanting to be rude.

“Yes, sir, my dad passed away a few years ago. She met Abel on a singles’ second chance cruise and, well, two months later, they’re getting married,” I tell him, reaching in my bag and pulling out my phone to send my mom a text.

Selena, why in the hell do you keep telling this guy all this information? He could be a killer.

Me: Mom, when I get in, I’m just going straight to the resort and checking in.

Mom: No, that’s not acceptable.

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