Page 13 of The Office Games

TARYN

Day one of my holiday break

I drag my oversized luggage through the airport, slipping inside bookstores and flipping through paperbacks to kill time.

Thanks to this week’s approaching winter storm—The “Snow-pocalypse,” my flight to Colorado Springs is now on its third delay.

I don't care, though.

It could get delayed for two more days and that's still plenty of time to make it home to my grandmother’s world-renowned resort.

As I’m flipping through a copy ofSouthern Gardens, my phone sounds.

Georgia.

“Yeah?” I answer.

“Hello, favorite cousin and best friend in the whole wide world!”

“What have you done?”

“Nothing at all.” There’s a smile in her voice. “I’m just calling to say that I can’t wait to see you.”

“No, really. What have you done?”

“I had to change your room, so you’ll be staying elsewhere at the resort when you get here.”

“I’m not getting the SugarPlum Suite?”

“No, a VIP couple bumped you from the list, unfortunately,” she says. “Your brand-new suite is just as nice, I swear. I decorated every inch of it myself and gave you extra amenities.”

“Who’s this so-called VIP couple?”

“You know I can’t reveal private guest information.”

“Who is it?”

“Um…”

“It better not be you and your fiance, Georgia.”

“What?” She sucks in a huge, dramatic breath. “I would never bump my favorite cousin out of a room for Dominic.”

“That’s exactly what you would do. Is that true?”

Her laughter and abrupt hang up tells me all I need to know.

“Attention, loyal travelers of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport,” a loud voice suddenly comes over the speakers. “Due to a federal weather advisory, all flights are now cancelled. Please remain at your designated gate for updates.”

A collective groan echoes through the airport.

I bite my tongue to suppress a scream.

Tapping my screen, I check to see how long it would take to drive to Colorado Springs.

Twenty hours and nine minutes.

Ugh…The growing line at the car rental counter kills that plan instantly, and I know better than to try to drive my poor excuse of a car anywhere that takes longer than an hour.

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