Page 75 of Waiting for Acceptance
“Ginny. Pack your bags. We’re going to New York.”
Meow.
I got everything on my to-do list done in just enough time to make it to the airport thirty minutes before boarding. I say a quick prayer that we don’t have any delays since I’ll already be cutting it close to the time Fitz will need to be at his dad’s party. I have no idea what I’ll do if he’s already gone. I come up with a backup plan just in case that happens, and pet Ginny’s chin through the mesh on her pet carrier as the pilot announces we’re ready for take off. My hands are sweating and I have this nervous excitement rushing through me, making me feel like I’ve had about a thousand milligrams of caffeine today. I pullmy headphones on, turning to my travel playlist to help calm my nerves.
Between the subtle vibration from the plane, and the soothing voice of Adele, I close my eyes and the next time I open them it’s because I feel a tap on my shoulder. I remove my headphones when I see that it’s the stewardess. Damn, I really do sleep best on planes.
“Ma’am. We’re going to be landing soon.” I smile and thank her, looking at the older woman next to me who is doing a crossword puzzle, suddenly missing the way Fitz wakes me up on flights. When I check my phone I see that my service is back and texts are piling in. Most from the group chat, one from Ruby and one from Fitz. My stomach does a somersault when I see his name and I try to ignore that fact.
Lucifer
I tried calling you at the office several times today and missed you every time. Don’t kill yourself working too hard, Trouble.
Me
You know me, if I don’t do the work, someone else will try to.
I quickly remember that Fitz has my location shared with himself and I turn it off.
Lucifer
Such a hard worker.
I don’t realize how hard I’m smiling at my phone until the crossword lady informs me it’s our turn to de-board. I lock my phone, grab Ginny and my carry-on, and dart through the airport, hoping I can, by some miracle, hail a taxi and get back to Fitz’s place before I run out of time. However, by the timeI’m finished with all of my stops, I look at the time and curse to myself.
It’s already past 6. There’s no way he isn’t already gone.
Time for plan B.
When we pull up to his building I pay the taxi driver and look at myself in the reflection of the doors and sigh. I can’t believe I’m actually doing this. I shake my head, quickly shifting my focus back to the task at hand.Getting into his house without him here.When I walk in the doors, I realize my plan is going to fail miserably. This is a housing complex, not a hotel. There’s no front desk person to help me like I’d thought there would be while making this plan.
“Man, my brain isn’t working today,” I mumble to myself, starting to feel defeated. Then I see my answer—a maintenance man. I readjust my grip on all the bags and boxes in my hands and rush over to him.
“Hi!” I wear my kindest smile when he looks up at me and his eyes soften.
“Hello there.” His white hair and frail-looking hands make me think of my grandpa.
“I’m so sorry to bother you, but my boss asked me to drop these things off for him before he left at six o’clock and traffic was a nightmare and I didn’t make it in time, obviously, and I left my set of keys to his place in my desk and I can’t exactly afford to get fired so I was wondering…could you help me?” I look at him in desperation and he smiles.
“Which floor?”
“Oh, thank you so much—”I glance down at his name tag. “Ernest. I would hug you but I would probably drop Ginny.” I nod to Ginny’s cat carrier and he laughs.
“Rain check then.” He gives me an unthreatening wink and I smile.
“8th floor.”
Ernest saves the day! Now, time to get to work.
CHAPTER 40
FITZ
I have very strategically planned out my evening. I will show up, find out what “family matters” need to be discussed, and take some photos with my father for the press, I’m sure. Then as soon as they’ve sang happy birthday to him and brought out what I’m sure will be an overly extravagant cake, I’m out of here. I never celebrate my own birthday, so I sure as hell don’t want to be celebratinghistoday. I walk into the venue, which has been decorated with gold and black accents in every single corner, preparing myself to get into business mode.
“Let the countdown begin,” I mumble to myself, working my way through the crowd to find my mother. It’s a much edgier venue than I would have expected my parents to book, though you can barely tell through the elegant decorations masking its true form. They sure have a knack for covering up the true potential of things by drowning it in their own…vision. There are small bar tables spread around the room for people to stand at, stark white couches placed around the room for people to sit on, and the upstairs loft area looks to have a mix of the same couches as well as a few small tables. The loft is also where I spotthe open bar, so I make a note to head there after speaking with my parents.
“Fitz!”Speak of the devil.
