Page 9 of So That Happened

Normal stuff.

Why does this Liam guy think he can demand special treatment? And why am I so bothered by him? I’m not usually bothered by this kind of thing—what is this hidden side of me that’s rearing its ugly head?

And no, I don’t want to admit that he touched a nerve with that charming “can’t believe you’re single” comment.

Rosemary grasps my arm. “Come on, dearie. We don’t want the best rooms to be taken.”

I blink, snapping out of my thoughts. “Pardon?”

“Didn’t you hear the announcement?” She doesn’t wait for me to respond before she leans towards Mildred. “And I thoughtIwas hard of hearing.”

Mildred looks up from her knitting magazine like a startled meerkat. “Eh?” she wheezes. “You want me to crochet you an earring?”

Rosemary sighs like she’s carrying the weight of the world on her bony little shoulders. She looks at me again. “We need to get to the Ground Transportation area and take the hotel bus link to the Econo Hotel for the night. Our new flight is at 7:00 tomorrow morning.”

“W-what?” I stutter, looking around wildly for something to confirm Rosemary’s story. You know, in case she is a bit senile after all.

Funny enough, she gives me the exact same look.

I’m suddenly aware that all of my fellow passengers are making their way out of the departure lounge. Rosemary must be right.

Why? Why is this happening to me?

And why is it happening now?

Yes, I knew that I was cutting it fine flying to Atlanta on the Friday before my new job started. But my best friend, Prisha, was kind enough to throw me a going-away party, and it would have been exceptionally rude to miss it.

Plus, I had packing to do. You try condensing your life into two suitcases after living in a city for eight years… it ain’t easy. Especially when you’re the type of person who owns fourteen pairs of ballet flats so that she can have one for every color of the rainbow. Or, in this case, two rainbows.

With a sigh, I send my mother the fifth update text of the evening, this one confirming that I won’t be arriving until tomorrow.

My phone rings immediately, and I turn the sound off before dropping it into my bag. The last thing I need right now is for her to demand to speak to the pilot or something.

“Alright, Rosemary, let’s go.” I offer the elderly lady my arm, then do the same for Mildred, who looks like she’d be quite content sitting here with her magazine for the night. I shoot a look in Liam’s direction and resolve to not be a Complainy McComplainerson like him. “No use getting upset. We have to make the best of the situation.”

“That’s right, Annie. Ooh, I hope the hotel room has chocolates on the pillows!”

Something tells me the Boston Airport Econo Hotel is the exact opposite of that kind of establishment, but I’m not about to burst the lady’s bubble. I respond with a noncommittal “mmm.”

With one last glance in Liam’s direction, we’re off.

And by “off,” I mean “moving through the terminal at a snail’s pace.”

Walking with Mildred and Rosemary is no easy feat. But what am I going to do, abandon the elderly?

By the time we’ve stopped twice to use the restroom, stopped again to buy a souvenir teddy bear with an “I <3 The Boston Red Sox” shirt (Mildred took a liking to him), located the bus link, and made our way onto said bus with no small amount of tsking from Mildred, exhaustion is setting in. All I want to do is shower, find a TV channel playing theReal Housewives,and crawl into bed with the contents of the hotel’s inevitable vending machine.

You know what Idon’twant?

To walk into the lobby of the Econo Hotel and see my ex and his aforementioned wifey.

Aka, the woman he started dating the day after we broke up.

For the love of…

Today really does seem to be the day that keeps on giving. Because he’s here. It’s not a mirage, or a doppelganger, or any of the things I convinced myself I saw earlier.

Nope, it’s unmistakably Justin. Standing in the same lobby as me, breathing the same air. With his arm around his new bride who is visibly…

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