Stranded with a Stranger pls 👀
Oh, thank you, Court. I’ve been working on this for a few months now. I have three-ish chapters written. So yeah... here’s a snippet from my quarantine wip.
"What do you mean I can't leave?" I ask the rather frazzled looking woman behind the help desk for my airline.
"They have cancelled the next three flights, the one after that already has a waiting list as long as my arm. There's nothing I can do. I'm sorry."
"What about a flight with a different airline?" I plead.
"Same deal, one last flight which is horrendously over booked and has a waiting list. I'm afraid you're not going anywhere ma'am."
My eyes blink rapidly as if this is some sort of dream and any minute now I will wake up in a cold sweat with my bed sheets clinging to my body. But I don't wake up.
"Miss! Will that be all?" She points to the growing queue behind me and I take the hint and pick up my carry-on suitcase.
"Uh. Thanks," I mutter as if she has been any help what so ever and walk toward the exit before stopping. I currently have nowhere to go. I wrack my brain, trying to remember the name of the hotel, Murray and I stayed in the last time we were in LA but it's no use. I pull out my phone and search for hotels and as soon as the page loads, it begins vibrating in my hand.
"Jeffrey?" I wonder out loud. Maybe I'd left something behind at our meeting or maybe he had some new questions for me, either could be easily rectified now that I'm stuck here.
"Millie? Is your flight leaving? Did you make it?" He fires the questions at me as soon as I answer.
"No, it's cancelled. I was just about to start ringing around hotels."
"Nonsense. Come stay with us. That's why I'm calling. I have a friend who's in the same boat, you can probably find him and head back here together- "
"Oh, Jeffrey, that's really kind of you but that wasn't a hint. I'm good getting a hotel, really." It's not a lie, I'm not good with people and I barely even know Jeffrey, we'd only met a handful of times.
"Millie, I will not have you staying in a hotel, all alone. It's not happening, especially since it's Jeffrey's fault you're here," A female voice I don't recognise says.
"It's best just to agree, Glenne will come and get you if need be," Jeffrey chuckles and I feel my palms sweating as I contemplate an unknown amount of time with three relative strangers. I'm not equiped to deal with this. I can feel my anxiety spiking already.
"Hold on, I'll call H, find out where he is..." her voice trails off and my heart thumps in my chest.
"No!" I yell before lowering my voice, "sorry, it's okay. I'll uhm... I'll make my own way there. I - I - have to go via a shop. I only brought my carry on with me. I wasn't expecting to be here long," I grin at my excuse, I can't face an awkward taxi ride with whoever this friend of theirs is.
"Okay, I'll text you my address. Let me know when you're on your way."
"Thanks, Jeffrey," I say quietly but the words are heartfelt, I don't have a lot of people in my life who would have bothered to check up on me.
