My Last Resolution(10)

Typical Adrian.

No “I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right between us,” no “I love you” at the end.

Nothing.

I don’t bother listening to the other voicemails. I want to wait until I have some alcohol on standby, until I can comfortably curse aloud and yell at anyone who dares to tell me that dumping Adrian is a bad move.

Too lazy to pull out my ticket, I look up at the wall of screens ahead and look for my gate.

Dallas, Orlando, Boston...Gate F...Delayed? Great...

I squint my eyes so I can better see the number next to the gate, but a voice comes over the speakers.

“Ladies and gentlemen of Reagan International Airport, due to warnings from the national weather advisory board regarding an incoming snowstorm, all of tonight’s flights have been indefinitely grounded. Please check with your airline’s respective desk agents for updates regarding rescheduling and for hotel accommodations if you choose to leave the airport. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience, but please know that the safety of our passengers is our first and utmost concern.”

“What?!” “Are they serious?” “Get the f**k out of here!” “I need to get out of here tonight!”

Angry voices are everywhere, and suddenly everyone is pulling out their phones and relaying the bad news.

Annoyed, I head to the nearest desk agent line and return my mother’s call.

“Paris!” She picks up on the first ring. “What the hell is going on with you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about!” She clucks her teeth. “Adrian’s been telling us how you threw him hints about marriage for a while and he was just waiting to buy the perfect ring. You broke his heart today by pulling what you did. Have you even called him? He looked so broken when David told us where you’d gone, when he said you knew all about the engagement party and chose not to show up. David even cried as he told us the story...”

I remind myself to punch David in the face the next time I see him. “I’ll call Adrian later. I don’t feel like talking to him right now.”

“Why are you acting this way, Paris? Adrian is a great catch! He’s a lawyer now! I’m sure he’ll take great care of you, and he loves you!”

Holding back sighs, I try not to groan as she continues to list all the things that are not Adrian: Caring, considerate, and generous.

Unbeknownst to her, Adrian only cares about himself and the real reason he wanted to propose to me (in front of all his colleagues, mind you) was because it’ll move him up in the rankings at his firm for partner. I’d overheard him talking to one of his associates weeks after he landed the job, saying he’d do whatever it took to make partner in five years: “Even if it means I have to marry Paris earlier than I want to...Even if I’m not ready to commit to her for life.”

As far as being considerate? That’s damn near laughable, along with the word “generous.”

Just as she’s in the middle of telling me how Adrian understands me like no one else can, the desk agent beckons for me to approach the counter.

“Hold on mom,” I say as I step closer. “I need to ask when my flight to Boston will be rescheduled.” I put the phone against my chest and smile at the agent. “Do you have any idea what time the flight will be rescheduled? Will it definitely be for tomorrow?”

“No clue. Would you like a discount voucher to the Marriott across the street? It’s ten percent off and a shuttle can take you there and back.”

“No thanks.”

“Okay.” She shrugs. “Next!”

“I wasn’t finished.” I shake my head. “I’m not trying to be a pain in the ass, but I’m sure this type of thing happens pretty often here so...When can I expect for the flight to be rescheduled?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, ma’am.” Her voice is flat. “All I know is that all flights are grounded and you’re currently holding up my line. Maybe tomorrow? Maybe next week? They usually call and let you know.”

“How can there be a snowstorm if there’s no snow falling?” I point at the window behind her. “And you all had to know that this storm was coming before today! Are there no weather channels in this part of the country? Do you not have cable?”

“Next!” She motions for me to get out of the way.

“No, no, no. Wait.” I sigh. “I’ll take the hotel voucher.”

She happily rips a sheet off a pad and hands it to me. “Happy New Year’s. Next!”

I move to the other side of the counter and pull my laptop from my bag.

“Are you still there, mom?” I hold the phone up to my ear again.

“Oh, I’m here alright. Where are you if you’re not in Boston right now?”“

“Washington, D.C. There’s a storm—supposedly, so they’ve grounded everything.”

“Are you going to sleep in the airport? Did I tell you I saw a story about a nest of roaches in a terminal last week?”

“Mom...”

“Actually, you deserve to be crawled on a few times after the way you’ve handled this whole Adrian thing.” She suddenly changes her tone. “Do you need me to cover your hotel stay for tonight? David said he wired you money, but it won’t be in your account until tomorrow.”