It had been a long week of work, and I was ready to fly home to Nashville. I'd already been at the airport for hours. Despite efforts to streamline NSA regs, it was still taking time to get through the lines. Unfortunately, I was so focused on my frustrations with the lines, I had not been paying attention to the weather outdoors. What had started as light flurries when I had arrived at the airport was now a full blown winter storm. My first warning came when flights started being listed as delayed or cancelled. I was sitting in the waiting area for my flight when the word came. My flight was delayed--indefinitely.
An airport employee came in. "Sorry, folks. This storm is shutting us down. Because you folks were ready for departure, we've made arrangements for hotel rooms for all of you. If you will follow me." Someone asked about luggage, and we were told that it would be delivered to our hotel rooms.
They loaded us into limos. The streets were already slippery, but the driver took his time. My limo and three others pulled up in front of the Sheraton, and we all went inside. When I came to the desk, the young woman handed me a room card. "Your wife is already there."
"My wife?" I said, but she was already talking to the next person in line. My room was 403. I took the elevator, walked down to the room, and opened the door. Walking inside, I saw a woman with her back to me, half undressed.
"Oh, my god," I said as she turned around to see me. "I'm so sorry. They must have given me the wrong room key."
At my first words, she had grabbed a blouse from the bed and held it to her. "Who are you?" she said.
"So, sorry. I'm Bill Johnson. My flight was cancelled and the airlines put me up in this hotel. They must have made some mistake."
"It's ok," she said. "You just startled me. In fact, I remember seeing you at the airport. I'm Kat Johnson--oh, that must explain the confusion."
"Listen," I said. "I'll go downstairs and get this straightened out." I turned to leave.
"Wait," she said. "Why don't you just call down there. I'll just go in the bathroom and make myself presentable." She giggled.
"Well, ok." She slipped past me, and I sat on the bed to call the front desk.
I was still arguing with the woman at the desk when Kat came back in. "What's up?"
I put my hand over the mouthpiece. "No more rooms. Between the storm and the airport passengers, they haven't any space available. And, it doesn't look like I can get a room in another hotel."
Kat frowned, then said, "Tell them you will work it out."
I wasn't getting anywhere with the desk, so I did as she asked, and then hung up.
"There are two beds," Kat said. "There's no reason why we can't be adult about this. Besides," she giggled, "we are married after all."
I protested, but the truth was, I was tired, and the thought of sleeping on a chair in the hotel lobby did not appeal to me, so, I gave in.
"So, Kat, where were you going when our plans were changed."