"Winter in Winnipeg," Michael thought to himself, "It's hardly surprising!" Trying to get to Los Angeles, coming from Fredericton, his connecting flight, indeed, all flights out of Winnipeg had been cancelled. So, there he was, standing at the front desk of the Hilton, conveniently located at the end of the airport concourse, checking in, as were several other weary, stranded travelers.
Something about one of the other people at the desk caught is attention: was it the sound of her voice, her mannerism, her profile? But he glanced over at her checking in, then, finishing up himself, turned to look again.
"Sarah? Sarah Childress?" When she turned to look at him, he couldn't believe his eyes.
"Michael MacAsky," she said, droll as ever. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Apparently," he laughed, stepping into the space between them, pulling his carry-on along with him, "the same thing as you. Getting stranded in the 'Peg!" Sarah, laughed, brightly, then turned back to the clerk to finish up her registration. Stowing her wallet and grabbing her carry-on, she turned to face Michael, who observed, "It's been a long, long time, eh? What, seven or eight—no, not eight, yet—seven years?"
"Yeah, must be. And, last I heard you were way out east."
"Well, I was, as you say, 'Way out east!'—after UBC, I went Dalhousie and got my MBA, then got on with Falcon manufacturing, in Fredericton."
"So, what're you doing here?"
"I was—I am—heading to a trade-show in LA," Michael explained. "The huge annual convention— plastics manufacturing. I'm with a mid-sized firm making, among other things, kitchenwares and such. Couldn't get a direct-flight."
"And where's home, now?"
"Still out east—Fredericton. How about you? What are you doin' in Winterpeg?"
"I'm just heading home, to Edmonton, from visiting a supplier in Omaha, Nebraska," Sarah replied. "Same deal—no direct-flights."
Both of the travelers had been on a couple of the last flights in. Shortly after they'd landed, all flights out—including their connecting flights—had been cancelled due to heavy snow—at least for the overnight. Fortunately, Sarah and Michael's respective companies would cover lay-over costs at the adjacent hotel.
Having finished checking in, the two old friends walked together toward the elevators. Sarah shook her head. "And here we are, meeting up after all these years, in 'Hub City'."
"Such a small world. Who would have believed it?"
"Yes. What a coincidence! That we should meet here, in an airport in a strange-city—Winnipeg, of all places!
"Doesn't get much stranger than that," Michael agreed. "Though," he suggested, after a moment of companionable silence, "maybe not such a coincidence—eh?" With a wry chuckle and a "Nudge, nudge!" he went on. "Maybe more of a trick of the fates—some sort of omen?"
"Pshaw!" Sarah said dismissively. "You wish!" Their old friendship once more apparent in her retort. Ignoring Michael's insinuations, Sarah went on to explain that she was in 'natural, organic cosmetics'. "A modest online business, run out of my own home."
While going up the elevator together, but pressing for different floors, Michael and Sarah agreed to meet back in the lobby. "I'll just drop my bags. See you in five?" Michael proposed.
"Better make it fifteen. I'd like to freshen up, and I'll need to touch base with home—you know, let 'em know where I am—and that I'm stranded indefinitely." Her eyes twinkled before she added, seriously, "Hopefully, though, for no more than overnight."
Michael was waiting, watching the elevators as Sarah stepped out. "Geez!" he hissed, "She looks better now, even, than at grad!" He gave a low wolf-whistle, to catch her attention as she looked about.
"Stop it!" she reprimanded, flushing slightly with embarrassment, as she strode towards him. Then, casually taking his arm, she said, "I ate on the plane, not too long ago. How 'bout you?"
"Yeah. Me too. D'ya want to get a coffee or a beverage?"
"I could use a beverage," Sarah stated, dryly. Hence, they mutually decided to go to the lounge for a drink— "for old times' sake, you understand." And that's how they found themselves re-connecting in the lounge, sitting next to the roaring fireplace, sipping. Having not seen each other since graduation, nor even kept in touch, they had a lot of reminiscing to do.
Michael and Sarah had met in first year college, when, through mutual friends, they found themselves moving in the same social circle. "Those were heady days, eh? The parties; the freedom."
At first their chat was filled with, "What ever happened to...?" "Do you remember when...?" "Have you ever heard from...?" Sarah had been going steady with Barry Dubrowsky all the way through university, and that fact suddenly clicked when Michael spied her wedding ring. "You and Doobie finally got married, eh?" It was more of a statement than a question, so that Michael was very surprised at Sarah's response.
"No," She stated, matter-of-factly, "Barry's and my plans diverged soon after grad."
"I always thought you were wasted on 'the Big Doob'. Of course, that was because I had the hots for you." Sarah raised an eyebrow in surprise, as Michael went on quickly. "Oh, I wasn't the only one. Not by a long shot." He gave her a rather sad look before concluding, "But you were spoken for the whole time." After a moment of awkward silence, Michael nodded at Sarah's ring. "But...?"
"Married, yes, for five years—happily! Met Darcy on-line. It's actually Sarah Harrison, now." As she told him a little about her husband—how they connected; how they got to know each other, Michael could both hear and see Sarah's strong emotional response. She was, obviously very much in love. He was both very happy for her, and a wee bit disappointed.
Sarah paused for a beat, noting his bare ring finger, then asked, "And you?"
"Oh, yeah. Me?" Michael replied, making light of the question. "Currently single. Got married four years ago, right after grad school. Selena, the ex, was a lot of fun; a real party-girl. I guess we were both party-animals to start. But we grew apart. Truth is, I grew up; she didn't. She started drinking more, staying out late—you know, 'with the girls.'" Michael drew quotes in the air. "Then she started snorting coke. I held on for a few years, watching her spiral. It was unsustainable. She finally left. The divorce was uncontested."
"So, yeah, I'm single again. I have a couple 'friends with benefits,' and play the field from time to time, but I'm deliberately single, for the time being."
Sipping their drinks, they fell silent—each recalling their shared history. "We were quite the 'gang,' though, all through college, eh?"
"Had some really good times, didn't we?"
Together, they began to reminisce, once again. "Are you still in touch with anyone?" "Did you hear about...?" "Found so-and-so on Facebook." "You'll never guess who's...married..., died..., gone abroad..."
"But," Sarah said—had Michael detected a wistful note in her voice?—"I never found you on Facebook."
"I'm not much for social networking," Michael explained, then admitted, "probably because I'm too damned lazy."
They quietly ordered another round, and in the warmth of the blazing fireplace, continued to chat like the old friends they were; then, seemingly out of the blue, Sarah blurted out, "You know, I often thought, back then, that if I'd been single, I'd have taken a run at you." Michael arched his eyebrows in surprise. It was so unexpected, such an unexpectedly sincere compliment, that Michael initially sputtered—at a loss for words.
After a rather pregnant pause, he replied, "Wow! I never realized. The feelings were mutual." He gave a low chuckle. "Imagine that. If I'd only known." He could see a liquid nostalgia glistening in Sarah's eyes, and felt the atmosphere grow warmer between them. They watched one another, trying not to stare, trying not to be too obvious, each in their attempts to read the other.
At that moment, one of those random hushes descended over the whole of the lounge, and in the sudden quiet of room, they heard a familiar old favorite song playing through the background speakers: Say Goodbye by the Dave Matthews Band.
As the milieu of the bar closed in once again, Michael observed, nostalgically, "I saw them do this live."
"So did I. Where?"
"The Columbia Gorge, in Washington."