All Hail Freya for this concept. I've been a reader for many, many years, and this challenge is the first time I've had the nerve to submit one of my own stories. It's not the first I've written, but the first to be submitted. I hope you notice this story is a launch pad. There are several side stories I have in mind, so please tell me what you think. Should I continue it? Are there paths that are more interesting this others? That kind of thing.
The bathroom described in the story is one I actually encountered while while on business in Shanghai. It blew my mind. Unfortunately, I was alone on that trip, but it gave me lots of ideas about if I hadn't been, so they may also make an appearance.
Finally, the characters in this story are here because I invited them to be here. They trusted me enough to show up and tell me what was going on. Feel free to invite them into your stories, but... they trusted me, so please don't hurt them. This story though belongs to me, and may not be used in part, or whole, in any format (i.e. electronic, print, audio, etc.) without my written consent.
I hope you enjoy:
The First Day with Aunt Ginni
-------------------------------------------
Nate was a couple weeks past his eighteenth birthday, and a couple of weeks away from graduation, but his mom got called out of town on business for a week. It would have been easier to let him stay home alone while she was gone, but his mom didn't work that way. Instead, she pulled some strings and had him stay with her sister while she would be gone.
"Thanks for letting me tag along Aunt Ginni." He was sitting in the passenger seat, watching the scenery fly past as his Aunt piloted the car down the highway.
"I'm glad you could make it Nate. Sorry I have to go to this conference this weekend. If your mom had given me more notice we could have gone and done something more... I dunno... fun? maybe... I guess?"
Nate laughed, "Well, I wouldn't have had to come at all if Mom wasn't so controlling."
"Now, that's not fair Nate. She's not controlling, she's just..." He waited for her to come up with a better word to describe his mom. It took a while, but the best she could come up with was, "... concerned?"
"Aunt Ginni, I'm eighteen, and going to college next fall. Is she going to be... concerned... the entire time I'm gone?"
"Well, she won't be controlling!" and they both laughed.
"Have you even MET my mom?" he quizzed, "she'll find a way."
"Hey, she's my big sister... I had to grow up with her being concerned about me cuz I'm the youngest. I'm glad you came along when you did. She had someone else to be concerned about so I could be a normal teenager."
"Aunt Ginni, nothing about you is normal," and he laughed again.
Ginni feigned being insulted and used her best southern belle accent, "OH! Why sir, I will have you know that I am the very definition of a lady! In fact, I am certain that if you look it up in the dictionary you will find my picture next to the word ANGELIC!"
Nate dug his phone from his pocket, "Good idea! Let me do that," and started typing.
"You little..." Ginni looked away from the road only long enough to snatch the phone from Nate's hands but still had to swerve back into her lane to avoid slower traffic, ".... I oughta throw this phone right out the window!" and she hit the auto-down button for her window.
"NO NO NO!" he pleaded laughingly, "OK, I'm sorry. I'll take your word for it."
She smiled, "That's more like it! And next... you have to stop calling me AUNT. Ginni is just fine. You're an adult now and having you call me Aunt just makes me feel old. Oh my god, I'm a spinster at thirty... I should throw YOU out the window!" She hit the auto down button for his window as she changed lanes to pass slower traffic. "Turning thirty last year was bad enough, but now I've got a sidekick determined to turn me into an old lady in front of my colleagues."
"Ahhhh," Nate shrank back into his seat and tried to hide behind his upraised hands, "No I'm sure people think you're my younger sister. Wait... colleagues?" Nate sat up straight, "I thought you were a freelance travel writer? Don't you work alone?"
'Well, yeah, thats what the conference is about. We're all writers... and from time to time we all meet up on the road. This is one of those times but it's a planned meeting so we can ALL be there." She changed the subject, "Look, there's the exit for the hotel." Ginni navigated the car off the highway and down sidesteets until they were in the parking lot. "We can get the suitcases later, let go see what its like inside."
Nate was awed as they walked into the lobby, which, in turn opened into an atrium. "Aun..." he stopped himself, "Ginni, there are trees... INSIDE. Real, normal, trees!"
"Cool, huh? Let me get us checked in and we'll check everything else out."
"OK, I'm gonna look around." he waved over his shoulder as he drifted further into the lobby. Home wasn't a small town, but he'd never been in such a fancy building. Ever.
After a few minutes Ginni caught up to him, "OK, ninth floor, room 911. We can get settled in and explore a bit. Lets grab our bags and go up."
When they finally got to the room, Ginni checked her purse, handed Nate his key, then used hers to open the door. Nate, being the gentleman/son/nephew/sherpa/slave that he was, carried both of their bags. Luckily, it was only a weekend trip so the bags were few, and light.
Nate looked over her shoulder as they walked into the room, "What a cool view!" She exclaimed, "You're above the trees now hon."
"Aunt Ginni..." She wheeled and pointed a finger at him, but Nate wasn't looking out the window, "G-Ginni... there's only one bed."
Ginni sighed, "Well, when I made the reservation there was only going to be one body sleeping here. Mine. The hotel is totally booked for the convention so I couldn't get us another room. I tried when we were downstairs. We can order a roll away later, I think. Don't worry, it's a king." she looked at her watch as an alarm chimed, "Shit, how'd it get so late? For now, exploring is off. I need to take a shower and get ready. I have to go to the reception-banquet-thingy tonight, so you'll have a few hours freedom..." She looked up at Nate. He was standing, still holding the bags, looking at the wall, or what should have been the wall. Technically it was still a wall, but a solid glass wall separating the bathroom from the bed. The shower nearer to the bed, than the far wall where the sink and mirror were.
Nate, pointed weakly at the shower, "Howwwww...?"
"Um... not sure. But... It certainly makes the room look bigger! In any case, it looks like you get to take a walk and explore on your own while I figure it out. Shoo. shoo. shoo..." She took the bags from Nate, tossed them on the bed, and ushered him out of the room, "come back in an hour. Bye!" and she closed the door behind him. "What have I gotten that poor kid into?" she asked no-one.
"What now?" Nate wondered. "I guess I try to find the pool." and he wandered back towards the elevator.
It was about an hour later when he knocked instinctively on the door. Ginni hurriedly opened the door and dashed back into the bathroom, "Lose your key?" she asked.