8:42pm
Back in the hotel, Jeannie sat uncomfortably on the edge of the king-size bed in Annie and Vix’s room and wondered how she could get out of there without being rude. Somehow everyone had come back to the hotel, broken up into smaller groups each hanging out in the three rooms that surrounded hers, and here she was in their room along with Warren and Married Guy. She really wanted to get back to her online apartment search, after having essentially wasted the vast majority of the day. Plus she needed to get up early to start either going to see more apartments, or calling. Maybe it would save time to actually call the places first, and only actually go look at the ones who had apartments available immediately.
Married Guy was using his iPhone to FaceTime talk to his wife and their baby. “Hi, Sugar! Hi sweetie pie! Daddy misses his pretty girl,” he cooed, making kissy faces into the phone.
Aww, Jeannie thought.
Warren sat next to Married Guy on the couch, tapping on his phone. “Alicia’s not coming,” he said, looking at his screen. “She broke her ankle.”
“Oh, man,” Vix said. She came over and sat down next to Jeannie on the bed. “That sucks. How did she do that?”
“She doesn’t say. Probably some kind of bizarre shopping mall accident, knowing her. Maybe her four-inch stripper heels tripped her up on the escalator while she headed for the Brazilian wax salon.”
“Heh. What’s Adrian going to do without his girl toy?”
Warren rolled his eyes. “He won’t be lonely, I’m sure. If necessary, I am prepared to take one for the team.”
“You two would make an adorable couple,” Vix said, winking at him.
Warren nodded solemnly.
Annie carried a big paper grocery bag to the dresser and started setting bottles next to the tv.
“Who wants what? We have all kinds of mixers, vodka, rum, beer. Bottles of water. I think we have some Jack,” she said.
Married Guy put his phone in the front pocket of his jeans and asked, “Rum and Coke?”
Annie opened up a giant cooler and pulled out a stack of red Solo cups. “Yep!”
Warren came over and started rooting through the cooler. “Mind if I have a beer?”
“Help yourself, dude.”
Now’s the time to extricate myself, Jeannie thought, and stood up.
The door swung open and Dave and Jane walked in, with Adrian right behind them.
“Ho!” Adrian said, holding up his beer bottle.
“Cheers!” Warren said, and they clinked beer bottles.
“We were just talking about Alicia,” Vix said to Adrian.
“Her ankle sounds really messed up. It’s too bad,” he said, taking Jeannie’s spot on the bed.
“Well, I need to head back to my room,” Jeannie said, walking towards the door.
“You can’t leave without a drink!” Vix waved the giant bottle of Skyy vodka. “Come on, let me make you a..,” Vix hesitated, looking through the cooler. “Um. Vodka and Coke? Er… Vodka and water?”
“Vodka doesn’t need a mixer, anyway,” Adrian said. “Mixers are for weaklings.”
Jeannie laughed. “No vodka, but thanks.” She opened the door. “It was nice meeting you all! Have fun at the convention.” She scooted out into the hallway and closed the door behind her before anyone could say anything else.
