"I should have asked for his phone," Lisa muttered, mentally kicking herself as she sped south on the 405 freeway, weaving in and out of traffic. This was just like her, wasn't it? Full throttle, barrelling down the highway before her brain finally slowed down enough to think.
Calling Jennie would have been a hell of a lot easier. Then again, she probably wouldn't have answered her phone. Not if she was pissed enough to be heading for the airport. Lisa assumed that was where Jennie was going. Where else?
Lisa should have kept her mouth shut this morning. Everything had been going so well the past few days. Why did she have to go open her big mouth and ruin everything? Caught up in the moment, like usual. That was always her downfall, wasn't it? It had always driven Jennie crazy, back when they were young. How many fights had started because of some crazy impulse Lisa got in her head? And now here she was, seven years later, still making the same mistakes. Caught with her pants down, this time round.
Lisa had to salvage it. If she could only catch Jennie before she got on a plane, she knew she could talk Jennie out of leaving. It was going to be tight, though. There were always tons of flights departing around this time of day from LAX.
There was the airport now. Lisa gunned the engine and swerved recklessly onto the exit ramp, just barely keeping the bike from careening off the side of the road into a guardrail. A helmet - that's another thing she probably should have asked to borrow. Now was not the time to sustain another head injury. Then again, she did have the home number for the Cedars-Sinai Chief of Neurology on his phone. If only she had her phone...
Lisa pulled up moments later to the main LAX departures terminal and ditched the bike at the curb. She hustled inside and stopped just past the doors, looking around for a moment. Then she made her way over to the first open airline counter she saw.
"Hi there!" she said to the airline worker, typing briskly at her computer terminal.
She didn't bother to look up. "I'm closed. Next window, please."
Lisa leaned her elbows on the counter and planted her most charming smile on her face while she waited for the girl to notice her.
"Did you hear me? I said..." She broke off as she pulled her eyes away from her screen and caught sight of Lisa's face. Her annoyed expression gave way to a look of shock. "OHMIGOD!" She let out an ear-piercing shriek. "You're-you're-Lisa Manoban!"
"Yes," Lisa nodded. "I am."
"I love you!"
Perfect, Lisa thought. Maybe I should ask her to marry me. "Could you possibly help me?" she asked instead. Lisa cocked her head to give her a better view of his irresistible dimples and perfect, movie-star chin. "I need to page someone. It's life or death."
She nodded, bouncing in her seat as she picked up the intercom phone from the desk in front of her and held it to her ear. "Do you know what gate?"
"I don't know." Lisa shook her head. "I don't even know what airline."
"Hold on," she said, pressing a button on the intercom. She turned sideways and covered her mouth with her hand as she spoke into the receiver, but Lisa could hear what she was saying clearly enough. "Stacey! You'll never guess who's standing in front of me right now..."
This could take a while. Lisa suppressed a groan and looked around behind her. Maybe she should just try to call Jennie. Lisa's eyes lit on a bank of pay-phones at the other end of the departures hall. She put her hand in her pocket, fishing for change, but she came up empty. Money, she thought. That was another thing she might have thought of when she was striking her little bargain with the pap.
"I know!" the airline worker was gushing into the phone. "I know! I know! She wants to page someone... she doesn't know... wait, what?"
Lisa looked back towards her, and she put her hand over the intercom for a moment as she addressed Lisa.
"Stacey wants to know if you'll sing 'Grow Old With You'?"
"Huh?" Lisa wrinkled her forehead in confusion. "That's not one of my songs."
The girl shrugged. "Why?" she asked, speaking into the receiver again.
"Like he did for Drew Barrymore!" Lisa heard the voice say on the other end of the line. "Most romantic airport scene ever!"
"Drew Barrymore?" Lisa squinted her eyes, trying to make sense of the request. "I never had a thing with Drew Barrymore..."
Lisa broke off, suddenly realising what movie they were talking about. The Wedding Singer. "Ok," she said, her shoulders slumping. "That was Adam Sandler. I'm Lisa Manoban."
The girl in front of her clapped her hand over her mouth.
"It's ok," Lisa said, laughing. "Happens all the time."
"No, really," she said. "I'm a huge fan. Huge! Could I take a selfie with you?"
She whipped her purse out from behind the desk and pulled out a cell phone.
"Yes!" Lisa said, eyeing her phone with sudden enthusiasm. "Yes, you can definitely take a selfie with me. But first I need you to let me make a call."
