Blurb request: Your flight is canceled last minute and you're are having a very heated discussion at an information desk, because you're about to miss your sister's wedding thanks very much. And your suitcase with your dress has still not turned up. And you're mad about it. Harry overhears, offers you a place on his jet, phones Lou to meet yous on the other end with a dress and hair + make-up. And he joins you as your date. Awesome, right? ;) Very realistic and all. Please indulge this silliness
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Arriving into O'Hare airport in Chicago (which is the most terrible, horrible, ridiculously laid out airport ever) to make my last minute connection to Atlanta should have gone off without a hitch. I had been meticulous in my trip planning. I had a huge presentation at work that ended at 2 pm. My flight from LaGuardia took off at 4:30. I should have landed in Chicago with plenty of time to make my connection.
But I'd never landed in O'Hare before so I didn't realize how common it was for them to land you at one end of the airport only to put my connection at the other end.
And I never expected there to be a 30 minute delay on the tarmac while they decided where to park my plane to begin with.
So I was forced to run through O'Hare, in heels no less, to make it to my gate only to read the sign stating that my flight had been cancelled.
This had to be a joke. My sister's wedding was Saturday evening. I was supposed to be on the plane already.
So I trudged halfway back the way I'd already came from to stand in line at the ticket counter to find out how on earth I was going to make it to Atlanta in time.
The lady at the ticket counter looked like she was going to be a peach to deal with. She'd probably been dealing with shitty passengers all day. Unfortunately for her and for me, my encounter would be no different.
I set my purse on the desk and squinted to read the name on her tag. Marlene. I pasted a fake smile on my face,
"Hi Marlene. I'm in a bit of a quandary here. I was supposed to land in Atlanta tonight so I could be at my sister's wedding tomorrow and my flight's been cancelled."
She barely looked up at me, just held her hand out for my ticket,
"Ticket please."
I let out an exasperated sigh and handed her the ticket. She typed a few things into her computer before handing me the ticket back. A few more moments of typing before she shook her head,
"No flights out tonight. I can get you on one Saturday evening at 5."
My eyes widened,
"Excuse me? No. No no no. That is unacceptable. My sister's-"
"Yes ma'am, I heard you. Your sister's wedding is tomorrow." She gestured to a gentlemen to my left gesturing wildly while talking on his phone, "He has a huge presentation for work he needs to get to." She pointed to a family standing a few feet behind me, "Their school was supposed to march in a parade tomorrow afternoon." She pointed to a man immediately to my right looking distraught, "His wife was in a car accident this afternoon." She looked back at me, "So...you tell me who you'd like me to bump off their flight so you can make it to your sister's wedding."
I shook my head,
"Marlene, there's no need for sarcasm. I need-"
"I'm aware of what you need. However there's little I can do. Flights to Atlanta have been cancelling all day. Unfortunately no one at the top asks me my opinion before they do these things young lady."
