AN: I can't help but laugh at the 'Megan Kelly' coincidence. Maybe this was a sign that I don't watch the news enough!
Chapter 3: Roommates
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Eric was blown away by not only the views from the plane, but the laid-back feel of the airport. The walls were covered in cheerful pastel colors, and the whole place felt light and airy. Everyone that worked there seemed so nice, and he found the large group of taxi and limo drivers standing just outside of the front doors to be especially exciting.
Jim Kirkland took it upon himself to step to the front of the group and make a quick announcement. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to paradise! Now, I'll only have the best for my employees, so we're definitely going to show up to the resort in style."
Everyone in the group perked up even more as Jim called over one of suit-clad drivers. Eric made sure to stay close to Megan as the group was ushered into a glossy white limousine. This is the life! A beautiful woman and a fancy ride. He was barely off of the plane, but this trip was already off to a great start.
"So, Megan, what are you most excited about this week?" Eric leaned back on the bench seat and tried to look cool as he spoke to the beauty next to him.
She pushed some of her lightly-curled hair behind her ear and looked over at Eric with those stunning brown eyes. He could swear her eyes could see right into his soul. "You know, I think I'll be spending plenty of time on the beach. I'd love to do some dancing one night, though. How about you?"
Crap, I didn't think of an answer for my own question! Eric looked at her with a clueless expression for a second before managing to let out a response. "What you said sounds great, so I think I might have to just steal your answer!"
From across the car, Mitch couldn't help but chuckle as he watched his friend look like a fish out of water. "Hey, Forman. Maybe you could be a gentleman and be Megan's dance partner. It'd be awfully sad if she had to hit the dance floor alone." Mitch shot Eric a wink and stretched his arm around his fiancée's shoulder.
"That's not a bad idea. What do you say, Eric? Want to dance with me?" Megan was looking at him with that entrancing gaze once again.
"Er…Yeah, that would be..fun!" Is it getting hot in this limo? Eric wiped a few beads of sweat from his forehead. Mitch leaned over to whisper in Hillary's ear and they both laughed.
The rest of the the ride to the resort was filled with chatting and pointing at the amazing scenery just outside the limousine's windows.
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Jackie had been lying on the spacious hotel bed for almost an hour. Once she'd gotten checked in and had all of her luggage unpacked just the way she wanted it, she decided to take a while to relax before getting into the details of her itinerary.
There weren't too many travel agents in Wisconsin that managed trips to the Bahamas, but Jackie wanted to make sure she got the most out of her much-needed vacation. The well-traveled agent she met with told her that there happened to be another group from Kenosha flying down that same week, and that their schedule for the week was filled with plenty of entertainment.
Jackie had been hesitant to tag along with another group, but changed her mind after she was told some of the events that were planned for the week.
Sight-seeing, snorkeling, shopping in the market, deep-sea fishing, and dancing.
All she'd have to do was add or drop a few things, and it'd be a perfect week!
As she lay on the bed, enjoying the cool breeze from the open window, she couldn't help but wonder what the group of people she'd be tagging along with would be like. "Maybe they won't be totally miserable. God knows I couldn't handle being with a bunch of grannies all week…" she mumbled to herself, eyes closed.
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The resort was far nicer than Eric had hoped. Each of the rooms was larger than any hotel room he'd ever stayed in. There was a restaurant with a bar and dance floor, and the whole place was full of the tropical flair Eric was starting to love. Best of all was the fact that the only thing separating the resort complex from the beach was a pool that looked ideal for that super cool tan he was planning on getting.
Eric was pulled out of a daze when Jim came up and placed a large hand on his shoulder.
"Forman, it looks like there's a slight problem with rooming situation. The guy at the front desk says that because so many people have booked rooms this week, groups can't have someone staying in a room by themselves."
"Really? But if you already booked the rooms, can they change it?" Eric had worked as a hotel waiter briefly, but he didn't know a whole lot about booking policies.
"Yeah, well, they said it'd save me money so I couldn't really argue!" The stout man let out a hearty laugh and stepped away to say something to the man behind the desk.
Eric wasn't too concerned about Jim's news. He didn't understand how it would have an affect on his sleeping arrangement. That quickly changed when Mitch came up and gave a run-down of the rooming plans.
"So, man, word around the lobby is that the rooms are getting all shaken up." He arched a thick eyebrow at Eric and smirked.
"Uh, yeah, I heard. No big deal though, right?" Eric couldn't figure out why his friend was doing that thing he does where he looks like he knows a secret.
"Don't you get it, dude? There's only two beds in each room, and if nobody can stay in a room by themselves…" Eric still had a clueless look on his face, so Mitch blew air out of his nose and went on. "Eileen and Marsha were going to have a room, Jim and his wife have one, and I get a room with that foxy lady with a rock on her finger. I'd say you could stay in our room, but something tells me you're not wanting to sleep with earplugs…"
Slowly but surely, Eric started to get what Mitch was saying. The more he understood, the more he became visibly disturbed. "No way, man. You're right about the earplugs, but I couldn't share a room with Megan all week!"
Eric spun around dramatically, and was met with a stunning pair of brown eyes. "What's the matter, Eric? I was thinking we'd make pretty good roommates."
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Jackie was lounging at the hotel bar, sipping on a sweet piña colada. From her seat, she could just barely see the front desk. Vacationers had been checking in and out fairly steadily and she'd only been slightly paying attention until she saw a large man in a Hawaiian shirt lead group of eight into the lobby. The group was partly out of sight and had their backs turned, but she watched with curiosity as they got checked in. There's something really familiar about that brown head of hair…but that guy isn't near as lanky as the only person I ever knew to have such a dorky haircut.
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AN: I was definitely going out on a limb with the whole hotel room bit, but what can I say? Bahamian hotel policies in the 80's were pretty tricky ;)
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