I took the keys from the woman and bid her a farewell. I was ready to get in the car, get warmed up, and get back on the road. The length of our trip would easily double because of how slow we would have to go, but it was better than spending another night in a hotel with a woman who couldn’t stand my presence.
“I really think we should just stay in Kansas City for the night,” Abby said lightly.
Her voice sounded so miniscule and defeated, and it felt like a punch to the gut with every word she spoke.
“I can get us there, Abby. Why don’t you trust me?” I asked.
“I can’t even trust you with a phone call, Colin. How in the world am I supposed to trust you with a car in the middle of a blizzard?”
My eyes studied the side of her face as a tear trickled down her cheek. She swiped at it quickly, but I had already seen it. She was hurting. At the core of her being, when I peeled away the comfort and the anxiousness and the attitude, Abby was hurt. I sat there as the car warmed up and watched her press herself as close to her door as she could get herself. The snow was coming down in sheets, blowing sideways as the car rocked with the wind. I noticed her legs were jiggling relentlessly, trying to expel the nervous energy she had coursing through her system.
I couldn’t keep her on the road like this, even if I was going to miss ample preparation time with Ted.
“Fine. We’ll stay the night. But we have to leave early in the morning. I have to get to Wichita. I know you don’t understand, but I—”
“Thank you,” Abby said.
She turned her heads towards me and I saw her red-rimmed eyes come into view. Her lips were downturned in exhaustion, but her eyes were full of gratefulness. She eased herself back into her seat and closed her eyes, allowing her body to finally relax like I’d wanted her to do back in Iowa.
At least she seemed to be warming up after the bullshit ride we had with Doug.
I found a decent hotel that didn’t have their parking lot filled to the brim. I pulled in and got us checked in just in time because they only had one last room left. A room with two double beds that sat right across the way from the pool and the hot tub area. It wasn’t ideal and we’d have to listen to people splashing around and screaming while we were there, but it was better than the alternative.
So, I checked us in, got each of us a room key and went out to retrieve Abby.
Part of me was still irritated that I just couldn’t drive us there. We were less than three hours away from our final destination and we were getting a damn hotel. I knew the weather was bad and I knew we’d had a rough day, but it was ridiculous that this venture was taking us so long. Who would’ve thought a conference in the middle of Kansas would get fucking snowed out like this?
I needed to call Ted and let him know that I was going to be yet another day late.
“Please tell me you’re here,” Ted said.
“Nope. Stuck in Kansas City for the night,” I said.
“Colin. You’re three hours away. Get in your damn car and drive.”
“I can’t. The weather’s terrible and I’ve already crashed one rental car,” I said.
“Wait. You crashed? Are you okay?” Ted asked.
“I’m fine. But I don’t want to take the chance. The roads are slick with ice and it’s piling up on power lines. This storm is supposed to dump more snow overnight, and I’d rather be stuck in a hotel with generator-powered internet than on the side of the road in a car where I’ll freeze to death.”
“Do I need to be preparing to do this conference for you?” Ted asked.
“Hell no. This isn’t like Christmas. I’m going to be there. I’ll just have to prepare on the road.”
“Well, I got your first round of emails. Everything looks good for your first two appearances.”
“Wonderful. I’ll get started on the next two tonight and send them to you before I crash,” I said.
“I’ll keep an eye out for them. In the meantime, stay safe. And I told you so.”
“Fuck you,” I said.
“You should’ve flown in with me. Sorry you chose otherwise. I’m still not sure why you were hell-bent on making a stop in Minnesota before coming down here.”
“Like I said, I had some things to take care of,” I said.
“Let me know when you get on the road tomorrow. I’ll call your hotel and let them know to push you back another day.”
“Thanks again. Talk to you soon.”
I hung up the phone before I started to get Abby. She was waiting patiently in the warmth of the car with a satiated little grin on her face. She seemed much more relaxed now that we were parked in the parking lot of a hotel, and she clapped her hands when I held up the keys. I had no idea how she was going to pass the time, but I was going to do with it work. If I was going to be forced to prepare on the road, then she was on her own.
Or the two of you could be snow bunnies.
I shook the thought from my mind as quickly as it flared. Even though
