I will never confess how elated I was when I discovered another of Brody’s parting gifts. Booking me coach, as opposed to a private charter, would be bringing him so much joy right now, but the idiot misjudged me completely. I want to experience as much as I can away from him, and flying coach means I’m around normal people, like my seat neighbour. I feel like I have won the lottery.
“I’m Melanie, by the way. You know what, you and I can get a room together if you want,” Melanie offers as she starts scrolling on her phone.
“You are too kind. I’m not going out though. I plan on ordering pizza and reading a book.” I go to slide my earbuds back in. I think she’s ignoring me, but when I look at her, she’s engrossed in her phone. Not even hearing me or the hostess preparing the cabin for landing.
“I’m sorry but your plans just changed.” She obviously heard me, but now I’m confused about her last comment. Her eyes are round like saucers when she twists in her seat, shoving her phone in my face. “Do you see that?”
She points to the screen so I can see what has her soexcited: Koded. And like nearly everyone else with a heartbeat, I can appreciate her enthusiasm. Koded is all the rage right now—his music, which I’m currently binging, is incredible. He’s reached god status—if gods could sing like angels and look like sin incarnate. Although with Koded, you just knew there’s sinful beneath the surface. No one has ever seen him without his mask. It’s his thing.
“Honestly, I think you need to reconsider. All your book boyfriends will forgive you, they’ll never let you down, and I guarantee each of them will be waiting for you in the morning, but you need to go out.” She grabs my shoulders and shakes me. “It’s Koded! Jesus, he is fucking amazing.”
“Let me think about it,” I say, once she gets distracted by trying to figure out her night.
Landing is smooth, what happens next, not so much.
The lady at the help desk is tired. You can see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice. She’s trying to help me locate my missing bag, but nothing is working.
“I’m sorry, the best we can do is contact you when we find your bag, and then you can arrange a courier.” She smiles, but it’s pretty clear our conversation ends there. “The bus for your hotel is at stop three, and included in your room is breakfast, but you’ll have to cover dinner, sorry. Your flight is rescheduled for eight in the morning. Again, I apologise on behalf of the airline, but customer safety is our priority. Next.”
My phone buzzes with the ticket details, and I step out of line so the person behind me can hopefully get out of here too.
I shouldn’t feel this excited, but I do. The sense of freedom seems to be growing with every breath I take. The only blight on my horizon is knowing I need to check in with someone from back home.
When I hit Mom’s contact, my phone doesn’t make asound. Checking the screen, I try again with the same result. Figuring I’m in a dead spot, I move through the airport, searching for a stronger signal. But no matter where I go, nothing.
Standing in line for the bus with only one bag instead of two, I try once more. This time, instead of dead silence, a notification pops up from my carrier. My phone has a block on outgoing calls.
I laugh. People look at me weirdly and take a step back, probably expecting a breakdown. But my laughter isn’t because I’m stressing out; it’s pure, bubbling elation. I’d bet money that Brody intentionally did this to my phone account, probably as another reminder of how much he ‘owns’ me. But instead of scaring me, I take it as a sign from the universe that I am free. Free to make decisions.
Down at the next bus stop, my seat buddy from the flight is standing. She looks at me at the same time I look at her, and I throw caution to the wind.
I turn to the man next to me, hoping I’m reading him properly as he looks kind.
“Do you mind watching my bag for a second? I just need to talk quickly to my friend.”
“Of course,” he says, shuffling to protect my spot in the queue and my single bag.
Racing down to my new friend, she’s already doing a happy dance. “You’re coming, right?”
“I mean, it is Koded. I have nothing to wear though. One of my bags has been lost, and I don’t have any money on me.”
My words get swallowed up, and before she can say another word, I’m logging on to my banking app and am completely unsurprised when I see that my account only has fifty dollars in it.
“Did you win the lotto or something?” she asks. “You’re smiling like a crocodile.”
I shake my head, putting my phone away with another smile. “I’m seriously thinking I am on a lucky streak. I have no bags, no clothes, and apparently fifty dollars is my allowance. I’m still coming though. Stuff it.”
“There’s the spirit. We can totally rock this town. Are you staying at the Meriton?”
“Yes!”
Her bus pulls up. “Good. I’ll wait in the lobby for you, and we can get ready together.”
Order doesn’t return anytime soon. Everything seems to go wrong, but Melanie and I go with the chaotic flow of events. I keep focussing on being here, miles away, and I pretty much accept the weird chain of events as they happen. It starts when I get off the bus and find Melanie holding up two costumes because apparently the New Year’s Eve event/concert Koded is playing is fancy dress. Stranger still, right next to our hotel, a costume shop is open.
“Right, so we were down on options. Catwoman or Cinderella?”
The cat suit is stunning; long arms with a low cut back, the mask is built into it and the ears are so damn cute but it’s glow-stick yellow. It’s not me at all, but apparently tonight it is. Melanie said she was going to be whoever she wanted to be for one night, and it seems I’m borrowing her mindset.
