Bevin sighed."I feel strange not going on a trip with my mom.Since our first year, we've been side by side."
Bevin had been calling him Mom for so long that it was a waste of breath to tell him to stop.
"You'll be fine.We have to cut the umbilical cord sometime.After we graduate, you'll be heading back to New York to work for your family's company, and I'll still be here."
"Don't remind me," Bevin whined."I'm not looking forward to being apart from you."
"Stop acting like a spoiled child," Finn said, though there was no real bite behind it.
Bevin went to speak again but was interrupted by another knock at the door.
"Get going before he bangs the door down," Finn urged.
"Okay, okay," Bevin said, pulling him into a quick one-armed hug."Have fun, but don't fall in love on your trip."
"Shouldn't I be telling you that?"Finn said, rolling his eyes."Better yet, don't get anyone pregnant."
Bevin was the love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy.Finn was glad his friend used protection, because he was sure there would otherwise be some girl or guy knocking on his door one day, claiming they were pregnant with his friend's child.
"Yes, Mom," Bevin said, then rushed out the door, calling back over his shoulder and yelling at Shane for his impatience.
Finn shook his head, then returned to his room to start packing.He remembered when Bevin first started calling him Mom.Bevin had to be wheeled back to their dorm room on a luggage cart because he was so wasted.The first thing he did when he saw Finn was scream, "Mom," and fling himself at him.Finn had stood there in shock while their friends laughed and walked away, leaving the drunken baby with him.
And what a baby he was.Bevin was happy one minute, and the next, he was crying and apologizing, refusing to shower after throwing up on himself and Finn.After Finn finally got them both showered and dressed for bed, he had to rock Bevin to sleep, and Bevin called him "Mom."Finn was so exhausted from caring for him that he simply passed out next to him.
The next morning, Bevin was not repentant about his behavior.Finn brushed it off as a one-time thing, but after the fourth time Bevin came back wasted and Finn had to clean him up, he started nagging him like a mother every time he stumbled into the room drunk.Finn didn’t stop there.He would get on Bevin for slacking off in his classes.It became a running gag among their friends that Bevin needed to ask his "mom's" permission to do anything.
Finn zipped up his suitcase and set it next to the front door.Checking the time and seeing it wasn’t too late, he went to grab a quick bite, then returned to his room, showered, and happily climbed into bed.The last thought that crossed his mind was Bevin's warning that he couldn’t fall in love while he was on his trip.Finn scoffed at the notion because there was no way that was happening.
One, he was not looking for love, and two, how could a sane person fall in love in three weeks?The only time he’d had heard of things like that happening was in romance novels or movies that made it all seem too unreal.Over the next three weeks, he planned to have fun and live his best life.
"I'm sorry,sir, but I can't find your reservation," Sandra, the flustered front desk attendant, told him.
Finn took a deep breath, trying to calm the surge of anger threatening to spill over."Please check again.I made these reservations six months ago and received a confirmation email."He held his phone up so Sandra could see the email with all the details, especially the confirmation number."I even called the resort and was told everything was set.So how did you lose my information in a week?"
Sandra took his cellphone and quickly read the message.She set the phone down, then began typing on the keyboard, pausing every few seconds to glance at the screen and then back at him.
"Sir, do you remember who you spoke to last week?"
"Yes, his name was Perry."
She took a deep breath."I see.Sir, give me a few minutes.I need to speak with my manager."
"Why?Is there another problem?"Finn asked, no longer bothering to soften his tone.Sandra didn’t respond and left to get her manager.
Finn growled in frustration.He was hungry and in desperate need of a shower.He had gotten up early to catch his flight, which ended up leaving three hours late.He missed his connecting flight and had to pay extra to get on the next plane to Vermont.He could have driven, but he didn’t want to.He also could have taken a direct flight, but aside from splurging on the resort, he was money-conscious.
His friends, on the other hand, called him a cheapskate.But who could blame him for keeping track of every dime he spent?He hadn’t grown up with a diamond binky in his mouth, so every time he had to spend money, he counted it carefully.
After a couple of minutes, Sandra returned with a dapper-looking man in a hotel uniform.
"Hello, Mr.Turner.I'm Monroe Ford, the manager here," he said professionally."Sandra has explained everything to me.First, I need to apologize to you.There has been a mishap.Last week, Perry was arrested for scamming some of our guests, and it seems you were one of them.He was using the hotel as a cover by taking reservations and sending out fake confirmation numbers.You were one of his victims."
"Why the fuck wasn't I informed of this?"Finn roared.
He was usually calm, and most things didn’t faze him.Growing up, he had been bullied for many reasons, but he never once cried or yelled for help.He only grew angry when he felt his money had been wasted.Right now, it felt as if everyone was trying to push his buttons.
"Isn't anyone going to answer my question?"he asked again, his tone quieter but no less firm, when no one responded.
