Page 76 of Mr. February

“We can do whatever we want. We need a minimum of four people per escape room, but if there’s one that’s free, we can start whenever we want.”

“How does that sound, sweetheart?” he asked. “We can have a drink and then go for another puzzle room. Or would you rather—?”

“No, that’s perfect. I love it.”

She didn’t know how Wade guessed what she wanted, but her happiness grew. They sat in the bar area and had a drink, and they chatted with the others. After a bit, some of the others were eager to do another escape room. Leon volunteered to find out what was available, and he returned after a few minutes with options.

The second time through was just as fun because they were high on their earlier success and a little buzzed. Jenny’s cheeksached from laughing by the time they solved it, with only a few minutes to spare.

When everyone gathered in the lounge with their winter gear, Jenny vibrated with excitement. The whole trip had been better than she imagined but tonight had been the cherry on top. Their transportation arrived late, but they were finally herded onto the bus and headed slowly back to the hotel.

After they arrived, Wade looked at his phone before he volunteered to run their coats to their room if Jenny would save him a seat at dinner. Confused, she agreed but was unsure why he needed to put their coats away. Why couldn’t they hang their coats on their chairs like everyone else?

Jenny sat with the escape room team since they were a convivial group. When she saw Brian and a few others Wade introduced her to, she invited them to join their table. The atmosphere was merry and cheerful as everyone enjoyed the complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres while the dinner buffet was set up.

She recalled Wade’s comment about Brian’s frame of mind. She coaxed him out of a blue mood by asking how pool went. It took some cajoling, but once he started, he regaled them with lively observations of the ill-fated game of pool. Her stomach hurt from laughter at his sardonic commentary.

Jenny also convinced Leon to share some of their adventures from the escape room. While everyone around her laughed, she fidgeted, confused about what was taking Wade so long. It was clear to her that he used the coats as an excuse to leave, but she couldn’t figure out what she’d done wrong.

No, she hadn’t done anything wrong, and she wasn’t going to keep thinking that way. If she messed up or upset someone else, it was on them to tell her so she could examine her behavior. For her own mental health, she needed to rewrite her internal dialog and stop assuming the worst.

Wade returned after much longer than Jenny expected. He apologized for his delay, but his overall attitude was so delighted and open that she couldn’t help but relax. When he sat, he told her he’d explain everything after dinner. Satisfied, she immersed herself in good food and better company.

As the restaurant staff wheeled dessert tables out, Jenny vaguely recognized the hotel’s concierge heading for the podium.

“Good evening, everyone. I’m Mr. Simmons, and I have an important announcement. I hate to interrupt, but this can’t wait. The weather has taken a turn for the worse. The National Weather Service has upgraded the situation from a winter storm warning to a blizzard warning.”

Shock rippled through the room at his words.

“What does this mean in practical terms? It means that several inches of snow are expected within the next twelve to forty-eight hours, and it could mean a lot of snow for several hours at a time. At a minimum, we’re expecting several inches of snow and dangerous road conditions tomorrow afternoon.”

Shouts rang out, and Mr. Simmons attempted to calm everyone.

“Please remain seated. For now, morning flights and the highways appear to be operating as normal. Your conference was scheduled to end at noon tomorrow. If you originally planned to stay for the morning sessions and then head home, you should reconsider. All flights have been canceled after two p.m. tomorrow.”

Sounds of dismay broke out around the room, and Jenny’s eyes flew to Wade’s. Instead of looking alarmed, he smiled at her.

“Don’t worry; we’re good,” he said in an undertone as the hotel concierge attempted to calm everyone.

“We strongly encourage everyone who intended to leave tomorrow afternoon to adjust your plans,” Mr. Simmonscontinued. “Either leave in the early morning or stay until the roads and airport re-open. We were at capacity, but two other conferences ended today, and others already left after today’s sessions. We’ve also had cancellations for the weekend due to the weather, so we have openings.”

The noise in the room grew, and the concierge raised his voice to be heard.

“Please let me finish. We have additional staff on hand in the lobby area right now. They’ll be available for the next few hours to assist everyone who wants to make changes to their itinerary. Look for signs for the airlines and car rentals to speak with the correct person. We also have additional staff manning the check-in desk for those of you who want to extend your stay.”

During his speech, Jenny read weather alerts on her phone. As he said, several inches of snow were expected. In this part of North Texas, ice storms and sleet in the middle of February were common, but not snow. Blizzards were unheard of.

When the hotel staff dispersed to help people make alternate travel arrangements, Jenny turned to Wade.

“What should we do?”

Wade looked a bit nervous before he blurted out, “I already extended our reservation.”

Jenny’s eyes popped open.

“What do you mean? When?”

“Robert—”

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