Chapter 5 - THE PRICE OF A JOKE
They spent the next three hours huddled in the corner of the lobby,
surrounded by their luggage like a group of refugees in designer clothing.
Trevor’s phone was finally blowing up,
but not with the messages he wanted.
It was Audrey.
She had finally replied to his earlier text.
"I thought you said it was funny,
Trevor."
"Are you laughing yet?"
He tried to call her,
but it went straight to voicemail.
"Audrey,
pick up!"
he shouted into the phone,
drawing stares from the other guests.
"This isn't funny anymore! My parents are sitting on their suitcases!"
Diane was in tears,
her expensive anniversary makeup streaking down her face.
"I've never been so humiliated in my life,"
she sobbed.
"How could she be so cruel?"
"Cruel?"
Scott,
Brooke’s husband,
finally spoke up.
"We left her in the lobby and posted a picture saying the 'whole family' was together without her."
"What did you think was going to happen?"
Brooke turned on him,
her teeth bared.
"Shut up,
Scott! You laughed too!"
"I did,"
Scott admitted,
looking at his own bank balance on his phone.
"And now I'm paying for it."
"Trevor,
I only have two hundred dollars on my card."
"And my credit limit is maxed out from the car down payment."
Trevor looked at his father,
but Russell just shook his head.
"We’re on a fixed income,
son. You know that."
"Audrey has been paying our bills for a year."
The reality of their situation was finally sinking in.
They were in a luxury resort on an island,
with no place to sleep,
no way to pay for food,
and no way to get home.
The private transportation Audrey had booked?
Cancelled.
The flights home?
Audrey had booked those too,
and while she couldn't cancel their seats,
she had certainly removed the "economy plus" upgrades she had paid for.
Trevor looked at his family,
the people he had chosen over the woman who had kept them afloat.
They looked small.
They looked mean.
And they looked like a very expensive mistake.
"We have to find a motel,"
Trevor said,
his voice hollow.
"Somewhere inland."
"A motel?"
Diane shrieked.
"On our anniversary?"
"It's either that or the beach,
Mom,"
May you like
Trevor said.
"Because Audrey isn't coming back."
