Chapter 10 - Turned Down Flights

After Loretta ended the call with Lauren, she called in sick at the office. Her boss Diego wasn't very about it.

He wondered what would have made him sick on such short notice. And he needed her positive attitude that day. Her productiveness to the company is one of a kind. That wasn't something that happens all the time in large companies.

Everyone else in the company was also effective, but there was just something about her that he couldn't quite explain.

He called Nina, one of Loretta's front desk girls to his office.

There was a knock on the door.

“Yes Nina, come in please.”

“Good day sir, you called me sir,” Nina said.

“Yes Nina, I need you to check if miss Wayne's schedule is booked for today. She's called the office this morning said she's ill. I believe her because she sounded down. So, I've given her a week off to get herself better.”

“Ok sir, I'll check right away.”

“Good and if she's booked come report back to me so I can find someone else that can handle it since Anisa isn't back yet.”

Anisa works almost hand to hand with Loretta. They share the same office. It looked convenient seeing how big the office is.

When Loretta was given the office after her recent promotion as the Assistant Executive, she needed a little bit of assistance herself and that's where Anisa comes in.

But unfortunately, she isn't around right now to assist. Fortunately, she just got married so she's been given a two month leave for her honeymoon.

“Sir,” Nina said, “I could handle it if there's any work to be done.”

“Thank you, Nina. That's very graceful but report back first and we'll know what happens next. You may go now.”

“Ok, sir,” closes the door behind her.

Nina is sweet, she's been helpful too from time to time. Could be an errand girl but isn't.

She also wants to impress Diego and possibly gain his trust back after what she did. But I'm afraid that is a story for another day.

Meanwhile, while all of this is happening at the office, Loretta's been struggling with flight booking. She hasn't found a plane going to Chicago O'Hara in an hour. And she can't be there later than now. She needs to hurry because she knows Lauren and Lauren do not take this kind of well, she could probably be planning different ways to end her life right now.

Right now, Loretta could end her own life looking for a plane.

“Stupid Airports,” she curses as she scrolls through her laptop. “Can't find one plane taking off in an hour. If I had my jet this would have been easier but I'm not that rich. Don't even have a car gosh how I hate driving.”

As she curses and scrolls, her phone starts ringing. She sighs picks it up from the table and sees it's Kendrick calling.

“Oh… no, no, Ken not now,” she exclaims, she still has to answer it anyways.

“Hi, Ken…”

“Hey, Loretta er ok are you busy right now? You sound like I'm being a bother.”

“Um, actually yes, I am busy. Busy trying to get a plane to Chicago but all the airports, both close and not so close take off either later today or at night and that's not good for me because I have to urgently be there”

“How urgent,” Ken asks.

“Like an hour from now urgent. Wish I could fly myself there.”

“I could take you there,” Ken remarks.

“Don't be silly,” Loretta rolls her eyes “Do you even have a jet.”

“Um, of course, I do,” Ken laughs through the phone.

“Wow is there anything you don't have,” sarcasm is clear in her tone?

Ken stops laughing, “Well that's not the point right now, is it?”

“Ugh, for pet's sake I don't have time for this,” she sighs and places her head on her palm but doesn't say that to his hearing.

“Loretta...? You’re still there?”

“Yes, I'm still here and No that is not the point right now.”

“Great so let me take you there,” Ken keeps offering.

“No Ken, thank you but this is something I plan to handle by myself.”

“Ok cool you could go alone in my jet; I won't go with you.”

“Fine”, he continues.

“Since you so much don't want my offer what about driving there?

“I thought you noticed I don't have a car.”

“Now that's absurd Loretta. How do you go to work?”

“Company car obviously,” she replies.

“Why don't you have your car? That's weird you work in a big company.”

“Yes, I do work in a big company Ken but unfortunately I failed three of my driving tests so I have no use for a car of my own, just till I'm ready to go for another test.”

“Loretta, you probably didn't have good driving instructors. You could also get a driver you know.”

“I don't know if there's a bad driving instructor and I also don't have any use for drivers. Company car remembers, takes me to work and brings me back home.”

“Oh yeah, true but…”

“Ken, thank you. If it doesn't work, I'll take a bus or I'll just go to the train station.”

“But I could drive you, my driver. Is this that personal?”

“It is and it's not something you want to go all out because of me Ken I'm fine, everything's ok…”

“Ok just wanted to how you are and hear your voice, obviously everything isn't ok.”

“Ken thank you for calling I'm going to be late.”

“Can we go out, maybe, to dinner when you get back?”

“Yes, Ken, we can, I'd love that.”

“When would you get back?”

“I've got a week, so I don't know.”

“Ok see ya,”

The call ends and Loretta lets out the biggest sigh ever. That was the longest phone call she's made with a guy in a very long time. There was pity in what she was feeling right now.

She turned down all of Kendricks's offers. All Kendrick Roberts jet and car offer was turned down by her and he was all calm about it.

There was no time for regrets right now. She might as well take the damn bus.

Now everyone has one phobia or maybe just something you don't appreciate much. Loretta doesn't appreciate random people in a particular place, probably waiting for something.

And New York's subway is one of those places something like that can be found. She hasn't got to deal with situations like this in so many years. Doing this wouldn't be easy for sure.

This was going to be a journey indeed. Anything for Lauren. She was doing this for Lauren so it's fine with her.

She checked for trains going to Chicago.

“The direct train's already left? Damn it.”

Seems like cursing's the only thing she'll be doing the whole day.

“Ok, so another train leaves in an hour. Perfect I'll just get myself ready and go to the train station and get a ticket.”

“Wait, what twenty – three hours? No that's too much. How did I not think of that, c’mon get your head straight,” of course she'd be talking to herself now she was losing it.

“A bus would have probably been a lot faster well I'm glad I don't have to take that stupid subway.”

She decides to leave everything about taking the subway and wanted to buy a bus ticket turned out it was the same thing. Twenty hours still. This was depressing and energy draining.

 She had already spent two hours doing something that brought out nothing.

A cab was her last option before giving up would be the next thing.

A cab would take her twelve hours but boarding an airplane would have been a lot easier, two hours and she would be there. She just couldn't have been that patient enough. Now she was going to have to go for the first thing. Booking a flight and getting a flight ticket.

She finally settled on the six pm fights. She should be in Illinois where Lauren stays by eight pm. Now was the time to regret turning down Ken's offer she was going to have to apologize and tell him he was right. Nope maybe just apologizing would be enough no need to make him feel like he's known – it's because he isn't.

She got to packing. She packed just a few things she knew she would new for the week. She was going to make Lauren feel better no matter what.

She spent most of the hours packing and wondering why in the world Matt would do what he did. This wasn't fair in the least and this wasn't like him either. Shit like this could bring someone down mentally and in Matt's case, this was going to affect him too.

Before she left, she tried calling Kendrick to apologize before she forgets but for some reason his phone was turned off. She tried not to think too much about it.

Immediately she stepped out her front door, she thought angrily to herself that she was taking an unprepared trip because of some shitty man.

This was just messed up.