Alia typed in her out-of-office message, pressed enter, and closed her laptop with a snap. No more work, no more demanding boss. It was snowing outside, but a warmth spread across her. She jumped from her chair and started packing her bag.
She chuckled as she folded her swimsuit and then turned around to open her phone and scroll through pictures. Winking blue skies reflected on the pristine blue water as the sun peeped out from behind majestic palm trees.
Alia held the phone to her chest and squealed. It had been two years since she'd left house arrest from COVID. She felt like a convict who was about to foray back into the world.
Months of searching, saving, and dreaming had culminated in a much deserved break. She checked her mobile for the time, rubbed her hands together, looked around at the clean desk and the neatly folded blanket on her bed, and waved goodbye.
The airport was teeming with people. A middle-aged lady pushed Alia as she made her way with her three children, a couple in the corner were fighting while furiously pointing their luggage, teenagers with overstuffed backpacks were giggling in the check-in line.
Ah people! Alia loved to hate them. The airplane had an abundance of humans moving about as if they had purchased the airline.
Alia just closed her eyes and dreamt of Hotel Paradise. The vast expanse of sky, the golden beauty of the sun—"ow." An elbow had slammed forcefully into Alia's ribcage. The man on her right started looking in the opposite direction as if it would absolve him of the crime.
She clenched her fists and began scrolling through her phone. She looked at the thatched roof of the cottage by the beach, the crisp linen that beckoned her, the beautifully arranged cocktails that had her name written all over them, and she smiled.
Not even the sharp jabs from the unrepentant neighbour during the entirety of the flight could put a damper on Alia's spirits.
She glided off the airplane, collected her luggage, and booked a taxi. The salty air permeated her nostrils, and she took in the beauty of the little island in the Caribbean where Hotel Paradise was located.
She checked into her cottage, and it was exactly like the pictures. She flopped into her bed and hugged herself. All she needed now was a cocktail.
She skipped outside and asked for a Cosmopolitan at the bar. The bartender put two glasses on the table, and she reached out for one and raised her glass to the other person who had ordered it.
It was her boss.
