Every week I welcome a guest author to First Sight Saturday to share an excerpt of a first meeting between two characters. Today I’m pleased that Vicki Batman is here with an excerpt from San Diego or Bust. Vicki has very good taste in character names, as you will soon see.
Hi! I’m writer Vicki Batman. Has your Mr. Right turned out to be the wrong Mr. Right? I’m here to tell you about Jill Grant’s first sight of Steven Cartwright in “San Diego or Bust,” a 5,023 word romantic comedy. Jill had planned a wonderful holiday for her boyfriend only it turned into the getaway from hell. As she went to deplane, her tote popped open and then…
Here’s the excerpt:
My blue mood increased as I staggered up the aisle for deplaning. In my stupor, my tote slammed into an arm rest. My hand twisted, and the catch popped open. My sexy lingerie—the kind you want nobody else to see ever—spilled on the floor. Exhausted physically and mentally, I wanted to lie down on the ground and sob and sob and weep and weep like a toddler, but didn’t.
Obnoxious Person behind me, the one who’d complained before, groaned. For the entire flight, I’d put up with his seat-and-feet antics on the back of my chair. I prayed to the heavens above to teleport me elsewhere. It didn’t come to pass, and I hadn’t uttered a single grumble, even though I wanted to arm wrestle him to the ground. I regripped my handbag, closed my eyes, and murmured, “Be nice. Be nice.”
I tossed him my best like I wanted this to happen expression and said in my kill-him-with-kindness voice, “I’m sooo-sooo sorry. Give me a sec.”
The man in front of me, the same person who’d passed my bag when darling Davis had leapt from his seat and dashed up the row the instant the seat-belt sign had been extinguished, set his laptop case down. “Let me help.”
Prior to boarding, I’d noticed this man walking through the waiting area. At the time, I’d thought what a nice guywhen a gleeful baby had repeatedly thrown away his pacifier, and he’d retrieved it each time with a genuine smile. My gaze continued to follow him as he walked around our terminal. When he returned someone else’s dropped magazine, a tinge of why can’t my boyfriend be more like him? passed through my thoughts.
And here he is being nice to me.
Squatting, he picked up my clothing and handed them over.
Somehow, a skimpy panty became laced in his fingers. When he tried to untangle the mess, the undie sling-shot by my shoulder and hit Obnoxious Person in the forehead. Several passengers chuckled. An embarrassing heat crept up my spine and settled on my head.
Obnoxious Person fumbled the garment like it was a fiery tamale with cactus spines and dropped it in my lap. “Can’t you hurry it up, lady?”
Mr. Nice Guy gave me a wink. “We’ll be finished in a jiffy.”
I let my mouth tip into a grin. Who said jiffy nowadays?
Further down the line, a woman called, “What’s taking so long?”
“Yeah,” someone else further back said.
Another complained, “I’ve got thirty minutes to catch my connecting flight to Walla Walla.”
and other fine e-retailers.
Thanks for joining me today! We welcome any comments, and hope you’ll come back every Saturday for a fresh first meeting.
Hi, Jill! and thank you for having me today. Have you ever had an embarrassing moment when traveling? Recently, I got off the plane and had no idea where to go for baggage because I was so preoccupied. I had to track down a gate attendant.
Hi Vicki! So glad you are here. I can’t recall any particularly embarrassing moments off the top of my head, but something may come to me since I’m sure I’ve had a few!
how mortifying – everyone needs a handsome hero to save them from stray underwear !!
I’m always amazed at how you turn the ordinary into fun and entertaining stories. And you do it so well, too!
Thanks, Chris. I guess everyone is ordinary. And yet, the every day stuff is pretty funny too.
Vicki – This is hilarious. You do take the ordinary and make it fun. Thanks for brightening my Saturday! Your Book Club Friend Nancy
We must be related…the not so good luck DNA gene and all. I thought those types of things only happened to my family! LOL
Vicki, I loved San Diego or Bust. I’d like to see more of these characters.
Sometimes truth is funnier than fiction. And in your case, Vicki, funny truths BECOME fiction. Cute meet and I’m going to try to remember to pack my underwear in a separate, non-see-through bag.
Hi, Book Club Friend Nancy! I’m so glad you could visit with me. And think I’m funny too. You made my day. Hugs!
Hi, Vamp Writer! Haha. Funny things happen to lots of us. Some of us can use it in our writing. Isn’t that great fun??? thanks for posting.
Hi, Cara! You’ve told me this before and I never thought their story wasn’t finished, but had begun and only good things will happen. Thanks, GF.
Hi, Linda! I love your packing idea! Fortunately, I’ve never had this happen to me. But I had to think what would be the funniest thing that could happen.
What a great excerpt. I would have purposely dropped a drink on that Obnoxious guy’s lap. He shouldn’t be on a plane!
Hi, Melissa! Thank you. VBG. What a great idea. I was on a plane last week and the girl behind me kept pushing on my seat. I should have reclined it. LOL. Okay, that wouldn’t have been nice and so not me, but I was a bit annoyed.
Vicki,
Cute. I don’t have any particularly memorable airplane moments, but my 60+ year old mother recently had a male flight attendance show her too much attention (including a brief serenade of the Miss America song…I kid you not). She got so flustered by the end of the flight, she bolted off the plane, forgetting her umbrella. Of course, I’ve never been shamelessly flirted with in public, so I could only be a little envious of the whole story! LOL
Have you ever been in middle seat with two huge men? They take up the arm rests and there’s just no room to put your arms down. I was in that situation and the guy in the aisle seat didn’t get up when I said I needed to get out.. Trying to step over his legs was a disaster and I ended up sitting in his lap. I was the one saying “I’m soo soo sorry”, but I didn’t mean a word of it. He got up when I returned to my seat.
Hi, Jamie! I can’t believe an attendant would embarrass your mom this way. However, she must be very pretty!
Hi, Ruby! I’ve been lucky not to have that predicament and I admit, I covet the row with two seats only. I think the “Lap Dance” is hilarious. Thanks so much for posting.