Fancy Meeting You

“Fancy Meeting You”

Squinting into the sun as she got off the Greyhound bus, Jenna adjusted herself to the temperature immediately getting consumed by the hot Florida humidity. Being it was October and the air was already turning crisp when she had boarded the bus in the Port Authority of New York to arrive here in Venice Florida for her tropical getaway. True Venice Florida was not Bermuda but being that Jenna had never been so close to the warm breeze off the ocean, or smelled the saltwater freshness of the air, this was paradise. 

Jenna was immediately removed from this feeling of all-consuming joy when she felt the rather hard push of the person behind her.” Move lady”, the rather dirty man said as he pushed his way past her to get off the bus. Jenna could smell a combination of pepperoni and alcohol as the man walked off towards the terminal doors to the bus station.

Jostled but not too beat up the trip had been a long one, 27 hours crammed on a bus with a few stops in rural America in between. Jenna wasn’t sure where the rude man had been coming from but understood his need to get off that bus. Adjusting her glasses Jenna headed towards the terminal door behind the fellow, albeit rude, traveler.

Immediately upon entering the bust station Jenna was taken aback by the abundant presence of armed officers. As Jenna proceeded to the baggage claim gate an office dressed in black combat gear and with just as an intimidating German Shepard walking at his side looked her way and walked toward her. Jenna, having always found herself an animal lover, was not feeling keen towards an encounter with this particular K-9. 

The Officer strode past Jenna with an air of authority that it seems only Southern officers can emit. The dog no doubt noting Jenna’s fear looked her way ever so intently emitting the tiniest of a growl.

Jenna took the final few steps to baggage claim, grabbed her black nylon travel bag, pulled up the handle with just a little too much force, and headed towards the exit sign. Without looking back and feeling just a little nervous from her past five minutes, Jenna stepped back out into the Florida heat.

Even in October Venice Florida being closer to the equator than her hometown Bath Pennsylvania was registering at a humid 98  degrees today, whereas home was registering 42 degrees on the home screen of her phone. Clicking on her e-mail icon she pulled up the confirmation e-mail she had received from,” Bargainvakay”. 

She scrolled to the location on the e-mail of a link to a GPS directional app that would give her the way to the Bed and Breakfastl she would be staying in the Lillytrip. Pressing the walk option as this was a budget vacation, she was happy to find it was a 20-minute walk from the bus station.

Taking in a deep breath of the sea air Jenna turned to her left and proceed down the sidewalk past other fellow travelers each off to their own destination. Putting on her sunglasses, travel bag rolling behind her she was taken in with the scenery. 

Everything here was different, whereas Bath Pennsylvania had a hard stone feel to it this town felt open in its layout. Track homes were replaced by terracotta homes each with its own characteristics. Where trees her way were beautiful in their own way with the foliage, the feeling that looking at palmtrees created a warm fuzzy feeling within her that no orange leaf ever had.

Feeling spirits improved it was not long before she saw the sign for the “LillyTrip”. An oval wooden sign with the word LillyTrip handpainted over a Lilly with a frog jumping over it. Not that Jenna was a snob in the least but this was a little too down-home rustic for her liking. Behind the sign sat an old three-story house. From the look of the dilapidation of the yellow paint, the owners clearly weren’t putting revenue back into the place. For 25 dollars a night, what did she expect though? It wasn’t as if she were spending 500 a night to stay at the Manaco a beautiful mansion of a place she had passed on her walk and googled to pass time. 

Heading up the stone walkway she had trouble rolling her bag over the uneven stones jutting out of the ground. “Careful ur step”, a deep southern voice called out to her as the screen door with a ripped screen screeched open with hinges that desperately needed to be oiled. Shuffling more than walking an old man emerged onto the old wooden deck. “Aint had a mason out here in a while, walkways kinda tricky”.

Jenna saw what appeared to be a man well into his sixties with the look of one that had spent their life in the sun. His face looked like it pucked when he smiled and it seemed like he was missing a few teeth.

“Hi”, Jenna said as she lumbered up the remains of the walkway. “I’m Jenna, I booked a room with you for the weekend”. Taking care not to fall as she carried her travel bag up the rickety stairs. 

“Ahh, sure we was expecting you, come rite in Lil Mam”. The man said as he stepped out of the way so Jenna could enter. “Welcome to the Lillytrip”.

Jenna’s eyes adjusted to the dim light within, seeing that the interior was as eroded as the exterior. Old couches and an even older rug appeared to be the lobby of sorts. Not sure what to make of it all she turned to the man and said hesitantly, “Doesnt do the description on Bargainvaykay justice”.

“Yup”, the man said, “we sure proud of the place”. Extending his hand toward what appeared to be the stairway upstairs. “We just got done remodeling the upstairs, changed the single rooms to bunks to make it a hostel was my grandson’s idea. Said we bring more people offering cheaper rates”.

“What”? Jenna said with great agitation. “What do you mean hostel? This is not a bed and breakfast”? 

The man, squinting a little with his left eye said “Bed and Breakfast, well we aint been that for a year now, redid the place to bring in young travelers like yourself”. Lips curling up into a smile he began to laugh. “You thought you was gonna be staying at a Bed and Breakfast for 25 dollars a night”, slapping his knee.

Jenna feeling like a fool for not realizing that 25 dollars a night was a bargain for a bed and breakfast cursed herself for booking her travels through a place called “Bargenvakay”. She knew she should have trusted her gut and not booked at a place that didn’t show pictures of its rooms.

“Don’t worry” the old man said, “Feller you bunkin with seems real nice, from up north to like you, a Yankee”. Laughing again releasing a little spittle. 

“What do you mean bunking with”?”You mean I am sharing a room with a man”? Jenna could barely contain her anger. Not only was she completely fried from the grueling Greyhound ride to Florida, but now her accommodations were at the LillyTrip hostel, not the LillyTrip B and B. 

Instead of unwinding in a nice bath and taking a nap in a comfy bed, she would be showering and crashing on a bunk bed. Not the dream vacation to the paradise she had envisioned all those days working longer shifts just to save a little to go on this vacation. 

“Lets get ya all checked in”, the old man said as he walked toward a desk cluttered with papers and mail. The man sat down at the desk and opened a laptop that lay next to a mound of papers. “Now if I could just see your credit card”. 

Hesitantly Jenna reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet. She didn't really want to stay at this hostel however what choices did she have, she had a small budget for this trip and she wasn't going to be spending much time inside anyway. She had come to experience the beaches not a room. Just then Jenna heard the screeching of the screen door behind her.

“Ah”, the old man said rather happily, “There is your roomie now”.Jenna turned and before her stood a rather handsome man, he looked somewhat familiar. “Jenna, this is Trever he is the gentelman you will be sharing your room with”. Trever stepped forward and extended his large muscular hand, “Trever Smoten, nice to meet you”. 

“Trever Smoten”, Jenna exclaimed then it registered why he looked familiar. “Trever, it is me Jenna, Jenna Higgins from Bath high, what has it been 8 years since you moved away”? “Jenna Higgins”, Trever raised his arms in a hug. “This is a wonderful surprise”. Jenna returned the gesture and she was enveloped in his embrace, strong arms around her.

Jenna had not seen Trever in years and he looked good. All of a sudden some time at the Lillyttrip hostel was just what she needed. Dislodging from his embrace Jenna turned to the old man, reached into her wallet, and took out her credit card, “I would love to stay”, Jenna said with more emphasis on the love than she meant. Yes, a week in tropical Florida was just what she needed.

THE END