This is a resubmission of an earlier story and I feel a much improved version. Firstly I'd like to thank 'IamRay23' who has been a massive help to me and my writing. Although the style may still not suit everyone's taste, he has helped me make this story much better flowing than the original version. Fingers crossed part 2 of this story should be coming soon.
*
I truly felt like a fish out of water when it came to travelling. Maybe it wasn't so much to being in a different place, it was just the moving around, not being able to do anything which I would consider constructive. I hadn't really wanted to go on this stupid training course but my boss had nagged at me to go on this thing. I'm convinced he felt that sending me on one of these things was to do me good and not just for the good of the business.
The rooms we were given were really plush, having king size bed all to myself felt pretty sweet. But what I loved more than anything was the warmth of a carpet beneath my feet. It felt so good, my toes almost tingled as I dragged them over it. Being honest though, I'd still rather be home. My Xbox on hand, all the Blu-ray's I'd collected and my sound system. I missed having anything I wanted to eat at any time, day or night. Here it felt like such a chore to do anything.
It was late in the evening and I wasn't in much of a party mood after travelling so far, especially being here by myself. Normally when people went on these staff training things they went in pairs, or maybe three at the most. But of all the people who had to go on their own, it had to be me. Milton Keynes might be a couple hours drive for some of the others I'd met... but to me it might as well have been to the moon and back again. I might feel a bit more adventurous tomorrow, maybe get my bearings with daylight and take a look around.
I was about to gulp the last of my coke and ice, having tried to at least pretend there was something like Morgan's in it. In the corner of my eye I kept noticing a flash of colour that was very bright, when I turned my head a little it was a very obvious pink.
A woman in a brightly coloured coat turned away from the reception desk and looked towards where I was sitting to find an empty chair. Her eyes fixed on the one next to mine. Come to think it, if I left then she could get mine. At the very least it would be warm for her.
She was carrying two huge holdalls, they looked so strange with everyone else was dragging around proper suitcases. It was also clear that she was struggling with their size, and that they sagged almost all the way to the floor. As she placed down her bags, she shot a glance at me. We made a firm eye contact, she smiled and made a little nod. My mouth twitched a smile and I gave a nod back.
Her body then just collapsed deep into the chair with her arms flopping out to the side, she was seemingly exhausted or very fed up. Having expected her to sit down delicately, the way she actually did it made me smirk a little. Her sandy blonde, shoulder length hair bounced off the collar of her jacket that had bunched up around her neck. Her blue eyes glanced around the room, it was as if looking for someone she knew, but from the look on her face she didn't find them. Once again she looked at me; strangely I hadn't really stopped looking at her. Having had to hide my smirk from what she'd done before I then had to adjust the smirk and turn it into a smile. Although I am normally a happy person anyway, sometimes I smiled just to hide my nervousness.
'Long trip?' I suddenly said stupidly.
'Feels long,' she replied. Her Scottish accent was very thick, but her voice was soft.
'Going far?' I nodded down to her bags.
'Coming back, actually. Kind of killing two birds with one stone, I was at a wedding.' She took a deep breath before continuing, 'I was supposed to be here yesterday for a product show, but I missed one of my connections.' She loosened the chunky buttons on her jacket and wriggled in the chair to make herself more comfortable.
'Are you here with family?' she asked back, taking another look around the room.
I made a stupid gesture with my face, curling my lips into my mouth and biting down gently.
'Scarily enough I'm here by myself. I'm here for a product show too, my boss kind of pushed me into coming. It seemed like there were half a dozen of them going yesterday.'
'There always is,' she spoke from experience.
With my hand I checked by my side to my laptop bag. I had the strap looped around one of my feet, maybe I was just being paranoid about someone trying to steal it. When I'd moved I must have shown the stupid name badge that I was wearing and she somehow managed to read it.
'Are you from Parson Electricals?'
'Yes,' I replied. But she already knew the answer.
'I work for Hanson's' in Birmingham. We supply you with a lot of goods.'
'I'm from Kendal.'
Her eyes lit up. 'Busy little place.'
'It's good though,' I couldn't think of anything else to say, 'to be busy I mean.' I looked back at her and tried to think of something smarter to say.
The air between us fell silent as we both seemed to run out of words. It almost felt like were encased in a soundproof bubble as everything else fell into a dead silence.
'Louisa! Isn't it?' I chanced, my head jutted forward an inch like a pecking bird. The more she spoke the more I felt I recognised her voice.
Her eyes lit up again and her cheeks flushed with colour as she smiled with her plush, pink lips. 'Jack?' She hesitantly took her own chance.
I smiled back.
'It's nice to put a face to the voice on the other end of the phone,' she remarked.
'Same here,' I replied in kind. For some reason, I reached out and offered a handshake. I felt silly after I'd done it, it like I was living in the sixties. She gently took it and gave it a single shake. Her smile was becoming more infectious by the second. My own smile was turning from being a little guarded and uncomfortable to one that was now more genuine.