“There really shouldn’t be this many people in such a small airport,” I mumbled under my breath as I pushed through the people around me so I could reach the doors of the building. “You would think that since the plane only held about nine people this place should be deserted. And yet somehow the entire world seems to-”

“Talking to yourself, Chief?”

My words died mid sentence and a smile broke across my face when I saw Justin casually leaning against a car, hands in the front pockets of his jeans, and a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes. I took the remaining few steps towards him and threw my arms around his neck, squeezing him tight.

“Hey.”

He hugged me back, lifting me a foot off the ground. “What up, Em?”

“I am so glad to finally be here,” I sighed as he set me back down on the ground. “You have no idea.”

“Where’s your luggage?”

“They lost it. I waited forever for it and then the lady tells me that there’s been a mix up and hopefully my luggage will be here within three days. I mean, first I sit on that rickety old plane for two hours, fearing that we’re going to crash and then they lose my freaking luggage.”

Justin laughed and affectionately messed up my hair. “And?”

I smiled. “And I couldn’t be happier to be here! I’m so excited to see Ben.”

Justin opened the passenger’s door for me and then went to his side of the car. “I bet you are.”

I slid into the car and shut the door behind me. “Does he have any idea I’m here?”

“Nope.”

“What did you tell him when you left?”

“That I was going to get some more food.”

“He’s going to be so surprised.” I bounced my legs excitedly a few times. “It’s pretty cold out here, hey?”

“Well it is Alberta, Chief.”

I couldn’t even begin to explain why Justin calls me Chief. He’s got a nickname for everyone and ever since we first met each other three years ago, that’s all he’s called me. Not that I’m complaining; it could be worse. He calls our friend, Becca, Dickie, which is a whole other long story on its own.

“Give me a break. I’m used to California weather.”

“Well you’re a long way from that. I hope you brought lots of warm clothes cause we’re snowboarding all day tomorrow.”

“I know. I can’t wait. I talked to Ben yesterday and he said that you guys were out all day yesterday.”

“We were. And this morning too. The weather’s been great.”

“Has Becca been going out with you guys?”

“Yeah but not this morning. She was still asleep when I left the house.”

I reached out my hand to change the music on the radio but before I reached the knob, he pushed my hand away.

“Driver gets to pick the music.”

I smirked. “Driver’s got bad taste in music.”

“Hey, the driver’s an international music star who’s got excellent taste. Back off.”

I laughed and settled back into my seat. The rest of the thirty minute drive was spent catching up with Justin. It had been three days since I saw him but that’s a long time to not have talked to one of your best friends.

By time we were driving up to the rented bungalow, I was fidgeting with anxiousness. This whole trip was to surprise my boyfriend of a year, Ben. I had wanted to go on the snowboarding trip with everyone but I hadn’t been able to get away from work for the whole time. But then Justin had suggested that I just come up for a couple days. I had gotten that time off but never told Ben. He was always telling me that I was predictable so I thought I’d surprise him and prove him wrong.

“Girl, wait till I stop the car,” Justin laughed as I undid my seatbelt and went for the door handle. “You act like you haven’t seen Ben in weeks.”

“I’m allowed to be excited to see my boyfriend,” I protested. “Don’t be hating cause I’m in a committed relationship.”

He laughed. “I’m not hating,” he said as he parked the car in the driveway. “It’s just funny.”

I opened the door and got out of the car, shivering a bit at the cold outside air. I ran up to the door and hopped up and down a couple times. “Come on, slowpoke.”

Smiling, Justin came up the stairs and pulled out a key to unlock the front door. The house was silent as they walked in and I looked over at Justin expectantly.

“Where is everyone?”

“I dunno. Ben said something about taking a nap when I was leaving.”

“Which room is his?”

He pointed down the hall. “Down the hall, last door on the left.”

Smiling, I took off my shoes and quietly walked down the hall towards the closed door. Ben was going to freak out when he saw me.

My trip to Banff to surprise my boyfriend was supposed to be a totally amazing experience. But when I threw open the door and saw a flailing of naked limbs and heard cursing, I knew that wasn’t how my trip was going to end up.

* * *

You know, I tend to think that I make friends with pretty level headed, smart, sensible individuals. But it’s official: Ben Lanford is a complete idiot.

Emily running past me was confusing but when I saw Ben coming out of his room, struggling to do up his pants, everything made sense.

“Emily! Emily, hold on!”

“Ben, what the hell?” I stated, staring at him.

“Shit. Shit!” he yelled as the front door slammed shut. He turned back to me. “Justin, what the hell is she doing here?”

I gave him a disbelieving look. “She came to surprise you, man. What the hell are you doing?”

Ben ran a hand through his hair. “Oh man. Shit.”

My eyes moved to his doorway when a girl with blonde hair exited, pulling a jacket on as she walked. I stared at her as she walked by but she never raised her eyes from the floor. Ben was too busy pacing to say anything to her and she left without a word.

Once she was gone, my eyes cut back to Ben. “How could you do this to Emily, Ben? What the hell were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t. It was a mistake.” Ben moved past me back to his room. When he reappeared, he was pulling a shirt over his head. “Why didn’t you tell me she was coming?”

“Are you kidding me?” I asked, unable to believe the words coming from his mouth. “Don’t put this on me. You’re such a damn idiot.”

He collapsed onto the couch, his head in his hands. “I know. Shit, I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“You know how excited she was to see you?” I asked, finding myself growing angry at my friend. “She’s been planning this for weeks. She could hardly sit still the entire way here.”

Ben didn’t raise his head and didn’t respond, only cursed quietly.

“And you’re here screwing some blonde bimbo? How could you do that, Ben? To someone like Emily?”

Ben finally raised his head. “I don’t know, Justin! Shit, don’t you think I feel bad enough?”

“I don’t give a damn how you feel, Ben! How do you think Emily feels?”

He stood up and grabbed his jacket from a nearby chair. “I gotta find her. Where did she go?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “How would I know?”

“I need to find her.” He grabbed the car keys to the rental car and I watched as he ran out the door, slamming it behind him. Through the window, I saw him get into the car and then take off down the driveway.

“What ever happened to a peaceful vacation?”

I looked over to see my long time friend, Becca, coming out of one of the bedrooms, yawning and running a hand through her short hair.

“You guys woke me up. What’s going on?”

I shook my head. “Ben just screwed up royally.”

“Eh, he always does.”

“No, this time for real. Emily caught him screwing some chick.”

Becca frowned. “What? Emily’s here?”

“She came out to surprise him.”

“And he was…with some other girl?”

I nodded and shoved my hands in the front pockets of my jeans.

“I’m going to kill him! Where is he? Where’s Emily?”

“She ran out and he ran out after her.”

“That jackass! How could he do that to her?”

I shrugged and shook my head wordlessly. Becca went to the front window and stared out it for a moment before turning back to me.

“I can’t believe he’d do that to Emily, Justin.”

I sighed and went over to stand beside her by the window. “I know.”

So much for our great vacation.