A free vacation with a stranger sounded too good to be true. But the email didn’t ask for credit card details or personal information—just a flight ticket, a hotel reservation, and the name of a mystery travel companion.
Curious, I boarded the plane, only to discover that my “stranger” was the last person I ever wanted to see again.
It was a typical Friday evening, and my entire body ached with exhaustion.
As soon as I walked into my sister Deborah’s apartment, I collapsed onto her couch, kicking off my shoes. One arm draped over my face, while the other lazily scrolled through my emails on my laptop.
Across the room, Deborah was in her own world. She twirled in front of the mirror, trying on outfit after outfit, striking dramatic poses like she was the star of a runway show.
The rustling of shopping bags and the soft swish of fabric filled the air as she admired herself.
She did a quick spin, turning to me with expectant eyes. “What do you think?”
I barely glanced up. I smirked. “Nice, Deb. But I don’t get why you need so many clothes.”
Deborah scoffed, placing her hands on her hips. “Of course, you don’t. You weren’t the one stuck wearing hand-me-downs your entire childhood.” She dramatically flipped her hair. “Consider this my therapy. I’m healing, Charlie.”
I shook my head. “Whatever you say.”
My attention drifted back to my laptop, clicking through emails. Mostly junk—bills, newsletters I forgot to unsubscribe from.
Then, something caught my eye.
I sat up, my brow furrowing as I reread the subject line:
Congratulations! You’ve won a free two-day vacation with a mystery travel companion!
Before I could process it, Deborah’s voice interrupted.
“How about this one?” she asked, stepping into yet another dress.
I didn’t answer.
Silence stretched between us.
“Charlie?” She turned, raising an eyebrow. “Are you even listening?”
I snapped out of it. “Huh? Sorry, I just got some weird email…” I frowned. “It says I won a free two-day vacation with a stranger. Definitely a scam.”
Deborah’s jaw dropped. “What?! A free trip? Let me guess—do they need your credit card info or your social security number?”
“That’s the thing… they don’t.” I scrolled through the email again, expecting to find something suspicious.
“No banking details, no shady links. Just a confirmation with my name, flight details, and a hotel reservation.”
Deborah practically lunged across the couch, leaning over my shoulder. “Let me see.”
I tilted my screen toward her. She scanned the email, her skepticism shifting into shock.
“No way… Charlie, this looks legit! Flights, hotel, even travel insurance. It’s all here.”
I shook my head. “No, there’s got to be a catch. No one just hands out free vacations.”
Deborah clicked on links, cross-checked the information, and finally leaned back with a grin.
“I can’t find anything suspicious.” She turned to me. “Charlie, you actually won this trip. Congrats, sis.”
I chewed my lip, unsure whether to feel excited or terrified.
“I can’t just go on a trip with some random person.”
Deborah waved a hand dismissively. “Why not? It’s free. And who knows? Maybe this ‘stranger’ is a hot guy who’ll finally end your dry spell.”
I shot her a glare. “Deborah! I like being single, okay? That’s my choice.”
She smirked. “Sure… I’ve heard that after every ‘seasonal fling’ since your divorce.”
I grabbed a pillow and threw it at her. She dodged, laughing. “Hey! Just saying. Maybe it’s fate.”
Fate or not, something about this whole thing felt strange.
And yet, a small part of me wondered…
What if?
The next day, I stood at the airport terminal, gripping my suitcase so tightly my knuckles turned white. The ticket in my hand felt heavier than it should.
I still couldn’t believe Deborah had convinced me to go.
This was completely insane.
I exhaled sharply and turned toward the exit.
What am I doing?
Every logical part of my brain screamed at me to leave.
I swallowed, staring at the automatic doors.
I’ve always been cautious. Always taken the safest route.
But I can’t keep running from new experiences.
I let out a slow breath, forcing myself to turn around.
The flight was luxurious. Business class. Plush seats. Complimentary drinks. A world I had never stepped into before.
But none of it mattered.
My focus was on the person who would sit beside me.
Would they be talkative? Annoying? Someone I could tolerate for two days?
Then, I reached my seat.
A man was already there, hunched over, scrolling through his phone.
I took a hesitant step forward.
He turned slightly.
My stomach dropped.
No. No, no, no.
“…Luther?” My voice barely escaped my lips.
His head snapped up, his piercing blue eyes widening in shock. The same eyes I had once loved. The same face I had tried so hard to forget.
“Charlotte?” He blinked. “What the hell are you doing here?”
I exhaled sharply, my heart slamming against my ribs. “Please don’t tell me you also got these tickets.”
Luther ran a hand through his hair, still looking as confused as I felt.
“…Through some contest email? Yeah. You too?”
I groaned, every fiber of my being screaming at me to leave.
“Oh no. No, no, no. This is too much. I’m leaving.”
I spun on my heel, ready to march straight off the plane.
But before I could take a step, a gentle but firm hand landed on my shoulder.
I turned to find a flight attendant offering a polite but unshakable smile.
“The plane is preparing for takeoff, ma’am. Please remain seated.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but Luther spoke first.
“It’s okay,” he said smoothly, offering that same damn charming smile he always used. Then, he reached for my hand and squeezed it lightly—just like he used to when he wanted me to calm down.
For a second, just a single second, my breath caught.
Then, I ripped my hand away.
No. Not again.
Luther exhaled, his voice softer now. “Charlotte, our marriage ended years ago. Please don’t ruin your free trip just because of me. I promise, I won’t bother you.”
I hesitated.
What was I supposed to do?
The plane was boarding, and I wasn’t about to miss my first-ever business-class experience just because of Luther.
With a long, frustrated sigh, I dropped into my seat.
“Fine. Just don’t ruin this trip for me.”
Luther smirked. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
I turned toward the window, ignoring him.
This was going to be a long flight.
