Swiss Experiment: Prequel to The Layover by Roe Horvat

Author:Roe Horvat [Horvat, Roe]
Language: eng
Format: epub

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Shaken, Jamie huddled in his parka. It wasn’t freezing outside, but almost. He exhaled the blueish smoke and stared at the night lights. What was that back there? Had he offended the guy somehow? Had he unknowingly stepped on the man’s toe in passing?

He sucked in another drag of his cigarette and let it out through his nose. He was smoking so rarely these days, the white roll of paper felt unfamiliar between his fingers. He observed it critically. Why didn’t he just quit? It wasn’t like he needed to smoke. He didn’t even like it anymore, to be honest. The only thing he enjoyed about it was the excuse to go away for a while. An opportunity to be apart and unsociable. He even secretly enjoyed the way people gave him a wide berth in public spaces when he smoked.

The sound of luggage wheels and approaching footsteps had him lowering his eyes. He expected the stranger to pass him quickly and head for the waiting taxis. He closed his eyes in annoyance and took another drag. He wanted to be left alone on his last day of this unfortunate trip.

“Did you manage to book a flight?”

Jamie’s eyes snapped open at the depth of the voice. He turned and saw the strange man from the terminal standing in front of him, his dark-grey winter coat unbuttoned over his pristine white shirt. Why his teeth didn’t chatter, Jamie couldn’t comprehend.

He wasn’t scowling anymore. If anything, he looked kind and mildly curious. His distinct, unusual features were relaxed, the traces of tiredness around his eyes faint. A word came to Jamie and ricocheted around in his head. Clean. Clean-cut, clean-shaven, his clothes were simple but a perfect fit, his shoes polished. But there was something in his eyes and the lines around his mouth. Clean. Clear. Level. Honesty? Impossible to know yet. What was the question?

“Yeah,” Jamie mumbled, unable to come with any other response without dragging out the time into weirdness.

“Where are you headed?”

Jamie huffed out a breath, suddenly nervous. Why the questions? Why the attention? Was he seriously being hit on? He’d endured almost a week of lectures, mingles, meetings and discussion panels. Not to mention his pathetic attempt to go out last night. He’d been on the road and rail-road for half a day today and got his flight canceled two hours before he was supposed to go home. Sleep-deprivation killed his ability to do small talk.

“Edinburgh,” he muttered, consciously trying to sound harsh. He didn’t want to find the man captivating. Let him go away.

The stranger didn’t go away—quite the opposite. He just stood there and calmly observed as Jamie flailed and floundered. Jamie held onto his cigarette and stared at the orange tip glowing in the night as if it could suddenly equip him with magical conversational skills or even better, teleport him miles away in a flash.

“Then back to the US?” the guy asked continuing his inquiry about Jamie’s final destination, confident and undeterred.

“No, I live in Scotland,” Jamie elaborated, grimaced, and sighed.

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