William, can you sleep?
No, you're talking to me.
We have to get out of here. We can't hole up in the bathtub with a couple of blankets, travel Scrabble and a bag of peanuts.
He put his arms around me.
We'll figure it out in the morning. Try to sleep.
At best, my sleep was fitful. I dozed, woke with nightmares, then drifted off and jolted back awake. Over and over.
Morning finally arrived. I opened the sliding doors and my glasses instantly fogged up. The sky was clear and the sun shone, but the air was full of humidity.
Bleary-eyed, we made our way down the five flights of stairs to the lobby. I wondered what we would find. Would there be pandemonium? Maybe we'd waited too long and would encounter an angry, panicked mob demanding help from the hotel staff.
We reached the main floor and heard...soft jazz. Through the tall windows I saw guests slathering on sunblock and splashing in the pool. Some of them were laughing.
Wait a second....
In the center of the lobby a small crowd of people gathered, but they didn't look the least bit worried. We went to the Guest Services desk and were told the PR woman who could change our flights would be in at nine o'clock. We were advised to have breakfast and come back later.
What are those people doing? William asked, nodding toward the group.
Oh, they're going on the Tulum tour. Would you like to go?
Wait a second....
In the dining room, couples giggled over Mimosas and Bloody Marys. Families heartily gobbled up French toast and pancakes. Waiters cleared plates and brought out trays of bacon and ham. William choked down a bowl of cereal and I played with my scrambled eggs. Mostly we had coffee.
At nine o'clock sharp we arrived back the PR desk. We drummed our fingers on the counter, checked and rechecked the clock. Across the lobby, an attractive couple signed up for a scuba tour.
Over in a corner, the Hurricane Andrew couple appeared to be meeting with — really? — a salesperson. Were they buying a timeshare?
I nudged William. Look, they're about to purchase a pile of mud. Didn't her sister call with weather updates? Hasn't anyone here watched CNN?
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