Connecting the Dots (Shane Madej x OC)

1

"Now I have to drop another 80 dollars on a shitty hotel room." I groan, thinking about how broke I already am after all the holiday spending. Not to mention I'll have to go through customs again in the morning. Shane glances at me,

"Yeah... Listen I can pay for your room if you want." He offers, I'm shocked by the gesture,

"Oh my god absolutely not! I just met you!" I say laughing, he smiles,

"Just think of it as a gesture of holiday spirit!" He says, I shake my head,

"Nope, not happening. Thank you though, honestly i think I might just stay here for the night, it's only..." I count the time on my fingers quickly, "7 hours..." I say sheepishly. I've spent double that time in an airport after a delay and cancelled flight before, it's just that after I speak I realize how absolutely cheap I must sound. Shane laughs, and then he thinks for a moment,

"You know what you're right, that's not long at all!" He says, I can't tell if he's being sarcastic or not, he must see it in my face though because he explains himself quickly,

"I mean it, no really. We could go get dinner, and then it will already be around 11pm and we just have to occupy ourselves for a few more hours or try to sleep in some of the chairs by the gate! Who knows it might be kind of fun, I've spent nights in wayyyy worse places than this." He says smiling, I laugh, though I'm surprised he's proposed to get dinner together and wait it out together. We just met after all... even though he is quite funny and nice... and tall.

"Do I even ask?" I joke and Shane laughs but doesn't elaborate.

"Alright... well Sophie, it looks like we'll be spending Christmas Eve together." He smiles and I laugh, "now where shall we dine on this festive occasion? Hmmm... Buffalo Wild Wings? Irish pub? Mike's subs?" He says in a fake posh British accent that makes me break into another fit of laughter.

"Well let me think... how about the only place where I can get a drink." I say, nodding to the Irish pub. Shane laughs and agrees.

We take a seat at the bar, there aren't many patrons around. A lot of flights have already departed so the holiday crowds from earlier have died down a bit. Shane and I both order a pint.

"So Shane what do you do?" I ask, taking a sip,

"I work in media." He says, the statement is fairly vague but I decide to accept it and not push, "What about you?" He asks, apparently a little eager to switch the attention onto me.

"Well I'm actually a camera operator." I admit a bit awkwardly, people always seem surprised when I tell them, "but I uhh I do a lot of freelancing and stuff." I say, trying to justify myself and maybe make him think I wasn't broke, even though I 100% was.

"That's super cool! So what kind of freelancing are we talking? And what kind of productions do you 'camera-operate' for?" He says, obviously intrigued. I smile a little bit, happy to find someone interested in my passion, because even though i don't make very much money i do love working behind the camera.

"Well I do freelance editing and writing and stuff but I bounce around as an operator from movie to movie." I say, Shane nods,

"That's so cool! So like what kind of movies are we talking?" He asks, I laugh a bit,

"Well, the most recent one was Bird Box." I say, his eyes go wide,