We’ll leave right away.”
“No, no, it’s okay,” I said quickly, trying to keep the situation calm. “Let’s just figure this out.”
The young couple, still perplexed, stepped inside and shut the door. Everyone murmured, trying to figure out what was going on.
Karen came over to me.
“Maria, what’s going on?”
“I have no idea,” I whispered back. “Tom must have put the house on Airbnb when I told him I’d be out of town.”
Tom’s sister, Susan, walked up to the couple. “Hey, why don’t we all sit down and talk this through?”
We all migrated to the living room, and the decorations and party materials seemed weirdly out of place.
The young couple introduced themselves as Jake and Emily.
“We’re really sorry about this,” Jake said. “We thought the house was empty.”
Emily nodded. “Yeah, we didn’t mean to crash your party.”
I forced a smile.
“It’s not your fault. This is just a big misunderstanding.”
I took out my phone and dialed Tom. He answered the second ring.
“Hey, honey!
I thought you’d be on your flight by now,” he said cheerfully.
“Tom,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, “did you list our house on Airbnb?”
There was a pause. “Uh, yeah. I figured since you were going to be out of town, we could make a little extra money.”
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.
“Tom, I’m not out of town. I was planning a surprise party for you. And now we’ve got a house full of guests and a couple who thought they rented our place.”
Tom’s silence was palpable.
“Oh no, Maria, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
I looked at Jake and Emily, who were awkwardly seated on the couch. “What do we do now?”
Tom sighed.
“I’m on my way home. We’ll sort this out.”
I hung up and turned to everyone. “Tom’s coming home.
We’ll figure this out when he gets here.”
Jake stood up. “We can find another place to stay. We don’t want to ruin your party.”
Lisa shook her head.
“No, stay. We’ve got plenty of food and drinks. Join us.”
Emily smiled hesitantly.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely,” I said. “The more, the merrier.”
Tom showed up around fifteen minutes later, looking apologetic. He entered and instantly apologized to everyone.
“I’m really sorry about this,” he said.
“I was just trying to save up some money for a vacation for Maria and me.”
Susan laughed. “Well, you certainly surprised us, Tom.”
Jake and Emily ended up staying, and the celebration continued. They were excellent sports about the whole thing, and everyone was soon laughing and having a fantastic time.
“Cheers to unexpected guests and surprise parties,” Dave toasted, raising his glass.
“Cheers!” we all echoed, clinking our glasses together.
As the night progressed, I could not help but smile.
Despite the turmoil, it was a night we’ll never forget. And as for the vacation, Tom and I would undoubtedly take one, with a story to share for years to come.
