Mrs. Gertler was dressed to the nines - and shivering. In all the years she’d lived in Toronto, she’d never seen anything like this: blowing snow, whipping wind, icy streets. Cars were frozen. Frozen. Most kids and high schoolers had the day off. Some of her colleagues didn’t even come to work.
Mrs. Gertler had just stumbled four-odd blocks from work to a table for two inside one of Toronto’s most expensive and exclusive restaurants: Jacobs & Co. It had been tough to get a reservation, but once Meric explained to them that the University of Toronto was “the number one research university in Canada,” the restaurant made room.
She’d gotten there early to freshen up, prepare, and mull over her day. It was 5:44pm. Nothing wrong with being early.
Or so she thought.
Her phone buzzed. “UTAlert: A message from MERIC. SEVERE WEATHER ALERT. Due to worsening weather conditions, our dinner starting at 6:00 p.m. is cancelled. The house remains open.”
What? she thought.
She wiped her nose and re-read the text. Cancelled? This late? I came all the way here for nothing?
She looked skyward. She picked up her bag, inhaled - and walked back into the cold.