Something Unexpected

When his grandmother learns she is terminally ill, she embarks on a series of adventurous activities including skydiving and shark diving. After the narrator expresses concern, his grandmother blocks him on text and social media, leaving him only her travel companion Eleanor's contact information. Eleanor sends photos of the grandmother's adventures along with increasingly snarky comments, leading to friction between her and the narrator. When he learns of even more dangerous plans ahead, he flies to meet them. Arriving late, the narrator goes to a bar and meets a woman named Nora who propositions him for a casual encounter. She invites him to her room but asks for a ten-minute head start. However, noticing how much she has drunk, he decides not to follow through, assuming he will never see her again. The next morning, when the narrator meets his grandmother and her travel companion, he discovers that Eleanor and Nora are the same person. His decision to stand her up the previous night has made her angry, and she is now unhappy to learn that the trip will include him as a third member of their group.