#car rental digital business

[newbusinessideas]

How to Start Your Own Car Rental Business and Thrive

🎥 Dreaming of your own car rental empire? Let me show you How to Start a Car Rental Business from Scratch! 💡🚗 Don't miss out on this golden opportunity! #CarRentalTips #BusinessAdvice #EntrepreneurLife #ViralContent #businessideas #carrental

A car rental business is a company that offers cars for rent for a limited period, from a few hours to several days. As convenience and flexibility are highly valued in today’s fast-paced world, the car rental industry presents a lucrative opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs. A well-executed car rental business can thrive in a diverse market by catering to tourists, business travellers, or…

[albatris]

hewwo

I deleted the opening of rentalcar from tumblr months ago when all the ai nonsense happened but now it's back again because I'm me. it's fresh and edited! and shorter

here's the new chapter one for your viewing pleasure. enjoy! or don't. don't let me tell you how to live your life I'm not your mum

hi taglist hello - some of you have already read this! I hope you're having a nice day though 😎

@transmasc-wizard @saturn-iidae @polyaubergine @tracle0 @goosemixtapes @valence-positive @the-one-who-makes-negative-noise @ambiguousfiction @afoolandathief @silverwarewolf @mecharose @vellichor-virgo @plasticseaslug @jetstargenderfuckery @multi-lefaiye @writeouswriter @junoshusband @writing-is-a-martial-art @midnight-and-his-melodiverse @sleepycaprine @cream-and-tea @gailynovelry @lefttigerobservation @indecentpause @writingsfromspace @carnivalls @violetfoxsketches @approximately20eggs @mohluskiepedard @desastreus @kk7-rbs @cee-grice @northwyrm @xylophonicsynapse @careful-pyromancer @recapitulation @incandescent-creativity @whole-buncha-snakess @mysticalalleycat @thatonecrowguy @va-nila-bean @televisionjester @excessive-vampires @walkman-cat @davycoquette @xenascribbles

tw for paranoia, anxiety, hallucinations, swearing, general feelings of unease

Nat Finch blinked awake.

He was slumped forward in the driver’s seat of his rental car, his forehead pressed to the steering wheel, his body aching like he hadn’t moved in centuries. His feet were bare. His throat burned. His head throbbed. Curled over his shoulders was the familiar softness of the blanket from his back seat, the one he’d been meaning to give to the Larsons for two weeks now. A deep night breeze leaked through the slightly-open window to his right, the cold gnawing at the dampness that clung to his clothes, to his face and hair. He felt filthy, filmy, disgusting—more so than usual.

A muddle of memories and flickers and voices fought for space in his brain, bumping up against each other and overlapping, threads escaping every time he thought he’d grasped one. He was overcome, for a single surreal moment, by the sense he had just awoken from an exceedingly peculiar dream.

Nat Finch sat up, groaning.

Disturbed by the motion, plastic crinkled in his lap. A collection of granola bars was scattered over him, a few of them having tumbled down onto the seat next to him and the floor below. Like someone had dumped them unceremoniously over his head and just… left him like that.

He recognised the brand, vaguely—something hoity-toity and ridiculous he’d seen at the supermarket, fifteen dollars a goddamn box—but they weren’t something that had any business being anywhere near him. His bank balance barely scraped double digits at the moment.

“Who the fuck…” Nat paused, not sure what question he was even supposed to be asking. “Why the fuck…”

His attention edged upwards, to a scrap of cardboard folded neatly in two and perched atop his dashboard.

DO YOUR BEST! it read in a childlike handwritten scrawl.

Nat squinted harder. “What the fuck.”

He tried to think. His brain, sluggish and laden with fog and aching, refused to provide any context for the mystery shower of nutrition. Or the note.

Or… anything else, for that matter. He didn’t remember falling asleep; he didn’t remember stopping his car. He remembered leaving work, but it had barely been dusk when he’d left work and the trip from Stop ‘N’ Go to his apartment was fifteen minutes, tops.

It was not dusk anymore. The black outside was the pure solitude of the witching hour and the world beyond his window was silent, save for the buzz and pop of a single faulty streetlight a few metres ahead and the chittering gossip of crickets. No people. No cars. No movement.

Nat’s dread climbed. He craned his neck and strained to decipher his whereabouts. The lonely light offered only flimsy, spluttering illumination—some of it splashing into his car, some of it into dry grass and mesh fence lining the side of the road, most of it merely into the rumble of gravel directly beneath it. He had no idea where he was. He had no idea why he was where he was.

The disco ball hanging from his rear-view mirror glittered at him, blinking urgently.

He shoved the granola bars off himself, suddenly feeling contaminated. A strident, pulsating pain forked through every inch of his body at the movement—he gritted his teeth, letting out a hiss and a wince. The blanket went next, ripped from his shoulders and hurled at the opposing window in a multicoloured flurry. It crumpled to the passenger seat and Nat stared at it, prickling all over with the suspicion someone else had placed it on him. Someone else had been here. Watching. Leaning. Looming. Touching. His hand flew to the window winder and wound it, sealing the opening. Sealing himself in and the outside out.

And then he sat still, mind reeling, chest tight. Panic twisting in his stomach. He waited for his brain to kick over, for his memory to rush back, for the moment he shook free the dregs of post-sleep disorientation and went, Oh, that’s right! That’s why I’m here! That’s what’s going on! How could I have forgotten?

A minute passed.

And another.

Frozen.

Rigid.

Nat swallowed, hard. Nothing clicked into place. Nothing clicked and nothing clicked and nothing clicked. Why not? He’d left work and turned left down Rake Street like he always did. He’d done nothing out of the ordinary.

The night outside was alive. With every flicker-out of the streetlight, the dark whined at his window, still trying to reach him. A tapping, a whistling, a whispering in its own made-up language. Nat. Nat. Nat. Something’s wrong. Nathaniel. Something’s wrong. The dark that should not have been there. The dark that should have been dusk.

He'd lost hours. Hours. What the hell had happened to him? The note on his dashboard sat there, smirking. It knew things he didn’t.

Nat fought to breathe in.

Nat fought to breathe out.

Nat breathed in.

Nat breathed out.

Five things he could see were that gaudy leopard-print steering wheel cover, the smeared windscreen from too-old wipers, the radio, the hazard switch, his own hands, crusted in cracked, dried mud.

Four things he could feel were the press of the seat under him, the press of his work uniform over him, the sting of the cold on his feet, pain, pain, pain.

Three things he could hear were crickets and streetlights and dark.

Two things he could smell were the dull citrus hum of the vent-clip air freshener and the fact it was doing nothing to hide the fact he hadn’t showered in a while.

One thing he could taste was—

Okay, okay, alright. Okay. That would do it. Nat breathed in. Nat breathed out. Calm. Calm. Calm.

He reached gingerly for the ignition, exhaling in relief when he grasped the key still inside. He had that, at least. He hesitated, perched on an agonising threshold between hopeful anticipation and whatever reality was about to find him.

He turned the key.

Nothing.

He turned again.

Nothing. The car stuttered and clicked uselessly, refusing to start. Relief left him as quickly as it had arrived. Flat battery.

Nat breathed, “Ah, fuck.”

Nat breathed in.

Nat breathed out.

He twisted towards the back seat, feeling along the faux leather for his work backpack. He hauled it to himself and rammed an arm inside to seek his phone, shoving through a jumble of familiar shapes—notebook, hoodie, empty soft drink can for recycling, empty soft drink can for recycling, gum, nametag—ah, there it was.

“Come on, come on, come on,” Nat whined, his finger colliding with the power button. “Please, please, please—”

Nothing. Flat battery.

Nat breathed in.

Nat plonked his forehead back down on the steering wheel and released a long, agonised wail.

Simmering anxiety climbed into roiling terror. Terror branched sideways into paranoia. Paranoia bloomed up through his chest and into his throat, where it squeezed tight and threatened to choke him. He’d lost hours. Anything could have happened to him. Anything could have been done to him.

The dark outside mocked and laughed. The disco ball blinked its rhythmic little warnings. He could feel it all, even when he wasn’t looking.

Nathaniel. Something’s wrong. Nathaniel.

“No shit,” he muttered back.

What next?

He lifted his head and flipped the sun visor down to look at himself in the mirror. With no phone screen and no overhead light to guide him, it was hard to get a full picture. He tilted his head, twisted his neck, attempted to catch himself on some jittering streetlight. He snagged a few glimpses—a dribble of blood from a presumably cracked lip here, a smudge of dirt on a cheekbone there. The collar of his shirt looked bloody, too. His hair wasn’t sitting right, tangled black all caked together and hanging in thick clumps. Two trembling hands lifted, the quiver partially from weakness and partially from fear, and Nat gripped at his face. Tugging along those familiar edges and curves and juts, finding them not so familiar. Finding them wrong. Hollow. Caved in. His fingertips wandered down towards his jaw—

—and along the thick, uneven mumbling of stubble that hadn’t been there when he’d left the apartment that morning.

Nat’s heartbeat tripped up. He hadn’t lost hours.

He’d lost days.

Nat breathed in. And in. And in. Not enough. Too fast. His chest heaved. His lungs refused to fill.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. He couldn’t have lost days. He couldn’t have lost days. Jesus Christ, Nat had never been the shining poster child of mental health, but he’d never lost days. He’d been God knew where for God knew how long. He’d been—his feet were bare, his hands and face were streaked with mud, someone had clearly been messing around in his car—he’d been taken. Drugged. Kidnapped. That scribbled note? Do your best? He was being toyed with, probably by some deranged serial killer. And what was with the granola bars? Some kind of clue? A message?

He had to go. Run. Get help. Something close to a whimper climbed up his throat and fell from his lips. His hand crept to the door handle and stopped.

He’d seen horror movies. Not many, but enough. The chase, the hunt, the twisted mind games before the inevitable kill… these were part of the fun. There was probably someone watching him right now, folded into the shadows and out of sight, waiting for him to panic. Waiting for him to make his first mistake and step outside.

Waiting for him to start the game.

He couldn’t leave.

He couldn’t stay.

Could he stay? Could he just wait it out? Someone would find him. Someone would look for him. Someone would look for him, right?

No, no one would look for him. No one would care enough that he was gone.

No, there was no way they’d let him wait this out, whoever they were. They would find some way to lure him out, drive him out, force him into the waiting hands of the night air. Unprotected. Alone. All at once Nat felt a million eyes boring into him, leering from beyond the black, drinking in his every move. He shoved himself lower in his seat, clutching his dead phone to his chest.

Nat fought to breathe in.

Nat fought to breathe out.

He tried a final time to reason with himself.

When he’d worked twelve hour shifts four days straight, he’d started being dogged by the idea that someone had snuck a microscopic tracking device into his takeaway pizza, which he had subsequently consumed. When he’d been behind on rent for the third fortnight in a row, he’d become fixated on the idea that other customers in the supermarket were reading his thoughts and laughing at him. Look at this fucking loser. Grimy hair and track pants. Can’t even afford instant ramen.

Panic and stress tended to climb on top of him bit by bit. Panic and stress tended to twist all kinds of everyday events into all kinds of unnatural, terrifying shapes. It was normal. Even the tiny, audible hints of speech pushing through the dark, giving voice to his anxiety, those were normal under the right circumstances. It was all… no, not normal. It was a pattern. Tomorrow, he’d be fine. Tomorrow, he’d understand he’d never been in any danger.

So even though he was here now, helpless and stranded in the empty night, barefoot and filthy, abandoned by his memories and surrounded by leering scrawled words and fucking rich-people granola bars—he had to take this moment of clarity and hold it tight.

Tomorrow, this would all make sense.

DO YOUR BEST! the dark around him sang.

“Go to hell,” Nat spat.

And with that, he wrenched the door open.

[idolatrybarbie]

series masterlist | main masterlist

pairing: francisco "frankie" morales x f!reader, marcus pike & f!reader

word count: 7.8k

rating & summary: mature - 18+ only! | You can finally put a name to the feeling that’s overtaken your gut.

tags: heavy dubious consent - kissing, lies and manipulation, toxic relationship dynamics, emotional abuse, discussion of canon acts of violence, obsessive behaviour, controlling behaviour, misogyny, allusions to stalking. dead dove; do not eat.

notes: the behaviours of marcus pike are based upon the misogynistic and predatory philosophies of pick-up artists (link) and personal experiences with stalking. i would like to emphasize that these are bad people doing bad things. thanks to @wannab-urs for the beta and for being my revisionist history expert.

You drive to the car rental business housed in a hovelling little building next to the runway. The airport itself is huge for such a small place devoid of anything else, though you figure things worked out that way for that very reason. Lubbock Preston Smith treats you just fine, and your short flight to Dallas is distinctly unmemorable. The layover lasts a little over an hour before Southwest Airlines is herding you back onto another airplane.

It’s been a day and a half. You haven’t called Marcus back yet. What are you supposed to tell him?

Hey, I’ve decided that I want to help this criminal because…it’s what I want to do?

Terrible.

You wonder what Frankie’s life would look like, now that you’ve been in it for all of one week, if you weren’t in contact. Probably the same as it has been for the last eight months: quiet. Blow-your-brains-out quiet, solemnity trapping him inside his busted trailer. Seriously, that thing needs a bath.

The moon keeps you up. Truly, you let it. One slide of a curtain and you could fall asleep in half darkness, dead to the world. But you can’t. You don’t want to. Growing back into having that word—want—after years of doing what’s best is about as strange as Francisco is.

Somewhere between twinkling stars, your phone buzzes next to you on the nightstand. It usually stays silent, your alarm the first thing to wake you right before sunrise. When you pick it up, an unknown number is scrawled across the screen. You can’t quite place the area code.

“Hello?” you ask hesitantly.

“Hey.” Frankie.

“How did you get this number?”

“Luck?” he asks. When you don’t say anything, he gives you a real answer. “Aren’t too many of you in this digital copy of the New York City phone book.”

Setting that aside, you say, “It’s late, Frankie.”

“I know that.”

“Why are you calling?”

“Can’t sleep.”

“That’s what television is for,” you say. “Or…porn.”

“Trust me, you’re a last resort,” he says. Then he asks, “Is it weird for you?”

You resign yourself to having this phone call. “Is what weird?”

“Knowing I’m guilty.”

Is it? Surprisingly, no. In the eyes of the law, you’re just about as bad as him. Just about.

“What answer will make you sleep better?” you ask instead.

“I don’t know,” Frankie says. “Honestly, I had no clue what was goin’ on. Will told us to lay low for a while—”

You want him to continue, but you have to stop him. For both of your sakes. “Stop.”

“What?”

“You have to stop. Might not want to incriminate yourself over the phone. It’d be better if you—”

“Stop? Yeah,” Frankie agrees.

“What else can I do?” you ask him.

“Well, if you can’t listen,” he says, “…stay. On the line. Just like this.”

“Okay. I can do that.”

For an hour, you listen to Frankie Morales breathing. You can tell when he slips unconscious, exhaustion winning out. Your heart beats a little faster when you hang up, tempted to re-dial only to hear him pick up. You don’t, of course; doing that would wake him. When you fall asleep, you picture Frankie dreaming. It’s peaceful.

In the morning, you gather your notes on Frankie Morales together. Here is what you know so far:

The government is planning to extradite him and his retired special operations team members and friends, Will and Benny Miller, and Santiago Garcia for their illegal actions in an unsanctioned operation in Colombia. Their travel spanned into the Peruvian Andes, leaving jurisdictional territory a little murky without legal help.

Frankie Morales is single, fourty-two, living (or hiding out) in Lubbock, Texas. He’s lived there for eight months after having his pilot’s license revoked a second time for an apparent relapse using substances. So far, you haven’t noted any signs of addiction or using, but he could be hiding it. God knows his closet is crammed full of skeletons already.

He grew up in Texas, just like you did. He had a little brother (status and whereabouts unknown) and a mother (deceased). He was in the flight academy straight out of basic training, finishing his degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Frankie’s mother died two months after he got home from a second tour in Iraq.

He’s guilty: of the espionage, the theft, the murder. All of it. The government has photos, surveillance footage, and probably a haul of eyewitness testimonies. The odds are unequivocally stacked against you—against him. Yet for some reason, you still want to try and save him.

This is it. You’ve officially gone insane. You’re going against everything Marcus has ever told you, any reason you’ve ever learned or logic that has managed to worm its way into your head. All on a whim. What? Because he’s nice to you sometimes? Anyone can whip out a pitcher of fucking lemonade!

No, this is something else. A pull, a fascination. The darker parts of you are drawn to him. You are so sick and tired of everyone else saving you. You want to be good because you are good. Not because Marcus tells you so. Not because your mother can finally bear to flash you a smile at annual family dinners these days. Because of something you have done; earned and given to you by yourself.

A text from Marcus interrupts your thoughts.

Are you still alive?

Rolling your eyes, you pick up the phone and call him. It starts to ring. For some reason, you seem to be able to hear both ends: your dialing, and his obnoxious Mick Jagger ringtone. The song is muffled, sketchy pop beats stowed away by the limits of sound travel.

A knock at your front door surprises you. Getting up, you tie your robe at your waist, unlatching the deadbolt before unlocking the door.

“Marcus?”

"Would it kill you to answer your phone?" he asks.

"What are you doing here?"

"You didn't call me back."

"I was getting to it."

"I thought you were dead," Marcus says. "You hang up on me, and you were still at that Francis guy's place..."

"Frankie," you correct him.

"Yeah, him. Whatever." You don’t know why the dismissal in his tone irks you so much.

"I can't talk about this right now."

Marcus huffs out your name, staring out at your kitchen before facing you. Him in his work suit and you in pajamas, you rest on uneven footing. “I told you he’s bad news. Get yourself out of this.”

“Can we reconvene for this lecture later? I have to go to work.”

“I’ll come with.”

“Marcus—” You already know he won't budge.  “Okay. Fine,” you say. “But you have to behave.”

“Me? Always,” he says.

You roll your eyes, shooing him to the couch as you start to get ready.

There are two sides to your identity as a journalist now: what you’ve been sanctioned to do, and everything else that you haven’t. The job you fill at the Post is pretty mindless. You’re a staff writer, barely entry-level enough to get you acknowledged by upper management. You write up quick stories pulled from blind lead wires about how the economy isn’t doing well, or submit story ideas on housing that always get shot down. All of this means it lets you focus way more time on Frankie than you should.

When you're ready, Marcus takes your purse from you, freeing up your arm. He leads you to the street, hailing a cab. When the vehicle rolls up to the curb and sloshes a mix of rainwater and slush onto his shoes, Marcus doesn’t even blink. He opens the door for you, letting you get in first. Chivalrous, gentlemanly. Laying it on a bit thick, but when is he not?

The ride is quiet. You watch slick streets pass by from your window, listening to the cab’s tires rolling through dirty snow and pools of water. When you glance over, Marcus is doing the same. You're dreading the conversation waiting for you, but you can't bring yourself to regret the decision made. Marcus was right about your gut. You believe that Frankie deserves a shot at redemption. Each piece of the puzzle pulls you closer to him. He reminds you of yourself. The road ahead won’t be easy, but with the help of people like you and Marcus, maybe he can rebuild a life after all this—whatever is to come.

You get out of the car first, leading the way inside the statuesque building as you shake off the soggy snow that’s settled over your jacket. Taking the stairs two at a time in your shoes is a struggle.

“Here,” Marcus says. He offers you his hand halfway up to the second floor.

Seven flights of stairs later, you welcome him to the Post’s offices. The floor is barren of another living soul, just as you’d predicted.

Marcus stops short, standing next to the Tetris maze of cubicles. You shake your head, beckoning him around a shadowy corner to your cozy nook of the building.

“An office?” he asks.

“You're surprised?”

“Is it bad if I say yes?”

You put on an exaggerated frown, unable to keep a straight face when he holds his hands up in surrender. “They seem to like me around here.”

“You make that part easy.”

“For now,” you say. Taking a seat in your plush rolling chair, Marcus sits down across from you. “I have a feeling the story ideas I push aren’t exactly winning me any favours.”

“‘Cause you want to write about something real?”

“Exactly,” you say. “I’m sick of business puff pieces and reports on the next Amazon stock shift. I want to write about the people. What’s going on, what they’re going through? I’m working at the fuckin’...diet Financial Times.”

“When what you want is full sugar Wall Street Journal,” Marcus says.

You sigh. “A pipe dream.”

“Not for you.” Fixing him with a hard stare doesn’t stop him. “Look at what you’ve done with only a couple years under your belt. In another five? Ten? You’ll be running this place, babe.”

You let air punch out from your nose, ignoring the pet name. “I don’t know.”

“I do,” Marcus says.

He sounds so confident, unshaken in his sureness. But you don’t live in Marcus’ world. You don’t get the things you want. You work for them. Not that he doesn’t, but of course Pike’s the guy to get a promotion that seemingly falls from the sky.

“Alright, Mr. Agent Man. Enough optimism from you,” you say.

The next hour is all but silent as you open up a spreadsheet, scrolling through digital receipts stored in your work email. You continuously switch between the two browser tabs, reading numbers and typing them in. The expenses of your White House trip trickle into their appropriate boxes as software organizes everything automatically. Marcus sits with you, eyes caught on something through the glass side wall of your office. He gets up and leaves, returning moments later with red licorice vines.

“Want some?” he asks, offering you the bag.

You bite your tongue between your teeth, dialed into your task. “Pass.”

“More for me.”

When your neck starts to hurt from hunching your spine, you sit back, shoulders stretching wide. You don't know if Marcus has been watching you this whole time, or if the movement caught his attention. The intensity of his gaze has your heart jumping to your throat. The moment you take notice, the force in his stare melts away.

"What?" you probe.

"You ditched the case, right?”

"Seriously? Right now?" Marcus doesn't speak, waiting for an answer. "I didn't. We can’t just give up on him.”

"You never listen to me."

“Since when have you been my boss?” you ask.

A beat of silence. “Since when have I not?” Marcus retorts.

You scoff. “You’ve got some nerve.”

“It’s always—Marcus, I don’t know what to do. Marcus, please help me. And it’s fine—”

“Sounds like it isn’t. I thought we were friends,” you say.

“You’re missing the point.”

“Which is?”

“This is my wheelhouse. You don’t want to hear it, but I’ll say it anyway. On this, I know better,” Marcus says. “And honestly? You know it too.” 

You know what I’m talking about.

“That’s low,” you say.

“But it’s true.”

You stand up, walking away from your desk—from him. He follows you out of the office, his dress shoes catching on the carpet tile. Marcus won't let up that easily.

“I want to make it all go away,” you say. “The indictment, the investigation. All of it. And if we can’t do that—”

“We can’t,” Marcus interrupts you.

“Then I want to make sure that Frankie stays here. In America. No extradition.”

"I don't think you know how this works," he says.

"I've worked in this business just as long as you have.”

"As a journalist. You are not a political animal. You are not a monster. You can't rip this apart for yourself. For him."

"And you?" you ask.

"This favour stopped being for me the moment you stepped on his porch," Marcus says. "You are not one of them—you are not a senator, you are not the District Attorney. Most importantly, you are not a lawyer. The girl who gets the congressman of Rhode Island's coffee every morning has more political clout than you do."

"Well I'm glad to see you have so much faith in me," you say.

"This isn't about faith! You think this is about belief? It's about not getting yourself fucked over in the process. You are not the thing that goes bump in the night, or makes a phone call to execute a cell block over in Oklahoma. You play the game. I play the game. Frankie played, too. And then he stopped playing, and he went against their rules which is why we're standing here, discussing whether or not we can save him when that's not for us to decide!"

You've never seen Marcus this angry. You've never seen him this anything. His emotions never really leave gift box range: happy, nicely wrapped, and convenient when you need them.

"You imagine yourself as the immovable object to the unstoppable force. You're not. You're a little girl who has no clue what she's doing."

"And you do?" you spit back. "You did? Didn't we all learn our lesson the first time? Or is your memory so short that you've forgotten sitting at that table with me."

He remembers. That temper of his liquifies, Marcus' eyes soft before he coaches his face into a hard mask once again. "An innocent man doesn't run."

"Bullshit. Innocent men run all the time. It's how they get shot in the back," you say. "Just because you have made up your mind about what he is doesn't mean that I have to."

"You should. It's all laid out there in front of us both."

"You are the one who led me to this case."

"I didn't have all the facts then. Going to San Antonio was rash. I wasn't thinking," he says.

"You were thinking. You were thinking that these men didn't deserve extradition. You were thinking that I owed you a favour, and it was the perfect time to call in. And now what? Now that you know they're not cookie-cutter American patriots, what? This is what they're owed?"

"Yes."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"It's what he deserves. All four of them. It's what's right. What's fair."

"When has anything we've ever done been right or fair? You think what I do here is saving lives? Feeding the public articles about how billionaires fucking the everyman is a good thing?" you demand. "And you? Is sending another crime boss for a cushy plea stint at club fed saving the day? We aren't in the business of right or fair, Marcus. I thought you knew that."

"So what, you and this pilot? You think saving him is gonna right all your wrongs?" There's an edge creeping into his tone. He's hedging too close into the territory of implication.

"I never said stopping that extradition order was the right thing to do," you say.

"It's selfish," Marcus says.

"And so what?" you ask. "We're already here, aren't we?"

The two of you in this room, you're both shiny and candy lacquered to hide the filth on the inside. Sometimes you used to wonder if Marcus was the exception to that rule, but you know better now. Good people don't do what you do. They never make it this far.

Marcus is simply better at hiding it.

He shakes his head. "You're unbelievable."

"Roles reversed, you would do the exact same thing."

"Hell would freeze over first." He spits your name out with an edge that's not an edge, but a tender hint of concern—no, pity. A dichotomy only Marcus Pike could manage. "You're not a fixer. You can't fix this."

"And you're not my keeper. I'm not asking you to save me this time, Marcus. I'm asking for your help."

"What if I say no?"

"You don't want to do that. You don't want to make me do that."

Marcus scoffs, walking towards you. He's in your space in an instant. Instinctively, you step back. He meets you there despite it. Marcus is so close now; you've never seen him like this. You don't want to.

"So you're all big and scary now?" he asks. His whispered breath over your lips makes your skin crawl.

He takes your jaw between two fingers, forcing you to look at him. The touch prods at that empty part of you, dark and deep, exposing you. When Marcus kisses you, a ghost of connection, you let him. It feels wrong; your stomach churns in the two seconds between its start and end. Marcus doesn't kiss you like he wants you—at least, not in the traditional sense. This isn't about love. It's for power.

He lets you go, walking away without another word. You hear the door to the stairwell swing open with a whine. You can only breathe again when it clicks shut.

You stay frozen in time for the next twenty days. Every blink has you reliving that moment. Your dreams are precariously empty. Marcus is gone again.

Hot breath chafes at the back of your neck, a delusion your mind has concocted to justify the fear that pumps through your blood at a constant. You can finally put a name to the feeling that’s overtaken your gut, swaying every thought and decision you make. Marcus has you, but not in any way that’s comforting.

He doesn’t call. Frankie does. A lot. Twice one week grows to twice a day. The worst starts when he grows bolder, leaving messages. He sounds about as scared as you are, more desperate with each voicemail. You start to really worry when he stops calling altogether.

You find a little bit of wiggle room in your vacation days, flying back to Lubbock close to Presidents’ Day. Texas has taken on uncharacteristically moody weather, the sky swampy and grey as rain drowns out any hope for sunshine. You get the same truck to rent, filling it at a Gas n’ Sip on the way out of town.

The backroads flood with rainwater, puddles gathering into small ravines on the scarred asphalt. You splash through them at sixty miles an hour, racing in the rain. After taking your sweet time to get here, a sense of urgency floods you. Scraping together the last minute trip, your mind filled itself with nightmare scenarios. Maybe he’s gone even further off the grid; maybe you’ll never find him again. Or worse, maybe he’s taken up all of that mindblowing quiet literally.

The trailer park is about as flooded as the roads, if not worse. The sea of gravel has been swallowed up by water. All you can see in pretty much every direction is a gathering of murky liquid. The truck is absolutely drenched by the time you park in front of Frankie’s home. His own truck is there too, a weak flicker of hope.

Stepping out of the truck, your shoes are immediately submerged. It soaks through to your socks, but you can’t muster up enough care to notice. Trying to dodge the wind, you rush up the steps of the trailer and pry the screen door open. You knock five times in quick succession, then step back and wait. Air blows violently against the right side of your face. Squeezing your eyes shut only does so much; you’d rather press your face against grimy siding and get out of its path entirely.

When the wooden door behind the busted screen opens, Frankie’s face goes on a journey. Moody to shocked in a millisecond, and shocked to something you can’t quite parse in the next. He’s still in his pajamas.

“Hi,” you say. His eye has recovered, for the most part. The last remnants of a yellow-green bruise smear his skin.

“You’re back,” he returns.

“Can I come inside?”

Frankie seems to think about it, giving you a onceover. You almost think he’ll tell you no. When his eyes land on your sopping wet shoes, he frowns. Leaning forward, he opens the screen door towards you.

Inside, you take your shoes and socks off.

Frankie says, “I guess you got my messages.”

“You stopped calling.”

“You stopped answering.” Touché.

“I got worried,” you say.

The words make Frankie freeze, pausing his ambling through the kitchenette. Facing the broad expanse of his back, you watch his shoulders relax. He turns to you. His jaw ticks before he sighs.

“If you don’t wanna help me, you could just say that. Not hearing from you—”

He worried. Well, you knew that. But this is different. Nothing selfish here, it’s not anxiety over the situation at hand. Just you. Frankie worried about you.

“I’m sorry,” you say. “Things got complicated.”

“In New York?” Frankie asks. “City girl too busy for a poor old country bumpkin, eh?”

It’s a joke, you realize, a laugh hiccuping from your chest. “Something like that.”

Frankie smiles then, mustache hiking his lip up to show you a flash of teeth. “I was just about to make lunch,” he says. An offer.

“Sure,” is all you give him.

You sit at his table once again, flipping through notes stuck together with raindrops. Frankie silently cuts up part of a head of iceberg lettuce right against the peeling surface of his countertop, the thick noise of chopping lulling you into focus. You haven’t looked at any of this in a while; time to play catch up.

A light clatter distracts you. By the time you look up, Frankie’s already standing at the sink, water running. A plated sandwich sits in front of you, lettuce and lunch meat jutting out at each side. Frankie finishes up in the kitchen, wiping his hands off on his jeans as he finds you staring.

“What?”

“You didn’t make one for yourself?” you ask.

“I’m not that hungry,” he says.

Disregarding any manners, you pick up the sandwich—already sliced in half—and take a bite. It’s a little more leafy greens than anything else, but you aren’t one to complain. Frankie sits across from you, waiting.

You say, “I wanted to circle back to what you said on the phone,” with bread still in your mouth.

Frankie shakes his head. “Don’t chew with your mouth open,” he says.

All you do is blink at him, swallowing the bite before you speak again. “You mentioned something about Will Miller a few weeks ago.”

“Right. Will, he told me to get outta dodge for a while. All of us to go dark. I’m living my stupid fuckin’ life, and then a few hours later my sergeant is giving me orders again.” Frankie prods his tongue into the side of his cheek, silent in thought. “I did it. Of course I did it. You get an order, you take it.”

“Even if you’ve been retired from Special Forces for almost a decade?” you ask.

“It’s not an if,” he says. “It’s an always.”

“And why is that? William Miller hasn’t been your army sergeant in—”

“Look, I’ll level with you. I get that you don’t understand. It’s not something I can explain for you to understand,” Frankie says.

You like a challenge. “Try me.”

“The training…it’s like a switch. Once you turn it on, you can’t—The people, your team. They’re family. They’re more than family. Your mother isn’t operating an AR-15 to save your life or dragging you to safety from a frag. I owe that man my life. That’s never going to change. They are the men that will always have you, no matter what. So when he asks you to do something, you do it.” He pulls at the whiskers of his moustache. “There’s no turning that off.”

Hot pants of breath beat down the stretch of your neck, your eyes stuck wide as you try to reign in the flood of sick crawling up your esophagus. Frankie looks confused as the quiet draws on longer than socially appropriate. Clicking your pen once, twice, three times, the beast at your back disappears.

“Could I use your bathroom?”

“Uh, sure,” Frankie says. “First door that way.”

He points further into the mobile home, down what’s barely a hall with two doors on either side. Spotted wood flooring turning to chipped tile as you step inside, the door pulled shut behind you. Your knee knocks against the lip of the sink, oddly low to the ground; you have to hunch to reach the tap. Cool water pours over your hand after a moment of anticipation.

The cold flow relieves some of the burning in your body, splashes of it against your eyelids running to your lips and tongue. Your mind is scattered, heartbeat in your ears. You can only grasp one thought through all the noise. This is what it feels like to be haunted.

Marcus owns you. You aren’t sure when exactly that happened. When you let that happen. So many moons ago, back in Austin? Or that diner, maybe, when he got you back after years of interim silence.

He was right. You are not a monster. He is. The world of politics is an ugly one, full of ugly people. Still, you don’t like to get acquainted with things that go bump in the night. You never noticed there was already something under your bed.

The door opens again with a creak. Frankie slouches in his seat, chin resting against the heel of his hand that’s propped against the table. You watch him, spotting the way he shakes out his shoulders. His arms let the fabric of his t-shirt loose before pulling it taut again. You want to trace your hand along the line of his spine.

Frankie refuses the rest of your sandwich, so you finish it alone. You ask him to recount the whole story, beat by beat: how he got involved, when, what the original plan was. He says that after the recce, they were supposed to hand off their gathered intel to Colombian authorities, but Santiago—Pope, he calls him—had other ideas. They went into Lorea’s estate expecting your average narcos cash stash, and wound up with a mansion spilling American dollars from the drywall.

You can see the anger in his eyes when he talks about the helicopter, the crash. Frankie slips in a mention of some pretty Colombian girl, but she’s gone from his story as quickly as she appears. The helicopter was overweight, sending them into a tailspin over the grassy plains of Peru.

“There were people there—villagers. We, uh… They were scared. A bunch of big Americans drop down from the sky with guns yellin’ English at them.” Frankie takes a long pause, staring at his hand. “I don’t know if Tom shot first, or if I—”

Oh god.

“There were a few of them dead. Pope worked out a deal with their leader. Gave him some money. We took a pack of mules, and we were on our way.” Frankie looks up at you. “I thought I’d never think about it again, I thought… I don’t know what I thought. And then Tom died. It all just went to shit.”

“Your friend died. You killed some people. In the process of all this, you broke some laws. From the sounds of it, that’s been your whole life. So what makes this different?” you ask.

“We didn’t…” he trails off. “There was no flag on our shoulder this time.”

“No.”

“No?”

“That’s not it,” you say. “That’s the reason the government is after you. That’s not why you are the way you are about it.”

A well of anger and loneliness. Self-pity has stained the man known as Francisco Morales.

Frankie bristles. “Maybe it’s just sad, hey? Maybe I wish I’d done better. Been better. Maybe Redfly wouldn’t be dead.”

Redfly. Tom Davis. From what you could unearth of the man all those months ago, you don’t think it would have mattered. He seemed more likely to stick a shotgun in his mouth than Frankie, probably in one of those shit condos he was trying to sell. Better to die in those mountains.

“What happened to the money?” you ask.

Frankie shakes his head again. A silent no.

“You know I could just find it. Make this easy.”

“We gave it to his kids. Two daughters.”

“Offshore accounts?”

Frankie gives you a look: what do you think?

You hold his gaze, half challenge and half fascination. Abruptly, you switch gears. “I’ve got one rule.”

“A rule?” Frankie asks.

"I don't give a shit what you tell the D.A., or your lawyer, whoever. But you don't lie to me. If this is going to work, it's because you're honest. And I'll be honest too."

"Fine," Frankie says. "But I have some terms of my own.”

“Such as?”

“I show you mine, you show me yours.”

“Excuse me?”

“You haven't told me a thing about you and this case," Frankie says.

“There is no me and this case, Frankie. I didn’t do anything illegal here.”

“But you know about it,” he says. “If the government was going to move on me right now, I’d already be in a cell somewhere…which means they haven’t. And yet, here you are.”

You wish he was as stupid as he looks.

“And?”

“How do you know about this case?”

“I know someone at the Justice Department. He brought the case to my attention,” you say.

“Brought it to your attention,” he says flatly.

“Yes, Frankie. He brought it to my attention.”

“Bullshit.”

“Frankie—”

“I think that your friend went looking for something he shouldn’t have. And fuck, did he find it,” he says. “The only thing that doesn’t make sense to me is how you’re the one sitting here, not him.”

“It’s complicated,” you say.

“Don’t lie. You’re bad at it.”

Fuck. Fuck. You’ve painted yourself into a corner here, no way out.

You deflate, tired of keeping up the brave face. “Everyone’s got their marching orders.”

Anything left of that unsure sense of judgement in your chest melts away as Frankie’s face falls. He’s a good little soldier. So are you.

“Marcus Pike…he wanted me to drop this. You. He thinks you deserve jail, that you aren't any better now than the man you were in Colombia. Probably worse. He says it’s the right thing.”

“And what do you think?” Frankie asks.

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

You don't want to see him go away for it. The Colombian government will demand to see him rot, but that's never sat right with you. Now the thought makes you sick, gut rolling whenever it crosses your mind. But like it or not, Marcus has gotten into your head. You need something to drown him out.

Frankie takes your empty plate and puts it in the sink. He pulls a bowl out of his cupboards. You grab your phone, tapping at the screen to wake it up. No messages, no missed phone calls.

“I should go,” you mumble, already reaching for your shoes. A warped water line has formed on the canvas upper, like brown and grey watercolour paint. You shove your damp socks in your pocket.

Frankie stops what he’s doing, pouring milk into floating bits of instant oatmeal.

He says, “It’s still raining like hell out there.”

“I’m not made of sugar.” Frankie doesn’t have a pithy comeback for you, simply standing by. “I’ll be back tomorrow—early. So be up this time.”

Frankie nods wordlessly, putting his bowl of brown sludge into the microwave. He stands in the kitchenette, watching it spin and spin behind glass. You head for the door, looking down into your purse in search of the truck’s keys. When you look up again a few steps from the exit, Frankie is there too.

His nose is inches from yours now. Frankie looks at you with something—a feeling you can’t quite grasp. It rolls off him in waves, overwhelming. He’s standing just out of reach. He is always standing just out of your reach.

When you stretch a hand up to his jaw, it feels normal. Natural. Like you were meant to hold him, like he was meant to be held. His stubble is prickly against the skin of your palm.

Frankie leans into your touch, his hand moving to hold your own in place. With your fingers splayed across his cheekbone, you can feel the fine lines around his eyes. Up close you can see the tiniest of sun spots along the column of his throat. The loose collar of his shirt creeps up and back down again with every rise and fall of his chest.

He turns his face, still in your grasp, and presses his lips to the skin of your wrist. Immediately, you yank the limb back to your own body. Like a jolt of sparking electricity, his face flashes through your mind. Marcus and his ugly, docile kiss. The scent of his cologne, eyes so close they could burn through flesh.

The memory of him this close, closer… It holds you in a tight grip, overtaking the present and launching you into the past. Back to the cost of doing business. The price of helping Frankie. But you cannot do this—this with Francisco Morales. Neither of you get that luxury.

You say, “Tomorrow. Nine o’clock.”

Then you watch him expectantly, waiting for Frankie to step aside. The trailer door squeaks open at your pull, whining when it slams shut again. You feel eyes at your back crossing the short distance to the truck. Whether they belong to Frankie or Marcus, you aren’t quite sure.

You eat again at a place called Taqueria Jalisco. The chicharron en salsa feels like an undeserved treat. You eat half of the food, washing it down with two strawberry mojitos.

Your waitress—Carla—comes back around to your table in the middle of a staring contest with the remnants of dinner. You order a Long Island Iced Tea for dessert, smiling politely as she clears your dishes. The alcohol settles a hum in your body. You feel like a live wire, unrestrained in your power to damage and destroy. So far, you seem to be your only target.

The Palm Tree Lodge happily accepts your business again, even giving you the same room as your last stay. Wrapping yourself in bedsheets, you close your eyes. The first thing that appears behind them is Frankie’s face, soft and careful as you held him. You feel a whisper of touch where his lips had been against your skin, rubbing over the spot with your thumb.

You should be scrolling through your phone, dredging your mind for any of your old classmates that went on to law school and owe you a favour. You should be thinking about any lawyer at all, but you aren’t. You can only think of him. Sweet brown eyes staring out from that despairing face. The look that makes you want him.

He is failure, primed and bottled. That makes you want him more.

Focusing, you find a place for his trailer in your mind. You’re standing by the steps, but it isn’t raining here. The sun-mottled sky shines blue and canary yellow as a glass of something cool sweats in your hand. You urge yourself to advance, taking careful steps up to the door. Before you can pull it open, you slip inside all on your own. Frankie sits at the kitchen table with his back to you, shoulders stretched beneath the thin fabric of an undershirt.

You go to him, taking a sip of the drink you’re carrying before you set it down on the table. Candied cranberries wash onto your tongue, fizzing up in your mouth. Hands empty, you rest them over each one of Frankie’s shoulders. He leans into the touch, the whiskers of his moustache brushing against your fingers as he sets a kiss to your skin.

You’re chasing a disaster. You shouldn’t want him. Wanting has only ever brought you bad things. You get the sense that if you told him to, Francisco would do it, no matter the ask. It’s hard to tell if that is a scare or a solace.

You and Frankie are the same in the exact way that you and Marcus are two of a kind. Fair is foul and foul is fair.

It continues to rain, worse today than before. You make good on your promise, knocking on Frankie’s door again at nine o’clock sharp. The door opens two seconds later. Frankie is dressed, just like you’d told him to be; a pink button up that’s been through the wringer, unbuttoned to the middle of his chest as it reveals a white undershirt like the one haunting your imagination. He lets you in without much fanfare, offering you something hot and warm from the brewing pot of coffee.

“Yes, please. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Frankie says. “I don’t have any creamer, only sugar. It went bad a few days ago.”

“No worries. I like it black.” You do not, but you’re not about to tell him that.

You and Frankie continue this stilted little dance as he sets down the mug on the table, not even trying to hand it to you lest your fingers touch. He seems to sit a little further out from the table today.

From your bag, you produce a scribbled list of twenty names you could scrape up on the drive here, eyes dividing their time between the paper and the splashy roads ahead.

“What hoop am I jumping through today?” Frankie asks you.

“No circus tricks for you. It’s all on me right now.”

“That’s a relief.”

Typing out the first name to locate them in your contacts, you say, “I’m sure it won’t stop you from being a clown.” You hit dial as a snicker wriggles its way out of him. Let’s hope you can find Chuckles a lawyer.

By the fifth phone call, neither of you are laughing. Pacing across the stretch of floor between the kitchen and the living room, you listen to another one of your peers professionally shoot you down.

“No, Alex. I get it. Thought I’d try anyway, right?” you ask. “Thanks. Yeah, bye.” You hang up, hand sliding from your forehead to your jaw. “Fuck.”

Frankie’s crossing out the names on the list for you, drawing a squiggly line through the name of your old friend from Rice.

“Who’s next?” you ask.

“Aditi Patel. Oregon area code,” he says. Frankie feeds you the numbers as you type them in, both of you waiting on the dial tone. She doesn’t even pick up, sending you straight to voicemail.

This cycle continues for the better part of two hours: another phone call, a rejection or an answering machine, followed by another line on the page.

Hanging up again, you ask Frankie who follows Ryan Treho on the list.

“No one,” he says. “That’s it. That’s all of ‘em.”

“Let me see.”

He hands it to you, gazing up as you look it over. Frankie is right. Every name on this list has been called, every one giving you some variation of no. The hum you thought was Frankie’s ancient-looking fridge ratchets up an octave in your ears, noise crowding around you as you stare at the piece of paper.

You can barely hear Frankie’s question of, “What do we do now?” as the rattle reaches a peak, squealing like static. You’re drawing a complete blank, breath halting as you will yourself to fix this.

Frankie grabbing your hand pulls you out. You’re standing beside his seated form, facing forward while he slouches in his chair at an angle.

“I’ll figure something out. Call some people. Don’t worry about it.”

“A little difficult, don’t you think?” Frankie asks. “What are you going to do?”

Call Marcus.

You don’t want to tell him that, though. You know your eyes are glossy, hot tears threatening to spill at any time as you try to put on a brave face. Cool, calm, and collected; that’s who you are supposed to be. Strong in the face of an adversary. So why do Frankie’s brows knit together, his face coloured in concern?

“I don’t know.”

The chair drags loudly against the floor when he kicks it out, nodding at you to take a seat. You do, folding yourself in half the moment your ass hits the chair as you duck and hide from him. Saltwater streaks down your cheeks, never making it past your lips as you wipe harshly at your skin.

“I’m scared,” you say.

“Everything is gonna be fine,” Frankie says. It feels warped for him to be comforting you.

You shake your head. “I don’t know. I don’t know, I just—”

You can call him. He could help you. You already know he would.

“What are you afraid of?”

“Him.”

Living in this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it nightmare has turned your life inside-out. There’s nowhere to run, no one to go home to. There is no home anymore.

You try to backpedal, mumbling a quick, “I’m being dramatic,” as Frankie takes in your broken face. “It’s fine. I’ll have to call Marcus. Figure out a new game plan.” The very last thing you ever want to do. More likely than not, you’ll have to see him; he’ll want to see you.

“I never told you why I punched out my neighbour’s grandson,” Frankie says.

“You didn’t. What does that matter?”

“Can you just—?” Frankie purses his lips, restarting his story. “He was talking about…you. Calling you names and—it was offensive.”

“So you beat the shit out of him,” you say. “That’s great, Frankie. I can’t pummel the fact that no one wants to represent you.”

“This isn’t about that. I’m saying, if your friend at that fancy Justice Department ever did anything to you…y’know.”

“You’d go to prison for assault on a federal officer,” you say.

“Seems like I’m headed there regardless,” Frankie says. He waits on you for an answer.

“I’m fine. The stress is fucking with my head.” Lie. You know it, and Frankie knows it too, judging by the scowl on his face. “I’ll be okay.”

You grab your things, making for the door.

“What happened to being honest with each other?” Frankie asks.

“This is me being honest. And the truth is, I’m going to be alright. Okay?” He doesn’t anything. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Rushing to the truck, you yank open the door to get out of the rain. Settling yourself, you put the keys in the ignition. You reach to turn them…and then you don’t. Nothing you want is at the other side of this truck’s engine rumbling to life. You don’t want to think. You don’t want to leave. You don’t.

Time passes blindly, the rain and the sky staying the same as water beats against metal. It seems almost everflowing, like it has always rained and it always will. The sound of precipitation lulls you into a dead stare, the upholstering of the steering wheel suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. You don’t notice Frankie at the opposite window until he pulls the passenger side door open, scooting in along the leather bench seat.

“What are you doing?”

“What are you doing?” he asks.

Frankie runs a hand through his hair, dotted with wet drops as he smooths it over. This is the closest you two have been physically since yesterday, heat from his thigh radiating against yours. With the crown of your head against the headrest, you watch water through the windshield. 

“I have a wife. And a kid.” The words appear from nowhere.

“Oh.”

Frankie clears his throat. “Well, had. I’m sure they think I drove off to shoot myself, wash away on the beach. We lived in Florida…Miami. Not great for the recovering addict.”

“Okay…”

“I thought I’d tell you because of the whole honesty deal. You know, and not to say—fuck.”

You start to ask him if he’s alright.

“Are you a friend?” he blurts out.

“Uh…” You fix your gaze on the dashboard.

“Sorry. Thought I’d ask.”

“I don’t know what I am. To you or to anyone else.” Dragging your eyes to his face, you meet Frankie’s baby browns. “Do you want me to be that? A friend?”

“I want to turn back time and never have to meet you like this,” Frankie says.

The sky continues to pelt the truck with rain at all sides, heavy drops sounding off against the roof. Reaching up, you smooth out a crease in his forehead with your thumb. Worry ages him.

Your ring and middle finger cradle the ridge of his jaw. “You smoke?”

A curt nod. “They’re back inside.”

Next thing you know, Frankie’s jogging to the trailer as you wait under the short overhang, out of the wet. He comes out with a carton of Camel Lights. You take it from him, along with the butane lighter he offers. There are no chairs on his tiny porch. You opt for sitting right in front of the screen door, spine sliding against the mesh.

Frankie joins you on the ground. It doesn’t really surprise you. Keeping a cigarette pinched between your lips, you hold it between a peace sign and light it with an inhale. Then you put the lighter back in Frankie’s hand. After the first few drags, Frankie takes it from your lips with careful fingers. You watch him smoke, lips wrapping around the stains of your saliva. Instead of handing it back to you, he slips the cigarette back into your mouth.

When he lays on his side, head falling softly into your lap, you don’t even blink. A puff of white smoke leaves your lungs, the slow wind taking it up into the clouds. Frankie’s coarse curls slot easily between your fingers.

I want to turn back time and never have to meet you like this.

Wouldn’t that be nice?

[jaspreet1727]

Week #12 Progress

What Is Working?

We have made significant progress in various areas of our professional car detailing service. Our major achievements include:

Successful Launch: We launched the business within our 14-week timeline.

User-Friendly Booking App: The development and implementation of our mobile app have been pivotal. It has streamlined the booking process, increased customer convenience, and differentiated us from competitors.

Secured Key Clients: We've attracted individual car owners, car rental companies, and local auto dealerships, ensuring a steady stream of business.

Positive Feedback and Repeat Business: Our commitment to quality service has resulted in positive feedback and repeat customers, enhancing our reputation.

Exceeding Revenue Targets: We surpassed our revenue goals by 15%, validating our business model and execution strategies.

What Is Not Working?

Despite these successes, we've encountered some challenges:

Initial Customer Acquisition: Breaking into a competitive market was tough. Although our introductory discounts and superior service helped, it took time to build our customer base.

Operational Efficiency: Managing multiple bookings and ensuring timely service delivery was challenging. Our scheduling system helped, but there's room for improvement in logistics.

Quality Control: Ensuring consistent high-quality service required regular training and quality checks, which was resource-intensive.

How Do You Feel the Project Is Coming?

Overall, I feel very positive about the project's progress. We've built a strong foundation, achieved profitability, and learned valuable lessons along the way. The business is on a solid trajectory, with clear potential for further growth and expansion.

What Are You Learning About Running a Business?

Running this business has been a crash course in entrepreneurship, teaching me several critical lessons:

Adaptability: The need to pivot and adjust strategies based on market feedback is crucial.

Customer Focus: Prioritizing customer satisfaction and building long-term relationships are essential for sustained success.

Effective Marketing: A well-rounded marketing strategy, combining digital and traditional methods, is key to customer acquisition and brand recognition.

Operational Management: Efficient logistics and quality control systems are vital for maintaining service standards and customer satisfaction.

What Are You Learning About Yourself?

This journey has been as much about personal growth as it has been about business development:

Resilience: I've learned to remain resilient in the face of challenges and setbacks, using them as opportunities for growth and learning.

Leadership: Managing a team and ensuring smooth operations have enhanced my leadership skills.

Strategic Thinking: Balancing short-term goals with long-term vision has sharpened my strategic planning abilities.

Continuous Improvement: Embracing a mindset of continuous learning and improvement has been vital in navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship.

In conclusion, this venture has been a rewarding and educational experience. We've met our financial objectives and gained invaluable insights into running a business. The skills and knowledge acquired during this journey will undoubtedly benefit future entrepreneurial endeavors. I look forward to applying these lessons in my ongoing and future ventures.

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

Murder of Travis Alexander

Travis Victor Alexander was born on July 28, 1977.  Alexander and Arias began dating in February 2007. Arias moved to Mesa to live closer to Alexander. In April 2008, she moved to Yreka, California, and lived there with her grandparents.    Alexander and Arias dated intermittently for a year and a half, often in a long-distance relationship, taking turns traveling between their respective Arizona and California homes. Alexander's friends who knew Arias and observed them together tended to have a negative opinion of her, stating that the relationship was unusually tumultuous and that Arias' behavior was worrying

In early 2008, Alexander told acquaintances that Arias would join him for a work-related trip to Cancún, Mexico scheduled for June 15. In April, Alexander asked to change his travel companion to another female friend, Marie Hall. On May 28, a burglary occurred at the residence of Arias' grandparents, with whom Arias was living. Among the missing objects was a handgun chambered in .25 caliber, which was never recovered. This later became significant as a shell case from a spent .25 caliber round was found near Alexander's body at the murder scene.

On June 2 between 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m., Arias called Alexander four times but did not appear to reach him, as the longest of the calls' durations was 17 seconds. After 3:00 a.m., Alexander called Arias twice, the first time for 18 minutes, the second time for 41 minutes. At 4:03 a.m., Arias called Alexander again, and the call lasted two minutes, 48 seconds. Neither these calls nor their transcripts were presented in Arias' trial. At 5:39 a.m., Arias drove south to rent a car for a long trip to Utah, as evidenced by a gasoline purchase in Yreka. On June 2 at 8:04 a.m., Arias rented a car in Redding, California and indicated that she would return the car to the same location. Arias visited friends in southern California on her way to Utah for a PPL work conference and to meet with Ryan Burns, a PPL co-worker. By late evening on June 3, Arias had apparently set out for Salt Lake City.

Alexander missed an important conference call on the evening of June 4. The following day, Arias met Burns in the Salt Lake City suburb of West Jordan and attended business meetings for the conference. Burns later said that he noticed that Arias' formerly blond hair was now dark brown and that she had cuts on her hands. On June 6, she left Salt Lake City and drove west toward California. She called Alexander several times and left several voicemail messages for him. She also accessed his cell-phone voicemail system. When Arias returned the car on June 7, it had been driven about 2,800 miles (4,500 km). The rental clerk testified that the car was missing its floor mats and had red stains on its front and rear seats. However, it could not be verified that the car had floor mats when Arias had picked it up, and the red stains could not be analysed as the car was cleaned before police could examine it.

On June 9, having been unable to reach Alexander, a concerned group of friends went to his home. His roommates had not seen him for several days, but they believed that he was out of town and thus did not suspect that anything was amiss. After finding a key to Alexander's bedroom, the group entered and found large pools of blood in the hallway to the master bathroom and Alexander's body in the shower. In the 9-1-1 call (not heard by the jury), the dispatcher asked whether Alexander had been suicidal or if anyone was angry enough to hurt him. Alexander's friends mentioned Arias by name as a possible suspect, stating that Alexander had told them that she had been stalking him, accessing his Facebook account and slashing his car's tires.

While searching Alexander's home, police found his recently purchased digital camera damaged in the washing machine. Police were able to recover deleted images showing Arias and Alexander in sexually suggestive poses taken at approximately 1:40 p.m. on June 4. The final photograph of Alexander alive, showing him in the shower, was taken at 5:29 p.m. that day. Photos taken moments later show an individual believed to be Alexander "profusely bleeding" on the bathroom floor. A bloody palm print was discovered along the wall in the bathroom hallway; it contained DNA from both Arias and Alexander.

On July 9, 2008, Arias was indicted by a grand jury in Maricopa County, Arizona for the first-degree murder of Alexander.

[avientech]

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[khushiambient]

5 Airport Marketing Strategies And Trends

The everyday footfall at Indian airports has also dramatically increased after the wake of the pandemic, and hence many marketers and advertisers are using this path to take their brands to a higher level of success and growth. Furthermore, successful marketing campaigns also help in improving overall brand awareness, offering value-added promotions, and enhancing the airport customer experience.

Let’s Talk About Some Famous Airport Marketing Strategies And Trends

Brand partnership:

Brand partnership is the best way of marketing your brand as it has the ability to collaborate in a very cost-effective manner attracting new customers and grabbing the attention of the audience.

User-generated content:

Brands are preferring airport advertising for their brands as passengers spend so much time at the airport while waiting for the check-in process and boarding process. Furthermore, passengers also prefer to shop at the airport while waiting for the flight to take off just to utilize their time.

Boost customer engagement:

When you are at the airport, you might be busy clicking pictures and taking videos. Therefore; when you are advertising your brand at the airport, you can ask those passengers to share their experiences and pictures on social media.

Content marketing:

It is known by almost everyone that airport professionals are experts in the fields of aviation and travel. They know how to engage the passengers and how to gain their attention for a particular thing, whether it is a product or service.

Develop reward programs:

Airport advertising agencies are also introducing various reward and discount programs for their travelers, such as hotel rewards, car rentals, frequent flyer programs, and so on.

Khushi advertising experts will also explain to you other advertising strategies such as mall advertising, cinema advertising, digital marketing, experiential marketing, and so on.

This information was originally posted on Khushi Advertising. To read more, Visit 5 Airport Marketing Strategies And Trends

Read more Related blogs here

How to Make Airport Branding from Zero to HeroWhat Is The Importance of Airport Advertising?

How can Airport Advertising make a difference?

Why Airport Branding is effective? Reasons you should know why it works

[standspro1]

ITB Berlin 2025: A world-class travel and tourism event

It is anticipated that ITB Berlin 2025 will take place in Berlin, Germany, between 4th-5th March 2025. Following the great success of 2024 ITB Berlin, the event was brought back in Berlin to be the very first time for the general public. The host country for ITB 2025 in Berlin is Georgia. Visitors are able to easily walk through ITB Berlin’s exhibition hall. ITB Berlin exhibition hall with indications of the layout and sections in the marketplace. The topics in the fair are split into distinct segments, including the Business Home Tourism segment to LGBT+ and Medical Tourism Adventure Responsible Cheap Tourism, Youth Travel and numerous others.

Insights of the ITB Berlin 2025

ITB Berlin is a three-day event to showcase businesses, trade visitors, media, and consumers. Marketers also have the opportunity to use modern tools for digital marketing, like Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, and machine learning, to better understand their customers and enhance their campaigns according to the results from ITB Berlin 2025. The event will be immediately followed by the ITB Berlin Lighting Awards, which recognize the best lighting. It is expected that ITB 2025 Berlin will cover an array of topics and the most renowned professionals will display their products and 11 of them are in the following order:

Entertainment, Travel and Tourism Officer

Business trip

Career Center for Education, Career and Orientation

Cultural tourism

Directions to ITB Berlin

Hospitality

LGBTQ+ Tourism

Luxury Travel

Health tourism

Travel technology and technology

Budget accommodation and youth travel

Event Details: ITB Berlin 2025

Name of the Show: ITB Berlin (Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin)

Dates: March 4th to March 6th, 2025

Location: Berlin, Germany

Organiser: ITB Berlin is organized by Messe Berlin GmbH, one of the world’s leading trade fair companies, with extensive experience in hosting international travel and tourism events.

Exhibitor Profile: ITB Berlin attracts exhibitors from various sectors of the travel and tourism industry, including:

Destination Management Organizations (DMOs): National and regional tourism boards promoting tourist destinations, attractions, and cultural heritage sites to travelers and tour operators.

Travel Agencies and Tour Operators: Travel agencies, tour operators, and travel wholesalers offering vacation packages, adventure tours, cruises, and specialized travel experiences.

Accommodation Providers: Hotels, resorts, lodges, and accommodation providers showcasing their properties, amenities, and hospitality services to travel professionals and consumers.

Transportation and Logistics: Airlines, railways, cruise lines, car rental companies, and transportation providers presenting their services, routes, and travel packages to visitors and travel agents.

Technology and Travel Tech Solutions: Providers of travel technology solutions, booking systems, travel management software, and digital platforms for online booking, reservations, and travel planning.

Why Attend the Show:

Networking Opportunities: Connect with travel industry professionals, decision-makers, and experts from around the world, fostering collaborations, partnerships, and business relationships.

Market Insights: Gain valuable insights into the latest travel trends, market developments, consumer preferences, and emerging destinations in the global travel and tourism industry.

Product Showcase: Explore a diverse range of travel products, services, and destinations from exhibitors, gaining inspiration and ideas for future travel experiences and itineraries.

Educational Seminars and Workshops: Attend conferences, seminars, and workshops featuring industry leaders, thought-provoking speakers, and experts discussing topics such as sustainable tourism, digital marketing, and travel innovation.

Business Development: Discover new business opportunities, forge strategic partnerships, and expand your network within the travel and tourism sector, driving growth and success for your business.

Organiser Website Link for More Info: For more information about ITB Berlin 2025, including registration details, exhibitor information, and the event program, please visit the official website: ITB Berlin

In summary, ITB Berlin 2025 is a must-attend event for travel industry professionals, offering valuable networking opportunities, market insights, product showcases, educational resources, and business development opportunities within the global travel and tourism sector.

ITB 2025, located in Berlin, is an event where professionals from industry, decision-makers, and buyers from around the world come to the trade fair for travel in Berlin to find out about the latest trends in the field, build business relationships, and create business throughout the globe. Berlin International Tourism Fair ranks among the top international tourism fairs worldwide, as it is the biggest event in the world of travel. The ITB Berlin 2025 Germany also has a high participation proportion, more than 90 percent.

Get ready for the ITB Berlin 2025 showcase stage by getting the contact details of a dependable exhibition stand builder in Berlin. Look at Stands Pro, renowned for its exquisite exhibition stand in Berlin. With our vast expertise and unparalleled knowledge, We ensure that your presence during ITB 2025 Berlin will leave a lasting impression.

[cprcourseonline]

Is BLS Online Renewal as Effective as In-Person Training?

Is BLS Online Renewal as Effective as In-Person Training?

Table of contents

Is BLS Online Renewal as Effective as In-Person Training? 1

Introduction 1

Understanding BLS training 1

Benefits of in-person BLS training 2

Limitations of in-person training 2

Benefits of BLS renewal online 2

Comparing an online BLS renewal course with in-person training 3

Conclusion 4

Introduction

Basic life support (BLS) training is crucial to respond effectively in emergencies. It equips you with the skills to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), use an automated external defibrillator (AED), and manage airways during critical situations, such as cardiac arrest and respiratory distress. As more training options are available, you may face a dilemma: should you opt for online BLS courses or attend traditional in-person classes? This article discusses the effectiveness of BLS online renewal.

Understanding BLS training

In recent years, online BLS training has gained popularity. The use of digital learning platforms allows you to access training at your convenience. This format can especially appeal to you if you have a busy schedule. BLS online renewal covers techniques and procedures to aid individuals who suffer cardiac arrest or respiratory failure. The course content usually includes CPR techniques for adults, children, and infants. It also covers the use of an AED and how to tackle various medical emergencies.

Benefits of in-person BLS training

In-person BLS courses offer a comprehensive learning experience. They offer one-to-one discussions and immediate feedback from instructors. Mentioned below are some of the key features of in-person BLS training:

Real-time feedback:

Instructors can observe you and provide real-time feedback. Hands-on practice makes mastering skills like chest compressions and using an AED properly easier.

Peer interaction:

In-person BLS training enables you to learn alongside peers, creating a collaborative environment. Participants can practice in impromptu emergency situations together, enhancing the teamwork skills essential for emergencies.

Limitations of in-person training

Despite offering significant benefits, in-person training has its drawbacks. The following are the limitations of in-person training courses:

Higher costs:

In-person BLS courses often have higher fees. You may find it expensive because of facility rentals and high instructor fees.

Time commitment:

Attending an in-person BLS renewal class requires a specific time commitment, which can be difficult for individuals with busy or conflicting schedules.

Benefits of BLS renewal online

BLS online renewal offers several benefits when compared to in-person training. These are:

Convenience:

One of the most significant advantages of BLS online renewal is convenience. You can complete the course at your own pace and from anywhere with an internet connection.

Cost-effectiveness:

Online courses are cheaper than in-person classes. This is because they cut down on transportation and accommodation costs. The lower cost makes BLS online renewal training more accessible.

Flexible learning:

Flexible learning is a key advantage of BLS online renewal courses. These courses often let you revisit the material as needed. This flexibility helps you focus on difficult topics and review content multiple times for better understanding. Additionally, you can access the course from anywhere, making it easier to fit it into your busy schedule.

Comparing an online BLS renewal course with in-person training

You have a choice to either go for BLS online renewal or the traditional in-person training. Here are some of the key comparisons between online renewal and in-person training:

Feature

Online BLS renewal

In-person BLS renewal

Course content

Online BLS recertification combines engaging elements like video demonstrations, interactive modules, and written assessments to teach core BLS skills. These skills include cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), automated external defibrillator (AED) use, and rescue breathing.

In-person BLS renewal provides hands-on training in CPR, AED use, and other life-saving skills. The class consists of lectures delivered by expert instructors and practice sessions with manikins.

Flexibility

BLS online renewal offers unparalleled flexibility. You can access the course materials and complete the coursework at your convenience. There are no restrictions, like fixed schedules or physical locations. Thus, online options are the best if you prefer a personalized learning experience.

In-person BLS recertification training offers limited flexibility in terms of scheduling. It requires your in-person attendance. This can be difficult if you have busy work schedules or live in areas with limited training options.

Cost

Online BLS recertification is more cost-effective than in-person courses. This is possible due to reduced overhead expenses, which include instructor fees, rent, facilities, and equipment. This affordability makes online renewal an attractive option if you are facing budget constraints.

In-person BLS recertification training costs more. Other costs include facility rental and training materials. The fees vary based on location, provider, and extra services.

Deciding on BLS training depends on your personal needs. Consider your schedule, budget, and how you learn best. If you feel more comfortable in face-to-face settings, you can take in-person classes. But if you prefer flexibility, convenience, and cost-effectiveness, BLS online renewal could be a better option.

Conclusion

Both in-person training and online BLS renewal have their benefits. Online courses offer flexibility and are often more affordable. Moreover, online training allows you to revisit the study material anytime. Consider what works best for your learning style and needs. Remember, the goal is to be prepared to respond effectively in emergencies.

[buzzwaytaxi]

Why Ahmedabad’s Taxi Services are Revolutionizing City Travel!

Ahmedabad, a city deeply rooted in history, is fast becoming a center of modern development. One of the key factors contributing to this transformation is the rise of taxi services in Ahmedabad. With increasing urbanization and a growing demand for seamless travel, these services are not only addressing the challenges of urban mobility but also setting a benchmark for how city travel should evolve. In this article, we explore how Ahmedabad's taxi services are revolutionizing travel and why they have become the preferred mode of transportation for locals and tourists alike.

Convenience at Your Fingertips

The most significant advantage of using taxi services in Ahmedabad is the convenience they offer. Gone are the days when one had to wait at bus stops or haggle with auto-rickshaw drivers for a fair fare. Now, with a simple click on your smartphone, you can book a taxi in Ahmedabad at any time of day or night. Most of these services have adopted user-friendly apps that offer real-time updates, fare estimates, and even driver ratings, ensuring you have a smooth and reliable travel experience.

Why this matters:

Instant bookings make it easier for travelers and locals to get around without delay.

24/7 availability ensures that transportation is accessible even during odd hours.

Cashless payments through digital wallets or cards offer added convenience and security.

Affordable Travel Options for All

When it comes to affordability, Ahmedabad's taxi services have truly democratized urban travel. There was a time when hiring a cab was considered a luxury, but today, competitive pricing has made hiring a taxi in Ahmedabad accessible to people from all walks of life. Whether you're a daily commuter, a tourist exploring the city's historical sites, or a business professional attending meetings, there is a taxi service in Ahmedabad to suit your budget.

Types of Taxi Services in Ahmedabad:

Economy Rides – For everyday commuters looking for affordable fares.

Premium Services – Offering luxury cars and more personalized experiences.

Outstation Cabs – Ideal for those looking to travel beyond city limits to destinations like Ajanta or Ellora Caves.

Car Rentals with Chauffeur – Perfect for those who prefer a vehicle at their disposal for the day.

By offering customized pricing models based on distance, time of day, and vehicle type, these services have catered to a wide range of travelers.

Safety and Security: A Top Priority

Safety is one of the biggest concerns for travelers in any city, and Ahmedabad’s taxi services have prioritized this aspect through various measures. From real-time GPS tracking to well-vetted drivers and emergency support systems, these services have built a reputation for being one of the safest transportation options in the city.

Key Safety Features:

Verified Drivers – Comprehensive background checks ensure that only trustworthy drivers are on the road.

SOS Buttons – Many services now offer an emergency button within their apps that directly connects to local authorities or the service provider's help desk.

Real-Time Tracking – Customers can share their live trip status with friends or family for added safety.

COVID-19 Protocols – Regular sanitization of vehicles, mandatory masks, and temperature checks ensure a safe and hygienic ride for all passengers.

A Green Alternative: Eco-Friendly Initiatives

With growing awareness around sustainability, many taxi services in Ahmedabad are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint. Some companies have introduced electric or hybrid vehicles as part of their fleet, contributing to greener and cleaner urban mobility.

Benefits of Eco-Friendly Taxi Services:

Reduced Emissions – Hybrid and electric vehicles contribute significantly to lowering pollution levels in the city.

Fuel Efficiency – Environmentally friendly vehicles also tend to be more fuel-efficient, which can result in lower operational costs and, in turn, reduced fares for customers.

Awareness Campaigns – Many taxi services are also running awareness campaigns to encourage riders to opt for greener transportation options.

By promoting eco-friendly travel, Ahmedabad’s taxi services are aligning themselves with global efforts to combat climate change while offering residents and visitors a guilt-free travel option.

Tourist-Friendly Solutions

As a city famous for its historical landmarks such as the Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Ahmedabad attracts a large number of domestic and international tourists. Taxi services in Ahmedabad have tailored their offerings to suit the needs of travelers by providing customized tour packages, experienced drivers who double as local guides, and vehicles that cater to family and group outings.

Why Tourists Prefer Taxi Services in Ahmedabad:

Expert Local Knowledge – Drivers are often well-versed with the city’s history and can provide valuable insights into various tourist destinations.

Flexible Itineraries – Unlike rigid bus tours, hiring a taxi allows tourists to explore the city at their own pace.

Comfortable Rides – Tourists often prefer the comfort of air-conditioned vehicles over other public transport options, especially during Ahmedabad’s hotter months.

These tailored solutions make taxi services the preferred mode of transport for tourists looking to maximize their time and experience in the city.

Technological Advancements in Ahmedabad’s Taxi Industry

Ahmedabad’s taxi industry is leveraging the power of technology to enhance user experience. From AI-powered navigation systems that select the fastest routes to cashless payments and real-time booking, the integration of tech innovations has been a game changer for both service providers and users.

Notable Technological Features:

Smart Routing – Using AI and machine learning, taxi services in Ahmedabad ensure that drivers take the most efficient routes to avoid traffic and reduce travel time.

Cashless Payments – With integrated digital wallets and support for UPI, credit, and debit cards, seamless payment options make transactions quick and hassle-free.

App-Based Customer Support – Most services now offer 24/7 customer support through their apps, enabling users to resolve issues in real time.

Why Choose Taxi Services Over Public Transport?

While public transport systems like buses and auto-rickshaws still serve a vital role in Ahmedabad’s mobility network, taxi services offer distinct advantages that are hard to overlook.

Time Efficiency – Taxis are a direct mode of transport, without the frequent stops that public buses have to make.

Comfort and Privacy – Unlike crowded buses or auto-rickshaws, taxis provide a private, air-conditioned space for individuals or groups.

Customized Services – From door-to-door pickups to flexible ride-sharing options, taxis offer a level of customization that public transport simply cannot match.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Ahmedabad’s taxi services are playing a crucial role in shaping the future of urban transportation. They offer a convenient, affordable, safe, and eco-friendly alternative to traditional modes of travel, while embracing technological advancements to improve the user experience. Whether you're a local resident or a tourist, choosing a taxi in Ahmedabad ensures a smooth, efficient, and pleasant journey.

[albusparker2131]

Efficient and Easy: FLL Airport JetBlue Terminal

As frequent travelers, we understand the importance of a seamless airport experience, especially when navigating through a busy terminal. For those flying with JetBlue at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), the experience is designed to be as smooth and efficient as possible. In this comprehensive guide, we will dive deep into what makes the FLL Airport JetBlue Terminal stand out, offering insights into its facilities, services, and tips for making your journey more comfortable.

JetBlue Terminal at FLL: An Overview

JetBlue operates primarily out of Terminal 3 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). Terminal 3, also known as the Yellow Terminal, is a hub for JetBlue’s domestic and international flights. The terminal’s modern design and efficient layout cater to the airline’s passengers, ensuring quick access to check-in counters, security, and gates.

Location and Accessibility

The JetBlue Terminal at FLL is strategically located for easy access. Whether you're arriving by car, shuttle, or public transportation, reaching Terminal 3 is straightforward. FLL offers a variety of transportation options, including rental cars, taxis, rideshare services, and public buses, all of which can drop passengers off right outside the terminal.

For those driving, parking is available at both Short-term and Long-term lots near Terminal 3. The airport also provides Economy Parking with shuttle services to the terminal. Disabled parking spots are conveniently placed near elevators and shuttle stops, ensuring accessibility for all travelers.

Check-In Process

Efficiency is key at the JetBlue Terminal. Travelers can check in using various methods, ensuring minimal wait times:

Online Check-In: JetBlue passengers can check in via the JetBlue website or mobile app up to 24 hours before their flight. This allows for an expedited airport experience, as boarding passes can be downloaded digitally.

Self-Service Kiosks: For those who prefer to check in at the airport, JetBlue offers multiple self-service kiosks in Terminal 3. These kiosks are located right near the entrance, providing a quick way to print boarding passes and baggage tags.

Counter Check-In: For passengers with special requirements or those traveling with pets, counter check-in is available. JetBlue’s customer service team is known for being friendly and efficient, ensuring that all travelers are assisted promptly.

Security Checkpoints

Security is one of the most crucial steps at any airport, and FLL’s TSA screening process at Terminal 3 is designed for speed and efficiency. TSA PreCheck lanes are available for passengers who have enrolled in the program, allowing them to pass through security with minimal delays. Travelers should ensure they arrive at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight to allow enough time for security procedures.

Additionally, FLL has installed CLEAR biometric security lanes, further speeding up the screening process for registered passengers.

Terminal Amenities

Once inside the JetBlue Terminal, travelers have access to a range of amenities designed to make their time at the airport comfortable.

Dining Options

Terminal 3 boasts a variety of dining choices, ensuring that travelers can find a meal or snack before their flight. Whether you're looking for a quick bite or a sit-down meal, the terminal offers a wide selection:

Dunkin’: Perfect for a quick coffee and breakfast before an early flight.

La Familia Tacos + Tequila: For those seeking something more substantial, this Mexican-inspired restaurant offers hearty meals and refreshing drinks.

Pei Wei: Travelers craving Asian cuisine can enjoy a wide array of freshly made dishes.

BurgerFi: Known for its gourmet burgers, this popular chain is a favorite among JetBlue passengers.

Shopping and Retail

The JetBlue Terminal at FLL also offers numerous retail outlets where passengers can shop for last-minute travel essentials, souvenirs, or luxury items. Some of the most notable shopping options include:

Duty-Free Stores: International travelers can take advantage of tax-free shopping, offering great deals on perfumes, cosmetics, alcohol, and more.

Hudson News: Stock up on reading materials, snacks, and travel necessities before boarding your flight.

Lounges and Seating Areas

While JetBlue doesn’t operate its own dedicated lounge at FLL, passengers can still enjoy comfortable seating areas throughout Terminal 3. These seating zones are equipped with charging stations for electronic devices, ensuring that passengers can stay connected while they wait.

For travelers seeking a more exclusive experience, Priority Pass members have access to the Club at FLL, a premium lounge located in Terminal 1. Although it requires a bit of walking, the amenities, including complimentary food, beverages, and high-speed Wi-Fi, make it a worthwhile option for those with longer layovers.

Wi-Fi and Connectivity

Staying connected at the JetBlue Terminal is easy, thanks to FLL’s free Wi-Fi. The airport provides complimentary, high-speed Wi-Fi throughout Terminal 3, allowing passengers to browse the web, check emails, or stream content while waiting for their flight.

For those needing to charge their devices, there are plenty of charging stations strategically placed throughout the terminal, ensuring travelers have ample opportunities to power up before boarding.

Baggage Claim and Ground Transportation

Upon arrival at FLL, JetBlue passengers will find the baggage claim area easily accessible, located on the lower level of Terminal 3. JetBlue’s efficient baggage handling ensures that luggage is delivered quickly, minimizing wait times for travelers.

For those continuing their journey, FLL offers various ground transportation options:

Rental Cars: The Rental Car Center is located within walking distance of the terminal, offering a range of providers including Hertz, Avis, and Enterprise.

Rideshare Services: Uber and Lyft are widely available at FLL, with designated pick-up zones just outside the terminal.

Shuttle Services: Hotel shuttles and shared ride services are also available, offering convenient transport to local accommodations.

JetBlue Terminal Future Expansion

FLL is continually improving its facilities, and the JetBlue Terminal is no exception. The airport has plans for future expansions and upgrades to accommodate the growing number of passengers. These upgrades include more modernized seating areas, additional dining options, and expanded security lanes to enhance the passenger experience.

Travel Tips for JetBlue Passengers at FLL

To make your experience at the JetBlue Terminal as smooth as possible, we recommend the following tips:

Arrive Early: While the terminal is efficient, arriving at least two hours before your flight ensures enough time for check-in, security, and potential unexpected delays.

Use Mobile Check-In: Save time by checking in via the JetBlue app and downloading your boarding pass to your phone.

Pack Smart: JetBlue has specific rules regarding carry-on luggage. Be sure to check the airline's baggage policies before arriving at the airport to avoid extra fees or delays.

Conclusion

The JetBlue Terminal at FLL Airport is designed with efficiency and passenger comfort in mind. From its easy check-in process to its ample amenities, travelers can expect a stress-free experience from start to finish. Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, the JetBlue experience at FLL offers everything you need for a smooth journey.

[softwarerentaaa]

Transforming Rental Businesses: How Car and Property Rental Software Streamlines Operations

The digital transformation sweeping across industries has significantly changed how car and property rental businesses operate. Gone are the days when managing bookings, payments, inspection, maintenance, etc. information of Vehicle and Property was done manually. Now, with advanced rental software, businesses of all sizes — from small, family-run operations to large enterprises — can streamline their rental processes, improve customer satisfaction, and cut operational costs.

This post delves into the key benefits, features, and future trends in both car and property rental management software, illustrating how this technology is transforming the rental business landscape.

Key Benefits of Using Car Rental Management Software for Small and Large Fleets

Car rental software offers transformative solutions for both small and large fleets. For smaller businesses, the car rental management software automates everyday tasks like vehicle tracking, booking, customer inquiries, and vehicle assignments. This significantly reduces the time spent on administrative tasks, freeing up owners to focus on growing their businesses. For larger operations, rental software enhances scalability by eliminating the need for additional staff as the fleet expands. Automated tracking of vehicle availability, customer records, and real-time inventory management are just a few tools that optimize operations and enhance service delivery.

Enhances Fleet Efficiency with Real-Time GPS Tracking

One of the most valuable features of car rental software is real-time GPS tracking. This feature lets businesses monitor their vehicles’ locations, speeds, and routes in real time. By optimizing routes and reducing unnecessary mileage, fleet efficiency improves while fuel consumption drops.

Essential Features to Look for in Car Rental Management Software

When selecting a car rental management software, businesses should prioritize features like real-time fleet tracking, automated booking systems, and maintenance scheduling. Customer management tools and seamless payment integrations are also essential, ensuring that the entire rental process is as smooth as possible for both the business and the client. Comprehensive reporting tools, offering insights into customer trends, vehicle performance, and operational efficiency, help businesses make informed, data-driven decisions.

Why Automating Vehicle Inspections Saves Time and Money in Car Rental Businesses

Vehicle inspections are critical to maintaining the integrity of a fleet, but manual inspections can be slow and prone to human error. Vehicle rental software automates this process, generating inspection reminders and storing digital records of completed checks. This not only saves time but also ensures compliance with legal standards, prevents costly breakdowns, and helps rental companies avoid potential liabilities.

How Car Rental Software Improves Customer Experience: From Online Bookings to Digital Payments

In today’s digital-first world, customers expect convenience. Car rental management software meets these expectations by offering online booking systems and digital payment options. Customers can easily check vehicle availability, book their rental, and pay using secure online portals — all from their smartphones. This seamless experience enhances customer satisfaction and fosters loyalty, driving repeat business.

Property Rental Management Software

Why Every Landlord Needs Property Rental Management Software in 2024

Property management is a complex endeavor, particularly for landlords managing multiple units or properties. Property rental software streamlines processes like tenant onboarding, rent collection, and maintenance scheduling, enabling landlords to manage their properties efficiently. By automating these tasks, landlords reduce their administrative workload, giving them more time to focus on expanding their portfolios.

Streamlining Tenant Onboarding with Digital Property Management Tools

Gone are the days of cumbersome paperwork for tenant applications and leasing. Property rental software simplifies the entire onboarding process by allowing tenants to apply, submit documents, and sign leases online. This not only speeds up the onboarding process but also ensures all information is securely stored and easily accessible when needed.

How Property Rental Software Can Simplify Rent Collection and Payment Tracking

Late rent payments are a common challenge for property managers, but property rental software can help address this issue. By offering automated rent collection and various payment channels (credit cards, online transfers), landlords minimize the risk of late payments. Furthermore, tracking payments becomes more straightforward, with all financial data centralized in one platform.

Managing Commercial vs. Residential Properties: How Software Handles Both

Property management software is versatile, designed to handle the unique challenges of both commercial and residential properties. For residential properties, the focus lies on tenant relations and lease management, while for commercial properties, features like contract management and expense tracking come into play. The software allows landlords to manage both types of properties seamlessly within a single platform.

The Future of Property Management: Automation, AI, and Smart Home Integration

Like car rental management, property management is evolving with automation and AI integration. Smart home devices, such as automated locks and security systems, are becoming standard in rental properties. Property rental software will integrate these systems, allowing landlords to monitor and control them remotely. AI will also enhance property management by predicting tenant needs and automating responses to common inquiries.

By adopting rental management software, businesses can streamline their operations, improve efficiency, and provide exceptional customer experiences. In an increasingly competitive market, these software solutions offer a critical advantage, helping companies remain profitable while adapting to evolving industry trends. Whether managing a car fleet or multiple rental properties, the right software is key to long-term success.

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How the Tech Industry is Empowering Car Rentals with Contactless Car Pickups

In today's fast-paced world, convenience and efficiency are top priorities for consumers. The car rental contactless experience is one such innovation that is transforming the car rental industry. By eliminating face-to-face interactions and long waits at counters, technology is helping streamline the process, making renting a car quicker and more convenient than ever. This article explores how tech advancements are empowering car rentals and why car rental contactless pickup is becoming the new norm.

The Rise of Contactless Technology in Car Rentals

As technology continues to evolve, it’s impacting every industry, and car rentals are no exception. Traditional car rentals have always been plagued with long lines, paperwork, and face-to-face interactions, which could be time-consuming, especially during peak travel periods. With the advent of car rental contactless solutions, these processes have been dramatically simplified.

This technology leverages mobile apps, kiosks, and keyless systems to allow customers to book, pick up, and drop off their rental cars without the need for any direct contact. In essence, travelers can now skip the lines, avoid paperwork, and head straight to their vehicles. These contactless processes became particularly appealing during the COVID-19 pandemic, where minimizing human interaction was not just convenient but essential for health and safety reasons.

How Contactless Car Rentals Work

The car rental contactless pickup process is designed to be as seamless as possible for the customer. Typically, the process starts with an online booking or through a mobile app. The customer selects the car they want to rent, uploads necessary identification and payment details, and receives confirmation—all without the need to interact with a rental agent.

Once at the rental location, instead of waiting at a counter, the customer can head directly to the designated parking spot for their rental car. Many companies offer smart lock technology, where the car can be unlocked using a smartphone app. This not only reduces wait times but also offers a more secure way to access vehicles.

For returns, customers can simply drop off the car at a pre-agreed location, and the process is completed digitally. The car rental contactless method allows for a smoother, quicker experience that caters to tech-savvy consumers looking for efficiency.

Key Benefits of Contactless Car Rentals

1. Increased Efficiency and Time-Saving:

One of the biggest benefits of car rental contactless pickup is the time saved. By eliminating queues and manual paperwork, travelers can get on the road faster. This is especially beneficial for business travelers who are on tight schedules and can't afford to waste time at the rental counter.

2. Enhanced Customer Experience:

With the integration of mobile apps and digital platforms, the overall customer experience is significantly enhanced. Features such as pre-booking, instant notifications, and contactless car access improve convenience. Customers can manage their reservations, payments, and vehicle selection from the comfort of their own devices, ensuring a more enjoyable rental experience.

3. Safety and Hygiene:

During the pandemic, safety became a major concern for consumers. The ability to pick up a car without interacting with any personnel provides peace of mind to customers. Even as the pandemic has subsided, the demand for hygienic solutions remains high. The car rental contactless experience offers a safe and sanitary way to rent vehicles, making it a preferred option for many.

4. Cost-Effectiveness for Rental Companies:

For rental companies, implementing car rental contactless pickup can reduce staffing costs and overhead. Digital platforms take over the need for counter agents, freeing up human resources and reducing operational expenses. Additionally, streamlined processes mean faster customer turnover, leading to increased revenue opportunities.

The Future of Car Rentals: A Tech-Driven Experience

As the demand for contactless services grows, more car rental companies are investing in technology to provide a seamless rental experience. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) devices will further enhance the car rental contactless pickup process. In the near future, AI could predict customer preferences, while IoT-connected vehicles could notify customers when their car is ready for pickup or requires maintenance.

Moreover, biometric verification systems and facial recognition may become a part of the process, allowing for even more secure and personalized experiences. As these innovations continue to develop, car rental contactless services are expected to become the standard in the industry, offering unparalleled convenience for customers and operational efficiency for rental companies.

Conclusion

The car rental contactless revolution is here, transforming the way we rent vehicles. With faster, more efficient service, enhanced safety, and cost savings for companies, it’s clear why this tech-driven solution is gaining popularity. As technology continues to advance, we can only expect more exciting developments that will further elevate the car rental contactless pickup experience for travelers across the U.S.

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Best Travel Gadgets 2024: Tech to Pack for Your Next Trip

Come 2024, travel will be more fun than ever with some cool new ideas in the field of travel gadgets. With everything from convenience and safety upgrades to staying connected and entertained, today's devices are designed with the aim of making your rides as seamless and enjoyable as possible. Check out the top travel gadgets for 2024, that every traveler should pack before their next adventure.

1. Smart Luggage

Smart luggage smartens it up and adds a bunch of other features on top. Smart suitcases have their own built-in GPS tracking by 2024, so if you're in a new city and your luggage decides to not come off the plane with you, at least you can find out where it is immediately. Some include built-in power banks where you can charge your tech gadgets while out and about. Others even have a digital lock that syncs up with an app on a smartphone. Search for ones that are light yet durable with plenty of storage space to make travel easier.

2. Portable Air Purifiers

Our travelers need clean air for health while on long flights or sleeping in crowded hotels. Everyone will need a portable air purifier by 2024, so you can take clean fresh air with you. The small devices are made to remove pollutants, allergens and odors from hotel rooms, rental cars or even airplanes. Most of the models are USB rechargeable and have different adjustable fan speeds to choose between air quality levels.

3. Noise-Canceling Earbuds

From a busy airport to just listening in peace to your favorite music, noise-cancellation earbuds are your game-changer. In the year 2024, we have earphones more advanced than ever before, with better sound quality and, much-improved battery life & noise-cancellation effects. Finding models that have a snug fit, touch controls on the sides of earbuds, and recharge fast means you get an even better travel experience.

4. USB — Travel Charger Adapter 

In order to resolve this issue, the need for different plug types and voltage standards arise while traveling other countries. A 2024 essential gadget for your tech setup is a travel adapter with USB ports that will let you charge multiple devices at the same time and versatility to plug into different electrical systems. Select a versatile adapter that also sports surge protection guards to prevent your gadgets from getting fried.

5. Portable Wi-Fi Hotspots

Between keeping in touch with people back home and being able to navigate from our phones, one of the first things we wanted was a portable Wi-Fi hotspot. Modern hotspots are small, simple to operate, and provide fast, secure internet access. A few supply worldwide cover. This does not mean that there is a competitive SIM from the region you are in. Find a long battery life and high-speed enabling device to stay connected during any time of your travel.

6. Smart Water Bottles

Smart water bottles that may help ensure you are keeping hydrated. Those different bottles is something like intelligent hydration scales with LED tips on 2024 or a connected UV-C inclusion to help keep water in clear. Some smart water bottles are also compatible with regular cup holders and offer insulation to help maintain your beverages at the right temperature.

7. Portable Power Banks

When you are on the go, a portable power bank is an essential part of your travel gear. By 2024, you have a better range of more efficient and higher-capacity power banks than ever. This often means portable models with superfast charging (using multiple USB ports), and a design that will easily slip into your bag to replace Google as your daily use provider; Power banks, Some power bank that has a built-in cable also.

8. Smart Travel Neck Pillows

If you are traveling, being comfortable is very important and with the right travel neck pillow for your journey can ease some of that relaxation. This is our vision for the year 2024, in which these pillows would come with speakers to play calm music, heat adjustability and ergonomic designs that support your neck and shoulders. Additionally, some of our models are constructed from memory foam for enhanced comfort and include removable covers that can be washed.

9. Compact Drone Cameras

Take some awesome aerial footage from your trips with a pocket drone camera. Compare the 2024 models to its portable, user-friendly, and high-resolution cameras that definitely guarantee thrilling shots from above. Drone-many drones have automated flight modes, obstacle avoidance and lifestreaming functionality makes it very useful for creating memories of your adventure.

10. Travel Health Monitors

Download travel health monitors here. Portable blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters even smart thermometers are some of the tools. Fast forward to 2024, and they say — these things are pocket-sized, simple in operation devices that give you real-time health measurements for your journey.

Conclusion

You might not be able to ride a hoverboard in five years, but here are 10 futuristic travel gadgets we can expect by 2024. Offering smart luggage, a portable air purifier, noise-canceling earbuds, and, compact drone cameras; these advanced tools are a must for all contemporary voyagers. The next time you go on vacation, invest in the latest travel tech to make sure everything goes by smoothly and create those memorable moments. Get more travel advice and the newest gadget info at b0arding.com and start your confident journey to the next one!

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2024-08-29

Singapore

Bus 861 to connect Yishun East & Khatib MRT from 15 Sep - 1st route under new government initiative BCEP, where up to $900m will be spent over the next 8 years to improve the current bus network

Cordlife allowed to resume limited cord blood banking services - not sure who would dare put their cord blood with them tho'

Woman arrested for attempting to grab ICA officer's gun at Woodlands checkpoint

Woman runs optical shop from her 4-room HDB flat in Teck Whye - huge savings on rental!

Business

News outlet Today to merge with CNA & become digital weekend magazine

Health

Doctor shares horrifying scan of patient’s legs filled with parasites after he ate undercooked pork

Travel

Peach Aviation to begin direct Singapore-Osaka flights, with 1-way fares starting from $164.20 - it's a Japanese budget carrier owned mainly by ANA

Politics

HK court finds 2 former online news editors guilty of sedition in landmark ruling

Transport

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket crashes while landing

Fashion

^ Horseshoe denim is a great way to look bow-legged - if you like looking ugly & disabled, this style's for you! 😄

Society

Real-Life Deadpool namesake Wade Wilson sentenced to death for murdering 2 women - the death penalty needs to be utilised more

Environment

2 injured after sinkhole swallows car in Seoul