The Emergency Escape Plan

Dara Buchanan, a 40-year-old professional problem-solver with the patience of a saint and the email inbox of a war zone, woke up Friday morning like she’d just finished wrestling a spreadsheet.
“Absolutely not,” she muttered to the ceiling.
The previous week had been a marathon of tense meetings, corporate egos, and one particularly dramatic merger negotiation that had two executives arguing about “synergy” like it was the last slice of pizza.
Dara rolled over, grabbed her phone, and squinted at the clock.
7:58 a.m.
Her next meeting was at 8:00.
She stared at the phone.
Then at the ceiling again.
“Ceiling,” she said, “I’m calling in spiritually unavailable today.”
Instead of opening her work email, Dara opened a travel app. Ten minutes later she had booked a weekend stay at a cozy winery bed-and-breakfast in Dubois, a couple hours away from Farmingdale.
She immediately called her best friend Aleah.
Aleah answered on the second ring. “Why are you calling me this early? Did someone win the lottery, or did you quit your job?”
“Neither,” Dara said. “But I might if you don’t come drink wine with me this weekend.”
Aleah paused. “Explain.”
“I booked a winery B&B in Dubois. I’m leaving in two hours. You’re coming with me.”
Another pause.
“Is there cheese?” Aleah asked.
“Of course.”
“I’m already packing.”
By 10:30 a.m., Dara was in her car with sunglasses on, music playing, and the strange feeling that freedom smelled a lot like gas station coffee and bad road snacks.
Aleah slid into the passenger seat holding a giant bag.
“Did you pack clothes?” Dara asked.
Aleah shrugged. “Some. But mostly snacks.”
Dara laughed. “You’re the friend everyone needs in a crisis.”
“Exactly,” Aleah said. “Corporate stress requires emergency potato chips.”
As they pulled onto the highway, Dara felt her shoulders relax for the first time all week.
“Look at us,” Aleah said. “Two grown women running away from responsibility.”
Dara grinned. “Not running away.”
She hit the gas.
“Strategically retreating.”

The bed-and-breakfast in Dubois looked like it had been pulled straight out of a cozy magazine white porch, rocking chairs, grape vines curling along wooden fences.
Dara stepped out of the car and took a deep breath.
“Do you smell that?” she said.
Aleah sniffed the air. “Peace… grapes… and somebody baking something buttery.”
Inside, the cheerful innkeeper handed them glasses of wine before they’d even fully checked in.
Aleah raised her glass immediately.
“Now THIS is customer service.”
They settled on the back patio overlooking the vineyard as the late afternoon sun warmed the hills.
Dara leaned back in her chair.
“I didn’t realize how tired I was.”
Aleah sipped her wine. “Girl, you mediated a merger between two CEOs who hate each other.”
“They don’t hate each other,” Dara corrected.
Aleah raised an eyebrow.
“Okay,” Dara sighed. “They strongly dislike each other’s existence.”
Aleah laughed. “Same thing.”
They spent the evening talking, laughing, and catching up on everything life had thrown at them.
At one point Dara shook her head and said, “You know what the CEO said to me Tuesday?”
“What?”
“He said, ‘Let’s circle back and touch base.’”
Aleah nearly choked on her wine.
“Did you tell him that sentence should be illegal?”
“I wanted to,” Dara said. “Instead I nodded like a responsible adult.”
Aleah pointed at her glass.
“See? This is why God created vineyards.”
Dara laughed so hard she wiped a tear from her eye.
Later that night they sat wrapped in blankets under the stars.
“No meetings,” Dara said quietly.
“No emails.”
“No arguing executives.”
Aleah nudged her shoulder.
“Just wine and your favorite person.”
Dara smiled.
“You know what?” she said.
“What?”
“This might be the best last-minute decision I’ve made in years.”
Aleah lifted her glass.
“To spontaneous getaways.”
Dara clinked her glass against it.
“And to best friends who bring snacks.”
Aleah grinned.
“Don’t forget the most important thing.”
“What’s that?”
Aleah took another sip.
“Tomorrow we try every single wine they have.”
Dara laughed.
“Now THAT sounds like a meeting I actually want to attend.”