Week 11 Storytelling: Avy and Mr. Savage

Avy looked up from her laptop and there he was, the man of her dreams. He had gorgeous flowing locks of dark brown hair and brown eyes with…

“AVY! GET UP! YOU’RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR YOGA!” Avy’s roommate yelled up to her.

Avy looked at the clock and realized she was just daydreaming again about the mystery man of her dreams. This was the second time she had seen the man and she kept wondering where she had seen him before. Avy had just taken a Psychology course and learned that everyone you see in your dream, you’ve seen at least once before in real life. 

“Dreaming about McDreamy again Avy?” Hannah was a large Grey’s Anatomy fan and took every opportunity to make references in real life. 

Patrick Dempsey as McDreamy from The Wrap

“Yea… He keeps popping in at really weird times, and I can’t figure out where I’ve seen his face before…” Avy started to daydream about McDreamy’s face again, when Hannah slammed Avy’s breakfast smoothie down in front of her. 

“Here drink quick, you’re already running ten minutes late for your yoga class.” Avy grabbed her gym bag and ran out the door. 

Once Avy arrived at the gym she hurried to her class, she had a favorite spot for her mat. Avy continued to sip on her to-go strawberry smoothie until Henry, the teacher, arrived. Henry and Avy had been friends for the last year when Avy started taking yoga. Henry had helped Avy relieve chronic neck pain and succeed in becoming a lifelong yogi. After class finished, Avy rolled up her mat and went to grab her gym bag. She looked at her watch and realized class had gone fifteen minutes over today, she would be late for work if she didn’t hurry.

“Ugh,” Avy had run into a guy with her yoga mat. The guy fell over and his face was covered with dark brown hair. 

“Sorry! I’m in a hurry and didn’t see you! Again I’m super sorry!” Avy would have helped the man up if she hadn’t been in such a hurry. Instead she ran out the gym door and back to her apartment to shower, change, and get to work.

Avy worked at a travel agency, helping people find new places to explore. She had joined the agency two years ago after graduating college. She had large dreams of traveling the world, but currently had to repay student loans instead.

Inside a travel agency from Travel Brokers

Ding, ding. The bell on the door rang, indicating a new customer had arrived. Avy turned to look and it was the man from her dreams, McDreamy! He had the dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. Avy had to meet him in person.

“Hello! My name is Avy, can I help you with anything today Mr…?” Avy reached out her hand to shake his and awaited his name.

“Savage, Mr. Savage. And yes, I am looking for a traveling consultant. Can you help with that?” Mr. Savage shook Avy’s hand and looked around the agency. 

“Oh, um, of course right this way.” Avy directed Mr. Savage to her desk and sat down prepared to search for his traveling dreams. 

“So where are you thinking of traveling today? We have guides and deals for just about every place you can imagine, McD―Mr. Savage.” Avy waited while the man continued to look around the office.

“No, I think you misunderstood madame, I want someone to travel with me to help guide my travels as we go. I have gone on several trips and have been quite lonely without a companion. This agency was recommended by a friend Henry this morning and I thought I would try it out. Are you not interested? I would pay you for your time and compensate for the travel and food?” Mr. Savage gazed into Avy’s eyes searching for an answer.

Mr. Savage (Ed Westwick) from fansshare

Avy couldn’t believe her ears. This gorgeous man wanted her to travel the world with him, and he would pay her! Avy daydreamed about her adventures with McDreamy until Mr. Savage cleared his throat.

“Oh, well I will have to double check exactly how that would work but I am very interested. Exactly where would you be traveling through? I am fluent in Spanish, German, and French which can be of use.” Avy internally thanked her mother for pressing her to minor in three languages. 

“Mostly Europe, but I also have plans to travel through China and Japan at some point in the next three years. If you are available I would like to start planning now?” Mr. Savage could not believe such a beautiful woman would be willing to travel with him. And she seemed intelligent, unlike the last woman his assistant had hired. 

“Of course! Let me grab my materials and we can begin.” Avy pulled out her notebook and several guidebooks for Europe. They continued to work through most of the afternoon on their plans and scheduled flights for the following week.

                                      Two Years Later

Avy looked at Artell, she couldn’t believe that in the last two years they had gone from travel companions to husband and wife. Their wedding had been a beautiful ceremony in a Tuscan garden set for the gods. Both of their parents couldn’t believe how quickly the couple had grown together, but they both knew that it had been love at first sight.

Author’s Note:

I loved reading the Faerie Queen unit by Mary Macleod this week about Britomart and her search for her dream man. I really liked so many aspects of the entire tale. It made it very difficult to choose what to include and what not to include. Eventually I settled on a modern day retelling of a woman looking for her McDreamy, which who wouldn’t want Patrick Dempsey as their traveling companion? I've recently been on a Grey's Anatomy and Gossip Girl kick, so I wanted to incorporate both McDreamy and Chuck Bass into the man of Avy's dreams. Traveling the world, all expenses paid, with a gorgeous man would be my ultimate dream! The elements I decided on to add  from Britomart's story were: Sir Artelle’s disguised identity as the Savage Knight and how Britomart had an enchanted spear that knocked Artelle off of his horse. Instead of a magic spear, however, Avy has a yoga mat to knock over Mr. Savage. I also thought including the moment when the two meet and don’t recognize each other would be cute for this story as well. I am excited to look more into Britomart’s legend and what else she and Sir Artelle accomplished during their reign!