AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes, hello, this is the front desk.” She keeps her eyes locked on me while she speaks into the phone. “Is this Ms…” She quickly clears her throat. “Is this Sophie? Yes, we have an item of yours down here in the lobby.” She pauses. “Sure, you can stop down and pick it up. Thanks, see you soon.”
She hangs up the phone and nods to me. “She should be down shortly. Feel free to make yourself comfortable.” She points at a small seating area nearby.
“Thank you.” I smile and take a seat facing the elevator.
I smooth out the wrinkles in her coat where I’ve been gripping it so tightly and lay it gently on my lap. I know it’s a bit devious to be showing up unexpected like this, but I seriously doubt she’d choose to face me if she had the choice. So, I have to play the only card I have left in my pocket: surprise.
The first time the elevator doors open, my heart lurches, and I tense to stand up. But it’s just a tall businessman who makes a b-line toward the front desk.
I relax into my seat as the elevator shuts and becomes silent again. I can hear the dialogue between the businessman and the woman at the desk. They’re discussing some sort of extra charge that has been accrued from his tv usage. I try to drown out the conversation, thinking about what I’ll say to Sophie, and I soon begin to sweat. Am I losing her respect even more by tricking her into this?
But why does it even matter? If all I’m looking for is a chance to get her back to my room someday, do I really need her respect?
Her respect? Why is that so important to me?
I shake my head, looking down at her coat in my lap and trying to understand my own thoughts, and at the same time, the elevator bell dings, and the doors slide open again.
Standing, small and unexpecting inside, is Sophie.
She sees me right away, and I stand up quickly from my chair with her coat in my hands. Her long hair falls in messy curls around her face, and she wears a t-shirt, jeans, a pair of white Converse, and about half as much makeup as last night. But somehow, she’s even more gorgeous.
We gaze at each other for a moment. There is shock and hesitation in her eyes, like she might not even exit the elevator, but when the doors begin to close again, she steps forward and catches them with her arm in a flustered maneuver, coming to stand on the marble floor.
I smile warmly and walk a few paces toward her, holding the coat in her direction. “You left your coat…”
Without breaking eye-contact, she takes it from me and holds it to her chest. “How did you know where I was staying?”
“Leah told Drew. Drew told me… Or, well, I asked him.”
She sighs, folding the coat over her arm. “Well, thanks. I appreciate it.”
I nod, and we stand for a moment, unmoving and silent. I try to read her expression, but she’s dropped her eyes from me and is looking at the floor, clearly uncomfortable.
“Look, I feel really guilty…” I say.
“There is nothing for you to feel guilty about,” Sophie replies quickly without looking up. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. And like I said last night, I’m sorry. I’d prefer if we could both just forget about it and move on.”
I blink sadly at her refusal to make eye-contact. “Can we at least talk about it?”
She finally looks at me, clearly exhausted. “What is there to talk about?”
Nearby, the businessman at the front desk continues to argue, more loudly now, about a charge for a movie titled Forest Hump.
Sophie shifts in place, and her lips turn up in the corners because she heard the title too. I grin and look down at my feet, clearing my throat. And then I shift my gaze to the café. “Can we just chat a little?” I gesture toward the tables and look at her. “I’d like to buy you breakfast.”
She sets her jaw and her eyes dart around the small lobby. I can tell she really tries to look for an excuse, but eventually, she lets out a small forced breath. “Fine.” She turns toward the café. “But I’m buying my own breakfast.”
I smirk and follow her.
We sit down at a small table overlooking an outdoor garden and a stone fountain. Sophie shuffles with her silverware and napkin, not really looking at me.
“So…” I begin. “I know this is terribly awkward.”
She peers up at me warily. “You think? I don’t know why we are even doing this.”
I nod and take a breath. “I know. I just wanted to understand a little more about last night… because if it was something I did…”
Sophie opens her mouth to speak just as the waitress arrives at our table to take our orders. I order an omelette, and Sophie orders an over-easy egg with toast.
