“Sir, there’s an available outlet next to the sofa,” I said to him.
He nodded. I let out a deep breath, relieved. I couldn’t bear him looking at me anymore. His gaze made my knees weak. The rain was strong, but the pounding of my heart was stronger. I clutched my chest as I watched him move gracefully as if every step was meant to captivate. He headed to the sofa where I had pointed out the available outlet.
“I think I’ll have to spend the night here at the hotel,” I muttered to myself, sitting back down.
I decided to finish my sandwich later when he returned to his room. I didn’t know why I suddenly felt shy. I’m not usually like this. But with this guy, even my hair seemed shy.
“Miss,” he called out.
“Yes?” I replied.
“Thanks for the charger,” he said again. I thought he was going to say something else.
“No problem. Sir, may I know your name?” I asked, hesitantly.
“Sure. I’m Arlo Bonde. Sorry, I forgot to mention it earlier when I checked in,” he said calmly. I secretly smiled at how pleasant his voice was.
I smiled at him, then quickly opened the desktop to save his name and room number.
“Thank you, sir,” I said with a smile. He nodded. I was hoping he’d ask for my name, but he didn’t. I shook my head while typing his name into the system.
After a while, he excused himself. I was about to ask if he needed anything else, but his phone suddenly rang. He seemed upset while talking to the person on the other end. He glanced at me, and I gave him a small smile.
He seemed serious about the call, even tapping his forehead out of frustration. I pretended to look at something on my desktop so he wouldn’t think I was eavesdropping. He glanced at me a few more times. Afterward, I grabbed a key to one of the extra small rooms that we staff sometimes use during overtime shifts. It was almost midnight, and the rain hadn’t stopped. I started feeling sleepy as the weather grew colder.
My phone suddenly rang. When I checked the screen, it was Violet’s number. I answered immediately, noticing she had already called three times.
“Hello! Violet, is there a problem?” I asked.
“Lily, don’t come home until I say so,” she said softly, piquing my curiosity.
“Why?” I asked, raising my voice.
“It seems like your family has found you. Since this afternoon, a black car has been passing by our house repeatedly.” My voice turned into a shout as my knees weakened.
“Are you sure, Violet?” I asked, confirming.
“Yes. I just checked the window, and the car is still there. I’m sure it’s your Grandpa’s doing. Someone must have told him you’re here,” she said.
“How could they have found me?” I asked, frustrated.
“I don’t know. It’s better if you stay there for now. Let’s talk later. Ethan is crying; he seems scared of the strong wind.” Violet didn’t wait for my reply and ended the call.
