I grimaced as I looked down at the ones I was wearing. My t-shirt was sweaty from the island's humidity, plus hours travelling on the plane, and my old jeans weren't proper to wear to a nice dinner. What the hell was I going to wear? I didn't want Maverick to think I looked like a bum.
I paced around the room. Ididhave some money left over after paying Louis, the cab driver. There was a nice boutique down in the lobby, wasn't there? I wondered if they had clothes I could afford.
Ugh, won't Maverick know I'm wearing clothes from his resort's boutique? He owns the damn place.
I looked at myself at the full-length mirror. Anything was better than the travel-stank outfit I was currently wearing.
I sucked it up, shoved my wallet in my pocket and headed for the door. There was a key card on top of the dresser. I grabbed it on the way out. At least I wouldn't make a fool of myself by getting locked out of my fancy room.
Taking the elevators all the way down to the lobby wasn't the same without Maverick by my side. I felt silly yearning this badly for a man I'd just met, but hey, the heart wants what it wants. I was sure that if I called a friend and told them about the clusterfuck of my day, they'd tell me I was just trying to get a rebound, but that wasn't it at all. I really liked Maverick. He exuded a kind of charisma I'd never experienced before. There was a mysterious quality about him, like he was a fairy tale prince or something.
I snorted.NowI was being ridiculous.
The boutique was a charming, welcoming store with bright lights and nice staff. It was nothing like the gaudy, tacky shops that usually sold souvenirs. I felt more like a regular shopper than a tourist buying overpriced crap. Speaking of prices, they weren't even that bad. I expected them to be much higher for the items' level of quality.
I picked out a white button-up shirt with a golden gryphon logo on the breast, a pair of navy pants, and a clean pair of underwear. That was all I could afford, so I'd have to wear my own sneakers. I was feeling good about my purchase until I got back to my room to try them on.
I groaned at myself in the mirror. It wasn't that I looked awful. The clothes were nice. They were just... very clearly from the boutique.
I slapped my forehead. "Maverick must think I'm an idiot for not even bringing a change of clothes..."
I was embarrassed at how much trust I'd put in Terry. Why the hell did I trusthimto bring my clothes, just because he'd offered? Was I crazy?
Apparently yes, I was, because I'd wasted a year of my life on him. But he was gone now. I was moving forward.
I freshened up before dinner. I took a long, hot shower to wash the smell of airplane off me. The shower itself was huge, practically as big as the entire bathroom in my apartment. I sat on the marble ledge as the water poured over me like rain falling from the sky. I sighed contentedly. Now this I could get used to.
Except I had to remind myselfnotto. I was on vacation, not moving here. Still, even as I told myself not to get too comfortable, my mind kept drifting towards fantasies of living at the resort forever with Maverick by my side.
I snorted out loud. Geez, I was really being silly.
I washed my hair and soaped up my body, luxuriating in the amazing scents of the shampoo and soap. Why was it that hotels always had better toiletries than the ones at home? Not to mention the ones here at Gryphon Palace Resort were definitely high-quality and expensive. There were no tiny, frugal shampoo containers here. They were normal-sized, as if the hotel itself was telling me 'you're worth it.'
I stepped out of the steam and dried off in the white, fluffy towels off the heated rack. I sighed and smiled into them.
Man, I really didn't want this to end.
But of course, I wasn't so naive to think that this amazing trip wouldn't have an end date, so I had to enjoy it while I could. I'd never have this kind of opportunity again.
I suddenly frowned as I thought about Terry's words.
Hell, keep the ring, too, if you want. Pawn it off or something. Maybe you can use it to buy a return ticket home.
The reality of my situation hit me. That asshole really had cancelled my return trip, hadn't he? God, he was cheapanda douchebag.
I chewed my lip nervously. As much as I wanted to stay here forever, that wasn't feasible. Besides that, I knew Maverick's generosity would only stretch so far. There was no way in hell he wanted a freeloader taking up his most deluxe room. Ihadto find a way to get home somehow. The last thing I wanted was to be a burden on Maverick and his kindness.
I pushed those thoughts out of my head. I'd deal with them later. Right now I was already nervous enough.
When I was thoroughly clean and dry, I slipped into my new clothes. I didn't feel silly until I was fully dressed and looking at myself in the mirror. I sighed, picking at my shirt. What would Maverick think of me? Would he assume that I was an idiot for not bringing a change of clothes? Would he think I was trying to suck up to him by wearing an outfit from the boutique he owned?
I groaned and slapped my cheeks. "Come on, Leo, get it together."
No backing out now. Despite all my doubts, Iwantedto have dinner with Maverick.
I checked the time. Fifteen minutes to seven. I didn't want to be late so I hurried out of the room and down the elevators to the main floor. The Gryphon's Nest restaurant wasn't hard to find. The clink of cutlery and the smell of amazing food guided me right to it.
I approached the friendly-looking hostess at the front.
