“OK.”
Mr. Gardner turned on the heels of his highly polished shoes and hurried back to reception to make a phone call. He didn’t take his eyes off me, speaking so softly that I couldn’t hear his words. He remained behind the counter after hanging up. Had he called Henry to let him know I was leaving?
“Miss?”
I whirled around. Another man had slunk up to me as silently as a cat. Something like this would never have happened under normal circumstances, but I’d grown careless in the face of such an abundance of luxury. This man was bulkier than Mr. Gardner, but no less elegantly dressed.
“Yes?”
“Come with me, please.”
“Where to?” My heart sank to my knees.
“Follow me, please,” the man replied firmly, ignoring my question. He pointed the way, but I didn’t move.
I didn’t know this man, nor did I trust him. Henry had been an exception, but I did not like this guy. I stood frozen in place and weighed up whether I should make a run for it. I was sure I was faster than him. “Please, Miss.”
I got ready to sprint. “What do you want?”
“I have to check your bag,” the man explained calmly.
“Why?”
“Because you entered the hotel without permission.”
So that’s what this was about. They thought I’d broken in and was trying to smuggle out stolen loot through the main entrance. If I really had stolen something, I’d have climbed out through a window, but I didn’t say that. “I was with Henry.”
The man frowned. “Mr. Darlington?”
“Yes. Henry Darlington,” I said. “There are photos of us!”
The man’s gaze flicked from me to Mr. Gardner, who had overheard our conversation. Wordlessly, Mr. Gardner picked up the phone again, but this time he didn’t lower his voice. “Good afternoon, Mr. Darlington. Apologies for disturbing you, but we have a Kate Hamilton here at reception who claims to have been your guest.”
For a split second, I feared irrationally that Henry would deny it, but at his answer, Mr. Gardner nodded. He hung up and approached me with graceful steps, offering a friendly yet somewhat stiff smile. “Please excuse the misunderstanding, Miss Hamilton. Mr. Darlington will be here in a moment. May I offer you something to drink while you wait?”
I shook my head.
Mr. Gardner inclined his head in a slight bow before returning to his position behind the reception desk. The dapper brute who had appeared so suddenly had now vanished just as quietly. I shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to expect next. As I debated whether to sit down, the door marked “Staff Only” near reception swung open, and Henry stepped into the lobby. Grace’s words flashed in my mind, but I had to disagree with her. Sure, Henry looked good in a T-shirt and jogging bottoms, but in the blue suit he was wearing now, he was even more attractive.
He stopped before me. “What are you doing?”
“You tell me. I was trying to leave when your receptionist and his bouncer stopped me,” I answered, gesturing at Mr. Gardner. He was staring intently at his computer, clearly listening to us.
Henry eyed me. Only now did he seem to register my rucksack and the clothes bag full of blankets. He frowned. “You want to leave?” he asked, as if I hadn’t just told him.
I nodded. What other options did I have?
“Why?” His surprised tone confused me.
“Because the storm is over?” I said, my inflection making it more a question than an answer. As happy as I was to see Henry again, the pain of saying goodbye, something I’d been trying to avoid, was growing stronger by the second.
He took a half step towards me, slowly, as if he wanted to give me time to flinch back. For some reason, though, I felt no need to run from him. “Stay,” he said.
I was sure I’d misheard. I looked at him, bewildered. “What?”
“Stay,” he repeated.
“Here? At the hotel?”
