Paper hearts and plot tw.., p.4
Paper Hearts and Plot Twists, page 4
“Here’s a map of the facility. Your room is on the third floor. The map shows where everything is, including but not limited to the theater, spa, and pool. If you have any questions we have a help desk.” She pointed off to the side where a sign indicated said desk. “The help desk is available during operating hours from eight in the morning until eight in the evening. Your key will get you into any of these communal places, though, as long as you try to access them in the allowed times, which are listed in the facilities packet.” She set that on top of his growing pile.
Kat slid a keycard across the space to Miles and then continued. “I see you’re a part of the Cupid’s Quill Symposium. The conference host left a paper here with a schedule of events on it. You can get your welcome packet tonight or tomorrow morning in the Crescent conference room.” She flipped to the map and circled the stated room.
“Your reservation goes from now until Sunday. Check out is eleven thirty on Sunday, and checkout instructions are listed in the booklet in your room. Maid services visit rooms each day, but if you’d like privacy and no cleaning please put the sign on the door handle. If you have any questions or needs, you can come here or use the phone to call the respective department.” She circled some phone numbers and underlined the departments those numbers referred to. Miles was shocked to note she barely paid mind to the paper, running off of muscle memory for all of her circling and underlining.
Kat then turned to the final page in the packet. “Breakfast can be ordered by scanning the QR code in your room, which will lead you to our app where you can place your order, or by calling it in the night before. If you wait until morning, there will be about a two-hour delay,” Kat gave him a paper with a QR code on it as well.
“Do you have any questions?” she asked.
“No, I’m good, thank you for the help,” Miles said with what his brother referred to as his “PR” smile because he always used it with the press. He took the packet of papers, and grabbed his ID and credit card from the desk, stuffing them together with the paper packet into the front pocket of his suitcase. Miles yawned and headed toward the elevator. He was going to check into the conference area quickly and then he could catch up on some sleep.
Chapter 6
Stale air swirled through the large plane as it hurled down the runway and slowly lifted from the ground, shaking the whole way. Most passengers paid no mind to the normal routine of flying. Emily wasn’t most people.
“First time flying?”
“What gave me away? The white face, clenched fists, or the whole-body trembles?”
The man gave a deep-throated chuckle. “It’s really not too bad once you’re used to it. Takeoffs and landings are the most noticeable, and we’re already done with the takeoff part.”
“What about turbulence?”
“Our flight’s only a couple hours and there aren’t any forecasted storms, so I can’t imagine it will be bad. You just have to distract yourself.” He gestured to his phone attached to headphones and the magazine in his lap.
“I can do that.” Emily breathed out, pulled her phone out of her pocket, and grabbed her Bluetooth headphones from the side pocket of her purse. She turned to one of the episodes of The Vampire Diaries she’d downloaded and watched for about ten minutes before she decided something needed to change. She couldn’t spend this whole flight with her neck craned down at her phone.
The seat back pocket provided the answer. She shuffled through the contents and pulled out the barf bag. “I’m not sick, I promise,” Emily said when she saw her seatmate sending her dubious side-eyes. “I saw this airplane hack on TikTok and want to try it out.”
He smiled tremulously before going back to his own entertainment. Emily pulled the case off of her phone and re-attached it with the barf bag underneath. She settled the back behind the seat tray and grinned at her make-shift TV screen. She continued to watch her show, much happier with her current neck positioning.
A while later Emily realized one of her dreaded flying realities was coming to pass . . . she needed to use the bathroom. Trying to ignore it, she continued watching her show to distract herself, but before long that became impossible.
Emily unbuckled and stood, bumping against her precariously balanced phone, causing it to tumble to the floor and roll under the seat. She glanced underneath but couldn’t see where it had disappeared to.
“Bathroom?”
Emily nodded, lips pressed together in a thin line of annoyance.
“I’ll get it for you,” he said with a grin. “Go to the bathroom.”
“It’s fine. I’ll get it later,” Emily insisted, moving down the aisle toward the bathroom. The bathroom was worse than she anticipated: cramped, small, bumpy, and less than sanitary. Despite this, she remained there a bit longer than she needed to gather herself and take some deep breaths. She wasn’t in a hurry to get back to her seatmate, who she was sure regretted his seat assignment by now.
When she made it back to her seat, her phone was sitting there, face up, with the show paused. The blood drained from her face when she realized where the show was stopped. The very cute but very naked Damon Salvatore was in the middle of licking a line down the front of an equally naked Elena Gilbert.
Emily snatched her phone and exited the screen. She sat down, feeling like a strawberry turning from white to red. She opted to go to audible and listen to one of her books. No risqué scenes for others to witness that way.
She started where she left off in Enamored by J.S. Scott and glanced out the window at the white fluffy clouds. She let her mind wander with the story.
Emily’s seatmate was messing with his phone, perhaps switching songs. She frowned when her book stopped and pulled her phone up. The audiobook was still playing soundlessly and she was missing one of the spiciest scenes. The main character had just started touching on his beau. She pulled her headphones off her head and turned the volume up then realized she could hear the sound . . . coming from the seat beside her.
Emily nearly dropped her phone as she paused her book, halting the sound to his earbuds. “I’m so sorry,” she mumbled. Emily turned off the Bluetooth connection and slipped her phone and headphones back into her bag. There was no way she could handle a repeat of this scenario. Instead, she stared out the window in mortification.
When the plane was at its highest altitude, the flight attendants moved through the aisle with beverage service.
“Would you like something to drink?” The flight attendant was in front of her with the large steel cart.
“Coffee would be wonderful,” Emily said. She gladly accepted the steaming beverage and cupped it between her hands. She breathed in the refreshing smell and barely noticed as her seat companion accepted his own glass of Coke.
It wasn’t great coffee, but it felt like the best thing she ever tasted after the day she already had. Emily savored each sip as her tension melted away. With a sigh she reached forward to set her cup on the tray, and that tension returned tenfold.
“No!” Emily gasped as her coffee tumbled down, all over her sweater, lap, shoes, and most horrifying of all, onto her seatmate’s shoes and pants. Her wide, horrified eyes turned to him.
“I’m so sorry!”
“It’s fine,” he said. He started to dab at his pants with his napkin. Emily pulled a couple crumbled napkins from her purse and offered them, but he shook his head, declining the offer. She was blushing from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes.
Settling her shaking hands in her lap, she stared at the seat back in front of her, shivering as the hot coffee cooled against her skin. She clasped her hands together and squirmed, deciding that a boring flight was better than causing any more embarrassment.
Emily was so anxious to get off of the plane she barely registered the bumpy landing. As the line of passengers exiting reached her row, Emily stood with her purse in tow and headed down the aisle, sparing a quick smile for the flight attendant before she exited.
She yawned as she stumbled past security and toward baggage claim. Emily tapped her foot as she waited with the rest of her flight for her bag, pointedly avoiding looking at the people who’d shared a row with her.
“Finally,” she mumbled as her suitcase slipped down the ramp. She reached for the handle and tugged it off the platform. Wasting no time, she hurried toward the nearest bathroom and made her way into one of the empty stalls.
“Shoot,” Emily mumbled when she fell into the wall of the stall as she pulled her leggings up. She wrinkled her nose and glanced at the less than sanitary wall before she finished settling into her new outfit.
“I’ve got this. The hard part’s done,” she mumbled aloud. She shoved her coffee-stained clothing into the top pocket of her suitcase and took a deep breath to center herself.
Emily fumbled to unlatch the lock then hurried out of the bathroom into something reminiscent of a ghost town. A worker or two sleepily leaned against counters (most likely counting down the seconds until they went home), and a couple passengers slumped in seats, hoods shadowing their faces, but the hustle and bustle of the airport had vanished.
The click-clack of her boots seemed especially noisy in the quiet space. If Emily hadn’t just finished a ten-hour travel day due to a six-hour flight delay at the Portland airport, she might consider it peaceful. She made her way past the empty baggage claim toward the taxi stand. She wasn’t an airport regular, but she didn’t think it was supposed to be this empty.
To her right, about one hundred yards off was the shuttle to her hotel. Emily’s triumphant grin faded into horrified resignation when the vehicle started to move.
“Stop! Wait! Please!” Emily shouted. She tugged her suitcase and started to sprint in that direction, but it was a futile endeavor. Before she was ten yards down the walkway, the shuttle was out of sight.
“Just my luck.” Emily stomped back inside the building and went to the empty customer service desk.
“How may I help you?” the middle-aged man asked. He looked like he was at the end of his rope and would like to do anything but help. Emily would walk away if she had a choice, but stuck in a strange city without transportation left her with limited options.
“My shuttle to the Gaylord Rockies Resort left without me,” Emily said. She glanced back at the door and then to the man at the desk. “I need to get there tonight.”
“That was the last shuttle,” the man responded with a resigned sigh. “I can call you a cab.”
“Are there any other options?”
“It’s a long walk, but doable.”
Emily drew in a deep breath. Getting mad at him wasn’t going to make it better. It’s not his fault she changed her clothing and missed her shuttle. “A cab will be fine.”
The wait for the cab and the drive went by in a blur.
Emily’s leg jiggled nervously as the taxi carried her closer to the hotel entrance. Every minute that passed spiked her anxiety. Missing the free shuttle took a hit to her bank account. She didn’t dare lean her head against the window like she so desperately wanted to, for fear she’d fall asleep. She could imagine the driver sitting and waiting for her to wake as the bill rose higher than she could ever pay.
The black landscape passed in a blur. There was a distinctive lack of city lights as they drove through a barren area and Emily felt that lack to her bones. She felt like she was stuck in an episode of Twilight Zone, the only light coming from the headlights and dashboard of the taxi. She was sure this was the start to some horror movie she didn’t want to participate in, but she tried to push those thoughts from her mind.
Squinting, she saw specks of light ahead. She focused on them as they became larger and clearer. She was finally approaching the entrance of the hotel and it couldn’t have come at a better time because she’d drop where she sat if she didn’t get into bed STAT. Not to mention the dire state of her poor wallet with the added cost of a taxi.
The cab rolled to a stop under the cover of the entrance and there wasn’t another car in sight. The cab driver opened her door and popped the trunk. Emily sluggishly pulled herself out of the cab, a limp noodle of exhaustion, and meandered to the back of the cab, where her driver was closing the trunk now that Emily’s suitcase was out.
“Thank you,” Emily murmured to the woman. She handed her several bills after reading the meter. Her wallet was light enough to float away.
“Not a problem,” she responded with a thick accent Emily didn’t recognize. “I hope you have a good evening.”
“You too,” Emily said. “Drive safe.”
Emily closed her eyes and yawned. She rolled her shoulders, pulled up the handle to her suitcase, and turned toward the hotel entrance as the cab pulled away. She was supposed to arrive ten hours earlier, but the flight delay wrecked those plans. Spending the entire day in airports sucked the life from her . . . the plane ride alone took fifteen of those years. Being a contest winner didn’t mean she was able to enjoy flying in luxury. It actually meant the opposite. But she was finally here.
Her flight hadn’t offered food during the flight or the six-hour delay, and Emily hadn’t anticipated the need to pack anything. She had coffee on the flight, but only three sips before that ended in disaster. Her stomach grumbled and she pressed a hand to it with a frown. She’d been tempted to get food at the airport, but the markups alone had stayed her hand. Then the taxi ride completely cleaned her out. Currently, she was so tired that her need for sleep greatly outweighed her stomach’s insistence on sustenance.
Emily looked around the hotel lobby in amazement. Despite the dimmed lights, the entrance made quite the statement. She’d dreamed about attending this conference, of course, and seeing this beautiful hotel in person. Every reader wanted to attend the hottest event of the year. But she never imagined she’d be able to make this happen, given the price tag of the conference ticket, let alone travel, food, and lodging.
It had felt like a joke, one in bad taste, when Joel and Leo told her about this trip. She’d read the letter enough times that she had it memorized. Large letters proclaimed that she’d be able to go to Cupid’s Quill Symposium free of charge, with a room, ticket, food, and airfare all covered. She’d always wanted to go, but the conference ticket alone was $500, before any add-ons like author and agent brunches.
Obviously this wasn’t a joke because she was here. She was so thankful for Uncle Joel entering her in the contest, for thinking of her and making this dream come true. Would she be able to use this opportunity for marketing, to get close to publishing? Emily pushed that thought from her mind. There wasn’t a chance. She needed to just enjoy the ride.
Emily spun in a circle, staring in wide-eyed wonder at the beautiful hotel lobby before her, taking in the pictures, artwork, paneling, and everything in between. She glanced at the front desk, but didn’t see anyone there. Shrugging, she walked up to some of the paintings drawing her eye. Someone would be there soon, she was sure, and in the meantime, she would enjoy the artwork. This was no French or Italian museum, but given her financial situation, it would sate the need to one day explore them.
Emily glanced at the desk every few moments, but there was no change. She glanced around, wondering if she’d missed a sign or instructions. The desk loomed tall and foreboding. She moved closer, looking for a bell to ring or another way to say she needed assistance. The hotel website said they do check-ins twenty-four/seven, so someone should be available to come to the front, even if they were taking a quick midnight nap in the breakroom.
Emily frowned and knocked against the aged wood of the desk, at a loss for what else to do. She grinned as she heard the sound of something falling, followed by a high voice swearing up a storm. What a colorful vocabulary. Emily blushed to the tip of her ears. A moment later a pink shock of hair, followed by the rest of a slim form, peeked around the corner and hurried over.
“Are you okay?” Emily asked, her eyes going wide in concern. The woman looked like she’d just taken a tumble.
“I’ll be fine,” she replied with a blush, waving her hand. “Your knock startled me. I was trying to help one of the other staffers in the back and I fell, but I’m okay.”
“If you’re sure,” Emily replied. “It’s nice to meet you. My name is Emily.”
“Hello, Emily,” she murmured around a loud yawn. Emily lifted a hand to her mouth to hide her grin. “Do you have a reservation? We’re booked up. There’s a Comfort Inn five miles down the road that might have room. Unfortunately due to the conference the only available rooms are a good thirty to forty-five minutes out.”
Emily passed her ID over the desk. “I do have a reservation,” Emily said with a smile. “It should be under Emily Parker.”
The woman, Kat according to the nametag, typed something on the keyboard, “Yup, looks like you’re here. You’ll be in room 3740.”
Emily nodded along and took in Kat’s information in a daze. She’d be a mess looking through the papers tomorrow to find all the information she missed. She shoved the bundle of papers into her purse, keeping the keycard out so she could get into her room quickly and finally get the sleep her body so desperately needed.
Emily used the elevator to get to the third floor and followed the signs leading to her room. “34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40,” she whispered as she moved down the hall. The door was the same as all of the others. Emily grinned, feeling like her vacation was truly starting. It was all looking up from here.
She swiped her card, pulled the handle, and stepped into the dark space. The whirring fan added a nice touch, ensuring a relaxing environment for guests who were arriving late. A dark room wasn’t her favorite, but she could figure out a lamp situation later. She was too tired right now.
Emily kicked her shoes off by the door and left her bag there as well. She considered changing into pajamas, but decided her leggings and sweater were good enough for sleep.
