The voice on the phone was that of Dr. Marshall.
"I'm headed down to lounge for a nighcap. Care to join me?"
Gregory paused for a moment, he was very tempted to say no, but he felt it impolite to do so.
"So much for heading to bed early," he thought.
"I'll be down in about 10 minutes, I'll see you there."
Gregory hung up the phone and picked up the bundle of clothes that he had unceremoniously dumped on the hotel floor when he had stripped for the shower. He sniffed the bundle - a little to ripe for polite company, but he didn't want to wear what he had laid out for tomorrow.
Sighing he dug out some more clean clothes from his seabag and put them on. They were a little wrinkled, but from what he could tell the lounge was dimly lit, so he hoped he could get away with it.
Ensuring that he had his wallet, he left the hotel room, closing the door behind him. He felt a little paranoid since it was the first time he had been without the jade figurine on his person.
The hallway was quiet, save the dim hum over the the lighting. As he traveled towards the elevator, he could occasionally hear muffled voices drifting out from some of the rooms.
As he entered the elevator, he heard a door close in the hall behind him. As he turned around to press the button for the ground floor, he could see a young, smartly dressed woman making her way towards him. He held the doors open until she arrived.
"Ground?" he asked as she got inside.
"Yes, please."
She wore a medium length black skirt and a dress shirt with some minor feminine ruffles. Her blond hair was pulled back into a pony-tail and she had on dark rimmed glasses.
The ride to the ground floor was a short and the two exited the elevator car together. They both stepped towards the lounge, almost colliding with one another.
"You first, please." Gregory said.
She looked him over for a moment. "If we're heading the same direction, you might as well walk with me."
Gregory nodded and the two started towards the longue. The hotel lobby was nearly empty save for an attendant behind the counter and two old men reading newspapers and smoking in one of the plush longue chairs that were scattered around.
"You're here for the Tabbys aren't you?" she asked as they walked.
"How could you tell?" Gregory asked
"They put most of us on the same floor," she said. "We've been bored out of our minds waiting for a couple of stragglers to show up. I guess you're one of them?"
"Gregory Roberts at your service," he said.
"Doctor Beth Samson," she said.
"Another Doctor?" asked Gregory. "I though Dr. Marshall would be the only one."
"I'm not a Medical Doctor," she said. "I have a doctorate in Anthropology. I'm a professor at the local university."
"Local? Why are you staying at a hotel then?"
"I sublette my apartment when I agreed to take on this position," she said. "I doubt I will be making many trips back to town once we reach the Enclave. It's pretty isolated."
"I know," Gregory said. "I've been there before."
Beth looked surprised and seemed primed to ask a question, but they crossed the threshold into the lounge.
The two entered the darkened room. A bar lined the far end with a few patrons occupying some of the stools, engaged in quiet conversation. A number of white-linen covered dining tables sat in the center of the room. Intimate dining booths lined the other three walls.
"You can sit anywhere," the bartender said when they entered. "Kitchen's closed for the night though, so if you want a drink you'll have to order it from me."
Gregory scanned the room looking for Dr. Marshall. He hadn't arrived yet.
"Mr. Roberts, if you will allow me to buy you a drink, I have some questions," Beth said.
"Sure, but I'm meeting a friend here shortly."
"They can join us when they arrive," she said. "What would you like to drink?"
"I'm a simple guy, so a beer will do. Whatever they have on tap."
She nodded, "Alright, I will get the drinks and you get us some seats."
Gregory selected an unoccupied corner booth and sat down. Moments later he was joined by Beth, a beer in each hand.