It's the Statehood Day soon. And it's all everyone can talk about. The hotel walls are alive with squeals and chatter. Everyone's trying out their colorful Aloha shirts; They're usually collared and button dress shirts, mainly short sleeved and cut from printed fabric.
In order to commemorate the day Hawaii joined the U.S of A as state fifty, the hotel is hosting a concert in it's premises, mainly for their customers. We the 'workers' aren't allowed. But that's not stopping us from sneaking in, though.
Lacey's sitting Indian style on her bed, making a phone call when I step out of the bathroom in my robe. It's five hours till midnight. Also eight hours from now to Cory's and I little adventure by 3am, and it's all I've been thinking about since he brought it up. My stomach instantly forms a tight knot as I remember what I have in mind for tonight.
There's only two things that can happen. Acceptance or Rejection.
And even if I get rejected, it's not like I'm never going to speak to him again for the rest of my life, or avoid eye contacts when he's talking, or disappear from his life completely...
I have a feeling I'm taking this too far. It's only three words. How hard can they be.
"Did you use my shower gel?" Lacey sniffs the air around me.
"You use my face towel for your butt. I have every right to use your shower gel."
"I know a guy called Freddie." She says.
"You know every guy on this island."
"Not in that way. He's like in his late thirties with two kids. I don't do married men." Lacey twists a strand of hair by the tip of her fingers. "Married women on the other hand..."
"What's up with this Freddie guy?" I quickly ask, not actually interested in her sexual orientations. Too much information for me.
"He's a plumber, and also does wall paintings and wallpapers. He does all house repairs in general. And he's willing to help us for free."
I stare at a part of the room walls where paint continues to fall off. "I don't know. We only have less than four weeks to spend here. Is it worth bothering him? The hotel can fix their crap when we leave."
She stares at me like I'd lost my mind as I walk over to get a moisturizer from the cupboards. "We're not some damsels in distress. We do our things our own way, and..." the sound of a crashing furniture trails me off as I look up to see the cupboard that was fixated on the wall now landing straight down to my head.
It hit me with so much force that I crash along with the furniture. That'll definitely definitely leave a bump on my head.
"Call Freddie ASAP," I groan, limping all the way to the bathroom.
"Are you sure? I think we'll be fine for the rest of the weeks." Lacey's tone sounds mocking. The bitch.
A huge bump rises on my forehead when I bring my hands up to feel it, and it stings. Bad. As expected, a headache almost splits my head open, taking only sheer will to shrug on some clothes and head downstairs to the kitchen to get an ice pack.
The door to Cory's room is slightly ajar when I reach there. A smile creeps on my face as I wonder if he's excited about tonight like I am. Or the feeling might just be one sided.
I push the door open wider and pop in a head to check if he's in and I'm greeted with empty silence.
Weird. Where'd they all go?
Closing the door softly behind me, I walk further into the room because sue me, I'm a snoop.
This could be seen as breaking in as stated in the giant book of the hotel's rules. But the door was left completely open, so I wasn't exactly breaking in.
Used condoms lay on of the single beds and I fake a gag. Like a rag doll, I fling myself on Cory's bed and sniff deeply into his pillow that has his name embroidered in it. It smells so much like him. Minty and fresh.
I'd be embarrassed shitless if someone walks in on me like this, sniffing his pillow like a crazed fan girl.
I rub my fingers against the picture frame resting on his nightstand. It's a picture of his younger self with a much younger little girl cradled in his arms but I don't pay too much attention to her. Cory looks extremely cute and chubby on the cheeks as a kid. If I were an emoji right now, it'd be the one with two heart eyes.
I jump off the bed when I hear footsteps outside the room, aiming for the door, which is absolutely stupid because the footsteps are approaching straight to the door.
In my course of panicking, I knock over a shelf of CD's that goes clattering to the floor and I dive for the ground to catch them so they wouldn't make too much of a noise.
"What are you doing?" I freeze when a voice asks from the doorway. Bringing my head up slowly, I come face to face with Noah's unwavering stare. "Did you come here to steal those porn CD's?"
"What do you..." I look at the CD's packed in my hands, my eyes widening as I see the picture displayed on the front part that should be made illegal in all fifty states. I have never seen anything so revealing. "I- I didn't come here to take these, I swear."
Noah drops the paper bag he's carrying. "Bloody heck."
"Not exactly the genre of movies I watch."
This is turning into a farce.
"And not a fan of these," I wave the CD's up in the air. "So..."
Cursing myself for my stupidity, I wonder how I let myself get into this situation in the first place.
"Why do you keep porn in your room anyway?"
Noah stares at me in disbelief. "You come to an all guy's room by this time of the day, what were you expecting? Stuffed ponies and tiaras? Those aren't even mine."
"Prove it."
I can tell he's fighting the urge not to reach out and shake some sense into me. "You know, ever since I met you, I've been perilously close to bringing out a violent streak I never suspected was part of my nature. Sit down."
"Are you crazy?"
"No, but I'm getting there. Sit... down."
After some moments of hesitation, I obey.
"Give me those blasted CD's."
I outstretch them out to him as he tosses them on a random bed. When he turns back at me, I pick up a snicker bar from the bed I'm sitting on and slowly unwrap it. He watches me sink my teeth into it as I chew thoroughly before swallowing.
"You want the other half?" I offer.
"What were you doing in here?" He asks. I merely shrug. He walks within inches to where I'm seated and when I shrug again, he grips my arms and draws me to my feet.
My eyes widen in shock as the chocolate bar falls to the floor.
"Let me go!"
My hair, in it's high ponytail, tangles down from its pins and several wisps breaks free to drift against my cheeks. Lightly, he allows his fingers to trace the bump on my forehead.
"Where did you get this?"
I make one more half hearted effort to pull free and glower at him. "I fell. Satisfied?"
"Klutz," He tells me softly, my cheeks getting heated up at his provocative tone.
"Where did you get yours?" I refer to his scar.
"A one sided fight."
"Really? I can't imagine anyone strong enough to ignore one of your intimidating glares."
"You don't have much of a problem with it."
I huff. "As much as I enjoy standing here sparring with you, this is getting nowhere."
"I noticed." He says.
Noah reaches out and grasps both my wrists in one hand, holding them over my head. "What are you doing? Let go off me!"
"In a minute." With his other free hand, He draws down the zipper of my jacket.
"Stop that!" I try to jerk away but he moves in so close I have no space to maneuver. He removes the chocolates I stuffed into my pockets earlier from the bed. Tossing it on a desk, he runs his hand as impersonally as possible over my body, like I'm a caught criminal. Twisting, I attempt to break his grip.
"This would go a lot easier if you'd hold still." His hand brushes across my breasts and instantly, I go motionless. So does he. The very air around us also seems to still.
"Bastard!" I hiss.
"Sorry." He moves his hand away. He continues to pat me down, trying to be detached as he circles the waistband of my slacks and following the path down to my hips and thighs, blocking a knee I aim at his groin.
"Have it your way then," he turns me away from him. "Bend over the desk."
"I didn't take anything!" I protest. That doesn't still stop him from dragging my hands behind my back and placing me down over the desk. He removes an object from my back pocket.
"Then why is this with you?"
I straighten immediately, breathing hard. My face flushes more from anger than exertion. Noah lifts the lip balm he brought out from my pocket that has Cory's name printed on the cap. I might've picked that up too while I laid on his bed.
Why does he have to label all his stuffs with his damn name.
"Are you a stalker?"
Indeed, I am. And the realization hit me like a shitload of bricks. I didn't want to be one of those crazy fan girls, but right now, Noah's staring at me like one of them. I really need to get a hold of myself.
This whole situation makes me look absolutely ridiculous.
And as Cory and I are both under the stars, I look more ridiculous as I stare at his soft profile and relaxed gaze on the night sky.
"Do you see that cluster of stars overhead?" Cory points into the darkness above us. "That's Orion, the hunter. Those three stars form his belt. Beside him, just there, that group is Taurus the bull."
"Impressive." He only beams in response. A shooting star shoots across the blackness of the sky.
"Make a wish, Allie." He says.
And of course, I do. It's the same damn words that have been sitting at the back of my throat the whole night, choking me.
Giving it a shot, I close my eyes tightly and cross both of my fingers, putting all I've got into it. Please let Cory love me back.
"I know I shouldn't ask this, but what was your wish?"
"I'm not telling. It's not going to come true if I do."
"Well, I'm going to tell you mine." He faces me, even if he can't see my face in the dark.
"Your choice."
"I wished we'd be friends forever, and ever, and ever."
A long, unbearable silence follows as he slams those words to my ears. In the painful silence, I'm currently having a battle within me wether to pretend I'm okay with it or slide out of the friend-zone forever.
"Me too. I'd love that." Yes, I went with the lie, and I currently feel like shit.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Then why are you sounding like that?" He presses on.
"Like what?"
"Like you're crying."
My voice breaks at my cowardliness. "It's tears of joy."
No, I'm not crying, but I'm very close to becoming a sobering mess right this instant.
Dear Cupid, next time hit us both.
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