***Cindy***
I rushed out of Kyle's room without having a second thought. How careless of me to have been on a stranger's bed while I left my sister to bear the burden of taking my mom to the hospital. What must have happened? My mom and my sister were the only family I had, and I'd do anything to make them happy.
Ever since Dad died, it had been my sole responsibility to cater to the family. I had to hold down two jobs, one as a catering chef and the other as a fashion designer. Life had been tough, but I was grateful I had my family. Alexa helped out sometimes when the burden became too heavy for me. We both decided that our mom would not have to work anymore, giving her time to rest and make sure she was healthy enough to live long for us.
Alexa and I decided that once we had enough money saved up, we would start our own catering company, one that everyone would be a part of, like a family business. To speed up the process, I submitted many applications to different top fashion brands that paid well, so that way, I would earn more money to save for this purpose.
It was still quite early when I got out of The Beverly Wilshire Hotel. I ordered a ride that would take me straight to St. Michael's Hospital. I prayed in my heart that whatever it was that was wrong with my mom, wasn't life-threatening. I cannot afford to lose any more members of my family. The ride I had ordered got to the hotel soon after, and took me to the hospital.
I was still on my way when I realized I had not left any note for Kyle, nor had I exchanged numbers with him. I had had a very steamy night, one that would linger in my mind for a long time. It was my first time having sex and it felt so good. This must be why Mark cheated. He couldn't abstain for that long but, he should have at least come clean about it. I was still heartbroken.
This was no time to think of what Mark did or the fact that I had just had sex with someone I barely knew, without leaving a number or a note, explaining why I had to leave early. I concluded in my heart that I would stop by later to explain what had happened. I got to St. Michael's, paid the driver, and thanked him.
I burst through the sliding door and spotted the information desk to my right. "Hi, I'm looking for my mother," I said to the woman at the desk. "She was brought in here almost an hour ago. Can you tell me where she is?" I continued, wearing a worried look. "Oh! I'm so sorry dear. What is your mother's name?" The woman asked, feeling a bit concerned.
"Kate Baker," I replied almost immediately. The woman's fingers flew across the keyboard, checking for my mother's details. "Your mother is in the Orthopedic Unit, room 221." I gasped. Orthopedic Unit? What in the world happened? Before she could give any more description, I rushed towards the elevator, my mind racing with the thought of what could have happened to my mom.
I exited the elevator and followed the signs to the Orthopedic Unit. I spotted a nurse and quickly asked for directions. "Room 221 is right down the hall, I'm headed there. Follow me," the nurse said with a warm smile. My heart began to pound in anticipation, with a lot of 'what ifs' running through my mind.
I entered the room and saw my mom lying on the bed with her ankle wrapped in a bandage. Alexa was seated by her side. She rushed to me for a hug immediately as she sighted me. Her face looked worried. "I was so scared, Cindy, so scared," she let out. "It's okay, Lexi. I'm here now," I hushed my sister, who was about to cry.
"Mom," I turned to my mother, "How are you doing? Is it that bad? What happened?" I asked all at once.
"Easy on me, Cindy," my mother cautioned. "I am doing okay. It was just a nasty sprain, baby. I'll be fine in no time," my mother assured me. I was not convinced, so I turned to Alexa, who explained further. My mother had missed a step while going to the bathroom that morning. She lost her balance and fell to the floor. It was the noise that had woken Alexa up, who rushed to her side.
"So what exactly was detected, nurse?" I asked the nurse who had been assigned to my mother's care. "The doctor has assessed her injury. Mrs. Baker has a grade 2 ankle sprain," the nurse announced. What? "What does this mean?" I asked anxiously.
"This means that there is some ligament damage, but it's not so severe. Don't panic. Clutches would be provided as well as pain management. All that your mother needs is enough rest, and she'll be fine in the next couple of days," the nurse explained. I was already panicking. I would not have forgiven myself had the case been worse than it already was.
I thanked the nurse as she headed out. "You will be back on your feet soon, okay?" I said as I rubbed my mom's shoulders. I had to brace up and be there for both my mom and my sister. Thankfully, it was Saturday, so there was nowhere I'd be going. I had enough time to spend with my mom, ensuring that she was well taken care of.
Soon after, Alexa and I decided to leave the room for a bit, giving my mom some space to sleep. "Spill it out already, Lexi," I said to my sister, knowing that she had questions for me about last night. I had told her earlier of my plans to allow Mark to take my virginity. Alexa wasn't just my sister, she was my best friend and I confided in her. I told her everything and she did the same.
We hadn't always been this close. We were usually at loggerheads while growing up. Alexa had always picked fights with me at any slight chance she got, not minding the fact that I was the older one. Our closeness grew after the passing of our dad seven years ago. I had just turned eighteen and Alexa was fifteen at the time. Dad had been returning from work when he was knocked down by a drunk driver, who sped off out of fear. He died on the spot.
Life had taken a drastic turn ever since. I had to grow up very fast, taking multiple jobs to support my mom. I saw myself through school and assisted in paying some of Alexa's fees. Our family grew to be close-witted. Now, I was the provider of the family. "Cindy! Cindy!!" Alexa tapped me, jolting me back to reality.
"Sorry, Lexi. What were you saying?"
"Did you do it?" Lexi asked what she had been asking, that I had paid no attention to.
"Do what?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
"You know what I'm talking about, Cindy." Of course, I knew what she was talking about but wanted to act the part a little bit. I opened up to Alexa and told her how I had caught Mark cheating and how I met Kyle, which led to our little escapade until I had gotten a call from her earlier that morning.
"A total stranger?" Alexa almost screamed. "This is not like you, sis." Alexa was pained that Mark had cheated, and she cursed him for what I had gone through. Alexa could see my cheeks blush as I told her how my night had been with Kyle. "So, how was the experience? Was it good?" She asked, wanting to know more.
I nodded in affirmation. The sex was good, so good that my body yearned for more. "Are you guys dating now or something?" Alexa inquired. I told my sister that I had neither left a number nor a note. How dumb!
"You just had a one-night stand?" Alexa asked as her eyes grew wide with shock. "No silly! Don't be ridiculous. I'll get Kyle's number one way or another," I said in a defensive tone.
"Either way you want to look at it, it's still a one-night stand." Alexa wasn't helping the situation, and I had to agree that I may have had a single night of pleasure, one that I might not experience with the same person again.
We had had enough of Kyle already, and we needed to talk about how we were going to pay the hospital bills. The only option we had was to take the money we had saved up, to start up our catering company. My mom was discharged after three days. I was grateful to Alexa for holding it down for me while I worked.
With most of our savings gone, I worked double as hard. There was not much help coming from Alexa. All through, I hardly remembered Kyle and the encounter we had. It had been almost a week since I met him and I wondered what would have been going through his mind after he realized that I had left just like that.
I decided I was going to check the hotel for him. I told Alexa my plan, but she advised that I get the hotel's customer service number. I was somehow nervous. It had been almost a week and I chose to call now. I took a deep breath as I dialed the number. A friendly voice picked up on the second ring, "Beverly Wilshire Hotel, this is Layla, how may I help you?"
My voice trembled a little bit, "Hi, Layla," I replied. I was going to ask her to find out if a guest was staying at the hotel by the name of Kyle, but I knew I wouldn't be privy to such information. Instead, I asked if the presidential suite on the 16th floor, where Kyle had lodged, was available for booking. I gave her the impression that I wanted to make a reservation. That way, I would know if Kyle was still around or not.
Layla asked me to hold on a little, while she checked. After a few minutes, she confirmed that the suite was available for booking, asking me if I would like to make a reservation right away or on a specific date. I had gotten the information I needed, so I told her I was going to get back to her, which I knew I was never going to.
Kyle was no longer in that hotel and there was no way that I would find him, since I had no information about him, except his first name. What a shame! All the while we conversed at the bar, we never exchanged vital information about ourselves. We had only lived that moment and enjoyed every bit of it.
I relayed my findings to Alexa, who only felt pity for me and assured me that I would find someone better, one who was more deserving of me. It was going to be a long day for me tomorrow. I checked in on my mom to see if she needed anything. I found her fast asleep and heaved a sigh of relief. I was grateful for her progress so far. Soon, she would be up and walking again like nothing ever happened.
I went to my room to have my night's rest. I had a lot I was going to do the following day and I needed all the sleep I could get. I closed my eyes, begging my mind to quiet down and let sleep take over. But it couldn't. Where was Kyle? The memory of that passionate night ran through my head. I threw off the bed covers and got out of my bed, pacing across the room.
Just then, my phone beeped. My eyes widened as I stared at the email on my phone screen. I did not know when I let out a sharp scream that sent Alexa running into my room. Luckily, it had not woken up my mom.
"What is the matter, Cindy?" She asked curiously.
"Guess what!" I said, turning to my sister.