Page 21 of The Situation Ship
He didn’t need to guess what she called him through the door.
“Well, I’m here if you need me,” he sighed, settling back into the armchair by the door.
Isaiah had been right about sleeping on the tiles, Poppy thought, stretching her neck and sore back. She opened the bathroom door slowly to find Isaiah asleep in the armchair by the desk.He could have slept on the bed!She wouldn’t be the only one with a sore neck today.
The clock on the desk read 2:30pm; she couldn’t believe she had slept so late into the afternoon. Tiptoeing across the room to avoid disturbing him, she tried to open the adjoining door, but it was still locked. She needed Mina’s smartwatch to get in, since she didn’t want to wake Isaiah and face a lecture.
After some not-so-subtle knocking, Mina opened the door. Her heavy eyes looked as hungover as Poppy felt.
“Oh, thank God. I was so worried about you,” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Poppy. “Isaiah was freaked when you didn’t return with me from the bar.”
“I can see that,” Poppy said, noticing the unmade bed in Mina’s adjoining room.
“Don’t look at me like that. I did look for you! When I returned, I figured Isaiah had found you because I couldn’t get into either of your rooms. My smartwatch would only work on my own room door. Those shots of tequila did me in. I don’t know if it’s being at sea or what, but I’ve never been such a lightweight,” Mina explained, still looking a little green.
“That’s strange. We couldn’t get into the suite either. Is the adjoining door on your side locked?” Poppy asked.
“I assumed you must have locked it when you got back.”
“We should pay more attention to what doors we lock just in case,” Poppy said thoughtfully. “It’s not a big deal. I fell asleep in Isaiah’s room after he found me in the spa.”
“You slept with Isaiah?” Mina’s hands covered her shocked smile.
“NotwithIsaiah; I fell asleep in the bathroom. I’ve never been so sick. I’m never drinking champagne again.” The words tasted bitter on her tongue. One thing was for sure: there was no risk of her becoming an alcoholic like her aunt.
“Isaiah could’ve offered you his bed if you were that sick,” Mina remarked, clearly surprised by his ungentlemanly behaviour.
“Don’t be hard on him. Poor guy slept in the armchair while I yacked my guts up all night,” Poppy said. “I’ve never been so mortified in my life.” She couldn’t remember another time someone had stayed by her side all night to ensure she was alright.
“Aww, it’s nice that he looked after you. Maybe we judged him too quickly.” Mina walked to the suite’s double doors.
To their relief, the door to Poppy’s suite blinked green, allowing them to enter.
“The drill last night must have caused some glitches with some of the doors; at least they’re working now,” Mina said.
“I should’ve come back with you – I can’t believe I picked the night of a drill to wander off. I bet Isaiah is going to be keeping a closer eye on me now,” Poppy said, wishing she hadn’t left her bracelet behind. He must have been frightened when he couldn’t find her. They weren’t off to a great start.
The sight of her freshly made bed called to her, but the room service menu by her bed was even more tempting. “Are you hungry?” she asked Mina, who was lying on the couch.
“Starved,” she grumbled.
“The brunch menu goes all day.” Poppy beamed, picking up the room service menu. “Maybe I can make up for my disappearing act last night by ordering Isaiah breakfast. Do you think he’s more of an Eggs Benedict or breakfast-sandwich-with-extra-bacon kind of guy?”
“Definitely a breakfast sandwich,” Mina said, with a yawn.
“We’ll get two of those, then.” Poppy handed her the menu. “Order whatever you like; I’m going to take a quick shower before the food arrives.”
“So, one of everything?” Mina joked.
“Make it two,” Poppy laughed.
An odd metallic smell met her when she closed the bathroom door. Since the bathroom hadn’t been used yet, she figured it might just be the cleaning products. As she washed her face at the sink, the smell grew stronger.
“Whatisthat?” she muttered, dabbing her face dry with a fluffy towel. It wasn’t the towels that were causing the odour. She examined the drain, wondering if something had been washed down and got clogged, but it didn’t seem to be coming from there either. She decided that a shower would help wash away whatever might be lingering in the drains.
“Food should be here in thirty minutes,” Mina called through the door.
“Thanks! Could you check if Isaiah is awake?” Poppy called back as her stomach grumbled. Thirty minutes was just enough time for her to scrub away the effects of her night out before diving into something delicious. She dreaded the thought that, after a night of drinking and throwing up, the smell could be coming from her.She pulled back the shower curtain.
