Page 24 of Holidate Fail
They were in luck; the hotel had two rooms available, plus weak but existent wi-fi. Despite the run-down nature of the building, Mrs. Linares was sturdy. She had a cheerful smile and clucked at their predicament. “Poor dears. I’ll have Henry get some food for you.”
“I take it we’re not the first lost travelers to find you,” Dahlia said.
“We thought about shutting down the hotel, but with weak signals and the GP and S systems not working out here…” Mrs. Linares trailed off with a click of her tongue, like a mother scolding a child. “Too many folks would end up out in the elements. And we like the company.”
She handed a key to Lacole and other to Heath. “Get settled in your rooms and come back for a bite to eat. Oh, and you’ll probably need this.” She held out a phone charger.
Dahlia snatched it, thankful for the soon-to-exist connection to the outside world.
She followed Lacole to their room, with Heath and Kelly behind them, stopping at their own door. The room was dull but neat and clean, with two standard beds, burnt sienna walls and a muddy green rug. The bedspreads had a symmetrical pattern of diamonds and circles and looked old enough to have been handmade by the innkeeper’s grandmother.
Dahlia flopped on the bed closest to the window, then rolled over and plugged her phone into the USB on the lamp. Lacole stood in the doorway, looking around the room as if it was covered with slugs leaving slimy trails all over the walls.
“Aren’t you going to come in?” Dahlia asked.
“I’m not sure yet.”
The familiar buzzing of a charging phone put Dahlia at ease. She entered her password, and connected to the wi-fi.
And then the dinging started.
“Whoa, how many messages did you miss?” Lacole crossed the room to the window and peeked beyond the curtains into the woods. She muttered to herself.
Text after text scrolled on Dahlia’s phone. “You should plug yours in when mine has enough of a charge. Some of these are from the folks at Fountenoy Hall.”
The messages from Wendy and Brandi started out with check ins and became more frantic as the night wore on. Dahlia sent a text saying they had been lost and without wi-fi, but they were all fine.
Two apologetic replies came back almost immediately with added expressions of relief at their well-being. Dahlia told them she’d message them tomorrow when they were on their way back.
“Let’s go get some dinner,” Lacole said.
***
Dinner was simple but delicious, grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Comfort food that left Dahlia happy and sleepy. This was nice, being around the table with friends, enjoying a meal together and talking about their day. She could pretend she was with Kelly, imagine what would happen after their guests left and they were alone.
It was a nice dream.
She stifled a yawn, but not because she was self-conscious about it. She just didn’t want the yawn to affect anyone else.
It didn’t work. Lacole yawned next, followed by Kelly and Heath.
Mrs. Linares waved them off when Kelly began to stack the dishes. “I’ve got this. Get some rest.”
Dahlia pushed in her chair and left the small dining area. Heath and Kelly followed while Lacole finished up a conversation with Mrs. Linares.
“Hey, Dahlia, you got a minute?” Heath asked.
Beside her, Kelly paused before he resumed his trek down to his room. Dahlia fought the urge to watch him go, to tell him to stay.
“I was planning on a quick mani-pedi before my bubble bath, but I can delay it for a bit,” she answered.
“There’s a spa here?” Heath asked.
Down the hall Kelly gave a snorted laugh, and the sound made her smile. At least someone appreciated her sense of humor.
“Never mind,” Dahlia said. “What’s up?”
“You wanna watch a movie or something? Mrs. Linares said there’s some basic cable.”
