Page 31 of Hot in the City
Yuki's face heated. She did want to stay. But he was making this situation all about him! Couldn't he see she was trapped? "I do want to stay, really, but I can't forget about my job, my life, just to hang out with you for a bit longer! You're the one leaving the country tonight."
He stared at her, boring down into the depths of her soul, or it felt like it. "I thought we had something good going on. There could be more than one night. But I guess I was wrong. Wouldn't be the first time." He turned his back on her, and walked slowly back into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him with a definite bang.
She spoke quietly in the empty room. "Oh, hell in a handbag. What have I done?"
Yuki grabbed her things, slunk out of the suite and headed straight down the corridor for the elevator they'd taken last night. If she emerged near the restaurant downstairs, she could cut through the dining room and exit onto the side street, totally bypassing Reception. That was the plan.
By the time she hopped out on the Ground floor, she knew she'd made an obvious mistake. Security cameras. The assistant manager, Mr Ivanov, was waiting for her. Yuki's heart pounded, and it was lucky she was wearing sunglasses because her eyes were watery too. Mr Ivanov wasn't a bad guy, he was generally fair, but he looked extremely disappointed. It cut her deeper than she expected.
His dark brown eyes narrowed, exaggerating the crow's feet pattern of lines on his tanned face. Mr Ivanov squinted at her appearance. "Ms Yamimoto. Would you please accompany me to my office?"
She simply nodded and followed him, dragging her feet as if she was a condemned prisoner walking to her own execution.
On the way past Reception, she blinked as Carlos shot her a sympathetic smile, and mouthed the words, Call me.
Declan didn't really expect her to be there when he'd got himself under control, brushed off the stupid dampness on his cheeks, and came out of the bathroom. He'd hoped she'd be there, maybe waiting for him back in bed. But that was fantasy stuff, not real life.
Real life was being left, again, by a girl he liked a lot more than was sensible. He huffed out a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the bed in the silent room.
Yuki was a dream girl, not part of his everyday grind. He'd pack his suitcase, get ready to fly home, spend Christmas with his family, get back to work and forget all about her. Except he wouldn't forget about her, because he knew he was lying to himself.
He clenched his fists, then got up, got dressed, dragging on his jeans and a business shirt. He had to make a couple of calls. The world didn't stop because his heart was beaten up and bruised purple, again.
Declan had to speak to Jon about the whole Kendra thing. He had to decide on the best course of action, and suddenly one option appeared in his mind like the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Maybe he was a sucker, chasing something that didn't exist. But he had to try to fix things, both the business-related mess in the Melbourne office and the personal mess with Yuki.
He made the call. He'd take a chance. He crossed his fingers for luck.
Yuki didn't usually cry at work, but today was a special occasion. She had never been fired before. She'd nodded along with Mr Ivanov's account of what happened the night before. Yes, she had dated a hotel guest. Yes, that was her entering the hotel at three o’clock in the morning, wearing a Santa hat. Yes, she had spent the night with a guest in his hotel suite.
She didn't want to say anymore, but one phrase slipped out, "I really like him. I didn't want to cause any trouble, but I just really...like him." It sounded pathetic, but it was true.
Mr Ivanov nodded, sighed in an exhausted way, and patted her on the hand. He passed her a box of Kleenex before he left his office, to organise her termination papers and final pay cheque. No Christmas bonus, of course.
Yuki blew her nose into a tissue, and then grabbed her phone from her bag. She messaged Melanie.
Yuki: I’M FIRED. I knew it, but it still sucks. I hope we can still be friends.
Melanie replied immediately.
Melanie: Yes it sucks! Of course we're still friends you big dork! Come see me before you leave, if you can. X
At least she still had one friend among her co-workers. The image of Carlos popped into her head. She texted him too.
Yuki: I'm fired. Happy to hang out sometime though if you still want to keep in touch.
Carlos: Yes! Come to dinner with me and Zack in the new year.
Yuki smiled, and blew her nose again. Carlos and his boyfriend Zack were both lovely guys. And Zack was a chef, so his choice of dinner was bound to be awesome.
Carlos: But first...do you want to leave a note at Reception for your favourite guest?
Yuki froze, staring at her phone. She could do that, send a goodbye note to Declan. No one except Carlos would need to know. But she didn't think she could stroll up to Reception on her way out of the hotel. No, she would leave a note with Melanie and ask her to pass it on.
Yuki: Thanks, you're a gem. I'll be in touch.
She smiled, then sucked in a breath, slapping a hand over her mouth. She had an idea. If the universe truly hated her, it wouldn't work. But if there was a glimmer of hope, something called fate or whatever, she had to try.
The thing she had with Declan could be special, she knew it in her bones. So, she planned out what she would write, everything she'd do, to make sure he knew exactly how she felt. Before he left for Ireland.
