Without a word the guard steps aside and lets us in.
“I’m your cousin now?” Jared whispers with a playful smile as he reaches for Penn’s hand to give it a squeeze.
Penn isn’t given the opportunity to answer though because we enter the lobby. It smells like vanilla and is lit up by small chandeliers with the walls and couches accented with gold.
“May I help you?” The man behind the check-in desk asks when he spots us.
Penn steps up to the desk first. “We have a standing appointment with a Mr. Liam Taylor.”
The man glances over his computer screen, giving us a disbelieving look, before he starts to type something, dismissing us.
“Oh, come on, Marcus.” She reads his name tag and leans on the counter towards him with a wide smile. “Don’t you know who this is?”
Penn gestures towards me and I give him an awkward wave. I guess we’re past the need for my disguise. Marcus seems unfazed and turns his attention once again on his computer.
I exchange a worried look with Jared as Penn tilts her head back with an annoyed sigh.
“Really, Marcus? This is Carter Adams.” Penn whispers my name, glancing around to make sure no one else has overheard. “Thee Carter Adams. Trust us, Liam will want to see her.”
“We don’t have a guest by that name. Besides, even if we did, we can’t give out any personal information of our guests.”
“I know you do, Marcus. Can’t you do this teeny tiny favor for us?” She holds up her thumb and pointer finger, barely spacing them to indicate how tiny the favor is.
Marcus blinks, his face expressionless. “No.”
“No? I don’t think you understand-”
“I understand perfectly, miss. Your friend here has been stalking Mr. Taylor and selling his items.”
His words feel like a slap to the face and Penn’s jaw drop.
“Are you kidding me?” Penn’s voice rises. “Selling his things? You’re joking!”
I’m frozen in place. I can’t say anything. I can’t even defend myself. If some random guy believes I’ve done these things to Liam, everyone must believe it.
Actually I don’t care so much what everyone thinks. Right now I only care what Liam thinks.
Marcus and Penn continue to argue, Penn defending my honor while I’m numb next to her.
“Ma’am, if you don’t leave soon I’ll have security throw you out.” Marcus puts emphasis on ‘throw’ and Jared grabs mine and Penn’s elbow’s and pulls us towards a cream-colored couch in the lobby.
Jared looks over his shoulder towards the front desk as he pulls out his phone.
“Liam must be in a suite, right?”
Penn and I lean over Jared’s shoulders to see what he’s typing on his phone. He’s pulled up a website on the hotel.
“Uh yeah, I’m sure he is.”
I’m trying to be helpful, but my emotions are running too high right now to even be able to speak in complete sentences. I’m yet again thankful Penn and Jared have come along, if not to be the brain of this operation.
“It looks like the eighth floor.” He says, zooming in on the screen. “That’s where the suites are. So that must be where he is.”
A couple of photographers outside seem to get in a loud argument, and two of Liam’s security come to assess the situation. I recognize them as the same two men that came and got Liam from the studio on the first day I met him.
“This means Liam’s here, right? If his security is here?” Penn whispers as I look over the brim of my sunglasses at the two guards.
“It definitely looks promising.” Jared answers for me.