Chapter 10
I’m standing behind the reception desk, scrolling through emails on my computer, when the lady I presume to be Ethan’s girlfriend breezes into the hotel lobby, her presence commanding attention. She’s dressed impeccably, as always, and her confident demeanor exudes an air of sophistication.
She flashes me a friendly smile and is about to say something when Lysa walks in. “Amy, what are you doing here?” she asks, not looking too happy to see her.
So her name is Amy. I try to mind my business, but I can’t help but notice that she isn’t thrilled to see Lysa either.
From what I have gathered, Lysa and Ethan used to have a thing in the past, so it’s understandable why the w. If only they knew the things Ethan and I have done. I’m quite sure they will team up against me.
Well, in my defense, I had no idea that he was in a relationship or that my boss was his ex.
Oh God, I really feel terrible.
Does Lysa know about Ethan and me? Could that be the reason she has been hostile toward me? No, I doubt that. She is hostile to everyone. Her middle name is hostility.
I pretend to be typing on my computer as I listen in on their conversation, as they are only a few feet away from me.
“Last time I checked, I didn’t need your permission to come here,” Amy says to Lysa in a low tone, but it’s still loud enough for me to hear her. Thankfully, there are not many guests in the lobby to witness this.
“I never said that you did. I’m just surprised that you are here considering this is a work environment, and we both know you don’t know how to do that.”
“It’s also a hotel dummy, and I can decide to lodge here if I want.” Amy pauses in her statement as she shakes her head. “Why am I even wasting my time talking to you?” She walks away without sparing her another glance.
“Spoiled brat!” Lysa mutters.
“I heard that,” Amy responds, flipping her finger as she makes her way to the elevator.
Lysa huffs in annoyance and stomps out of the building. Whatever is going on between those two, I want no part of it, and that’s the reason I have to stay away from Ethan at all costs, even though I can’t stop thinking about him and what he had said about me not being able to run away from him.
I hate that I still think of him at all when I’m supposed to be mad at him for trying to be with me when he has a girlfriend.
Yeah, I’m pissed at him quite all right, but not all parts of him. You know, like those skillful fingers of his and…Oh jeeze, Jessica, get a grip on yourself!
Not long after, Ethan appears from the elevator, Amy by his side and his arm draped lazily around her shoulders. She says something, and he throws his head back, laughing.
The pain I immediately feel in my chest feels indescribable. It”s as if my heart is being stabbed with a knife, and then twisted, making the agony worse and unbearable.
As they approach me, I quickly look away, pretending to busy myself with something, but not before Ethan’s gaze meets mine for a brief moment.
“Bye, Jessica,” Amy says in her usual cheerful tone as they walk past me and muster a happy smile.
“Bye.”
Looking at the tag on my uniform, I immediately realize how she got to know my name. I feel so terrible. She’s nice and doesn’t deserve a cheating boyfriend like Ethan.
I spend the rest of my time at work wondering what will happen if Ethan’s girlfriend learn what we did in the elevator the other day. For my sake, I just hope that she doesn’t find out.
By the timemy shift is over, it is already past six in the evening. I decide to grab something to eat at a nearby fast-food place. I didn’t get the chance to do lunch because somehow work got insane, someone needing me each time I was about to sit down.
As I walk into the busy restaurant and take a seat by the window, a waitress comes to my table to take my order. I get a burrito and soda.
While I wait for my food to arrive, I get a call from my dad. This takes me by surprise because we rarely speak. My dad and I can go months without speaking to each other.
Ever since he and my mom got divorced, and he went on to marry his young mistress, our relationship has dwindled. I don’t imagine there’s really a coming back from that.
As I stare at the phone ring, I decide to answer it. “Hello,’’ I try to muster a little bit of enthusiasm.
“Hey, Jess,” comes his cheerful voice. I wish I could say I was happy to hear from him, too.
“Hey, Dad, how is it going?”
“Very well. How are you? Your mom tells me that you’re now in New York.”
Yeah, it’s really been a while since we last spoke.
“Yeah, I live here now.”
“Wow, that’s great because we are in the Big Apple too,” he announces with excitement, and by “We,” he means him and his new wife.
“Oh…I didn’t know that,” I drawl, no longer trying to sound joyful.
“Yeah, Jane decided that we’ve had enough of L.A., so we moved here.”
Right. Jane this, Jane that. If she says Dad should jump, he will ask, “How high?” That”s how much she has him wrapped around her fingers.
“So, when will you be coming over to the house?”
“I don’t know, Dad. I’m quite busy with work at the moment.” The last thing I want is to be under the same roof as his wife. I don’t like that woman, and he knows this.
“I’ve really missed you, Jessy. How about we hang out for coffee sometime?” He sounds hurt by my refusal to come to his house. He should have thought about that before cheating on Mom and going off to marry the same woman he cheated on her with.
“That I can do. I will let you know when I’m free. I have to go now. Bye, Dad.”
As I end the call, my order arrives, and just as I’m about to dig in, I see someone in my periphery walking up to my table. When I look up, I see it’s Amy.
“Hello, Jessica,” she greets in a cheerful tone. She’s now dressed in a different number from the one she had on in the morning. Making me wonder if she has a clothing line or something.
“Hello,” I mimic her cheery tone, even if I’m dying to know why she’s here and why she’s being so friendly. Or could it be because she already found out about Ethan and me?
I can feel my heart rate slowly increasing as I wait for her to say her reason for gracing us with her presence. But instead, she goes on to ask, “Mind if I join you?”
Why? I want to splurt out. But I just nod. “Of course.” I’m so screwed.
“Hey, no need to look so troubled,” she says with a smile as she signals to a waiter. “I was supposed to have met with a friend here, but she just called to cancel. I was leaving when I saw you and decided to come to say hello,’’ she explains after requesting an iced coke from the server.
“Oh, okay.” I still don’t get why she’s here. Does she go about saying hi to all the staff of the hotel when she meets them outside?
“No, I don’t. It’s just you,” she responds with a smile, as if reading my mind, and I shrink back in my seat, How did she know what I was thinking?
“Are you a psychic or something?” I ask, and we both start laughing.
“Your expression gave you away. You should really work on your poker face,” she says, still smiling.
Her drink arrives, and she takes a generous sip before speaking. “I know you’re still wondering what I’m doing here. Jessy…I can call you that, right? That’s what my brother calls you, so I figured…”
Wait, did she just say brother? “Who is your brother?” I blurt out.
She gives a strange look. “You’re not seriously asking me that, are you?”
“I’m a little confused. You just said that your brother calls me ‘Jessy,’ so I’m curious to know who that is.” Could it be that...
“Ethan, of course,” she says, rolling her eyes.
I immediately choke on my drink.
“Are you all right?” she asks with concern.
“Yeah,” I nod, reaching for water instead. “Did you just say Ethan is your brother?”
“Yes, I did indeed. What did you think?”
I take a moment to gather my thoughts, feeling a flush of embarrassment creeping up my neck. “I’m sorry, I thought he was your boyfriend,” I admit sheepishly.
Amy bursts into laughter, her cheerful demeanor infectious. “Oh, no, nothing like that,” she chuckles, shaking her head.
Relief floods through me, mingled with a tinge of mortification at my assumption. “I see. I’m sorry for the misunderstanding,” I say, aware of my foolishness for jumping to conclusions.
“No worries at all,” Amy reassures me, her laughter subsiding into a warm smile.
And that’s when I notice the striking resemblance between her and Ethan. Their eyes share the same shade of hazel, and the curve of their smiles mirrors one another almost perfectly. Even the way they tilt their heads when they laugh seems uncannily similar.
I can’t believe I didn’t see it before. How did I miss such an obvious connection?
I feel so relieved hearing that she’s not Ethan’s girlfriend. Now I know he wasn’t cheating on anyone with me. Although the fact that she’s his sister doesn’t mean that he is single, though.
And then Amy leans in closer, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she says, “You know, Jessy, my brother appears to like you. Even though he tries to hide it, I can tell.”
My cheeks flush at her words, a rush of mixed emotions flooding through me. Part of me wants to believe her, to entertain the possibility that Ethan might have feelings for me. But another part of me, the more rational one, dismisses it as wishful thinking.
“I doubt that,” I reply, trying to sound casual even as my heart races in my chest. “Ethan is my boss, nothing more.”
Liar, how about you tell her what you both did in the elevator last week?
But even as I say the words, a small part of me wonders if there might be some truth to Amy’s observation. After all, Ethan’s actions in the elevator…
But I quickly push those thoughts aside, burying them beneath a mask of skepticism. It’s better this way, I tell myself. Better to focus on reality than to get lost in what-ifs and maybes.
Amy chuckles softly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “Well, if you say so, Jessy. But just remember, sometimes the truth is right in front of us, even when we choose not to see it.”
I nod, offering a weak smile in response. “Thanks for the advice, Amy. But I think I’ll stick to focusing on work for now.”
She seems to sense my reluctance to entertain the idea any more,and doesn’t press the matter any further. Instead, she changes the topic, steering our conversation towards lighter subjects as we finish our drinks.
As Amy and I continue to chat, I find myself surprisingly drawn to her. At first, it was just curiosity about her relationship with Ethan, but now I’m genuinely enjoying our talk.
Who would have thought?