Chapter 11 Lexie #2
He nods, and when she steps away, the manager leads us deeper into the hotel, waving her hand like we’re on the final round on a game show, and she’s presenting the grand prize showcase.
“This hotel was built in the early nineteen-hundreds, and the development team has gone through extraordinary efforts to maintain the original beauty of the structure. To your left, you’ll notice the limestone and brick, which was popular during the Industrial Revolution… ”
As she fails to take even one single breath, and we step into the elevator, I notice a few things.
One, the elevator is tiny, and I pray that I don’t have a panic attack. Me and small spaces have never been friends. Living in the city, I’ve had to rid myself, as much as possible, of the fear of elevators. But this particular one is made of nightmares.
And two, Theo is wearing his distracting scent again, which is exactly what I need right now in this suffocating coffin. I’m not too proud to lean in and suck in a huge breath.
As we pass the third floor, the elevator jerks.
I focus on controlling my breathing, counting in for three and out for three, clinging to the rhythm to keep the rising panic at bay.
But it’s clearly not enough as my hands won’t stop shaking.
I tap them against my leg, desperate for some kind of release.
Theo’s hand rests on top of my own, stilling the movement. He flashes a sharp, questioning gaze my way. “Are you okay?”
I think he might actually mean it. I force a smile, nod quickly as I move my hand away, shifting my body as far as the cramped elevator will allow.
The elevator is painfully slow and the journey up each floor is ricketier than the floor before.
By floor five, stars blink in my vision.
Theo moves to stand right next to me, separating us by a few inches.
Christ he’s tall. Imposing. Even in my wedges, he has a good six inches on me.
Jesus Christ, there’s literally no air in this space.
I loosen my jacket. It’s so hot. My mouth goes dry at the same time as sweat beads pop on the back of my neck.
I close my eyes and try to calm my stomach, when he gives my hand a squeeze.
I stiffen. But also, I don’t move free. Instead, I latch on to him, accepting the comfort his touch is giving me.
Everything about him is so sturdy. He’s like an impenetrable wall of strength, and for this moment only, I’m grateful.
Finally, the doors open to the eighteenth floor. I drop Theo’s hand and nearly bolt out in search of air.
Less than thirty minutes later, we thank the manager for her time and step away from the front desk just as Annabelle finishes her call nearby.
“So,” I say lightly, turning to Theo, “what do you think?” I gesture back toward the lobby.
“It can accommodate over a thousand guests, which is why it made the shortlist. But their marketing team really leans into the turn-of-the-century charm, which might be less of a draw.” What I leave unsaid is that it is in need of serious upgrades.
Theo buttons up his coat with an unhurried precision. “That’s a hard no,” he says, calmly. “I can already picture my future mother-in-law walking in and deciding she’s personally insulted.”
A slow smile curves his mouth—dark, amused, dangerous. “Though, honestly, it might almost be worth booking just to see her reaction.”
“You sound like someone who enjoys watching people squirm,” I say.
The curve of his mouth deepens. “Only when they deserve it.”
“Would you say this is the kind of place you’d bring a lover to instead?” His brows knit at the shift, eyes narrowing as he tries to read my angle.
“I wouldn’t know,” he says, after a measured beat. “Annabelle is the only woman I’ve brought anywhere like this.” He studies me. “What, exactly, are you suggesting?”
Before I can push further, Annabelle’s arrival puts a halt to the conversation, and we fill her in on the verdict from the tour.
“What a shame, though I’d much rather save us from my mother’s commentary.
It feels like every moment that passes, this wedding becomes more for our parents and less… ” she doesn’t finish the sentence.
A silence fills the space. Annabelle is avoiding Theo’s gaze, avoiding mine, and the heavy words uncomfortably settle.
Theo’s phone rings and he pulls it out of his pocket. “Work, sorry, I need to take this.”
When he steps out of earshot, I use the time alone to check in on Annabelle to see if she has any clue Theo was here a few days ago with a woman.
As much as I despise Theo, my heart aches for her and I don’t want to just jump right in and tell her what I saw.
Keeping my fingers crossed she knows about his meeting with the woman, I say, “What’s Theo’s work schedule like? ”
“Oh, it’s pretty typical for a doctor,” she says, tugging her bag up on her shoulder. “Monday through Friday, sometimes he stays late on Thursdays. Works twice a month in urgent care. Why?”
Play it cool, play it cool. “I wonder if we could squeeze in morning or afternoon meetings during the week since we were able to today and that time you all dropped in at the office.”
“Sadly no,” she says as she shakes her head. “When we popped by, it was because there was a random power outage, and the clinic had to shut down for the day. And today, he took the day off for these meetings. But otherwise, he’s pretty glued to the clinic.”
He’s also glued to a beautiful, nameless brunette. “So, he had the whole week off this week?”
“No. He was in the office all week,” she says. “He was only off today.”
This is all the confirmation I need that Theo is most certainly hiding something from Annabelle.
“I’m craving a brown sugar espresso,” Annabelle says as Theo stuffs his phone in his pocket and makes his way back toward us. “Lexie, do you want a drink?”
I’m momentarily confused by the suggestion but go along with it. “I will always take a coffee.”
Annabelle places her hand on Theo’s forearm. “Would you grab us the drinks from over there?” she says, pointing to a small, open café tucked in the corner of the lobby. “Lexie and I will find a table.”
Theo glances at the line that contains at least twenty people and a heavy deflated breath escapes him before he joins the coffee-seekers.
Annabelle smiles and watches Theo as he weaves through a small crowd of hotel visitors towards the café. As soon as he’s several feet away, her smile drops, and she turns still. “I think we need to talk.”