“Ok,” Matt smiles. “It was good to catch up.”
“Yeah, sure, whatever,” I say.
I have to get away from him before my verbal diarrhoea kicks in and I start talking about Kimberley again. I can’t believe she’s got a date.
Why do I care? I don’t want to date her. She can date whoever the fuck she likes. Fuck her and the space she’s still taking up in my head.
I check my watch for the hundredth time and see that a whole minute has passed since the last time I checked the time. It’s now one minute after seven. It’s going to be one whole hell of a long night if I keep checking the time incessantly like this. It’s driving me crazy keep checking, but I can’t help myself. It’s now one minute and seventeen seconds after seven. Kimberley will be getting ready for her date now. But it’s ok. I don’t care what she’s doing or where she’s going or who she’s going there with. Not even a little bit.
Except I do care. I can’t keep lying to myself like this. I do fucking care. I can’t stand the thought of Kimberley moving on without me. Not again. Last time, I let her walk out of my life and although it tore me apart, I didn’t do a thing to stop her. This time will be different. I might be walking into a bad situation. I might be opening myself up to getting my stupid heart broken yet again, but I don’t care. I’m not letting her go without a fight. Not again.
The decision made, I jump up and grab my phone and my keys. I practically sprint from my building and down to my car. I drive straight to Kimberley’s hotel and run into the lobby. It’s only when I get to the elevators that I realise I have no idea what room number she’s staying in. I think for a moment and head to reception.
“Good evening. Can you tell me where I might find a Ms Kimberley Montgomery please?” I say.
“I’m sorry sir,” the receptionist replies. “I’m not allowed to give out that information.”
I could play the star crossed lovers card. Tell her that I’m here to win back the girl who broke my heart four years ago and beg her to understand. But that might not work. I know what will though. I give the woman my most charming smile.
“I understand that, but this is an emergency. I work with Kimberley and she has exactly twenty minutes to fix a major mistake or she’ll be fired. I’m giving her a chance here, a head’s up before her boss catches on. I can’t call her. Company phone. If they investigate the mistake, which believe me they will when they see it’s cost them billions, then I don’t want a call to be on the record. So I guess it’s your call. Follow the rules and get Kimberley fired, or take a walk back there and let me take a peek at the guest book.”
“I … ummmm,” she starts.
“Come on. Put yourself in her shoes. If you were her, wouldn’t you rather someone told me your room number rather than let you get fired and lose your whole career?”
She is starting to come around and I smile again. I have one more trick up my sleeve. One I know will push her decision for her. I’m not going to put her in the same imaginary boat as the one I’ve put Kimberley in. Surely she’ll want to save her own skin.
“Just between me and you, her father owns this hotel chain. If he was to find out that his own staff could have saved his daughter’s career, and chose not to help …”
“I’m sorry. I can’t help you,” she says loudly. She winks at me then looks pointedly down at a spot beside her computer where the guest register sits. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”
She turns and walks through a door behind reception, her heels clacking as she walks. She’s let me know where to find the information but done it in a way that can’t come back to bite her on the ass. She clearly told me she couldn’t help me and then took herself out of the situation before it could escalate. Something I know for a fact large hotel chains train their staff to do. If they ever watch this CCTV footage, which I’m sure they won’t, they won’t see her wink at me or direct my gaze to the register. She’ll be in the clear. Besides, even if Kimberley refuses to talk to me, she’ll blame me entirely for this. She won’t try and get the receptionist fired. It’s not her style. She knows I can be very persuasive when I want to be.
I pull the register towards me and scan down the guest list looking for her name. It jumps out at me like it’s lit up in neon. Kimberley Montgomery. Room five ninety three. I go back to the elevator and slip inside. I go up to the fifth floor and follow the directions on the wall until I’m at Kimberley’s room.
I pause for a moment. This is my last chance to back out. I could just turn around and leave and put Kimberley behind me. That would be the sensible thing to do. But I’ve played it safe too long and look where it’s gotten me. A bunch of empty one night stands.
I reach up and knock on the door. It is opened quickly and I find Kimberley staring out at me.
She’s wearing a short black dress, black sky scraper peep toe shoes and her hair is softly curled and hangs around her face. Damn. She looks amazing. Her date wouldn’t have been able to keep his dirty fucking hands off her. It’s a good job I’m here to make sure she never gets anywhere near him.
“You look beautiful,” I say
