A Case of Extreme Mistaken Identity - Victorine E. Lieske Page 0,13
moment, she was more worried about starving to death than anything. It wasn’t fun not eating all day today. She stepped up to the glass. “How’s your room service? Is the food good?”
The man let out a belching laugh. He didn’t answer her question, which she thought was quite rude.
A siren outside sounded, and a police car turned into the parking lot, red lights flashing. Austin shifted his weight, stepping a bit closer to Dani. “Are the police here a lot?”
The man behind the glass smirked. “It’s fifty bucks per night. Do you want a room or not?”
“I think we’ll pass.”
Dani couldn’t believe what Austin had said. She turned to him. “Really?” He had another plan?
“Come on,” he said, putting his arm around her. “Let’s go.”
Relief flooded through her. She wasn’t going to have to stay in this dump. Austin had a better idea. She followed him outside where the breeze carried the smells of the local restaurants. It was much better than the musty smell of the lobby at the Sleep Inn. “Where are we going?” she asked as she matched his pace.
“Back to the Billionaire Club. I’m going to get you a room.”
Wait, what? She stopped, confusion hitting her. He was a maintenance man. Surely he couldn’t afford two suites at the Diamond Oasis. She knew how expensive that would be. “You can’t do that.”
“Yes, I can. I don’t want you staying at that place. It’s too dangerous.” He looked mad, for some reason.
“But…it’s expensive.”
“I don’t care. I can afford it.” He started down the sidewalk, his limp more pronounced.
She caught up to him. “Wait.”
He rounded on her. “Don’t argue with me. I’m getting you a room at the Billionaire Club and that’s final.”
She straightened her spine. “I’ll pay you back. After Daddy sees how hard I’m working, he’ll give me back my credit cards. Then I won’t feel bad.”
He made a face, but nodded. “All right.”
“And Austin…” She tugged at the hem of her blouse.
“What?”
“Thanks.”
He nodded, a small smile forming on his lips. “Of course.”
Austin seemed upset as they walked back to the Billionaire Club. He kept muttering, “What was Kay thinking?”
When they entered the lobby, Austin approached the counter. Kay smiled at them. “Austin. Dani. What can I do for you?”
Austin set her suitcase down. “Can I book another room here?”
“The budget hotel didn’t work out?”
Something about the way Kay said it made Dani suspicious. Like she knew it wouldn’t work out. Austin shook his head. “No. It didn’t.”
“Okay. Let me check our availability.” Kay clicked on some keys and then frowned. “Sorry. We’re all booked up.”
“You have nothing?”
“No. Sorry.”
“How about tomorrow?”
“We’re full for the weekend. It’s Labor Day on Monday.”
Dani exhaled and sat on her suitcase. “Oh, dear,” she said, resting her elbows on her knees. “What will I do?”
“I’m sorry. You could try the other resorts along the beach, but with the holiday it might be difficult to find openings.”
“I’ll think of something,” Austin said. He motioned to Dani. “Come on. Let’s go to my room and make some calls.”
“Good luck,” Kay called as they left the lobby.
As soon as Austin let Dani into his room, she plopped down on the couch and ran a hand through her hair. “This is such a mess. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry. It will work out. I just need to find you a room somewhere that isn’t the Bates Motel.” He motioned. “Make yourself comfortable.”
Exhaustion from the day of hard work set in, and she took his words to heart as she stretched out on the couch. “Thanks.”
Austin sat at the desk and opened a laptop, and she tugged the throw pillow under her head as she waited for him to find a place that had an opening. She pulled out her phone to check to see if her father had texted. Nothing. Disappointment settled in her gut. He left her stranded in another country, and he hadn’t even checked on her today? She blinked back tears and hugged her arms to herself.
How heartless was he? She pushed that thought away. She knew how heartless he was. It was something she learned a long time ago. He didn’t care about her. She needed to stop waiting for him to change. He wasn’t going to.
Austin’s low voice was soothing as he made several phone calls, and she closed her eyes. She could fall asleep right here. The couch wasn’t bad, if she were honest. And she was so tired, she didn’t care anymore.