I’m the one who fucked up here, so I have to be the one to sort this out. My mind and body cry to be with him again anyway. There’s just no other solution.
“Okay, call me please once you’ve found him. I still feel terrible.”
“Don’t do this to yourself,” I answer. “It wasn’t your fault … believe me.” With that said, I grab all my things and head out, my mind heavily focused on my mission.
I arrive at the hotel in no time at all and race to the reception, hardly giving myself any time to breathe before I speak. “Jake Bennett’s room, I need to get in there, please.”
The receptionist scrunches up her nose, unamused with my approach. “I’m sorry, but I can’t just let you in a guest’s room, it’s against hotel policy.”
I realize this, but she doesn’t know my situation. It just makes my frustration escalate even further. “I don’t care about your policy. I was in his room the night before last and need to get in there again. Please give me the key.”
“Is there a problem here?”
The male voice makes me jump. When I look behind me, I see Luca standing there with all his belongings. I feel terrible asking him for help again after he supplied me with champagne the night before last, but at his point, I’ll do anything.
“The man I was telling you about on Saturday, he’s here. I stayed with him that night, but then I left. I’m worried about him. He hasn’t turned up at work and isn’t answering his phone. He could be injured in there or worse. You can see this is an emergency.” I look at the lady intently, imploring her to see sense.
“Of course, what number is he in?” Luca asks.
“Eighty-one, twenty-four,” I spit out quickly.
“Veronica, please give the lady the key card to eighty-one, twenty-four. I think it may be a good idea if you send someone up with her just in case he needs help.”
She nods dutifully, picking up the phone. I can’t help being terribly grateful to this tall, dark, handsome stranger.
“I seem to be making a habit of saying thank you to you lately, but I truly mean it.”
“Don’t mention it. Would you like me to accompany you to the room?”
“No, please, you have done enough. I can take it from here.”
I thank him again as a porter comes along to aid me to Jake’s door. I clutch at the key card, willing myself not to panic. I need to be strong.
I place the card in the door, and it opens straight away. As I make my way in, the porter stands to attention outside. The room is dark as the curtains are pulled shut. On the floor are several small bottles of liquor scattered haphazardly.
Then the smell hits me, sending my head into a spin.
Whiskey.
Oh, God no!
The stench burns my nostrils, making my legs threaten to cave under me. Jake doesn’t know anything about my whiskey phobia, not that it means anything at this particular moment. Despite my fear, I have to put on my big girl panties and deal with Jake. He is the main focus now.
I see the silhouette of him sprawled out, face down on the bed. He has an empty bottle in one hand and my note in the other. The fear soon turns to panic, wondering whether he’s okay. I rush to him, trying to shout his name. “Jake, Jake,” I cry, desperately trying to pat his face. He stirs, moaning, and I nearly sink to the floor in relief.
“Ana, please don’t leave me,” he murmurs.
The words are barely audible, but I know exactly what he said. I have to help him—boy, has he been there for me in the past. It’s about time I returned the favor.
“Jake, babes, I’m not leaving you. I’m going to take you home, okay?”
I see the resemblance of a smile as he tries to speak. “Home,” he murmurs. “Home where you belong.”
I waste no more time getting the porter to help me lift him up and take him to the car.
“Don’t you think he needs a hospital?” the porter asks, trying hard to turn his face away from the whiskey stench.
“No, I’ll take care of him. If I think he needs one, I’ll take him there myself, but for now I just want to get him home.”
We manage to get him and his belongings into the car, but with a certain amount of difficulty considering Jake is a big man.