My twins’ father

Chapter 5: green eyes

The digital clock on the bedside table blared 3:00 AM, its stark illumination a harsh contrast to the lingering warmth on the empty side of the king-sized bed. Adam shot upright, a dull throb behind his eyes a souvenir from the previous night’s excesses. The remnants of his bachelor party – scattered bottles, overturned glasses – seemed to mock the silence where a woman should have been. The woman in the unforgettable emerald dress was gone.

A muscle clenched in his jaw. He distinctly recalled the feel of her slender form in his arms, the unsettling stillness of her body, the faint, intriguing floral scent that had clung to her. A knot of unease, far sharper than any hangover, tightened in his gut. This wasn't the script.

He snatched his phone and stabbed Trey’s number. His so-called best friend, the orchestrator of this ill-conceived “surprise,” answered on the second ring, his voice thick with sleep.

“Dude! You still alive?” Trey slurred. “So, did you like my present? Hot, right? That virgin blonde was something else, huh?”

Adam’s brow furrowed. Blonde? He’d been drunk, undeniably, the memories of the night a hazy swirl. But he was certain of one thing: the woman in his room hadn’t been blonde. “Blonde? Trey, the woman who was here… she had dark hair.”

A confused silence. “Dark hair? Are you sure, man? I specifically told the agency… a real knockout blonde with blue eyes.”

“Blue eyes?” Adam repeated, a jolt of certainty hitting him. The woman last night had distinctly green eyes. “Listen, just give me the agency’s contact information.”

Trey mumbled a number. Adam hung up and immediately dialed. A woman’s voice, professional and impersonal, answered.

“Good morning, you’ve reached Exotic Encounters. How may I assist you?”

“I’m calling about the booking for the Grand Astoria last night, bachelor party. The woman who was supposed to be sent… was she blonde with blue eyes?”

“Yes, sir, that is correct. Our client specifically requested a blonde with blue eyes.”

“Well, the woman who was in my room was not blonde and she had green eyes,” Adam stated flatly. “So, who was she?” He waited for an explanation, his frustration mounting.

“Sir, I apologize for any discrepancy. Can you describe the woman who was present?”

“Dark hair, green eyes, wearing an emerald dress. She wasn’t sent by you, was she?” Adam’s voice was sharp.

There was a brief pause. “No, sir. That description does not match our personnel for that booking. Our client specifically requested a blonde with blue eyes, and that is who was scheduled. If that individual did not attend, we were not informed of any replacement.”

Adam hung up abruptly, a cold fury and a growing sense of alarm churning within him. If the agency hadn’t sent her, and she certainly wasn’t the blonde Trey had arranged, then who the hell was she and how had she ended up in his room?

He didn’t hesitate. He dialed the number of his personal guard, Marco. Marco answered quickly, his tone alert. “Sir?”

“Marco, I need you and Ben to do something for me immediately. Last night, there was a woman in my suite at the Grand Astoria. Dark hair, green eyes, wearing an emerald dress. She wasn’t who was supposed to be there. I want you and Ben to search the immediate vicinity of the hotel. Check the lobby, the surrounding streets, any nearby transportation hubs. Find her. Now.” The question hammered in his mind: if she wasn’t sent by the agency, who was she and why had she been there?