Three
954 Words
I was just finishing up in the bathroom when I heard the suite's door open. My heart leaped into my throat. Had Kyle returned? I wasn't sure if I was excited or terrified by the prospect.
"Hello?" a woman's voice called out, shattering my brief fantasy. "Is anyone here?"
I stepped out of the bathroom to find a striking blonde woman standing in the middle of the living area. She was impeccably dressed in a designer suit that probably cost more than my yearly salary, her hair and makeup flawless despite the early hour.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," I said, gesturing to my cart. "I'm just finishing up the room service. I'll be out of your way in just a moment."
The woman's eyes narrowed as she looked me up and down, her gaze lingering on my name tag. "Betsy, is it? Tell me, Betsy, have you seen Kyle this morning?"
There was something in her tone that set me on edge. A hint of possessiveness, maybe, or suspicion. I chose my words carefully. "Mr. Thornton left a little while ago. He said he had urgent business to attend to."
"I'm sure he did," the woman muttered, more to herself than to me. She moved further into the room, her designer heels clicking on the hardwood floor. As she passed the bar, she poured herself a generous measure of amber liquid. It wasn't even 10 AM.
"I don't suppose he mentioned where he was going?" she asked, swirling the drink in her glass.
I shook my head. "No, ma'am. I'm sorry, but I really don't know anything about Mr. Thornton's plans."
The woman knocked back her drink in one smooth motion, then fixed me with a penetrating stare. "Listen carefully, Betsy. Kyle Thornton is a dangerous man. Whatever he's told you, whatever promises he's made – don't believe them. For your own sake, stay away from him."
My mouth went dry. "I... I don't know what you mean. I only met Mr. Thornton briefly. I'm just here to clean the room."
She laughed, a brittle sound devoid of any real humor. "Of course you are, dear. Just remember what I said. Kyle leaves a trail of broken hearts and ruined lives wherever he goes. Don't let yourself become another casualty."
With that ominous warning, she sauntered out of the suite, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts and a half-cleaned room.
My hands trembled as I finished tidying the suite, my mind whirling with questions. Who was that woman? An ex-girlfriend? A business associate? And what did she mean about Kyle being dangerous?
As I pushed my cart out of the room, my foot caught on something. I looked down to see a small black USB drive partially hidden in the carpet. Frowning, I picked it up, turning it over in my hand. It must have fallen out of Kyle's pocket during our encounter earlier.
For a moment, I hesitated. The proper thing to do would be to turn it in to lost and found. But something – curiosity, perhaps, or a budding sense of adventure – made me slip the drive into my pocket instead.
I finished my shift in a daze, going through the motions of cleaning rooms and restocking supplies without really seeing any of it. My mind kept replaying the events of the morning – the electricity of Kyle's touch, the intensity of his phone call, the cryptic warnings from the mystery woman.
And then there was the USB drive, burning a hole in my pocket. I knew I should turn it in, but something held me back. It felt like a lifeline to... what? Adventure? Danger? A chance to be something more than just Betsy Matthews, college student and part-time maid?
As I clocked out and headed for the employee exit, a flash of movement caught my eye. Kyle was striding through the lobby, engrossed in conversation with two men in dark suits. They looked serious – dangerous, even.
I ducked behind a pillar, my heart pounding. What was I doing? Spying on guests was definitely not in my job description.
But as I watched Kyle shake hands with the men and usher them towards the elevators, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was witnessing something important. Something that, perhaps, I wasn't supposed to see.
I waited until they were out of sight before slipping out of the hotel and into the bustling Los Angeles afternoon. The sun was bright, the air thick with smog and possibility. As I walked to the bus stop, my hand drifted to my pocket, fingers closing around the small USB drive.
Whatever secrets it held, whatever rabbit hole it might lead me down, I knew one thing for certain: my life was about to change. The only question was, was I ready for it?
The bus ride home was a blur of conflicting emotions and racing thoughts. Part of me wanted to march right back to the Luxe and hand over the USB drive, to forget I'd ever met Kyle Thornton or heard the blonde woman's ominous warnings. That was the safe option, the smart option.
But another part of me, a part I barely recognized, thrilled at the possibility of adventure. For years, I'd been playing it safe – working my way through college, keeping my head down, following the rules. And where had it gotten me? Exhausted, broke, and feeling like life was passing me by.
As the bus lurched through the afternoon traffic, I found myself studying my fellow passengers. How many of them had secret lives? How many harbored dreams of something more, something exciting? And how many of them would actually take a chance if it presented itself?
- Writer
