Chapter 5

He strode off with impeccable style. He positioned himself so that he was facing me directly while leaning back on the sofa, and he waited patiently for a few moments for me to respond. And I was unable to think of a single one. What was I doing on his bed?

He picked up the phone with his well-manicured hands and said, 'I should inquire with the front desk; I can't remember ordering a Mail Bride to my room.'

The unknown man seemed like a successful businessman who might shred me to pieces in seconds, so I mustered all my strength to sober up before negotiating with him. Nonetheless, I had no choice but to give it a shot in order to keep both myself and Mrs. Cha out of trouble.

I needed to interject.

In my best drunken attempt at a coherent phrase, I pleaded, 'Please don't contact reception; give me a minute and I will clean everything and leave.'

'Are you a guest?'

I tried to avoid making eye contact by looking away but still maintaining a conversational tone by nodding.

'Do you work here?'

‘No’

He opined, 'Well it looks like you're trespassing; I guess I better call the police.'

'I'm not trespassing; I was an employee until yesterday; it was an error of judgement on my side and a series of unfortunate events that led to my current predicament; I am sorry; please let this slip, don't phone reception, and please, please don't call the police.' I don't want to go to jail; I can't even afford bail. I said it all in one hurried breath.

'What is your name?' Astounded, he kept staring at me. Certainly he didn't anticipate a strange female in his room, much less one who was dressed as a bride. How likely is it that anything as bizarre as this will occur on a typical day? ' You won't be complaining, will you?' I looked at him questioningly as if attempting to decipher his thoughts from his countenance, hoping to guess his next move.

That's something I need to think about, so can you tell me your name, he asked quietly, eyebrows raised.

'Zara Tahel,' I bit my tongue. My drunken ramblings forced me to give him the truth even though I didn't mean to.

'What is your name?' I asked in quick impulse.

'I'm sorry, it's not appropriate for me to ask.'

I climbed off the bed, holding my five-yard long gown fabric in both of my hands.

I leaped to my feet and began frantically racing from one room to another, tucking linens under beds and picking up used bottles and crumpled Tissues. Throughout that time, he was sitting there looking at me with his legs crossed, his elbows propped up on the armrests, and his fingers interlocked.

He looked sharp in his custom-tailored charcoal grey suit and white shirt. something obviously not purchased from a shop. Apparently, the fabric was high-end and had been custom-made by a designer only for him.

We both remained silent and avoided making eye contact with one another for a number of minutes. When I was finished, I picked up my shoes and shuffled slowly towards the door. Because I was so shaken by my fear, I didn't dare give him another glance. Maybe he was watching me depart, maybe he wasn't. Nervously, I shuffled through the living room and nearly knocked over the vase as I slammed on the table.

I steadied the vase and made sure it wouldn't topple over. I caught his sideways glance. I nodded in apology and hurriedly tiptoed towards the door. I needed to get out of there fast in case he changed his mind and decided to phone the front desk.

I opened the door slowly and closed it softly behind me. There was a sigh of relief in the hallway air.

Turning around, I placed my hands on my chest and shut my eyes in a sigh of relief. And then, in what seemed like a split second, a swarm of people carrying cameras and flashlights descended upon me like a swarm of bees. Was I having a nightmare? I found myself asking a lot of questions at the same time. I turned around to see the door, which had been shut, and a swarm of reports was coming in my direction. In an effort to shield my face, I quickly spun around and clasped my arms in front of me. Suddenly, my ears began to ring, drowning out all external noise that surrounded me.

I was pulled backwards by a powerful arm that was looped around my waist, and as I landed, my face was on the broad chest of a man. The scent of his alluring perfume, which emanated from his shirt, gave me a sense of euphoria and helped me feel at ease. He made an effort to shield me by putting his hands in front of my face and trying to conceal it.

I hugged him tight, encircling his entire body with my arms while hiding face under the blazer of his suit. My other hand was firmly gripping my wrist as I held him in a tight lock. He turned the doorknob, the Sterling Suite door opened, and the two of us slid inside while holding to each other.

There was a click as the latch engaged and the door shut. I was labouring to breathe, and I could hear and feel his heart pounding very loudly in his chest. Still, his arms were around my waist, pressing against me. I didn't know who this man was. I was cradled in the arms of a total stranger, but despite this, I had feelings of calm and safety.

I looked up, and our eyes locked like magnets. It turned out that he was the same gentleman I'd met to earlier in the Sterling suite. His grey eyes glinted with a seductive intensity. His jawline was impressively sculpted. His attractive, fair-skinned face was accentuated by the contours of his dark stubble beard. Perhaps it was the alcohol making everything seem so romantic, but the sight of his lips was enough to make me want to devour them.

He broke the eye contact and released his hands from the tight grip he had on my waist. He did not utter a single word before dash-walking to the living room and frantically grabbing his phone off the table. His demeanor suggested that he was anxious.