“Isn’t that,” Casey said, pulling Emma back into the restaurant they had been about to exit. “Michelle.”
Emma ran to the window and looked out, only to see Michelle going into a hotel with a tall man. “Do you think she’s cheating on Lucius?”
The two women were in Limdale, a small town near Fernville. They had gone there to see Casey’s cousin and had stopped to eat lunch before proceeding to the house she lived in. Emma had refused to talk to Lucius when he showed up and had told him she wasn’t yet ready although the curiosity was killing her.
“I have no idea,” Casey said. “Why don’t we go and find out? We can pretend to ask for a room there. While we’re at it, we can ask the receptionist if the two needed a room.”
“Okay,” Emma said.
The two went out and crossed the road. Upon entering, Emma and Casey saw a small reception area with a female receptionist. The lobby was decorated with mediocre artwork and paintings on the white walls. It had a coffee table and some wooden chairs that looked very comfortable. Generally, the place looked quite modest.
“Hello,” Casey said to the receptionist who was seated behind a counter with a computer on top of it.
“Hey, welcome to the Stone hotel. How can I help you?” the woman asked with a friendly smile on her face.
“We’re new to town, looking for a place to stay but we’re on a budget.” Casey lied smoothly. “How much do you charge per room?”
The receptionist told them the amount. Casey turned to Emma. “Do you think we can afford that?”
“Let me check how much we have?” Emma said and started rummaging in her bag, counting the notes that were in there.
“By the way, there was a couple that came before us. I think I’ve met that man before. What was his name?”
“We don’t give out that information about our clients.”
Casey inserted her hand into her cross bag and pulled out a wad of cash. “Not even for this?”
The receptionist. “No, this is my aunt’s hotel and I will not ruin the reputation because of you.”
“We won’t tell anyone anything. We just want the man’s name and how long they might be staying.”
“Get out or I’ll call security.”
“What?”
“You won’t get anything from me.”
Emma sighed. It was pointless.
“But I’ll take money if you don’t want me to tell her that you two were looking,” the woman continued, staring at the notes in Casey’s hand. Casey sighed and placed the notes on the table. The woman took them.
“Gerrard,” the woman yelled. Immediately an armed guard ran in.
“Let’s just go,” Emma told her friend. “It’s not worth it.”
They went back to the restaurant after leaving the hotel. They ordered some soft drinks and decided to wait for the couple to get out. Two hours later, neither Michelle nor the man had come out of the hotel.
“I hope that woman kept her mouth shut.”
“Me too.”
They got into Casey’s car and started going downtown. Around two metres away, they saw Michelle and the man exiting another hotel. The man kissed her on the lips before escorting her to a waiting car. Before entering the car, Michelle looked around and Emma ducked although it wasn’t necessary. The only view Michelle could have of their car was the side view and the window was tinted. Casey continued driving.
“So it’s confirmed that she’s cheating.”
“Lucius doesn’t deserve that.”
“To be fair, he cheated too. I think we should just leave it at that.”
“For now,” Casey said and continued driving.
Twenty minutes later, they were at Casey’s cousin’s house. Unfortunately, they didn’t find her so they returned back to Fernville. By the time they reached, Emma had slept off on her seat.
“Wake up,” Casey said, nudging her. “Here’s here.”
“Who?” Emma said after waking up so suddenly. She rubbed her hands on her face. “Who is here?”
“Who else? You know who.”
Emma opened the door but did not get out. She just sat there trying to summon energy.
“Emma!”
She looked out and saw Lucius holding the door. “I think we need to talk,” he continued.
“Okay,” she said and got out of the car, looking everywhere but at him. After what they had done, she was not yet ready to look at him. She had always been wild and free but sleeping with a married man wasn’t in her to-do list even though the said man was the hottest she had ever met.
With her heart pounding in her chest, Emma nervously fidgeted with the hem of her blouse as she walked by his side towards the coffee shop near the motel. Judging by the expression on his face, he didn’t look to be doing too well. He still looked as handsome and charming as before. After sitting down at a small table in the corner, they exchanged a few pleasantries before making their orders. Lucius stared at her for a while, his expression unreadable. She didn’t say anything but waited for him to be the first to speak.
“When I left, I didn’t know what to do. At first I thought you’d return but when you never did, I started to get so angry and figured there was no harm in marrying Michelle. I thought you would never come back which meant I’d never have you so what was the point in postponing the inevitable. I don’t blame you for leaving and I truly regret my actions. I regret letting us have that moment in the woods without telling you of my situation. That was a big mistake and I can understand if you don’t want to see me anymore. I can understand that you want to leave this place forever.”
“Okay,” Emma said, nodding her head slowly.
“I just wanted to apologize to you before you left.”
“I don’t plan on leaving.”
“What?”
“You won’t get rid of me that easily,” Emma said.