She walked back to the hotel after her encounter with the stranger, calling it a night. But the night was far from over for her as she sauntered into the lobby, her eyes taking in the men dressed in dark suits, placed at strategic points. She angled her head at the sight, wondering what they were doing there past midnight. Explaining it as a high personality booking in for the night, she moved into the elevator and got out on the last floor, fatigue already eating away at her.
Rina’s feet halted abruptly when her eyes narrowed in on the small crowd in front of her room. There were worried faces amongst them, with shuffling legs, as if searching for something. She slowed down her steps, just in case some crazy anti-fan had traced her to the hotel. But in a second, the small crowd parted to reveal one of the most stunning and fierce women in existence. Rina’s eyes widened as she took in the sophisticated look of Claire McGregor.
Even though she had earlier mentioned that she was out of the country, she didn’t look like someone who had just alighted a plane, with her flawless makeup and her wave of hair, streaked with silver. She was dressed in one of her latest launches, flowing pants with a top that stopped halfway down her thighs. The bold color brought more attention to her makeup, tightening the whole look. Her grey eyes were focused on her phone, as her fingers clicked away at the keypad in a hurry.
Someone in the crowd called her attention and she looked up at the person, who nudged her gently in Rina’s direction. Relief washed over her features and she handed her phone over to one of the men standing close to her, before meeting Rina halfway down the hallway.
“Where have you been?” Rina had been expecting an Asian accent but Claire sounded American, probably from Texas. “We have been worried sick about you. The receptionist said you only went for a stroll but its been over two hours since you left.”
Rina was used to all the attention, so she wasn’t a bit flustered. “Oh! I didn’t realize you would need to see me tonight. I stopped by for a quick meal and then took a short tour before circling back. My apologies if I caused any trouble.”
“Nonsense,” Claire muttered, pulling Rina into a warm hug. She was surprised that Claire didn’t interact with her in a formal tone but instead spoke like they’d known each other for a long time. “It’s fine. Of course, you are free to do whatever you want. Just, next time, take one of my men with you. I will station one outside your room so he can be with you for as long as you stay in Hong Kong. I would have called but my P. A. is yet to send your contact over. But don’t worry about that.”
Rina smiled and nodded. “I…I had this whole speech prepared for when I meet you, but …I’m just…You look so amazing. Its my first time seeing you up-close and I have to say that screens do not even do justice to your looks.”
Claire placed a hand on her chest and said sweetly, “And you, my dear, are a stunner. I was opportuned to be at O. S. N’s fashion show after Joel Osteen paid me a visit here, and I have to say, you are a rare jewel. I can’t wait to see the magic we create together.”
“Thank you for saying that,” Rina replied. “It really means a lot to me.”
“Now, off you go.” Claire made her people step away from the door to give Rina a clear passage through. “We are going to be doing a lot tomorrow, with reviewing the contract and getting right into the shoot. So, you’re going to need as much rest as you can. We don’t want you getting up with puffy eyes tomorrow. at 9 am. Someone will be here to get you and be with you for the duration of your stay.”
Rina nodded and turned around to swipe her card before stepping into the room. The door closed behind her in a click and she withdrew her phone from her pocket while crossing the space into the room. There was no new message from Zayn. The feeling was back immediately, and she started typing a message, then cleared it off before sending, throwing the phone on the bed. Shrugging out of her clothes, Rina took another quick bath before putting on her nightwear.
She lay under the duvet and didn’t bother to check her phone again, not wanting to be disappointed. Turning off the white lights, she closed her eyes and counted sheep in her head until the arms of sleep took her away. Rina didn’t get up until a loud knock sounded on the door, sounding far away from where she lay.
At first, Rina grunted and willed whoever it was to go away, sighing and grabbing a pillow to place over her head. But her phone started ringing from where she’d tossed it the previous night, the vibration making it hard for her to return to sleep. Grumbling, Rina sat up and tried to find the phone, patting every inch of the sheets until her hands touched something hard and warm. Pulling it out, her sleepy eyes picked up the call and placed the phone against her ears.
“Ma’am, I have been at your door for a while now.” Rina couldn’t place the voice.
“Why are you at my door?”
“You have a shoot this morning. Mrs. McGregor asked me to get you.”
“Shit!” Her eyes fell wide open immediately and her gaze darted to the digital clock on the nightstand. It was five minutes to 9, and Rina vividly remembered Claire telling her she had to be ready by 9. “Shit! Shit! Shit!”
“Ma’am, is there any problem?” The voice was back again.
“No! No! You have to give me a few minutes to get ready please. I’m sorry about the delay.”
“No worries. It is my job.”