H.A.

5

I was up at seven the next morning, well that same morning.

I was beat and dragged myself out of my bed. I ran a bath to soothe my aching limbs and called the reception to get room service to bring me breakfast.

I stripped and grabbed my phone before trudging into the bathroom. I slipped my phone into the protective waterproof cover I brought with me and slipped into the bath before sending my mother a message: Found my mate.

I waited for several minutes before she rung back. I waited for the phone to ring a few times before picking up.

"You're joking." Was all I got, no greeting, no exited screaming – not that I'd expected that from my stoic mother – but there was no emotion whatsoever in her voice so it took me a while to get my own emotions under control and reply.

"No I'm not, mother," she gasped almost inaudibly, either because for the first time in my life I'd used that same cold voice she used, on her, or because I'd actually found my mate, I did not know. "But don't worry mother," I continued in that icy tone, "he's human, engaged, and made it perfectly clear that he was uninterested, so you can continue to torture me with your piece-of-shit ultimatum." Tears were streaming down my face, but my voice remained steady. "Now, that's all I wanted to say so if you'll excuse me..." I hung up and put my phone on mute.

I let out a distressed sigh, dragged my hand through my wet hair, getting stuck in the curls, I tugged my fingers back out and let out a half giggle half sob. Great... was there even a point to my existence?

I grabbed my phone and put on some music to distract me. Then, calming my breathing, I slipped underwater and drifted off. The music was oddly dimmed but at the same time sharper underwater and it soothed me. I focussed for a minute and every movement inside the hotel, even outside, travelled to my ears. Then the music halted, still underwater I looked at my phone, my mother trying to call me. I blocked her number and drifted off again. A dozen songs passed before I came up for air. I looked down at my phone and sighed, nearly half an hour, I could have broken my record... I went back under but after a few minutes I heard a knock, room service, I got out of the bath and donned the bathrobe hanging on a hanger by the door. I went back into the main room and went to open the door.

"Good morning" I greeted the boy, who turned out to be the bellboy.

"So you do room service too?" I smiled at him and he grinned back.

"Yes and reception too when no one's available. I'm the manager's son... she kind of forces me to..." he laughed reassuring me that he did not mind the work.

Suddenly he looked me up and down. Seeing my displeased look, he looked down at his feet, a blush appearing on his cheeks and nose and he mumbled a quiet apology before adding "so you're her..."

I frowned, "I'm who?" he looked up, surprised I'd heard.

"There was a man asking for your room mam, Noël, the receptionist, told me a few minutes ago."

"A man?" I asked confused.

"Yes, we didn't tell him of course, it's against hotel policy." He reassured me handing me a plate with food and coffee.

"Thank you," I said absentmindedly, "and thank you for letting me know." He smiled and moved onto the next room.

Remembering something, I called to him. "So Noël's at reception?" he nodded. "You know her?" he asked and I nodded in return.

I ate breakfast leisurely. It was nearly nine but the presentations wouldn't start until half past ten so I had ample time to get ready.

I completed my morning routine, did some stretch exercised, I still felt sore, and went down to reception.

"Hey noel, no classes?" I asked and immediately regretted it. I sounded so bitchy and annoying. Noël didn't seem to mind, though she blushed.

"No well... it got cancelled, apparently the professor is part of the party here, attending the congress, so the classed are rescheduled for the end of term." I hummed thinking.

"When do you get off?" I looked at my watch, still half an hour. "Why don't you join the congress? It'll be a good learning experience... and you could keep me company" I added as an afterthought, but it was my main reason. Selfish woman. She looked me in the eye, but I could see she was mulling over my idea.

"Wouldn't I be a bother?" she asked after a while and I shook my head. "No, if you stick with me I can introduce you to some people too... do you plan on joining an exchange program sometime?"

She got distracted for a while as some new guests arrived, probably also part of the congress party. And my mind wandered off.

"Yes, but I'm still in second year and I'm not sure yet where I'd go." She said, laying her hand on my shoulder to get my attention. I came back down to earth and nodded.

"Are you considering America as an option?" she cocked her head, not answering immediately.

"I would... but I'm not financially capable to go over there..." I frowned.

"Money shouldn't be a factor in your decision-making... what are your grades like?"

She blushed, "they're fine..." she whispered. "She's being modest," the bellboy/room-service-boy threw in as he passed us by with an empty cart. The hotel was probably doing good business.

"well if you have good grades you could apply for a scholarship-program, my university offers a generous scholarship and you could live with me... though I live in the middle of nowhere... or if you want to attend somewhere else, I went to Cornell so I could give you a 'way in'." she gasped audibly.

"You went to Cornell?" her eyes practically shone with admiration and I had to repress my laughter.

"Yes I did. I got a master degree in linguistics and got my PhD in etymology."

"You got your PhD? Then why work as an Assistant Professor?" even though it was an innocent and valid question, a pang shot through my chest. I took some time to reply.

"... I live in a community where my family is the leading family... I was allowed to get any degree I wanted... but in the end I'm expected to take over the position of 'leader' when my parents retire so I had to find a job close to home so I could be initiated in the workings of the community."

"That's sad..." she trailed off...

"No... it's ok, I love the community, they're like my family," some times more so than my actual family.

I looked at my watch again three minutes left. I straightened my posture. "Anyways, when do you get off? Would you like to join me tonight, there's a buffet" I put on my guilty-cat-grin "or if you want you can come in when you're done, I'll be at the back, near the entrance." I hoped she'd say yes. In her field of study she would definitely benefit from the experience. And she might be able to distract me from the person hovering around the corner. Was he waiting for me? What for? He'd been there for over five minutes, I'd smelt him when he came out of the elevator and his scent lingered just around the corner. I looked at my watch again, less than one minute left. He must have noticed too because I heard him sigh before pushing off the wall and heading down the hall to the conference room. I let out a breath I didn't realise I'd been holding.

"You ok?" Noël questioned and I gave her a quick smile.

"Yeah... anyways, I have to go... will I see you?"

"I'll... can I join you for lunch? You eat here at the hotel right? My shift ends at one, you have a break then too right?" I nod and she sighs in relief.

"Noël, you don't have to feel obliged you know..."

"Oh... I don't... it's just... my first time going to something so formal... it feels weird being invited..." she laughed nervously and I smiled in understanding.

"Ok,see you at lunch then" I told her and she replied with a timid 'see you atlunch'.