"So tell me, what do you want to eat?" I ask him as I wrap the blanket around my nude body and start picking up my clothes scattered on the floor.

"Don't know. Let's go out."

I turned to face him and shrieked, covering my eyes with my hands, not realizing that the blanket had fallen on the floor.

"Thomas! Cover yourself!" His laugh echoes all around the room.

I peek between my fingers and see his light grey eyes getting a tad bit darker. "No. I rather be like this only to see you like this."

My eyes diluted in confusion. "Like what?" My eyes went down to my body and widened.

His eyes were already roaming all over my body. He gets up and wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

"T–Thomas, what are you doing?"

He shrugged. "Don't know. You tell me." His hands start roaming all over my body and reach a specific region.

I took a sharp intake of breath. "Th–Thomas..."

I woke up a few hours later with a warm hand holding mine and sliding something into my finger.

I knew what it was. My eyes were still closed but my body had woken up with a new excitement.

"Yes."

I felt his happiness radiating all around the room. "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too."

"Miss?" I jolted up from my seat and looked around only to find myself inside a cab. My eyes drift to the ring on my finger and I sighed.

"Miss? We are here." I nodded my head and gave some cash to the driver. After taking out my suitcase, I looked at the building in front of me, standing tall and proud.

The Cali.

Owned by somebody named Ricard? Richie? I don't care. I don't care about the people who are inside this hotel, but I do care about the bride. That's why I am here. Not the family or the groom, just the bride.

It's too hot. I cover my face with a scarf and sunglasses and stand at its entrance.

My eyebrows furrowed as I remembered something. There was a certain person working here. I don't know if he's still working here or not, but I remember him.

"Well, here goes everything." I mumble and enter the posh building.

I walk to the reception, my heels clicking in every step I take. I hate the sound but I still wore it. The receptionist gives me her perfectly trained smile. "Good afternoon, welcome to The Cali. Do you have a reservation?"

"I'm here for a wedding."

Something flashes in her eyes. "Ma'am, may I have your invitation and identity proof please?"

I take out the requirements from my bag and give it to her. She types something in her PC and a weird expression of surprise and excitement takes her over.

"Welcome to The Cali, Mrs Green." My face scowled. Whoever sent me the invitation needs a personal lesson from me and I'll start from the lady in front of me.

"Hey," I look at her name tag, "Georgiana, can you do me a favour?"

"Of course ma'am. How can I help you?"

"Can you change the name from Green to Thompson? I am not married." I show her my teeth like it shows while brushing it.

Her nose scrunches up in a weird manner but recomposes herself quickly. "Of course ma'am. Maria Thompson, according to the ID?"

"Yes."

After a few minutes she hands me back my things and gives me the card to my room.

"Ma'am, would you like me to inform your presence to the families?" I stopped breathing for a minute.

Don't. Just don't think about anything.

My head perks up and I show her my teeth in a weird manner again. "No, I would like to surprise them."

She nods her head in agreement. "Of course ma'am."

"Georgiana, can I ask you something?"

"Sure ma'am."

I take a deep breath. "Is there somebody working here, goes by the name Mike?"

She nods her head again. "Of course ma'am. He's our manager."

"Oh." I grit my teeth, giving her a weird show of my teeth again.

"Would you like me to call for him?" She picks up a telephone but my hand stops her.

"No!" I replied too quickly.

"Is there any problem, ma'am?" She enquires me.

I shook my head, suddenly feeling a bit of pain on my jaw by this show of teeth. "No, no problem at all."

A bellboy comes out of nowhere and grabs my suitcase and other belongings. I follow him to my assigned room. We stand near a door and I finally take off my glasses. Then the door beside mine opened and I panicked. My hands trembled as I put my sunglasses on, but they ended up falling on the floor. Before I could pick it up, a woman picks it up and hands it over to me.

I try to cover my face with my scarf and avoid her scrutinizing gaze.

I hear a constant chewing of gum.

"You're here for the wedding too?" I don't say anything and simply nod. "Cool. Me too. Looks like we're going to be neighbours for a few days." Her constant chew of gum is irritating me. "Why are you covering your face? Is there something wrong with it?" I take a peek and see that she's wearing normal jeans and top and her blonde hair is tied up in a pony. Her mouth is in a constant motion and her nose is scrunched up.

"N–No. It's just a bit of sunburn." I cough in between trying to change my voice.

"Oh, whatever. By the way, I'm Caroline. I work for the groom. You are?" She sticks out her hand. I get inside my room quickly and shut the door loudly. Few seconds later, I hear 'weird bitch' and footsteps fading away.

I sighed in relief and took off my scarf and jacket. I walked towards my bed, but stopped in my tracks when I saw the bellboy standing in front of me, making the universal sign of asking for money.

I pushed him out of my room.

I dropped myself on the bed and sighed in exhaustion, taking in the surroundings around me. The walls are painted in blue and white combination, there is a TV set on the wall with a stick note probably having the WiFi password, a small balcony and probably a spacious bathroom with an attached bathtub.

Just your typical seven star hotel.

I change my attire quickly to a black top and jeans with a red denim jacket. I look myself in the mirror and see a woman who lost everything then grab my hand bag and make my way to the reception.

"Hello, Georgiana."

"Ah! Miss Thompson, how can I help you again?" She gives me her trained smile.

I show her my teeth again. "I was wondering if there is any sort of party or a get together going on, concerning the wedding?"

She types something in her PC then nods her head. "Yes, ma'am. There is a bridal shower going on in The East wing and a bachelor party in The West wing."

"That's perfect!" I exclaimed in a very fake manner. It felt weird.

"Would you like to have somebody to escort you to The East wing?" She asked me as she picked up the telephone.

My lips twitched in an unknown anticipation, slowly curling up from a corner. This has to be the first time in two years I have felt something different than guilt and anger.

"No, I would like to escort myself to The West wing."

*****

I have been standing in front of this huge door for at least ten minutes. The same bellboy who brought my luggage to my room is standing beside me, waiting for me.

"Well, Miss? Go in. Rumors said that inside this room lies the wildest party ever happened in this hotel!" He whispers excitedly.

"Leave." I growled.

His face drops. "I was told to escort you to the room." He pouts, showing me his puppy dog eyes.

I shot a glare. "This is a personal business. I'm standing in front of the room, now leave." I gritted out.

"Sorry ma'am." He apologizes and scurries off.

Should I knock?

No.

I think about the specific person on the other side of the door and my reason to talk to him. Thinking about that, I opened the door.

I met with darkness. My eyes tried to adjust in this darkness. There is a DJ, but it's playing a slow song. No alcoholic stench. The room smells fresh. Like daisies. As soon as my eyes got adjusted, I saw her.

A stripper. Not one, but two of them, dancing on the pole which was there in the small ramp. Between those women, there was a man, trying to imitate their actions on a pole. I couldn't make out his features but I could see his red shirt. There was another man, laughing his ass off below the stage.

I look to my left and see two men with another stripper, playing cards. There is a huge bar and a very familiar person is making a drink for the men sitting in the stool, having a conversation.

My heart drops to my stomach and my palms start trembling when I see who was sitting on the barstool.

Don't Maria. Not yet...

I let out a shaky breath and shut the door loudly, gaining everybody's attention.

Just think about Thomas and your purpose here. Don't look into that man's eyes.

All ten heads snapped in my direction. The man dancing on the pole falls and gets up quickly then whistles.

"We got another stripper!" Only the man who was laughing previously cheered.

I had expected a huge crowd with loud music and lots of drinks. This...this was unexpected.

Pathetic. This word is nothing before what I am actually seeing.

"This," I motion my hand all around the room, "is a sham. The rumours were not true after all."

The man gets off from the stage and runs towards me. He stands in front of me, invading my personal space.

"Don't trust the rumours, miss. They are often false." He gives me a smirk. Is he trying to flirt with me?

I show him my teeth in the same manner as I showed to Georgiana. "Thank you. I'll take care next time."

His smile widens and before he could speak anything he gets pushed and lands on the floor. I felt somebody lifting up my hand and placing a chaste kiss on its back.

I snatched it back and glared at the man. He gives me a charming smile which I guess was supposed to swoon me over.

Too bad I can't feel anything.

"Damn, we got a feisty one. It's okay pretty lady, we know you have a show to give." His eyes gleam in excitement.

Oh. They want a show? Too bad I'm not the right person.

I frowned. "Actually, I'm here for the groom. I have to give him my special services." I hear a glass shatter from my left.

Don't look. Don't look. Don't look.

His nose scrunches up in disgust. "Seriously? You are here for that workaholic bastard?"

"Yes." My jaws are paining again.

"For real?" The other man asks me, glaring at his friend.

"Yes, where is he?" Both of them shook their heads and pointed right.

My eyes follow a man wearing a crown on his head. There is a snoring stripper beside him. He is wearing a green shirt and a tie with matching khaki pants. There is a garland wrapped around his neck.

His eyes are glued to the laptop screen on his lap.

"All the best. He is working at his own bachelor party." Then the men walk back to the stage and continue their shameless business.

I walk towards the groom and stand in front of him. I cleared my throat to grab his attention.

"If you are here to entertain, go on the stage and do it. I'm busy." His voice is smooth and authoritative.

He doesn't know that I have handled people like him for years in my profession. This doesn't make me squirm in my seat or run for the hills.

"I'm here to talk, Mr King. Privately to be exact."

"I'm busy. You'll get an appointment probably after two months." Is this guy real?

I take a deep breath and control that specific emotion taking over me. "I came all the way from Texas to talk, Mr King. I suggest you shut that laptop down."

His eyes are still glued to the screen. "No."

I shook my head. "Tsk. Tsk. I wonder how my supposed to be sister in law is going to react when you'll work on your wedding night."

His head shot up from the screen, mouth open in shock. His light blue eyes looked at me as if he had seen a ghost.

I show him my teeth. "Finally, let's talk now, shall we?"