Page 67 of Storm Warning
Kate forced a smile for the cheerful bellman. “Yes, I am. I won’t be long, though. I just didn’t feel like cooking tonight.”
“No problem. I’ll take care of the cart for you. Have a wonderful evening.”
Kate had just stepped into the lobby, the glass doors whispering closed behind her, when a man brushed past her left side—fast, too close, too firm. She stumbled a little as he muttered, “Sorry,” and keptwalking. Rude.
A chill zipped across her upper arm, like she’d walked through a cloud of static. She glanced down. Nothing there. Weird.
“You idiot! Look at what you did! My dress is ruined!” A bitchy voice screeched across the lobby.
Kate paused and glanced over to see Jessa—Jessica—yelling at a young desk clerk. How in the world did a desk clerk ruin her dress?
Mario stepped up beside her when she hesitated and whispered, “That one is a real piece of work. She may look nice on the outside, but she’s a royal B on the inside. She bosses everyone around like she owns the place and then yells at them when they don’t instantly jump to do as she demands.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t understand. I didn’t do anything to your dress.” Confusion and anxiety were written all over the clerk's face. Kate glanced around but didn’t see Lena or anyone else who looked like a manager.
“You bumped your desk into me and knocked over my water bottle! Water ruins silk, you idiot! This dress is coming out of your paycheck!” Jessica’s voice was a painful shriek, echoing across the marbled lobby.
Kate’s blood pressure skyrocketed, and her face flushed as all the fear and anger she’d been bottling up exploded. Who did this bitch think she was, talking to the staff like that?
Kate stalked across the lobby, fury bubbling in her veins. “Jessica, isn’t it?” She paused for a second to allow Jessica time to face her.
“Do I know you?” Jessica looked her over, curling her lip. “No, definitely not.”
Before Jessica could turn away, Kate jumped in with both feet, her tone knife sharp.
“Don’t you think it’s time for you to leave? No one wants you here. Nick did not invite you, as you very well know, sinceZach told you the email had been faked. And really, how desperate are you to come running down here on an EMAIL?”
Kate snorted, disgust dripping from her voice now. “You spent how long wandering around here like a lost puppy looking for Nick when you arrived? Why? Because you don’t have his cell number! Hello, get a clue and leave.”
Clapping interrupted her, and she spun toward the sound. An older couple was standing in the restaurant doorway and had apparently witnessed the whole thing.
“Bravo, young lady. We heard her yelling at the clerk but weren’t sure if we should intervene or not. You handled that well. On the other hand, you, Blondie—your behavior is atrocious. I can’t believe your mother didn’t teach you basic manners. You owe that young man an apology. You spilled your own water. It wasn’t his fault you’re clumsy.”
Jessica was rooted there in shock from Kate’s attack. Fury snapped in her eyes, but she said nothing, just stormed off toward the elevators. The elderly man winked at Kate and escorted his wife outside.
Another clap sounded, this time from behind Reception. She spun back to find Lena now standing next to the clerk, who was gazing at Kate with stars in his eyes.
“Kate, you are my hero. That was brilliant. None of us who work here could have done that and kept our jobs. Thank you.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks, burning beneath her skin like she’d stepped too close to a fire. Her muscles pulled taut, a tight, jittery tension crawling up her spine like spider legs. She couldn’t catch a full breath—each inhale came quick and shallow, as though she were breathing through a straw, leaving her light-headed and dizzy. The lobby tilted slightly. She pressed her palms to her burning face, the coolness of her own hands doing nothing to quell the heat, and turned wide eyes to Lena.
“I can’t believe I did that. I hate confrontations!” Kateclenched her fists, nails digging crescents into her palms; the slight pain barely registered through the adrenaline still screaming through her system. “I need to go. I’m more messed up than I thought.”
Her shoulders sagged as the last of her anger drained out like water from a broken dam. A leaden weight settled in her chest, heavy and cold, making it hard to move, hard to think, hard to even stand upright. The room blurred at the edges, the marble floor seeming to ripple beneath her feet. Sounds dulled to a hum, as if someone had stuffed cotton in her ears. Her thoughts broke apart and tumbled over each other, a confused, pounding rush she couldn’t slow down, couldn’t organize, couldn’t escape.
A quick tap of footsteps approached, then a firm hand grasped her arm. “Kate, are you ok? You're white as a sheet, and shaking.” Concern dripped from Lena’s voice.
“I had a bit of a shock earlier. A big shock, actually. I think maybe I’m in shock still?” Kate’s voice quivered, her words tumbling over each other faster than she could catch them, each syllable trembling.
Her muscles trembled, her heart hammering out of rhythm like a broken drum. Her vision blurred, colors leaching away as though the world had gone gray and lifeless. Each breath caught in her throat, shallow and ragged. Every sound rang too loud, scraping against her nerves like sandpaper. She tried to pull herself together, tried to force her muscles to obey, but it was like grasping at smoke—her thoughts scattered, her body locked in a state she couldn’t escape.
Vague impressions of what was happening flashed in front of her. Lena’s grip on her arm, surprisingly strong, leading her across the cool marble. The soft give of cushions as she was pushed down. “Sit right there.”
Kate registered the plush fabric beneath her as she sankdown, her breath ragged, her thoughts splintering into static. The lobby lights glowed too brightly, drilling into her skull.
She was only distantly aware of Lena pressing a water bottle into her hands, the plastic cool and damp with condensation. Her heart thudded, a ragged, uneven rhythm, each beat echoing in her ears.
“Kate, take the bottle and sip the water.” Kate obediently took the bottle put into her hands and started sipping, the cool liquid sliding down her throat, grounding her. Gradually, the fog thinned, the edges of the world sharpening into focus again. Her gaze drifted over to Lena beside her. That’s right—Lena had sat down.