Page 113 of Stronger Than Fate

“I guess that’s what he thinks, but the issue is that my brother got angrier with Waylon than I’ve ever seen him. He started demanding to know how you two had met and who had introduced you. Waylon kept looking at me, not knowing how to get out of the mess. Finally, I had to step in and said that I had introduced you.”

“Are you sure he doesn’t suspect anything about yesterday?”

“Well, that’s another problem...”

“Just tell me, Niky!”

“This jerk may have a hangover from hell, but stupid he is not, even if he looks it. He knows you and Waylon hadn’t met before because otherwise Waylon wouldn’t have confused you with the woman who drugged him, and I told him yesterday that you had just arrived, so he put two and two together and realized you must have seen each other yesterday. The problem is that Waylon was supposed to be with him, so...”

“What?”

“I think he suspects you were at the bar. He’s bombarding me with questions. He’s like a caged lion pacing back and forth; his hangover even seems to have disappeared. I had to lock myself in my bathroom to talk to you,” she said, laughing.

“I don’t see what’s funny. What are you going to tell him?”

“I suspect I’ll have to tell him the truth.”

“Nooooo!”

“Dali, I don’t have a choice, unless you want him to come to the hotel and ask you himself, because I should clarify that’s what he was planning to do. I think Waylon is a dead man; in fact, I should leave the bathroom to make sure he’s still alive,” she said, unable to stop laughing.

“Niky, don’t laugh. I don’t want him to know I was with him.”

“I’ll tell him you did it so I wouldn’t be alone, but I don’t see any other solution.”

“Don’t you dare tell him I was the one who took off his clothes!”

“I’d take great pleasure in telling him that, so he’d be embarrassed and stop doing stupid things.”

“No, Niky”

“I won’t do it, for your sake and because I feel a little sorry for him. If I told him that, I imagine it would destroy what’s left of his dignity, if he has any left.”

“Don’t be so hard on him.”

“I have to go because he’s turned into a Neanderthal and is pounding on my door. I’ll call you later.”

Oh God! What a mess I’d gotten myself into. I should book a flight and go back to Paris. Only a few hours had passed since my arrival and I was already caught up in problems with Henry.

Damn fate!, I exclaimed.

I got up, I couldn’t stay in bed anymore. I decided to go to the hotel gym to use all that adrenaline rushing through my body like a runaway horse. I needed to burn off all that built-up energy that had nowhere to go. I changed into yoga leggings and a sports bra.

I was leaving the suite when I heard my phone ring. It was Niky again. I sighed, I had to answer and find out how she had “solved” the situation.

“Niky.”

“We have another little problem,” was the first thing she said.

I rolled my eyes and went back to sit on the couch. I suspected I needed to be sitting down to hear what she was about to tell me.

“I’m listening.”

“I told him you came with me to the bar because you didn’t want to leave me alone.”

“That’s what we agreed on.”

“He asked if he had said anything to you. I don’t know why he’s so worried about that, but we told him you hadn’t said anything. But Waylon put his foot in his mouth again. It’s clear that man doesn’t think before he speaks!”