Happy For You by Luci Beach

Author:Luci Beach [Beach, Luci]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-08-29T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPS: Twenty-one Plus - part 4, 2011

Amelia left and I was summoned to see the hotel manager, both in the same afternoon.

I was already used to visiting researchers in their rented conference rooms for CHAPS-related interviews that week, but seeing the hotel manager was new. I wasn’t sure whether to be nervous – maybe they’d want me to apologise for the mess in my room, or something? I’d stayed in a few Premier Inns with my family and been equally messy without any problem, but who knew with a five-star hotel? I half wished my mum was with me after all. She’d protect me from the scary manager.

The man leafed through some paperwork. I couldn’t see what was scrawled across the top, but I imagined it was something like: ‘Messiest guest: Ciara Ryan’.

He lowered his glasses and looked at me. “You’re a friend of Amelia Montague-Brown, is that right?”

“Um... yes?” I hoped I was supposed to admit it. What did the state of my room have to do with Amelia?

“I have a message to pass to you from Ms Montague-Brown.”

“A message? But I spoke to her a few hours ago.” I glanced at my phone but there was nothing from Amelia.

“I see. All the same, she has asked me to pass a message on to you.” His smile got nowhere near his eyes, but at least he tried. He cleared his throat. “Ms Montague-Brown would like me to inform you that she has booked a room for you here, for the week following your conference.”

“She’s... done what?”

“Reserved a room. For you and...” He ran his finger down the paper. “Mr Massimo Renzo.”

“Max? No way! What?” I babbled. “Amelia has got a room for me and Max? She’s crazy!” I realised what I’d said and backtracked immediately. “I mean, please could you repeat that? Are you joking?”

“No, Ms Ryan. The room is booked.” He regarded me coolly. “You don’t have to take it, of course. But it’s been paid in full and there’s no, ahem, refund available. We did make that clear to Ms Montague-Brown, but she insisted she wanted to proceed.”

I pictured myself calling Amelia, telling her off. Laughing at what she’d done. She had more money than sense, that girl! It was Amelia all over. When we were fourteen, she’d told me so many stories of sneaking out of her private school grounds and visiting the local shops to buy treats for all her friends.

I told myself it was a good sign. Amelia might be struggling, but she still had her naughty side. She’d be laughing about this, her obvious attempt to throw Max and me together.

“No, it’s OK,” I said to the man. “I’ll take it. I could do with an extra week away from home.” I nearly added something about my parents being annoying and how hard it was to live at home again after uni, but I sensed the snooty manager wouldn’t understand or care.

I wondered what Max would say.

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