Chapter 44: Chapter 44

Volume 2.

This volume would be shorter than the previous. It consists of Claire and Alex time together, technically it's a flashback but it'll help give some understanding and probably a background too to some of the challenges both Alex and Lara are facing.

It's kind of like a spoiler, but it'll be hotter and I won't spill too much info though.

"Happy Reading!"

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The first time.

She held the files and marched angrily to the elevator.

"Who even cancels a meeting two minutes before the rendezvous?" She asked aloud in annoyance.

"Just great, I have to wait for the lift too? Fuck this place! This whole trip was a fuck'in mistake." She cursed and grumbled out loud as she waited for the elevator. Fortunately or unfortunately there was no one close to her, so she could rant and pant in annoyance without any disturbance.

Technically, she'd been standing there for just a few seconds, but anger and frustration made her feel like she'd been there for hours.

She turned and angrily headed for the stairs. She had barely covered three steps before the elevator dinged behind her, but since she already had her earpiece in her ear, she did not hear the sound.

She was dressed in formal attire, a slim fitting long sleeve shirt tucked in a knee length skirt. She had to fold her slitless skirt up a little in order to climb the stairs without tripping.

Luckily, she was only on the fourth floor. Despite it being tedious and tiring, she still managed to get to her floor.

She took off her earpiece as she fetched her room card.

"Noisy neighbors." She commented to no one in particular as she heard the loud music and cheers coming from the room opposite hers.

She ignored it and marched into her room, banging the door behind her.

"Hello,"

She said over the phone as she kicked off her shoes disorderly.

"Hey, why do you sound so grumpy?" The other voice asked over the phone.

"Mr Gelintine canceled at the last minute." She announced.

"Did he say why?"

"Nope, he said he couldn't make it, that's all."

"Ok, no big deal, you can get on the next flight and be here tomorrow morning, I'll pick you up at the airport."

"I will sleep over and try to get to him tomorrow before coming." She unbuttoned her shirt as she spoke.

The noise from the other room was really nerve-wracking.

"You know that you don't have to do that right? You can come home already."

"I'll give it one last try." She insisted.

"Ok, be careful ok?"

"I would. I've got some really loud neighbors, I'll go plead with them to turn it down before heading to bed, I doubt I'll be able to catch any sleep with this amount of rowdiness."

"Ok, good night. If they don't turn it down, call the hotel," he advised, "it's your right to tranquility" he added.

"Got it."

She ended the call. By this time she was already in her mini nightie. She just threw a robe over her short gown, wore the hotel carpet slippers and marched to the door.

'Like who gets this loud even?'

Bang, bang bang. She knocked on the door loud enough too. She knew that with all the shouting and music in the room, a light knock wouldn't be heard.

She raised her hand to bang on the door again but was cut off when the door opened.

A handsome tall blonde guy opened the door, he had only his joggers on. His chest was exposed. She could see how well built he was, with probably only four packs but he still looked sexy and hot and strong.

"Hey miss." He called in a soft but masculine voice, all the anger she held in her and was ready to explode all died down in an instant like an active volcano being quenched by the ocean, 'if it's a thing though.'

"Hey." She automatically forgot why she was standing there in the first place.

"Can I help you?" He asked with a charming boyly smile.

She stared at him for a moment, trying to digest what he said before it registered to her that she was actually now the one acting creepy.

"Oh, yeah.. sorry, I'm really just tired after this... hectic day, you know what I mean?" She fumbled with her words.

"Of course." He nodded like a real gentleman.

"Uhmm, if you guys could turn down the music just a little, I think I'll appreciate it." She managed to say.

"Oh, yeah, we would, sorry for disturbing your beauty sleep." He replied with a charming smile.

She discreetly stretched her neck a little to peep in the room. She didn't see much but she knew that the atmosphere in there was pretty festive, and there were more dudes in there, probably three or four.

"Ok, keep it low,"she said one last time, this time with a smile as she headed back to her room.

The guy opposite did not close his door immediately, he waited until she'd gone in and shut her door behind before he closed the door.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she collapsed on her bed. She tossed around in bed for a couple of minutes with no sleep. Actually, the hot guy from the next room kept on popping up every now and then in her mind.

She had a boyfriend and he was hot too, handsome and well built, even more than this blonde guy, but what the hell was different about him that got her all nuts.

The noise had subsided, but it was still loud, she still couldn't bring herself to sleep.

She tossed around on the bed, placed the pillow angrily over her head hoping to minimize the loudness, to no avail.

She jumped down from the bed, marched out of her room again.

Knock, knock, knock. She hit the door, this time a little bit softer than the first and with determination, that no matter how dripping hot this guy was, she wasn't going to get brain cold again. She had to let them know that she was pissed up as fuck and tired too, and they weren't helping.

"Hey ma'am," this time, it was a dark-haired guy with brown eyes who answered the door. He too was shirtless and hot as fuck, just like the previous one but she was determined not to falter.

"You guys gotta keep it down or I'll call security. I need to fuck'in sleep, don't you get it?" She yelled, startling the guy for a sec. The smile that he had on partially died down, but he still managed to keep his composure.

"I'm really sorry, Boris did pass the announcement earlier…"

"Well I guess y'all did not get it huh?" She interrupted him aggressively with both hands on her waist.

"No, not that, it's my brother's wedding tomorrow and we're having his bachelor's party. The boys are really crazy and so much into having fun that they don't realize how disturbing they can be." He explained.

"Well, I guess they need security to remind them how to behave." She shot back.

"I don't think it's necessary, I'll talk to them sternly."

"You better do just that!" She snapped. She made an abrupt U-turn heading for her door.

"Or…"

She paused and turned back to face the guy when he started speaking again.

"... I was thinking that maybe you should scold them in person, they'll probably take that seriously." He said.