As Jasmine pulled into the hotel car park, she glanced at the clock on the dash. "5 minutes late!" she cursed, inwardly thinking the other party would fail to turn up anyway.
Easing the car into the nearest space, she popped the car out of gear and wrenched up the handbrake. She picked up her phone from the centre console of the car, and starting flicking back through her text messages. The most recent message read.
"Be at the Hilton Hotel for 6PM sharp, if you're late I will know!"
"Yeah right," she muttered, smirking to herself.
"Go to reception and ask for the keys to room 121. Once there you will find further instructions."
The text was dated a week ago, she was quietly amazed that she'd even bothered to turn up, concerned that she'd just end up sitting in a hotel room on her own, slouching in her most comfy but boring PJs, no doubt rifling through the mini bar and paying extortionate money for a skimpy bag of peanuts and shrunken version of a bottle of wine.
She opened the car door and stepped out, having been told to travel light she only had her handbag to retrieve from the passenger seat. She headed purposefully towards reception, her mind starting to wander the closer she got. "What have I gotten myself into," she mused, pursing her lips.
She pushed open the door to reception, a rush of heat hitting her face as she stepped in from the cold outside.
"Hi," she mumbled awkwardly when she reached the reception desk "Can I have the keys to room 121 please." her cheeks flushed and she looked down at the floor, her heart rate starting to quicken.
"This is madness," she thought, her mind racing "Who the hell does this kind of thing!"
The sound of keys being placed on the hard marble surface of the reception counter broke her from her thoughts.
"Your key madam," said the receptionist "Enjoy your stay."
"Did he just grin at me?" she pondered, as she slid the keys slowly off the counter.
"Surely he doesn't know why I'm here?" her face flushed again, deep in her belly the gentle flutter of butterflies started. She muttered her thanks and headed towards the lift.
The lift pinged and the doors slid open as Jasmine reached her floor, she stepped out nervously glancing down the two corridors that led left and right. She arrived at the door to room 121, her heart now in her mouth, her pulse racing. She felt strangely warm and clammy.
Her warm clammy hand slid the key slowly into the keyhole, half hoping as she turned it the key would not work and she'd be forced to leave. Flee this place and give up this charade.