Marcel Montego walked out of the elevator and looked around the hotel lobby. There weren't many people around that time of the day, 10 o'clock on a Thursday morning. Most importantly, she hadn't arrived yet.
Walking past the sofas, couches and easy chairs laid out in the center of the lobby, he went over to the bar and ordered a martini with a twist of lime. He then brought his drink over to an easy chair and sipped it while waiting for her.
Thoughts of her ran through his mind, and brought a smile to his face. He was walking through the lobby on Tuesday, on his way to a meeting, when he caught sight of the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. Her golden tresses almost obscured her sensual, delicate features, seeing as she was in tears at the time. She sat on the very same easy chair he was sitting on now, looking so lost and helpless, like her world had suddenly collapsed around her.
Without really knowing why, he walked over to this beautiful, doe-eyed creature. It seemed so wrong, to have someone that lovely sitting there, alone, lost in her own tears. His heart went out to her, even though he didn't know her at all. He sat down on the easy chair next to her, not speaking, waiting until she acknowledged his presence. Slowly, he got her to talk, and she slowly, hesitatingly, revealed her story to him.
A lifetime of picking the wrong men had finally taken its toll on her. As she spoke, he learned that she had just left her latest lover. Or rather, he made her leave... callously kicked her out onto the pavement like yesterday's trash along with her belongings, leaving her high and dry, while moving his new lady in. A friend of hers let her move in while she hunted for a place of her own, and when he found her that day in the lobby, she had just come from seeking out her ex-lover. Apparently, while tossing her belongings out, he found her secret stash of cash and kept it, so she went looking for him at the hotel, where he worked, to try and get it back.
Marcel postponed his meeting, took her hand, and led her to the little Italian restaurant across the street from the hotel, where they sat and talked till closing time. He listened while she talked about herself, and shared parts of himself with her. He never once made a move on her, or made any demands of her, because he simply enjoyed being in her company.
When it came time for her to head home, he hailed a cab and paid her fare in advance, along with a generous tip. Opening the door for her, he wished her goodnight. She gave him a small smile and looked at him, before getting in. As he stood on the curb, watching them drive away, a tinge of regret washed over him, when he thought that he might never see her again. He shrugged, laughed self-consciously, and ran his fingers through his hair while shaking his head. It was probably better this way. Life had not been kind to her, and any moves he made at this point would seem as if he was taking advantage of her situation.
Turning, he walked back into the hotel and strolled through the lobby. He called the elevator, and while he stood there waiting, he thought about Alyssa. She possessed a beautiful, caring, loving soul, yet always managed to pick men who used and abused her. It seemed none of them saw past her physical beauty and chose to treat her as a toyβ their playthingβ to be discarded when they got bored with her. This angered him. Couldn't they see what he saw... her loving sweetness?
The elevator door opened, revealing its operator. "Good evening, Sir. Which floor?" he asked, nodding at him in greeting.
"The fifth floor please, Enrique," Marcel replied. He leaned back against the rear of the elevator and sighed, anticipating a restless night, with the image of Alyssa haunting his mind.
The elevator door was about to close, when who should come running breathlessly towards it but Alyssa herself. It made his heart stop in its tracks. Enrique saw her, and held the door open for her. Alyssa ran right into his arms, throwing her arms around his neck, shivering... she was shivering. He wondered why.
"What is it, Alyssa? Are you all right?" Marcel asked, concern showing all over his face. "I thought you were on your way home in that cab."
Alyssa looked into his eyes, uncertain, unsure. "I... I wanted to be with you, Marcel. Please don't turn me away," she whispered.
Marcel nodded to Enrique, "It's fine, Enrique. She's with me. The fifth floor, please." Turning to her, he said quietly, "Are you sure, Alyssa?"
Nodding, she mouthed the word 'Yes', before leaning her head against his chest.
Wrapping his arms around her, he noticed for the first time, reflected on the shiny, metallic door of the elevator, that her red skirt exposed the lush creaminess of her very desirable derriere, because she wasn't wearing any underwear. The sight aroused him further, and he was sure Enrique caught sight of it, even if he pretended not to.
When they got to his floor, Enrique tipped his hat at the departing couple. Marcel gently took Alyssa's hand in his and led her to his room. Opening the door, he flipped on the lights and held the door open for her.