Unpublished work Β© 2021 Mischievous Imagination. Use of the following material must be authorized by explicit written consent.
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Author's note :
- This story is the first of a series that will take place in hostels all over the world.
- All the characters are over the age of 18 unless otherwise specified.
- This is the first time that I share one of my stories with the world, I hope you enjoy!
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"We're all good! Here are your keys ; your room is on the third floor, to the left at the top of the staircase," the receptionist informed me cheerfully.
"Thank you," I answered with my best smile. I couldn't get used to her eyes. Such a vivid blue. They seemed so... alive. As if her irises were containers filled with water that swirled when she moved her head.
"If there is anything else you need, be sure to let me know." Her tone was strange. Amused and almost suggestive.
"Um thanks." I tore my gaze away from her before my staring became rude and headed up to unpack. The plan for tonight was : go for a quick shower, put on the fanciest clothes I had in my backpack and hopefully meet some cool travelers during the hostel's pool tournament.
Half an hour later, I headed to the bar to grab a beer and sign up for the activities of the week. The bartender greeted me and kindly informed me. "You're in luck mate, sign up was supposed to be over by now but I just gave the sheet to the reception so if you hurry, you can probably jot down your name real quick."
I rushed over to the front desk and was greeted by a curtain of pearly black hair subtly streaked with blue dye as the woman who had done my check-in rummaged below the counter. I cleared my throat. "Um hi," as she looked up, I glanced at her name tag, "Clara." My eyes locked onto her unsettling blue irises as I explained my situation.
"The tournament is two against two, and no one has signed up solo that I can pair you up with," she replied apologetically. I must have looked pretty disappointed because she added. "You know what, I wanted to participate in one of these tournaments before I left here and tonight is a night off for me so, if you want, I can be your partner."
I broke into a huge grin, "That would be awesome, thanks!"
"No worries, my pleasure. I finish my shift in ten minutes so I'll meet you directly at the pool table," she concluded with a wink.
I thanked her again and sauntered over to the bar to order a beer. I was in a hell of a good mood. There was a group of people drinking and laughing at a table nearby but I felt too intimidated to join them so I sat on a stool near the pool table to sip my beer. I daydreamed for a couple of minutes, wondering if my pool skills were good enough to impress Clara. She was gorgeous and that had a tendency to make me nervous and awkward, trying too hard to be cool. I sent a few messages to my friends and checked my mail but before I knew it, I heard a beautiful austrian accent. "I hope you're good at pool because I want to win this!"
I looked up and noticed she had changed out of her staff hoodie. She was wearing a dress made of the same material as a sweatshirt. It was unusual but well cut and clung to her curves in a very satisfying way. It somehow made her look casual and sexy at the same time. "What an unusual dress, you look great!" I complimented.
She laughed and I could tell she appreciated the comment. "Thank you."
"I'm pretty average at pool," I answered honestly, "so I was counting on you!"
"I'm pretty decent," she replied without a shred of false modesty, "working at hostels has its perks." She winked again.
That comment opened the door to small talk and we chatted agreeably while we waited for the tournament to start. I learned that she was used to working in hostels ; she had traveled quite a bit and when she wanted to stay somewhere for a while, that was how she made money. She had never worked in a hostel in her home country before but she needed money to start a business so she was saving up and she liked the job.
"You do meet plenty of interesting and eclectic sorts in a place like this," she said, eyeing me with a lopsided smile, in a way that made me squirm.
"You participating in this one Clara?" A guy with the staff hoodie clapped her on the shoulder as he walked by, with the list of contestants in hand. "Give the poor souls a chance, play left-handed or something," he joked.
"They'll have a chance, its 2 against 2 and we're taking turns," she answered, gesturing my way.
Well then, that stung. I was irritated until I saw her huge grin that indicated her comment was probably a tease. The guy chuckled and stood on the nearby chair to gather everyone's attention. He explained the rules and showed us where we had to jot down the scores after every game. Clara and I were competing in the third game and so we joined the others who were waiting for their turn and chatted, cheered and drank while the tournament kicked off. I thought the others were doing quite well but after the second teams had played a few turns, she whispered to me cheerfully. "We are going to win this!"