Page 74 of Fake It For Love (Faux Love)
CLAIRE
Iopened the door to my room and looked down the hall. It was eerily quiet. Everyone had gone to bed long ago. Norah and Tony were willing to sit with me all night. I insisted they go to their room. I promised I was going to bed and didn’t need them to stay up all night. Ryan would be back soon.
Then I crept down the hall and back to the lobby.
A few staff members were trying to clean the area with the minimal lighting. I wondered why they didn’t use generators. They had to have them in a place like this. I assumed they were conserving gas. We were on an island. If we burned through all our gas before a delivery could be made, we would be in trouble. In the middle of the night, there was no need to run the things.
“Can I help you, miss?” a young cleaning woman asked.
“No, thank you. I’m just checking to see if my, uh, my fiancé has made it back yet.”
“No one has come in,” she said.
I forced a smile. I was afraid she would say that. I walked to the lobby doors once again. The wind didn’t seem to be blowing nearly as badly. That had to be a good sign. It was still raining, but it wasn’t slamming into the windows. That had to mean the storm was finally passing through. If Ryan was at the airport, he’d probably wait until morning to come back to the resort.
I should go to bed. There was nothing I could do for him. I would wake up early and check on him. “Be safe,” I whispered with my hand pressed against the glass.
I turned to find the young woman I had talked to earlier. “Excuse me,” I said.
“Yes?”
“How long do you think it will take for everything to get back up and running?” I asked her.
“We’ll have hot breakfast in the morning,” she said. “There will be hot water as well.”
“No, not here. The island in general. I see some trees down. I imagine the roads might be blocked.”
She smiled. “Maybe, but this wasn’t a bad storm. The road crew gets up early. I bet the roads will be clear before anyone here gets moving.”
She was assuming I was worried about me and the storm ruining my vacation. “I’m not worried about me leaving here. I’m worried about my fiancé getting here. He was at the airport a few hours ago. They said they were having someone drive him here. I haven’t seen him.”
“Oh, I’m sure they’re waiting out the storm at the airport,” she said. “It’s not safe to travel on the roads in one of these things.”
“If I wanted to go looking for him, are there any cabs or shuttles running?”
“No, I’m sorry,” she said.
I nodded. I hadn’t expected her to say yes. I was stuck. I could walk my ass to the airport, but that would be futile. We’d both end up stranded. And it was dark. I was suddenly very aware I was not a patient person. I had zero patience. I felt like I was being pulled apart. My skin was too tight. I wanted to get to him.
I walked back to the window and looked out at the destruction. I hoped the man was smart enough to stay at the airport. I was about to turn around and go to my room when something caught my eyes. I looked back and stared through the darkness.
“What the hell?” I saw two figures coming down the road. “No way.”
I pulled open the door and walked outside. The cool air brushed over my skin. I watched the figures get closer. It was two men. I found myself walking toward them. Palm fronds and branches poked at my feet as I walked. I barely noticed them.
“Ryan?”
“Claire?”
“Ryan!” I picked up my speed and rushed toward him.
We got within a few feet of each other and both started laughing. “What are you doing out here?” he asked.
“I saw someone walking and had to see who it was,” I said. “The airport said you left hours ago.”
“We did,” the other man said.
“This is Eddie,” Ryan said. “He’s the worst chauffer on the island.”
