A BUMP IN THE ROAD

< Athaire Starlight Hotel

UTC+2 0828 AM SAT

Lobby >

Since the position had given him the advantage of overhearing their conversation while remaining in hiding, Jack had taken the chance to listen in while going through the "found" phone. It seemed like her private phone, but her personality…was just the type of person he couldn't stand.

"So damn organized," he grumbled, as he went through her packed calendar and neatly organized contacts, each fully filled out with all details, including affiliation, address, birthday, just to name a few.

"And so damn old," his mood dropped further as he searched in vain for the popular social media apps. "Seriously?!" Aside from professional networking apps, no other communication or media apps. No mobile games either. "Obviously." Indeed, with every new intel about One Shot's girlfriend, he began to dislike her more and more. He couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong with One Shot's head. It was beyond his comprehension how anyone could like someone so boring. Before he opened the gallery, he mentally prepared himself to see pictures of financial reports or anything else on the level of excessive boorishness. Then he noticed someone else joining their conversation. He leaned around to get a better look when someone tapped on his shoulder. He turned around to find the concierge from earlier hiding behind a bulky security guard, glaring down at him from his basketball player height.

"Sir, are you a guest at this hotel? I'd like to see your identification." The guard demanded with a deep, husky voice. Maybe he had yet to have his morning coffee? Jack's head dropped to one side while he glanced around the mountainous man at the cowering concierge behind him. What a weasel.

"Why else would I be here?" He smiled up at the brown bear in front of him while he let the phone slide in his back pocket. A quick glance back to the scene.

"Is that your phone, sir? I've been informed of a potential misunderstanding," the guard continued, placing emphasis on the last word and effectively interfering with his plans to eavesdrop on the conversation of interest, "which I'd need you to clear up."

"A potential misunderstanding?" Jack echoed with exaggerated bewilderment before a shadow fell over his expression. He stepped closer to the guard and lowered his voice, "I'd advise you take a step back before you get hurt. I'm not in the mood to play right now. I've got a better show to watch, so if you could just crawl back into the hole you came from, that'd be great." A woman in his back yelled something along the lines of 'See you later at my wedding', but before he could fully process what was going on, the guard had pushed him against the wall. Jack glanced down at the hand crumbling his shirt with disdain.

"Sir," the guard started, but Jack had already lost all his patience.

"No? Fine." Before the guard could finish his sentence or even react, Jack had sent him with a swift kick through the service door beside them. The concierge was shell-shocked and barely managed to hiccup as Jack's hand clasped around his neck and dragged him along behind the door, away from potentially prying eyes.

When he emerged from the service door again, Jack had changed into the uniform of the concierge and was scanning the lobby for One Shot and his girlfriend, but they had already disappeared. For a moment, he cursed but sped up his steps to look around the lobby. The main entrance, the reception overstaffed with three penguins in uniform, an entrance to restrooms, a seating area with a few guys dressed in business suits, checking their phones, a restaurant with morning buffet for hotel guests, and a separate coffee shop. Wouldn't hurt checking them out. He hastened over, slammed open the wooden door to the coffee shop with one hand, and nearly collided frontally with the person on the other side.

His instincts came into immediate action. A quick side-step, otherwise, he would have run the girl over. She looked up at him with big, blue eyes. And to his surprise, he recognized her instantly: One Shot's girlfriend.