Chapter 23

I looked around the whole place in awe through the front window, the name 'Land Of Your Dreams' written elegantly and placed at the top front of the hotel. This is very catchy, right? I didn't think he was actually serious when he told me we are going to the 'land of your dreams', I thought he was just kidding and we were going to somewhere beautiful and might be proportional to something I might like, but this? This is beyond that. That's smart of him. Good job Carter, you really did impress me.

"Wow, I am very shook... from the very core." that's what I could muster up and say. The beauty plus the suspense that Carter has put me into mixed up to this reality, which literally looks like my imagination, and almost beyond it.

"Yeah?" he chuckles, "I knew you would react to this place in such a way, and trust me, it is worth it."

"My ratings for a hotel would be by their service and food, so we will see." I shrugged and collected my purse, looking around me if I forgot anything. I was about to open my side of the door before he quickly hops out and beat me to it, "Being the gentlemen I am, m'lady?" he winks and kisses my hand, and that, that made me giggle. My flushed face would've been abashing if it was a date, thank God.

Hand in hand, we headed to the entrance of the hotel, everything seeming more and more unpredictable. The bright red and extra clean carpet welcomed us to the golden revolving door, entering the hotel with grace and full confidence, feeling curious and excited for what will happen next.

A hotel guard greeted us and led us to a waiter looking guy, "Welcome to the 'Land Of Your Dreams' hotel." he nodded his head and gave us a warm smile, then silently led us to somewhere around the reception, where a woman, blonde haired and looking like she is at her late thirties, wearing a crispy creamy colored suit is smiling at us from a distance. I looked at Carter with a questioning look, and he replied with a small smile and a one shoulder shrug.

"Hello, Carter! How's it all going? How's your dad? I haven't seen him in a while." the woman speaks to him sweetly. They shake hands and exchange formal smiles, "Nothing changed much, thank you. So," he looks ahead of her, "Is it all good as I told you?" he directly gets to the point.

"Yes, all is ready for your service," her gaze slides to me, "And I believe this is your beautiful date." she smiles cheekily at me.

"Yes, she is my girlfriend," he says and puts his hand around my forearms, encouraging me to speak up. I stood a bit closer to her and held out my hand, "I am Kate Anderson, nice to meet you."

"You too, Kate. I'm Mary Sandhill, the manager of this hotel." she replies, "Well, let's take you two to your table, follow me." she turns swiftly and heads to a hallway, ushering us to follow her.

"How in the world is this happening? This is so cool." I ask him quietly, making sure she is out of hearing range, "This is so mesmerizing and just, breathtaking for me," I said, taking in every design and beautiful art inside the hotel, each and everything compliments the other in a weirdly pretty way, "Everybody knows dad, so it is not that hard, love bunny, and I like this place, why would I waste time finding somewhere else?" he speaks, slightly startling me with his change of tone.

As we walk to this beautiful never-ending hallway, without even knowing its arrival, someone harshly bumped into me, making me fall on the smooth floor.

"Holy fuck, love bunny, are you okay?" Carter comes and crouches beside me, holding my arm and checking up on me, "I'm fine, but what's up with the guy?" I looked at the suited guy whose face is facing the opposite wall, "I'm sorry, Kate, did I hurt you?" he says, turning and giving me his best concerned look. And what in the mother freaking hell is going on?

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Carter growls at him, "What? Can't I rush through the halls to fetch up my date of the night?" he smirks and stands up, holding his hand out for me, "Oh my days, here's a piece of my mind, Troy, you don't bump and throw the person you are walking through as if you are fighting them off." I purposely denied his help and made Carter help me instead.

He puts his hand inside his pocket and looks down, "I know, I apologize." he looked at the time on his wrist and seemed to snap out of a thought, "Well, uh... nice to have dates at the same time, I really need to pick her up now, see ya."

"Definitely not likewise" Carter replies, but it was too late for him to hear it.

"Are you guys okay? I thought you were lost." Mary comes up to us, "Oh no, I just bumped into someone we know." I looked at Carter and gave him a smile, which he didn't return back and gently pulled me along with him to our paused track on the hallway. We reached a doubled creamy colored door, which Mary opened the pair and let us in, and immediately, jazz music filled my ears.

This place is like a dimly lit dinner eating spot, but with little to no noise, a small bar at the corner, and a small stage where people are performing. We sat around the table in the middle of the room with people murmuring, eating, and laughing all together.

"Call out to the waiters when you're ready to order, for now, I'll have to go." she says and bids us goodbye, leaving from the door we just entered. I looked around the place more intently, the dim light not allowing me to see every person's faces, but just who and how they're situated. Around the bar behind the serving table, I noticed three girls are whispering to each other looking our way and giggling. Ugh, it's definitely Carter the main subject. What a great start, jealousy Kate?

He noticed my frown and grabbed my hand, "What is wrong? You did not like the food they serve or is it too dark?"

"No, it's nothing, I was just thinking." I brushed it off and held on to the menu, skimming through their food and specials. They have pretty good descriptive writing skills, but I bet the food wouldn't even equal two slices of pizza. My eyes stopped on two appetizers and a meal course with my always favorite drink.

"I'm done. Haven't you still made up your mind?" I ask him. He looked at me and smiled, "Is it only me that thought that in a very different way?" his smile slowly changed to a smirk.

"Oh...? Oh, can you be a decent human being for a moment?" I rolled my eyes, fanning my face and tucking in imaginary hair behind my ears. He laughs, "I am also done, love bunny, shall I call them?" I nodded my head. He looks up and calls one of the girls, didn't quite notice how they are acting, probably too dark for him to see. Or is he enjoying this ridiculous attention he got from them?

"Hello, I'm Ashely and I will be your waitress for the night. What's your order?" one of the girls came giddily holding a notepad and a pen, staring at Carter lovingly. The fuck is wrong with you, hun...

I slapped the menu on the table so I can make this poor girl, who is probably dreaming of doing the dirty things with him, snap from her non-happening and never existing thoughts, "Can you take our orders quick? I'm starving." I said. She looked at me with a blank face, urging herself not to say anything and keep her mouth shut, I can sense that vibe from her, what a pity.

She wrote our orders down and faked a smile, "Anything else?" she asks Carter, "Can I—"

"No, thank you, off you go." I cut him off, needing her to leave us alone right now. Have you ever felt a person making you feel under the ocean? Like, despite them being a human, it just suffocates you for them to be around? That's what I am feeling because of her.

"Love bunny, why are you being mean for no reason? She is just taking our orders, relax." he tries to calm me, but I just laughed it off with a side joke. He looked at me suspiciously, eventually letting it go.

We talked about random stuff and how it would feel if we ever got in the same classes of each subject. I said it would be hard learning and absorbing the contents since both of us won't even try to listen to the teacher when all the talks and flirts are present, but he said he would actually learn and score much better than now, but he wouldn't make me by his 'magic', which I know what he meant was... seduction. And I had to smack his hand in the very least.

After the wait of twenty-five minutes, our food came. Ashley and the other girl from the bar settled the plates on the table along with the drinks, "Enjoy your night." the new girl says nicely.

"And if you need anything call me— I mean, wave at us." Ashely continues, seeming to shock herself of what she was about to say, better she did.

The creamy lemon shrimp pasta and my mango juice look so well placed together, I did not even think the food would look this delicious and amazing. And the most surprising thing is, even though we are at a five-star rated hotel, out of all those choices of foods, Carter chose a fancy looking burger with lots of fries on the side.

"Appetizers first." I said and pushed the two plates of appetizers filled with hummus with pita and garlic bread in the middle, "Then we can dig in on the main course."

"Sure, I am up with anything." he shrugs agreeing, taking a piece of pita and dipping it in the small bowl of hummus.

"And one more thing," I said after swallowing my first mouth watering bite of the high quality food, "You are shrugging a lot tonight."

As we were eating, amidst the dim lights and Carter himself as a blocking view, I saw one suspicious person looking our way without even trying to hide. I squinted my eyes to look better, which turned out to be.... should I even be surprised anymore?

He raised his eyebrows and waved his thumb upwards, making me puzzled, what? His date is dying to gain his attention by putting her hands on his and shaking him a bit, but Goddamn his intentions looks more like he wants to spy on us, and not enjoy himself with his date. What is wrong with him? Why is he showing me those weird gestures that are senseless?

Carter noticed my sharp focus behind him, so he quickly turned around to see who is the guy who stole my attention. I stayed wide eyed as they stared at each other for a while, scared if he would blow up at any second, but Carter turned back again and continued to eat his food as if he didn't just witness Troy there, being very unusual and appearing to be following us wherever we are.

"Carter, we can go somewhere else if you want to..." I stated, but he shook his head and looked at me, "I am not going to let a douchebag ruin our date." after then, we ate in silence, trying not to glance at him.

I felt my stomach twist and turn in pain, readying itself to make its loudest grumble, shit. I don't need this right now, I have to go before anything happens, "Uh... I'll come back in a second." I excused myself and quickly left to the restroom located right next to the bar.

"Shit, shit, shit." I whispered cursing myself, feeling like I'm about to wet myself with... you know it. As soon as I sat on the cold seat, a long rippling fart sounded a bit louder. Holy cow, I hope this can't be heard outside the walls.

"Oooh, that was a good one, innit?" I freeze. No, no, NO! WHY IN THE FUCK WAS SOMEONE HERE?!

How couldn't I notice someone was here? How can I humiliate myself this easily and make it so fucking hard to leave unless she does? Oh my good Lord, please save me from this hell.

"Ah, don't worry. I just entered, well, before your little concert of yours." fucking hell, why is this happening to me?

"Uh..." was the only thing I could say comparing her blasting mouth of snickers and mocks, "Are you okay in there? Do you need any tissues, in case it splattered all over the place?" she chuckles and soon the clanking of heels neared the stall I am in, "Or maybe I could pass you another pair of panties."

Oh, my days, who have sent this devil while I am at this crucial time?