Say That You'll Meet Me

Shuffling footsteps echoed outside the room. Rhodes opened his eyes and looked around his room in the Flower House. This room felt as unfamiliar as the one in his smart home. His brain transplanted pastel colors on the ceiling while a huge bookcase blocked the entire wall to his right. The room in the Flower House was filled with neutral colors. He couldn't feel at home at all.

Rhodes rose from the bed, and his feet touched the heated floor. The bunny slippers Deresita lent him adorned his feet as he trudged toward the ensuite bathroom. Rhodes stared at his face in the mirror. His tired eyes never recovered, only saved by concealers.

He didn't know why seeing a makeup kit in his bathroom didn't faze him. He found one in his old house. Did he live with a woman before? 

Wait, based on Lionel's reaction, it was unheard of. However, Rhodes still brought it here in case it would help in salvaging his memories.

"I prefer my insane look. It fits me perfectly." Rhodes wanted to go on another adventure with Vanya. However, the poor guy was ill. Vanya didn't have to say it for Rhodes to know. He just felt Vanya was terribly ill just from watching the peculiar man.

"Rhodes!" Knocks came to the room's door. Rhodes glanced at the clock inside the ensuite. What did Giles need from him at six in the morning?

The knocking pursued for another few minutes while Rhodes ignored him. The doctor did his business in the bathroom before answering the door.

Rhodes opened the door with a crack. He saw Giles leaning on the wall across the hallway, hands pressed together. The look in his eyes made Rhodes suspicious. The doctor opened the door wider and called Giles's attention. "Did something happen to the hotel?"

"To the hotel? Nothing important yet." Giles brought his hands down. He pushed up his glasses and walked toward Rhodes. "Please be honest with me, Rhodes. Did you send someone to the chop shop?"

"Not yet. Why? Did something happen to it?"

"Yeah, it burned down." Giles narrowed his gaze at Rhodes. "The fire volunteers were alerted of a fire in the building around two in the morning. However, the fire wasn't contained until minutes earlier. The volunteers said the fire stayed inside the building despite its intensity. Its neighboring shops were untouched, which was suspicious. Also… some people said they heard wailing voices inside."

Rhodes's brows lifted. Did Vanya jump out of bed and burn the building in one of his dream walks? Wait, didn't he say the spiritual couldn't damage the physical? Also, it was dangerous to set fire in a place with a lot of dream spaces.

The doctor only chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't, but my friend might have. What makes you sure it's me?"

Giles sighed and turned toward the end of the hallway. "My car is in the front lawn. The cash I'm supposed to give out as my employees' severance pay is in the backseat. Did you tell your friend all about it? Those thugs couldn't have had a change of hearts all of a sudden."

"That's so strange." Rhodes frowned. He sighed, nonetheless. "In any case, give me a few minutes to be decent. I haven't showered yet."

"At least answer my question." Giles slid his foot to keep the door from closing. He pulled on the knob, just enough to keep Rhodes from crushing his foot. Rhodes didn't put any strength into it either. The hotel manager insisted on asking. "Was it you?"

Rhodes stared at the man and shook his head. "If I can simply ask someone to deal with them, it should have happened yesterday. Don't worry too much. Think about our meeting later instead."

Giles didn't say anything, but he pulled away his foot and his hand. Rhodes closed the door gently before showering. Since Giles didn't make another noise, the doctor figured the manager had gone away. Under the drizzling water, Rhodes narrowed his gaze at the tiled floor.

"Is it safe to assume that it was the Iveren? What if it isn't him?" Rhodes rested his finger on his lower lip. "Should I look into this as well? With what kind of resources? I don't even have anything reliable."

He exited the shower and wrapped his towel around his body. Grabbing a smaller towel to dry his hair, Rhodes walked back to the wide mirror. His hot shower fogged the mirror. He would have cleared it with his palm, but words were written on it.

[Don't worry about it. It's me.]

A slight tinge of horror and embarrassment covered Rhodes. He held the towel on his waist tighter. "Vanya? Are you spying on me? Don't creep around."

The mirror misted again, much to Rhodes's fright. The writings on it vanished… only to be replaced. It was as if the other person was in the room with him.

[I feel your heart pounding in terror, dear.]

"That doesn't make me feel any better." Rhodes leaned on the sink and stared at the words before him. "You know a lot about me, but I don't know anything about you. Say, Vanya. Will I see you at Sir Abraham van Iveren's birthday party? I want to meet you in person."

[All right. I will be there.]

Rhodes twisted his lips. "Say that you'll meet me."

Instead of a lovely reply, the fogged mirror only cleared. Rhodes frowned at the answer he received. He huffed and dried his hair. "Fine. If you don't want me to touch you, fine."

…

Rhodes's sour mood dragged till noon. The meetings were held in his presence, but he barely made any suggestions or contradictions. He merely listened to everyone, letting Giles feel confident about the soft renovations that would be completed within the month. 

The place was old. Boring holes in its walls might cause the building to collapse. Grand renovations were off the table from the beginning.

Building codes were also a problem, but the management could only solve it when necessary. For now, they needed to recoup all expenses by attracting guests again. They needed to repaint the whole hotel, revive the garden and the fountain, and accomplish more things on Giles's list. The money given to him could cover years of repair. Since it came from Rhodes, Giles didn't feel pain spending it.

"Dr Huxley is so kind! We will make sure the hotel will be fully operational next month!" The head of the marketing team shook Rhodes's hand in excitement. The other directors also hoped to butter up.

"Leave him alone. He doesn't like people in general." Giles sighed and waved a hand to stop the old people from borderline harassing the new owner. "Rhodes, Deresita told me you will speak to the Iveren family. Are you hoping to get an invitation to their exclusive party?"

Rhodes caught Giles talking about the party. His mood only plummeted deeper. "I don't have to. Madam Iveren personally gave me an invitation. Deresita wants me to steal the party from Ring Garden."