Still Falling (14 page)

It appeared that they were early, as
apart from the staff, there were only a handful of well preened guests milling
around the bar.
 
She still had no idea
who’s
little event this was or why it was being held.
 
Marie and Green Eyes had found a sofa in a
small lounge area just outside the function room and were deep in conversation
about their shared love of something or other.

Serena, wondered over to the bar,
feeling rather uncomfortable standing alone in the middle of the room like art
work.
 
She spotted the familiar faces of
Arnold and Mavis Richie.
 
The two elderly
Americans were entertaining the barman with a story about a small town bar they
had worked at together in their youth and some of the crazy stuff they had
seen.
 
Mavis spotted her long before
Serena reached them.
 
Mavis closed the
distance between them with her arms open wide and drew Serena into a huge
welcoming hug.

“Good grief dear.
 
Look at you!”

She called to her husband over her
shoulder.
 
“Arnie look.
 
It’s Serena.
 
Isn’t she looking much
better!
”

Letting the blushing Serena go, Mavis
stepped back to get a proper look at her.

“Hello Mrs. Richie.”

“Mavis.
 
Please.
 
I’m not going to ask again.
 
Well
dear, I must say you are looking much better and you have put on a little bit
of weight as well.
 
How are you doing?”

“Truthfully?
 
I’m still tired.
 
The last round of Chemo is still floating
around in here.
 
Good news though is it
looks like it’s worked and I should be alright.
 
How are you keeping?
 
I would have
thought you would be back in the States by now.”

“Nah, we’ll go back when we get
bored.
 
There are certain advantages of
having a little spare cash lying around.”
 
She winked.
 
“I am so glad to hear
you are going to be fine.
 
You’ll have to
come and spend a bit of time on the Ranch.
 
You’ll love it.”

“You know....maybe I will.
 
That sounds great Mavis.
 
Thank you for the offer.”
 
Giggling from across the room drew their
attention.
 
Marie and Green Eyes had
finally decided to enter the room.
 

“Well those two have it bad!” smiled
Mavis.

“Don’t go there.”
Groaned
Serena.

“Oh?”

“The one in the dress is my neighbour
who is on a blind date.”

“Well it looks like a blind date that’s
turning out quite well.
 
You don’t look
very happy about it.”

“Don’t get me wrong.
 
I’m very happy for Marie.
 
But as Chaperone I am now obsolete!”

“Ah well.
 
You’re more than welcome to spend the evening
with us.”
 
Smiled Mavis
patting Serena’s hand gently.
 
“Let’s get you a drink.
 
What’s
your poison?”

“Well usually Chemo, but my tastes are
changing so I think I’ll try a Ginger Ale for a change.”
 
Serena smiled cheekily.

Before too long the rest of the guests
had arrived including a lot of staff from Revel.
 
The evening was being hosted by Green Eyes
apparently.
 
It turned out he was the
editor in Chief of a new London
based Fashion Magazine that focused on both small Fashion houses and up and
coming designers worldwide.
 
It also
turned out Mavis had just poured a little investment money into the magazine.

“I always support the little people Dear
and what better than a little magazine supporting little designers.
 
Makes life for the big boys a little more
challenging.” Mavis explained.

Dinner finally arrived, Serena managed
to eat most of the over garnished Salad starter, picking out any bits that
would likely cause heartburn.
 
She asked
for a bowl of simple soup for the main course and the waiter was happy to
accommodate.
 
It was delicious.
 
Serena wasn’t even sure what kind of soup it
was.
 
Mavis took one sniff of the
wonderful aroma and instantly asked the waiter if she could have the same.
 

“Serena, can I get you another drink?”
Asked Arnold
across the table.

Serena thought about it for a
moment.
 
The evening was going well and
her food was staying down.

“Actually Arnold, if you wouldn’t mind,
a small
brandy liquor would go down really nicely.”

“It would be my pleasure.” He smiled and
headed to the bar.
 

It was delicious and before it was
finished the waiter had put another tumbler of the amber liquid in front of
her.
 
Truth be told, Serena and the
Richie’s had been so engrossed in their conversation that no one noticed the
attentions of the waiter who made sure that no one at the table ever had an
empty glass.

Mavis conceded defeat first, insisting
that it was time her and her husband got their beauty sleep.
 

“Please don’t stand Serena.
 
Here are our contact details.
 
As soon as you have some spare time, come and
visit us.
 
That’s an order.”
 
Mavis bent down and gave her a kiss on the
cheek and Arnold
patted her paternally on the shoulders in agreement.

Serena glanced at the remaining couple
at the table.
 
Another pair young and in
love and lost in their own world.
 
Glancing around the room she realised how late it had become.
 
The room was nearly empty.
 
Green Eyes and Marie were huddled up at the
bar and by now there were more hotel staff in the room than guests.
 
She decided to leave the lovebirds to it and
ask reception to call her a taxi.
 

Serena gathered her long skirt to avoid
standing on the hem and stood.
 

“Okay, too much alcohol!” she muttered
softly to herself.
 
Concentrating deeply
on staying upright and walking straight she started to make her way to the
reception area.
 
It was a lot more
difficult than she had expected.
 
Especially in the heels she was wearing.
 
And it was so warm in here.
 
She
used her small clutch purse to fan her face and blew a stray strand of hair
from her eyes.
 

Must stop for a break.
 

She was feeling
more
drunk
by the minute.
 
She studied
a beautiful horse figurine in black stone.
 
It stood up on its hind legs from a stainless pedestal positioned
between two doorways.
 
It reminded her of
something but the fog in her brain wouldn’t allow her to put a finger on
it.
 

“Just how much did I have to drink?”
Serena asked the horse.
 
When it didn’t
reply she giggled and decided to attempt the rest of the long walk to the front
desk.
 

Finally.
 

Assured by the perfectly attired man at
the desk that a taxi would be along shortly, Serena felt it would be better to
stand outside and get some fresh air than sit on a soft sofa in the lounge and
fall asleep.
 
She giggled again as she imagined
the very proper hotel manager trying to decide what to do with a very improper
sleeping lady in his posh lounge.
 
Hiccupping
a thank you to the elegantly attired doorman who
graciously saw her through the hotels front door, she stepped into the cool
portico that separated the hotels entrance from the pavement like a border post
separating the public riffraff from the royalty within.
 
She only had to step off one little step to
reach the pavement.
 
She dismounted from
that step spectacularly!

“Oh Shit!” she squealed as her heel
twisted out from under her and she fell forward, careening into a solid tuxedo
clad torso that had just had the misfortune stepping into her path.
 
Strong arms held her upright until her feet
caught up with her.
 

Honestly
Serena, and on the front step of the Hyatt of all places!
 

She giggled again.
 
Placing her hands squarely in the middle of
the very solid chest which had saved her from a swift introduction to a very
posh pavement, she squinted with one eye to the face that belonged to the chest,
but couldn’t make out the details.
 

“Thank you very much Mr. Chest for being
there when I needed you!”
 

No
that didn’t sound right.....oh what the hell!

“You are drunk!”

His voice rumbled from deep within his
chest, through her fingers, along her arms and into the pit of her
stomach.
 
Somewhere inside alarm bells
were trying to ring but the alcohol had gagged them.

“I think you may very well be right, Mr.
Chest!
 
How good of you
to notice.”

She was no longer capable of standing on
her own feet.
 
It was funny.
 
Mr. Chest was funny.
 
The pavement swaying like a fat lady doing
the waltz was funny.
 

Well
the ground can move as much as it likes....as long as Mr. Chest stands still.

Marco stood there for a full minute,
unsure what to do with Serena.
 
The
concierge had offered assistance, advising him that a taxi had been
called.
 
The wench will pass out in the
taxi.
 
This is not good
.
He thought to himself.

Eventually he lifted her into his arms
and advised the Concierge to cancel the taxi.
 
He carried her to the main elevator ignoring the amused glances of staff
and hotels guests alike.
 
Once inside he
dropped her feet back to the floor.
 
Steadying her against his body he held her close until the elevator
reached the right floor. Lifting her again he took her to his room.
 

“Sit here and stay.”
 
He growled settling her on a foot rest.
 
He swiftly removed her heels along with his
watch and the contents of his pockets before standing her up and walking her
into the shower.
 

“What the.....” She had started to
protest as the cold water from the extra large shower head drenched them both,
but ended up spluttering and spitting the water out instead.
 
Within seconds she was shivering
uncontrollably, her body’s efforts at trying to keep warm, burning up some of
the alcohol in her system.
 
Her head
cleared a fraction.
 
Enough to realise
that the cold shower was not a pleasant place to be, but not enough to know
what to do about it.
 
Slowly Marco turned
up the temperature of the shower to just above lukewarm and waited. Amused he
realised that he couldn’t really say for certain if the cold shower had been
for her benefit or his.
 
They stood like
that for ages, her head against his chest, his arms folded around her to keep
her upright.
 
Her body felt good against
his.
 
It felt so natural and right, so
inappropriate.
 
When she finally stopped shivering he
reached with one hand and slowly lowered the zip of her dress. Once undone the
heavy wet fabric of the long black tunic dress, peeled off her like a second
skin and dropped to the floor around her feet.
  
He then steadied her with his hands on her hips and stepped back a
fraction.

“Lift your arms.” He ordered and he
peeled her camisole over her head catching her again before she toppled over.

He then guided her into the corner of
the large shower and leant her against the wall.
 
Still under the enormous rainfall shower head
he stripped off his own wet clothes.

“Mmmmm Mr. Chest, you are such a
gentleman.”
 
She purred.
 
He watched her face cautiously as his clothes
joined hers on the shower floor.
 
She was
only barely conscious.
 
No wonder a young
boy like that had been able to take advantage of her.
 
How could she be so irresponsible?
 
Switching the water off, he wrapped a towel
around his waist and grabbed a large, complimentary dressing gown, pulling her
forward and wrapping her in it like a cocoon.
 
She was coming round a little and he watched in amusement at Serena’s
attempts at being playfully seductive.

Freeing one of her arms she coyly ran
the tip of her finger down his bare chest and along the trail of soft curly
hair that disappeared under the thick white towel around his hips.
 
Then with her eye lashes fluttering she
lifted the same finger in the air and curled it toward her indicating she
wanted him to follow. She managed a few clumsy steps to the entrance of the
bathroom.
 
Leaning seductively with her
back against the door-less entrance and using her free arm, she raised the hem
of the robe to expose one bent knee.
 
Arms crossed and fingers drumming a little rhythm on his biceps, Marco
waited for the alcohol fuzz to kick back in.
 
He didn’t have to wait long.
 
Serena slid down the wall in a heap of flying limps and white terrycloth
to land in a heap on the floor.
 
On top
of the heap her dark soft lips smiled sheepishly.