WHO: Ian Fletcher, Adam Clermont, and Andrea Fletcher WHEN: Day 1, around 11:30 a.m. WHERE: The senior Clermont grand suite. SUMMARY: A moment of nope. WARNINGS: Nope.
Ian and Adam stood outside the door to Adam Clermont’s grand suite. Since Adam’s new wife had opened their suite to other guests, Adam had called him to help mitigate the situation. Damage control. If Ian took a room, someone worse than Ian wouldn’t. Since it wasn’t going to cost the hotel any extra money to put Ian in Adam’s suite instead of Ian’s own single, Ian hadn’t been interested at first, but you couldn’t say the Clermont patriarch didn’t talk a good game. Ian didn’t do extravagant anymore. Adam had assured him that there was nothing extravagant about a hotel room filled with random tourists. Ian agreed to take a look.
For a non-extravagant grand suite, Ian noticed that the woodwork on the door looked rather expensive, but he stood, trying to keep an open mind, while Adam turned the key in the lock.
“Don’t let appearances deceive you,” Adam said as he glanced over at his friend and caught him sizing up the suite’s exterior. “The efficiency with which Brooke’s running the place, we might as well be staying in a hostel.” Cheap lodging and shared bathrooms. What would a Clermont know of such things? Another look in Ian’s direction and he explained before the question could arise. “Met this gorgeous Australian girl who was backpacking through Europe. One night was enough. At least where the hostel was….” His words trailed off as the door swung open.
The first thing Ian saw was an ornate table with a bowl of fruit.
The second thing Ian saw was his ex-wife, pulling her luggage into one of the rooms.
Ian stopped.
Andrea stopped.
They looked at each other. Her hair was longer. Her face was a bit older. Her eyes were the same.