“The party?” Alek swallowed against the heat in his chest.
“Yes. A few students from the university bought out the restaurant. There was a new deejay. And lots of drinking.” She frowned and scrunched her tiny nose like she smelled something unpleasant. “It was all very loud.”
“I’ll go to the fourth floor and make sure she’s not there. How do I…?” He pointed to the ceiling.
“Get to the fourth floor?” she asked, her smile reappearing. “Just walk down the hall behind you, and you’ll see the elevators on your right.”
“Elevators?” Alek asked.
“Yes, they’ll be on your right. Have a wonderful morning.” She turned from him to assist another guest.
Alek followed her directions and weaved between groups of beer-soaked partygoers taking pictures of themselves. He reached the end of the hall and stared blankly at the two banks of elevators. “Up,” he said. After a minute he tried again. “Up, please?” The left bank of elevator doors immediately opened.
“For shit’s sake, Jill. Did you not push the goddamn button? No wonder we’ve been standing here for so fucking long.”
Alek peered into the open box, and the two young women inside eyeballed him. “Will this take me to the fourth floor?”
“Totes!” the girl closest to him chimed.
“Totes, Jill? Seriously? What are you, like, sixteen?” The snippy blond cleared her throat before continuing. “Yes, this will take you to the fourth floor. It’s such a coincidence, that’s actually where we’re going.” Her voice lightened as she spoke to Alek. “Get in!”
Alek stepped in between the doors and awkwardly waited for whatever happened next.
“No, come closer, silly.” She waved him to her. “The doors won’t close if you stand right in their way.”
Alek walked to her; the thick steel doors came together behind him.
“Thank you for saving ussss?” She stretched out the last word and emphasized her question by raising an eyebrow.
“My name is Alek.”
She pulled a bottle from behind her back and took a swig. Clear liquid dribbled down her chin and onto her strapless top. Her pastel pink sequin skirt started above her bellybutton and hugged her thin frame. Alek couldn’t tell if her skirt was supposed to be that high, or if it had ridden up without her noticing.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Alek.” She offered him her best smile. “I’m Bridget. You want?” She held out the bottle. Absolut Raspberry was written in big pink letters across the frosted glass.
“No, I’m okay.” He leaned away from the bottle. “I don’t like alcohol.”
“Had a bad experience?”
Alek nodded. “A woman I met in Segovia bought me a drink. The bartender lit it on fire, and my next memory is waking up hours later with singed eyebrows.”
“Oh, yeah I’ve done that before. You have to blow those out first.” She paused to take another gulp. “But that’s okay. I’m not really much of a drinker either.” Using the elevator to brace herself, she slid across the mirror-lined wall until she was close enough for him to smell the liquor clinging to her breath and clothes. “Thank you for saving us, Alek.” Her tongue grazed her top teeth as she enunciated each syllable of his name.
His stomach lurched, and he tilted his head up to breathe in the clean air above her.
“Yeah, thanks for rescuing us, Alek,” Jill chimed in.
“Jill, shut your mouth and push the fucking button so we can get out of this box!” Bridget snapped. She flipped her hair, took another drink, and turned back to Alek. She leaned closer, pressing her chest into his arm as she spoke. “And into someplace a little more comfortable. I’m all alone in room 419. If you’re not busy, you could be.” She stepped back and sloppily traced the outline of her body with her free hand.
“Perhaps on a different day.”
The elevator doors opened with a ding, and Bridget hooked Alek’s arm with hers, dragging him past Jill and into the hallway.
“Don’t be silly. You can come in for just one drink.” She raised the bottle and shook it in the air. “I’m sure the girl who’s waiting on you won’t care.”
“No one is waiting on me. I—”
“Perfect!” she interrupted. “And looky! My room. Excellent timing.” She released his arm and propped herself up against the wall while she pushed her room key in and out of the door slot.
“Bridget, there is something much more important I must to do. I can’t—”
“Shhhhhhhh.” She shoved a sticky finger over his mouth. “Fine. Whatever. But can you make this card thingy open the door?” She slipped the key into his hand. “Whenever I do it, it gets all red and flashy at me.”