"So are you busy tonight?" I heard him say and nearly cracked up laughing.
"Adrian!" I grabbed his arm and dragged him to an empty table. This couldn't wait.
"Ivory, I am busy!"
"This will just take an hour max. You can go screw her after," I begged. He gave me a look, no doubt at my language, and shook his head. He sat down, smiling.
"I would say you were jealous."
I rolled my eyes as I sat across him.
He continued. "So, how can Adrian the great be at your service?"
I raised my fingers, waving them in his face.
He narrowed his eyes as he stared at them closely. So, it was obvious after all.
"I don't get it,” he said, “you have ten fingers. That's how many normal people have."
I grunted in disappointment. Okay, good it wasn't obvious. Or maybe he was just dumb.
"I lost my ring," I said.
"No, it's there," he said.
"No, my wedding ring," I said as he looked at my other hand, where my childhood ring was still on.
His eyes swapped to the other hand and he cracked laughing.
"What did you do, sell it for ice cream?"
"I'm serious!" I snapped, slamming my hands on the table.
"Okay.” That took his attention; he sat up straight. “How?"
I told him how I was washing the suit, which led to me telling him how I was a clumsy eater. It took longer than necessary to explain the story, only because he had to keep interrupting or keep ordering food.
"Do you want some? This is good."
"No, I don't. Did you even listen to me?" I snapped. He put down his spoon, sighing and rolling his eyes.
"Yes, mother. Come on." He got up.
"To where?"
"Big hotels like this have security clasps under their sink. They usually catch earrings and other items people accidentally wash down the sink."
"Oh, serious?" I asked, feeling like an idiot. All that panicking for nothing. I could have just googled this.
"Yep, let's go." Adrian left a tip on the table and winked at the waitress he was talking to when I arrived. I turned to her and waved a hand. Adrian grabbed my arm as he tugged me along. "Now hurry up so I can continue picking up girls."
"Whatever," I muttered as he pulled me after him as he walked at a fast pace. Can’t he see that I can't keep up?
We exited the banquet hall just as Darius walked in.
"Oh, there you guys are."
"No time to talk. We already ate. Bye," said Adrian, not even batting an eyelid or stopping or even turning his head as he pulled me out. I shrugged my shoulder at Darius was confused as he watched us leave.
"Do you have the key card?" he asked and I nodded, digging into my jeans to hand it to him once we got to the door.
He opened it up and I followed him anxiously after checking Darius wasn't following us.
"Nice room," he said sarcastically and I shook my head, remembering how Adrian took the suite.
"Whatever. The ring," I snapped and he nodded as he went into the bathroom.
"The safety catch is just under the sink,” Adrian told me as he opened the cabinets under the sink. “Usually you can call any worker but I think it should be easy to remove."
He added, "Turn the light on."
I flicked the switch for the light so it was bright even when daylight was flooding through the window. Adrian's head disappeared under the sink and I shifted my weight on my feet, not managing to keep still as I heard him do whatever he was doing.
Sound of plastic breaking and something turning, I hope he knew what he was doing.
I heard something, a tugging sound, making me jump. "Did you find it?"
CHAPTER THIRTYSIX
"Tell me you found it," I impatiently said, clasping my hands together and pinching my fingers. Oh god, what would I do if I didn't find it?
Is it just me or did someone turn on the heater in here?
"Did you find it?"
"God, woman, shut up for a second!"
"Fine," I snapped.
I just lost a diamond ring. A wedding ring. I was screwed. Oh boy was I screwed. I remember the time I lost a grain of a diamond that was in my earring. My mother didn't speak to me for days, telling me I was careless. Yeah, maybe I was.
And to make it worse, she never let me wear earrings for a month and then when I was able to wear them, it was painful because the earring holes nearly closed up. God, she was a demon.
There were more sounds of things being tugged and pulled and more screeching and I winced. That did not sound well. There was a loud groan and I took a step back.
"What was that?" I asked. Was he going to flood this place? Oh god he was.
"I knew it," I exclaimed loudly, waving my hand in frustration. Should have just asked a staff member or someone else because Mr. Genius here didn't have a clue about what he was doing.
"I'm so screwed," I muttered, turning around and leaning my head against the wall. Man, I felt sick. I banged my head against the wall, trying to think.
Think, Ivory, think. Maybe I can go buy one and no one will realise. I mean, it was one big diamond and then a million tiny ones. Easy, right?
"If you can stop banging your head and give me a hand here, that would be appreciated."