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CHAPTER 8: UNEXPECTED GUEST

Gina POV

It is 9 pm on a Friday and I had just landed at Los Angeles Airport. Getting off the plane, I see the taxi that Glenda had organized for me. I get into the taxi while the driver puts my luggage in the trunk. We arrive at the Freemont hotel just before 10 pm because traffic was a bit hectic. I check into the hotel and I also get the keys for my rental car from the reception as Glenda had organized with the car rental company that I would get the keys from the receptionist.

I head up to my room that is on the fifth floor of the hotel. I put my bags down by the door after I enter the room. It is quite faint actually. There is a bedroom, bathroom, a small kitchen and also a small lounge area. Nothing too big actually and that is how I like it. I may be a billionaire but I still like the simpler things in life.

I quickly unpack my luggage. Then I take out the clothes that I am going to wear to the meetings tomorrow. The first one will be at 10 am and then I will be meeting Pavlo at the address that he sent me. I head into the bathroom and I take a nice long luxurious bath. After thirty minutes I get out and I dry myself off before I put body lotion on and then I get dressed in my pajamas.

I make myself something to eat and then I go and sit on the couch as I put on the tv to watch something for a while before I go to bed. There is some romance movie on so I settle myself in. I don’t get to watch a lot of tv so going on some business trips tends to give me some free time. 20 minutes into the movie I see something move out of the corner of my eye. I look to where I saw it and there was nothing so I turn my attention back to the tv.

The female lead is now romantically kissing the male lead. Somehow I picture myself as her and Marcus as the guy. Marcus leans in to kiss me and I let him. His soft lips on mine feel phenomenal. Marcus moves his lips down my neck and I feel myself getting wet down there. I realize what I am doing and I pull myself out of these thoughts. “Snap out of it Gina. Marcus has probably already moved on by now and you should too.” I say to myself as I sit up on the couch.

Again I see movement out of the corner of my eye and I snap my head in that direction but I still don't see anything. Now I know that I am not alone. There is someone else in here with me. I guess he or she must have followed me from New York. I turn the volume on the tv down and then I look around the dark hotel room. The only lights that are on are the light from the tv and also the one from the bathroom that is shining into the lounge and kitchen areas. “I know that you are here so can you please show yourself?” I ask the unexpected guest. Silence. It is so silent that you could hear a pin drop. There is a small lamp that is on the table right next to the couch so I reach over and I switch it on.

“You don’t have to be scared of me. I won’t be able to do anything to you anyway. I just want to help you.” I say. Again there is silence so I turn my attention back to the tv and I turn the volume back up. If there is one thing I know is that a ghost will show itself to me one day. I finish watching the movie and then I switch off the light before I get into bed.

I wake up in the middle of the night because I had the weirdest dream. I could feel myself lying in a pool of water and I was drowning. I look around and I see that I am still in my hotel room. It felt so real though. "What was that?" I ask myself as I put my hands around my neck. The sweat is running down my neck so I get up to go to the bathroom to clean myself up. After using the bathroom I get back in bed and as I am about to fall asleep, I feel that the covers are being pulled off from me.

I look up just to see a shadowy figure standing next to me. As soon as I sit up the figure moves back a bit. There are no lights on in the room but the moonlight that is shining through the windows is good enough for me to be able to see the figure. His or her figure is blurred so I can't make out if it is a man or a woman standing next to my bed.

“Are you the one who has been trying to communicate with me?” I ask but it doesn’t answer me. “Okay then if you don’t want to talk to me, can you at least show me what you look like?” I ask again. This time the figure comes a bit closer and it is trying to say something but I can’t understand what it is saying. The words are all incoherent like it is whispering the words to me.

“I'm sorry but can you please speak up?” I ask the figure. This time the figure makes a very unpleasant noise and I have to cover my ears because of it. The figure then gets pulled away by an unforeseen force as it slams through the wall so hard that it makes the windows rattle. I quickly get up out of bed and I run into the kitchen and lounge area where I thought that the figure would be, I switch the light on in there hoping to see the figure more clearly but there is nothing.

"Well, that was weird." I say to myself as I switch the light off. I go and climb back into bed again. It took me at least another hour to get to sleep again.

The alarm on my phone went off at 7 am waking me up, After getting out of bed I go straight to the bathroom to do my morning routine and I then go and make myself some coffee and breakfast. As I sit on the balcony, I watch the view while eating my breakfast.

I remember the last time that I was in Los Angeles was 7 years ago. I never came back here after I left high school and Marcus. This city holds too many memories for me. My mom still lives here though. Just not in the same house that I grew up in. She moved to another neighborhood after I left. I never came back to visit her. She would always come and visit me in New York though. She is on vacation now in Italy visiting some family and she will be back by the end of next week.

Looking at the city of Los Angeles makes me miss her, I wish she was here. I take out my phone and I decide to text her. 'Hey mom, how are you and how is the family? I miss you.' I text her before I put the phone down beside me. A few minutes later I hear my phone going off. I look down at it and I see that she had texted me back.

‘Hey sweetie I am fine and so is the family. Your grandma says she misses you and she wants to see you. What are you doing now.’ Mom texts back. ‘Tell grandma I miss her too and I promise that I will go and visit her soon, I am in Los Angeles at the moment for work.’ I text back.

'Oh, where are you staying at?' Mom texts back. ‘At the Freemont Hotel.’ I reply. ‘You could have gone to my house and spared your money on a hotel. You know that you are always welcome there.’ Mom replies. ‘Ma you have the keys to the house remember?’ I reply. ‘Oh yeah sorry. Are you going to be in LA next week? I fly back on Wednesday.’ Mom replies. ‘No mom I am going to be in Paris next week for their fashion week but I promise to visit you soon okay. I have to go but I will call you later. I love you. Bye.’ I reply. ‘Okay, sweetie. I love you too.' Mom replies.

I put my phone in my pocket and then I head for the door, grabbing my purse and laptop on the way out. Using the elevator I go straight down to the underground parking area where my rental car is parked.

I arrive at the construction company fifteen minutes earlier. I walk into the foyer and I see the secretary sitting by her desk. I walk straight up to her. "Good morning. I'm Gina Rossi. I am here to see Mr. Beck." I say to the receptionist. She looks up at me. "Let me just check our schedule." She says as she looks back down at their schedule. "Ah yes here you are. You may take a seat over there and I will be right with you." She says as she points to the chairs in the corner. I nod at her before I go and sit on the chair. I take a look around their offices, the building itself is quite small and very neat. The receptionist walks towards one of the offices and she knocks on the door. Probably to tell her boss that I am here.

A few seconds later she comes back out and walks towards me. I grab my bag and my purse and I stand up. “Mr. Beck is ready to see you now.” She says. I get up and I walk behind her to his office. She opens the door for me and I walk inside. “Hello Miss Rossi it is so nice to meet you. I am Rohan Beck.” The man behind the desk says as he gets up and walks towards me with his hand out.

I take in his appearance as I shake his hand. "Good morning Mr. Beck. It is a pleasure to meet you too." I say. He is a handsome man, but he is definitely not my type. He looks to be about 25 or 26 years old, I can tell that he has an athletic built body judging by the muscles on his shoulders. He has black hair, brown eyes and is about 6 feet tall. He notices that I am checking him out so I snap out of this trance. "I am sorry I didn't mean to look at you like that." I say and he chuckles at me.

"I don't mind. I am used to it." He says as he turns around. "Would you like some refreshments?" He asks as he points to the bar area of his office. “Some juice would be nice.” I say and he nods. He pairs me a glass of orange juice and a coffee for himself. He hands me the juice before he walks around his desk to go and sit on his chair.

"Let's get started. Would you like to tell me what it is that you would want for your new building?" He asks. “Getting straight to the point. I like it.” I say as I look at his face. He looks familiar to me but I can’t remember where I had seen him before.

I start the meeting by explaining to him everything that I want for the new building. He takes down notes and he also shows me all of the projects that he had been working on, on his computer. I must say that I am quite impressed with his work. “I would have taken you to the buildings that I had built here in Los Angeles but unfortunately I am a little pressed for time right now as I am going on a business trip this afternoon."

"That's okay Mr. Beck. I have a meeting after this one anyway so I couldn't have gone with you either. Maybe some other time. When you have the plans for the building all set up, you can email them to my assistant Glenda.” I say. “If you are still in Los Angeles next week Friday then I would like to take you out to dinner. As a thank you for doing business with us.” He asks me. "I am flattered Mr. Beck but I don't know if I can," I reply as I pack all of my belongings up. I probably will be back in LA to come and visit my mom but he doesn't have to know that. "I understand. I will get in touch with you about the building again next week." He says as he gets up.

“Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice.” He says as he shakes my hand again. I nod as I look at him. This time he has a creepy smile on his face. He drags his eyes down my body and back up again and I know that he is undressing me with his eyes which makes me feel uncomfortable. I quickly pull my hand from his as this is starting to feel awkward and I need to get the hell out of here. It's funny that he is acting like this now. I never gave him any indications that I am interested in him.

“Goodbye Miss Rossi.” He says. I have to practically force myself to turn around. “Goodbye Mr. Beck” I reply and he waves at me before closing his office door. I notice that his secretary is glaring at me. “What the hell is her problem?” I ask myself as I look at her while walking past her desk.

I finally get outside and I can take a breath because the atmosphere in there was getting too heavy for me. I get in my car and I take my phone out of my purse. I send a text to Pavlo.

‘I'm done with my meeting so I'm going straight to the address that you had given me. I will be there in 45 minutes.’ I send the text and then I start the car.

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