Chapter 5

Sierra

I used my left hand to clean the sweat that was trickling down from my face off my forehead. Glancing up towards the direction of the impatient man who was already making gestures to signify that he was tired of standing.

He had been standing since I started looking for the keys, and it was already ten minutes and counting, yet I still hadn't found it. Some other customers were beginning to get impatient too. Impolitely asking me to hurry up with him and get to them.

"What exactly is the matter?" The man finally asked, exhausting the patience he had.

"I'm sorry sir, but I think someone must have changed the location of the keys." I opened another drawer, my desperation doubled now. "I can't find it.'

The man raised a brow at me, frowning in confusion. "Check the third drawer by your left." He finally said, keeping his gaze steady on my face. I followed his guidance, and then I saw where all the keys were. He must have been here for weeks, or months. That was the only logical explanation.

I chuckled nervously. "Thank you." Checking for his room number again, I found his keys without looking so much, and handed it over to him.

He was just as relieved as I was. He paddled away from me, and I felt so happy to finally have his sky blue eyes away from me.

"Good day." Another customer who had patiently been waiting greeted me, wanting to book a reservation.

It took me some minutes of clicking and typing, and aimlessly opening folders and documents before I was able to find the folders where she kept some of the answers to my questions, and the necessary information to retrieve from someone who was about to become a customer.

After I had attended to all pending customers, I leaned back on my seat and shut my eyes. There were only two hours left and I would be at home resting. That was if Frankie wasn't going to take up too much time with the orientation.

I was grateful that I had a job now, but it was more demanding than I envisioned.

There was so much that I didn't know came with being responsible, and it was after I decided to do them by myself, that I had learned that it was part of my responsibilities. Although this job was high-paying, I still needed another if I was going to be able to pay for my bills.

I tried my best to give calm and polite responses, even to the stupid questions with no base and purpose. Wearing a smile that was fake, and most importantly, being myself.

And then someone walked into the hotel. A familiar lone figure. I blinked twice, trying to recall where we met. He had a charming appearance, I couldn't deny it. But our first meeting wasn't on a good note, I just could recall what it was that happened.

Perched on my position as the receptionist, I watched him shuttle around without seeking help and not being interrupted by any of the authorities nor security officers either.

It was either that he worked here, or that someone who was friends with him did.

And then someone called his name. "Jayden!" The pictures of our first meeting flashed back to me. I cupped my mouth with my hands, shocked at how fate had made me cross paths with him again. I wished I had learnt his name that day, but when I heard that name, Jayden, it made me recall vividly. It was after he parted his lips graciously to respond, and the baritone voice rang a bell. Jayden. I made a mental note, that was the name. Suddenly feeling compensated for the stress of the day, I just wanted to know what his position was in the hotel, or what his relationship with any of the workers was. Maybe he was married to one of the women here?

No! He had no ring. I quickly discarded that idea.

Everything that happened that day. How I stained his shirt, how we were both inside a public bathroom that day, his bare chest and calm voice, the smirk that played out on his face, even while he impatiently waited for me to get his shirt washed, the way his Adam's apple had danced while he spoke, it was like watching a movie in my head.

I wanted to walk up to him, and say hi. Reminding him of how my clumsy attitude had almost cost him a meeting.

I wanted to introduce myself to him, and ask him if thoughts of me ever did cross his heart since then. But I was at work, and it was just the first day.

It wasn't wise of me to get into trouble on my first day at work. Besides, I wasn't a lady who would make the first move. I'd rather give you green lights, and if you get it, you'd make the move.

I got too busy attending to the hairy, huge man in front of me, I didn't realize that someone else was behind him.

"Please make sure that everything in that room works, especially the air conditioner." He stressed on that, making me wonder if he had any bad experience with the hotel in the past, or he just felt like being careful.

I nodded that I understood what he said, and then I had handed him keys to the room that would serve as his for the next two weeks that he planned to spend here.

"Hi, you are the new receptionist?" I was too busy writing, so I didn't look up. I just nodded in response. "Please look up." The voice was spectacular. It reminded me of…

My eyes widened when I looked up, and he did too.

I wanted to speak but didn't have words. He gazed at me for a few seconds, as if asking questions to my eyes. And then he paused to put himself together.

"Uhm." He started, his voice dry and patched. No longer the divine baritone voice that stood out. "You work here now?" I nodded yes.

"Oh, good." He attempted to act casual, but couldn't. I could depict excitement in his tone. "It's so nice to meet you here again. Particularly because we'll meet more often." Realizing that he had said too much already, he coughed lightly. "My name is Jayden, this is my hotel."

I was so close to exclaiming with excitement, but I knew that was so unethical. "Wow." I finally said, unable to find any other words to express how I felt.

"What's your name?" His hand was outstretched to receive a handshake.

"I'm Sierra." I accepted promptly, and returned the smile he offered as well, making mine broader.

"I'll see you around, Sierra. It's so good to have you here." He started on his way, leaving me to admire him while he walked.

"Hey!" A female's voice made me turn from gazing at him, towards the direction it came from. It was Steph. She was watching from a distance, all that just transpired between Jayden and I.

"Friendly advice, dear." She said, "we have all tried, and we all failed with him. Don't even bother."