I nod. “Yeah, are you?”
He gestures to the papers in my hand. “I’m fine. Great, even. But if we’re gonna read through any of the information Enid gave us, maybe you should relax your grip.”
“Oh.” I huff out a short laugh, and let the papers settle on my lap, smoothing the creases. “Oops, sorry.”
Brady’s hand lands at the base of my neck, rubbing back and forth lightly. It's meant to be a soothing gesture, I’m sure, but it’s also intimate in a way that makes my mouth suddenly feel dry.
“Don’t apologize. If I’m honest, I’m also feeling majorly overwhelmed. In a good way, but yeah. I’m great, and…”
“Same. Great, overwhelmed, happy, all the feelings, all at once,” I interrupt and we both laugh.
“Exactly.”
He pulls his hand away, and I immediately miss the grounding feeling of physical contact with him. I could reach out and take his hand. I’m almost positive he would welcome that. But something stops me from initiating.
“Do you want to go inside and talk about everything?” I blurt out before the stupid part of me that’s scared can stop me. “There’s a coffee shop attached to the lobby, we could sit and look over what Enid gave us.”
Brady’s happy nod comes instantaneously. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
He hops out of the car and jogs around to my side toopen the door, all in the time it takes for me to undo my seat belt and pick up my bag.
“Thank you.”
The rain has stopped, thank goodness, so we aren’t soaked walking the short distance from the parking lot to the entrance of the hotel.
Stepping through the front door, we come to an abrupt stop.
“Oh my God,” I breathe, my eyes going wide as I look at the mess in front of us.
Instead of the hotel lobby, it’s as if we stepped into the aftermath of a tidal wave. Most of the marble floor appears to be under an inch of standing water that ripples every time someone moves. The tall plants that flank the check-in desk are drowning, their pots full to the brim with water, and leaves covered in droplets like they’d just been through a storm.
I can see a few groups of guests huddled together, towels draped over their shoulders, holding plastic bags full of what I assume are their belongings.
Somewhere, I can hear water dripping. A relentless sound that makes me wonder if I’ve gone insane and am imagining all of this.
Then Brady’s voice brings me back, confirming that no, this is reality.
“What the hell happened?” he mutters, taking my arm and leading me to the front desk. “Careful, don’t slip.”
He guides me around a large pool of water and we approach the concierge, where a staff member is valiantly trying to mop up around the desk.
“Excuse me, I’m staying in room 430. Um, what happened?”
The harried staff member tries to smile, but it comes out as more of a grimace. “Hello ma’am, I’m so sorry about this. We had a building-wide malfunction with the sprinklers, and unfortunately, most of the guest rooms and lobby were all flooded. We’re currently relocating guests to our sister hotel across town.” They type at the computer, then wince. “Ah…oh dear. They’re full.” They look up at me nervously. “I’m terribly sorry. I can call some other hotels for you, and of course, your stay will be covered by us.”
“Sage.” Brady tugs on my elbow, breaking me from my mental paralysis. “You can stay with me.”
It takes a minute for what he’s saying to register. “What?”
The concierge speaks before Brady can repeat his offer. “If you’re able to stay with friends or family, you’ll receive a credit for a future stay. I can also offer a refund on the last three days to compensate for any inconvenience.”
I’m barely listening to them, my gaze fixed on Brady, but he has the wherewithal to give them a nod of acknowledgment.
“Thanks. Can she go up to her room to get her stuff?”
“Yes, I do apologize for any damage the water may have caused. We have insurance claim forms you can fill out. Here’s the web link for them.”
Brady takes the card, then gently guides me away from the desk and over to a plastic folding chair that Iassume has been brought to the lobby since the cushioned furniture is all soaked.
