Page 11 of Paper Hearts & Plot Twists

“How may I help you?” the middle-aged man asked. He looked like he was at the end of his rope and would like to do anything but help. Emily would walk away if she had a choice, but stuck in a strange city without transportation left her with limited options.

“My shuttle to the Gaylord Rockies Resort left without me,” Emily said. She glanced back at the door and then to the man at the desk. “I need to get there tonight.”

“That was the last shuttle,” the man responded with a resigned sigh. “I can call you a cab.”

“Are there any other options?”

“It’s a long walk, but doable.”

Emily drew in a deep breath. Getting mad at him wasn’t going to make it better. It’s not his fault she changed her clothing and missed her shuttle. “A cab will be fine.”

The wait for the cab and the drive went by in a blur.

Emily’s leg jiggled nervously as the taxi carried her closer to the hotel entrance. Every minute that passed spiked her anxiety. Missing the free shuttle took a hit to her bank account. She didn’t dare lean her head against the window like she so desperately wanted to, for fear she’d fall asleep. She could imagine the driver sitting and waiting for her to wake as the bill rose higher than she could ever pay.

The black landscape passed in a blur. There was a distinctive lack of city lights as they drove through a barren area and Emily felt that lack to her bones. She felt like she was stuck in an episode of Twilight Zone, the only light coming from the headlights and dashboard of the taxi. She was sure this was the start to some horror movie she didn’t want to participate in, but she tried to push those thoughts from her mind.

Squinting, she saw specks of light ahead. She focused on them as they became larger and clearer. She was finally approaching the entrance of the hotel and it couldn’t have come at a better time because she’d drop where she sat if she didn’t get into bed STAT. Not to mention the dire state of her poor wallet with the added cost of a taxi.

The cab rolled to a stop under the cover of the entrance and there wasn’t another car in sight. The cab driver opened her door and popped the trunk. Emily sluggishly pulled herself out of the cab, a limp noodle of exhaustion, and meandered to the back of the cab, where her driver was closing the trunk now that Emily’s suitcase was out.

“Thank you,” Emily murmured to the woman. She handed her several bills after reading the meter. Her wallet was light enough to float away.

“Not a problem,” she responded with a thick accent Emily didn’t recognize. “I hope you have a good evening.”

“You too,” Emily said. “Drive safe.”

Emily closed her eyes and yawned. She rolled her shoulders, pulled up the handle to her suitcase, and turned toward the hotel entrance as the cab pulled away. She was supposed to arrive ten hours earlier, but the flight delay wrecked those plans. Spending the entire day in airports sucked the life from her . . . the plane ride alone took fifteen of those years. Being a contest winner didn’t mean she was able to enjoy flying in luxury. It actually meant the opposite. But she was finally here.

Her flight hadn’t offered food during the flight or the six-hour delay, and Emily hadn’t anticipated the need to pack anything. She had coffee on the flight, but only three sips before that ended in disaster. Her stomach grumbled and she pressed a hand to it with a frown. She’d been tempted to get food at the airport, but the markups alone had stayed her hand. Then the taxi ride completely cleaned her out. Currently, she was so tired that her need for sleep greatly outweighed her stomach’s insistence on sustenance.

Emily looked around the hotel lobby in amazement. Despite the dimmed lights, the entrance made quite the statement. She’d dreamed about attending this conference, of course, and seeing this beautiful hotel in person. Every reader wanted to attend the hottest event of the year. But she never imagined she’d be able to make this happen, given the price tag of the conference ticket, let alone travel, food, and lodging.

It had felt like a joke, one in bad taste, when Joel and Leo told her about this trip. She’d read the letter enough times that she had it memorized. Large letters proclaimed that she’d be able to go to Cupid’s Quill Symposium free of charge, with a room, ticket, food, and airfare all covered. She’d always wanted to go, but the conference ticket alone was $500, before any add-ons like author and agent brunches.

Obviously this wasn’t a joke because she was here. She was so thankful for Uncle Joel entering her in the contest, for thinking of her and making this dream come true. Would she be able to use this opportunity for marketing, to get close to publishing? Emily pushed that thought from her mind. There wasn’t a chance. She needed to just enjoy the ride.

Emily spun in a circle, staring in wide-eyed wonder at the beautiful hotel lobby before her, taking in the pictures, artwork, paneling, and everything in between. She glanced at the front desk, but didn’t see anyone there. Shrugging, she walked up to some of the paintings drawing her eye. Someone would be there soon, she was sure, and in the meantime, she would enjoy the artwork. This was no French or Italian museum, but given her financial situation, it would sate the need to one day explore them.

Emily glanced at the desk every few moments, but there was no change. She glanced around, wondering if she’d missed a sign or instructions. The desk loomed tall and foreboding. She moved closer, looking for a bell to ring or another way to say she needed assistance. The hotel website said they do check-ins twenty-four/seven, so someone should be available to come to the front, even if they were taking a quick midnight nap in the breakroom.

Emily frowned and knocked against the aged wood of the desk, at a loss for what else to do. She grinned as she heard the sound of something falling, followed by a high voice swearing up a storm. What a colorful vocabulary. Emily blushed to the tip of her ears. A moment later a pink shock of hair, followed by the rest of a slim form, peeked around the corner and hurried over.

“Are you okay?” Emily asked, her eyes going wide in concern. The woman looked like she’d just taken a tumble.

“I’ll be fine,” she replied with a blush, waving her hand. “Your knock startled me. I was trying to help one of the other staffers in the back and I fell, but I’m okay.”

“If you’re sure,” Emily replied. “It’s nice to meet you. My name is Emily.”

“Hello, Emily,” she murmured around a loud yawn. Emily lifted a hand to her mouth to hide her grin. “Do you have a reservation? We’re booked up. There’s a Comfort Inn five miles down the road that might have room. Unfortunately due to the conference the only available rooms are a good thirty to forty-five minutes out.”

Emily passed her ID over the desk. “I do have a reservation,” Emily said with a smile. “It should be under Emily Parker.”

The woman, Kat according to the nametag, typed something on the keyboard, “Yup, looks like you’re here. You’ll be in room 3740.”

Emily nodded along and took in Kat’s information in a daze. She’d be a mess looking through the papers tomorrow to find all the information she missed. She shoved the bundle of papers into her purse, keeping the keycard out so she could get into her room quickly and finally get the sleep her body so desperately needed.

Emily used the elevator to get to the third floor and followed the signs leading to her room. “34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40,” she whispered as she moved down the hall. The door was the same as all of the others. Emily grinned, feeling like her vacation was truly starting. It was all looking up from here.

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