Page 16 of Until

"It's not a question of can or can't, it's more how? He doesn't know who I am, I don't know who he is. I don’t know how to find him unless I go to the next ball. And that’s assuming he would be there. And that I would recognize him, and him me. It’s all stupid. I need to forget about him, and just be glad I had an amazing night.”

"What about Alex? He wanted you to dance with him, so he must know who he is."

"I can't ask him. I mean I have no idea why he had me do this. But I'm sure he's not going to tell me what I want to know."

I check the time on my phone and move all the garbage onto the tray.

Thanks for breakfast. I need to go meet Alex now."

"All right sis, good luck with that. Remember if he doesn't pay you, you just let me know. I know some people who owe me a few favors."

I laughed as I hugged her.

"I'll keep that in mind. Talk to you later, sis.”

After leaving the hospital I stopped at home to collect the dress, the shoes, and all the jewelry I had worn the night before. The entire night is like living in a dream. The clothing is my only memento from last night, and I hope Alex will let me keep it.

I kept wishing things were different. That I had met the man in the mask and didn’t have Alex as the reason for it. While I lack experience with men, I know what I felt last night was different. What happened was special.

Thinking about how he raced after me I knew he felt the same. As I walk to the hotel I replay him running after me, and how he kept asking for my name. But most of all I’m thinking about his kiss and the way his hands felt against my skin.

As I reach the door to the hotel room it opens before I have a chance to knock. Alex grins from ear to ear, then with a sweeping gesture of his arm he waves me into the room. I put the shoes on the floor in front of the bed, and place the dress and the jewelry on top of it.

I fold my arms in front of me and turn to face him.

"You can't tell me that was just a coincidence."

"I wasn't going to say it was,” he says.

"Then how did you know I was at the door? Have you been stalking me? Do you have some kind of tracking device on me?”

I look at the dress and pick up the necklace to see if there’s anything suspicious about it.

"Stalking you? Don't flatter yourself,” he said. “I don't need to stalk you to know everything about you. You’re not that special. You’re actually very predictable.”

“Predictable? You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know that your world revolves around your grandmother. I know that you lost both of your parents at such a young age that you don't even remember them. I know you've been living in that shit-hole you call an apartment for your entire life. Should I go on?"

I shake my head “Why do you have to be such a jerk?”

He looks as if I slapped him, but then quickly regains his composure.

“Sit down so we can talk. I check on everyone I'm in business with. I like to know who and what I'm dealing with. That’s how I protect myself.” He walks over to the dress and gently rubs the fabric between his fingers before looking up at me. "You looked beautiful last night, by the way. I apologize for not telling you that last night. My team did an excellent job of cleaning you up." He smirks as he speaks making me unsure how much I can believe.

"So did you enjoy yourself last night?" he asks.

I don’t know how to answer him. I want to keep what happened between the man in the mask and myself private, but I don’t feel like I have any choice.

"Yes, I did enjoy myself. It was different. Extraordinary.”

"It is quite the spectacle."

I look at my watch, wondering how much more of this conversation I have to put up with. I want to leave so I get up and start heading to the door. In a perfect world, I’m out of there before he can ask anything more personal."

“Are you in a rush?” he asks as he sits across from me. “Because you do realize I know you don't have any other place to go. You just left the hospital, and you haven't gotten a new job yet. But if you answer a few questions for me I might be able to make things a little easier for you."

Gritting my teeth I walk over to the small couch and sit down.

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