Page 46 of The Suite Life
Butterflies find their way into my stomach, fluttering with a mixture of surprise and delight.
‘Oh, really?’ I say, matching his playfully flirtatious tone, feeling my cheeks start to warm.
‘Really,’ he replies, leaning in slightly, his voice a breathy whisper. ‘Black Christmasis my favourite Christmas movie.’
‘The original, or one of the remakes?’ I ask, lowering my voice too.
‘That’s not a serious question,’ Donnie says through a smile.
I quickly sit back in my seat again, having found myself once again leaning into Donnie, but he was definitely meeting me in the middle.
‘So, if this were a horror movie, how would I get a date for the wedding, do you think?’ I ask.
Donnie chuckles, his eyes narrowing playfully.
‘Well, in the classics, the lead always lures someone in with their charm, maybe a shared interest in scary movies. Then, just when they think they’re safe?—’
Donnie barks like a rabid dog and lunges for me playfully. I jump out of my skin and I love it.
‘Well, it would be classic me, to take a dog to the wedding,’ I point out.
‘He’s a ten, but he’s secretly a werewolf,’ Donnie jokes. ‘Or what about a vampire? You should have known he was sus, when you found him on Matcher and he didn’t have any photos, just ominous descriptions like “Night owl who enjoys moonlit walks and being invited over”.’
‘Brilliant,’ I reply, caught up in the playful banter. ‘Or – it might seem like I’m at the wedding alone – but I do have a date,it’s just that he’s a ghost so, you know, you can’t actually see him.’
‘Oh, but he’s a gentleman ghost, so he holds the door for you and pulls out your chair – terrifies all the guests,’ Donnie continues.
‘Chivalry isn’t dead, not even in the afterlife,’ I say with a smile.
There’s a playful ease in our conversation, a shared sense of humour that makes the evening feel like a fun escape from my tragic reality, even if we are joking about the shitty situation I’ve found myself in.
I can’t help but smile to myself. It’s nice, seeing more of Donnie’s personality, beyond him just being a really kind (if slightly nosy) guy. I like what I see.
I stretch as I let out a yawn.
‘Gosh, I’d best go to bed,’ I announce with a casual smile.
‘Lucky you,’ Donnie replies, a hint of mock envy in his voice. ‘Back to your lovely suite. My room is next to the hotel club – the twenty-four-hour club.’
My lips part sightly at the thought.
‘Oh, wow, that sucks,’ I say sincerely. ‘I’d heard there were cheap rooms here but… yeah, wow.’
A playful grin crosses Donnie’s face.
‘It’s okay, if I can’t sleep for the noise, I just go for a dance,’ he says with a shrug. ‘Do you want to give me your number? We can make a plan, for tomorrow, to try to find you a date?’
‘Okay, sure,’ I reply with a smile, weirdly looking forward to it.
We exchange phones, tapping in our respective numbers, which isn’t really a big deal, but I don’t know, it feels like a thing.
We say our goodbyes and I head for my suite, looking forward to getting in my bed after what feels like one hell of a long day.
It feels late. The dimly lit reception area is quiet, deserted even – yeah, I’ve definitely got horror movies on my brain now. I navigate through the open space, the only audible sound being the soft echo of my footsteps against the polished floor.
As I pass the front desk, a young man looks up from his station, breaking the stillness of the night.
‘Ms Marsden,’ he calls out, his voice carrying a touch of urgency. ‘Ms Marsden, do you have a moment?’
