Page 9 of Bossy Grump's Secret

When I get to the room we're cleaning, I saw Lily, snuggled in some spare sheets, sleeping soundly. Suddenly, all the heat from my previous engagement with Dylan dissipates, and a warm smile creeps across my face.

Ava

We both lay in bed that night, unable to sleep.

I couldn't sleep. Lily would probably pass out now if I gave her a chance.

"There was definitely something fishy about that Dylan guy. I knew it. I knew it! He's lucky I'm no snitch; or we'd have seen what RDM had to say about that." I shake my head.

"Whoa, whoa! I don't think we need to involve more people in this, Ava. You did the number one good thing by telling me first," she drawls.

"I know, but what do I do next?" I ask her.

"I'm glad you asked. Tell no one," she commands straight up.

"What?"

"Let it die with you.. with us. Do him a favor and keep his little secrets," she tries to convince me.

"Lil. He might defraud the hotel or, worse... stealing from clients! We have to at least see it stops, somehow." I assert.

"If it turns out to be his, then what? "

I melt into the bed to think of an answer. I hadn't really fathom that scenario. No. No way those things belong to him. He's gotta give a better explanation if it's not true.

"I'm sure he has to make it one hundred percent clear to the higher-ups," I huffed, not directly answering the question.

"No, not him. This time, you dweeb. I'm talking about you. What happens to you? Is your social sanity for the rest of your work here worth the humiliation?" she asks.

I'm in a bit of a pickle since I can't answer that question, so I'm left hanging. Lily knew what she was saying.

"Leave him alone, Ava. Trust me, nothing good will come from meddling in his business."

I agree without hesitation, for the first time. I figured I'd let her crash and I could think for a bit.

I take at least three more censuses in my mind, and everyone says the same thing. The only reason I'm considering going back to investigate is to sneak a peek at him shirtless. I realized how insane it sounded.

I fall asleep after a long deliberation.

"How.long.were.you.a.sleep?" Each word peppered with a massive push of my chest like I'm a patient needing CPR. Lily's waking me up in the morning.

"Three minutes? What are you doing?" I ask her.

"It's tomorrow, if that makes any sense." She smiles sarcastically.

"Here we go again..." I huff and sit up.

Here we go again.

My perception of time and depth is messed up, making me see everything warped until I'm fully conscious. I wait for this to even out. Morning routine, this time… I try to clean my teeth with a brush and take a proper shower.

… and it feels worth it.

I examine myself in the mirror. Despite my initial intention to dress casually in a shirt and jeans, I have a sudden urge to make an impression on Dylan with this outfit.

The dress is a perfect fit. It isn't elastic, so it doesn't emphasize my curves - like my hips and cleavage. The material is accessible enough for my body to jiggle, even slightly.

I was never too conscious of my body until college, when I started getting compliments from even the girls. High school was tormenting because I was the tall, thin girl, but on the bright side, I developed thick skin and an audacious persona. I learned how not to care what others' opinions, so when I added some flesh to my body, my confidence rose to an almost toxic level. Only Lily helped me keep my balance.

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