It didn't look like much from the outside; Knight's Rest, but neither did any of the other building within the same vicinity. They all stood tall and proud, some taller than others. Grey, and slightly littered with dust, Thelonious' hotel habituated not far from Blackfriars' station.
The location just added to its stature.
Darcy wasn't indicating that it was outdated or unappealing. Rather, on the contrary, it was beautiful and simple, minimalistic almost. Elegance radiated from the building as it possessed a set of automatic, grand, black tinted double glass doors and gold rimmed windows that glistened under the sunlight.
What she meant was one did not truly know the sanctuary that awaited them on the inside.
"Good evening," she greeted the door man politely as she walked into the same hotel for the second time in the past few days. Neither time had she been a paying guest.
She couldn't remember the elderly doorman the other night. He probably didn't work the night shift.
The interior matched the inside. Even though its size wasn't exactly grand; it sure was spacious and elegant; decorated for sophistication. The tiles that covered the floor consisted of a pattern of black and white marble, each colour alternating; a chessboard right under her feet. Right at the end were the double doors that she had learn the other day led to the kitchen. Across from it, lay another room that lay open, a staircase and elevator doors present as she walked closer towards the receptionist's desk. Like the other tables, and pieces of furniture that lay across the wide hallway, the desk was a dark mahogany brown, a nice contrast against the tiles and cream coloured walls.
A few minimal art pieces decorated either side of the walls as she walked down, approaching the receptionist's desk. As beautiful and unique the paintings were â and most likely expensive â what really caught her eyes was the grey statue that sat on top of a small, dainty mahogany table between the staircase and the double doors that led to the kitchen.
She didn't know much about statues or art in general, but she was sure that this would be an art collector's dream.
The man had long hair that kissed the top of his shoulders, a few strands falling into his closed eyes. The outline of a crown was visible even from the other end of the hallway. The man sat supposedly naked though maintained his modestly as he sat with his legs crossed. His chest was defined and his pectorals chiselled His head was tilted back and his hands rested on his knees, his eyes closed and his face serene as he prayed to the heavens in the utmost peace and tranquillity.
What really stood out was the splash of gold that ran diagonally down his body, all the way from his feet to his crown; a beautiful accent that mixed perfectly with the rest of the interior.
Darcy would be surprised to hear that Thelonious hadn't hired a highly experienced interior designer to style the place.
"Miss Blake," a voice called, pulling her out of her reverie. Tearing her eyes away from the peculiar structure, they switched to the eager blonde stood behind the desk. She may not have known it but her presence had just won him a nice lump of money from Macadamian.
Darcy snorted at the title he had addressed her with. "Darcy is just fine, thank you."
"Darcy Blake," he tested the name on his tongue. "It has a nice ring to it." His words were deliberate and slow, his lips displaying a teasing smile.
She was almost sure he was making fun of her.
"Do you know where Thelonious is?" She asked, glancing over at the lifts that would lead her up to the first floor where his room was located. Something else that she had also learnt form having spent the night the other day.
She must have gotten distracted because the rather loud and bothersome clearing of a seemingly clogged up throat grabbed her attention. She turned her head back to face her spectator with an impish, slightly embarrassed smile. "Sorry," she apologised, pushing the strap of her bag further up her shoulder. "What did you say?"
His grin stretched further. It was really starting to bother her; him. "I said, last I checked he was on a lunch date." He flashed a set of perfectly white teeth as his mouth grew wider. "With you."
He was definitely making fun of her now.
"What?" She sounded aloud, her voice a few octaves higher than she cared to admit. Darcy mentally cursed herself for not dabbing some foundation on her ears that morning as she felt them begin to warm up. She didn't need a mirror to know that they had started to turn a light shade of pink; her uneasiness conspicuous. "It wasn't a date!" She defended but her words sounded weak, even to her.
He shrugged nonchalantly, not seeming to believe her. She didn't blame him for that. "That's not what it sounded like to me."
"That was hours ago, anyway." She rolled her eyes, hoping that he would change the topic.
"Exactly," he leaned in further; a teasing smirk playing on his lips. "What have you done with him?"
She rolled her eyes again and crossed her arms over her chest defensively; not too happy with all the incessant questioning. It was beginning to sound that he suspected her of kidnapping his friend. Not that she would be able to. She was sure that Thelonious had nearly a whole foot and about 60 pounds on her, at least.
His smile only grew in size as she refused to answer him. "He's actually popped out to run some errands."
"Oh," her mouth formed the shape she had just sounded. "He's got my ring. I've just dropped by to pick it up."
Romeo's eyes tripled in size at the new information, so much so that Darcy expected them to pop out of their sockets and start rolling on the desk. "He's proposed already? Damn," he drew out the last word, whistling under his breath. "You sure got serious fast."
She rolled her eyes. Again. She had found herself doing that a lot in the past five minutes. If she wasn't careful then it would be her eyes that would be vacating their sockets.
As funny as Romeo Bourne could be at times, he was equally as annoying, if not more. It was more of a fact than a speculation.
"It's my mother's ring. I forgot it when I was here last."
He quirked a teasing brow. "When you spent the night, you mean?" A chuckle escaped him when she threw a ferocious glare at him; one that promised that he would get decked if he didn't tread carefully. "He should be back in a little bit."
She sighed. "Thank you," her words were polite even if he didn't deserve them. That man â or boy, rather â was more than a handful. Just conversing with him had her feeling tired. It didn't help that she had spent the whole day at university and a had a forty-five minute train ride to take until she got home.
"Come take a seat," he gestured towards the sofa behind the desk, wanting to make peace. Getting on the wrong side of Thelonious was not something someone wanted to do, and pissing off Thelonious' girl wouldn't be doing him any favours. He had learnt that the hard way.
Darcy followed his line of sight to the staff couch that sat hidden behind the desk. It didn't look as new or fancy as the seating area that lay available for the guests of the hotel, but she didn't complain when she noticed the area of untouched desk that she could use to get some work done while she waited for Thelonious.
Time passed slowly as she carried out some research for her final year project.
When Romeo was starting to get unbearable again, she fished her phone out of her bag before shooting a text to the man in question. If she had just texted him earlier then perhaps, she could have been saved her the trouble of having to suffer Romeo's ceaseless questioning. If she didn't know better then she would have suspected that he was studying to become a journalist or reporter.
I'm waiting at the hotel for you.
He replied in less than a minute.
Sorry. I got held up with some work.
I should be back within half an hour.
This man was not afraid of double texting.
Darcy sighed and slipped her phone back into her pocket without sending back a reply. It seemed like she would be stuck listening to Romeo for another half hour at least. There was always the option of heading home and dropping by to pick up her mother's ring another day, but the thought didn't settle well with her. She had gone a whole weekend without wearing it and it just didn't feel right.
She had hardly taken it off after her father had gifted it to her all those years ago.
Despite the nature of the situation in which her mother had left them both, she still held the ring close to her heart.
Her eyes cast towards the light; or rather the lack of light that was visible as the glass doors opened as the doorman walked in. If she had left as soon as then she would have been home by now.
Fishing her phone out of her pocket again, she wrote her dad a quick text, pausing to read it before sending it off.
I'll be home late. Probably before 10 but I'll let you know.
At least now he wouldn't have to worry.
"Shoot!" Romeo cursed aloud. Darcy looked up at him from the screen of her laptop. He had whispered under his breath but she was sitting close enough to have caught it. The same could not have been said for the blonde, middle aged woman that stood smiling at him from the other side of the receptionist's desk.
Her smile was warm and her eyes big and green. Her hair was blonde and bouncy, though Darcy suspected she wasn't a natural blonde as her dark roots peaked out a little.
"Miss Turner, leaving so soon?"
Her voice was gentle and quiet, but held an ample amount of authority as she smiled at Romeo. Her eyes flickered over to where Darcy sat hunched over her laptop for a fleeting moment. When Darcy met her stare, the woman had the decency to look away. "Yes, Romeo. But don't worry, I'll be back again in 2 weeks."
"Promise?" This man's flirting had no limits. No woman was safe.
The woman threw her head back and laughed. "If only I was 20 years younger." She replied wistfully, the playfulness audible in her voice.
"I don't mind the age gap." He winked. "Didn't you bring any luggage with you?" He asked, leaning over the desk as he stared at the ground around her, his eyebrows scrunching together as he noticed none. Miss Turner had always travelled pretty light but this was just taking it to another level.
"Yes, I did." She confirmed. "I seem to be leaving with more stuff then I arrived with. I was hoping you could be a dear and fetch it for me."
"Anything for you, Miss Turner." He grinned before turning around to address Darcy. "Be a dear and keep Miss Turner company while I fetch her bag." He winked before whisking out from behind the desk.
Darcy didn't have any time to respond let alone deny his request as he jogged towards the stairs, taking two at a time.
She blinked once before turning back to the blonde woman whom was staring expectantly at her. She had no idea what she was supposed to do.
"That boy sure is a charmer, isn't he?"
Darcy chuckled, grateful that they didn't have to stand together in uncomfortable silence for Romeo to return. "I guess you could say that."
"Are you and him..." her voice trailed off and grew smaller as the knowing smile on her face grew wider.
Darcy's eyes strained in surprise as momentary panic started to settle in. "No, no." She then proceeded to repeat that sentiment a few more times in case the woman had managed to misunderstand in some way. Having spent the last half hour or so with Romeo, she had learnt that he was very funny, but if she ever spent more than twenty minutes with him at a single time then she would end up ripping her hair out in frustration.
He had a special knack of getting under her skin and as soon as he had realised this, he had made it his mission to do just that.
"We don't even know each other that well." She explained.
"You could get to know each other." Her eyebrows wiggled together teasingly.
Darcy laughed at that. "He really isn't my type."
"What is your type then?" She asked but continued speaking almost instantly. "Tall, dark hair, handsome and brooding?"
"How did you?" This time it was her voice that trailed off; her words remained unsaid on the tip of her tongue.
Miss Turner shrugged. "Romeo's a bit of a gossip."
Darcy seethed visibly though the woman didn't seem to notice this â if she did, she didn't care much for it â as she continued. "You and Thelonious, huh?"
Darcy gulped. "We're not together either."
"Yet."
Darcy shook her head but couldn't control the smile that threatened to make an appearance. She wasn't able to defend herself or deny the matter further for the lift pinged and out stepped the one and only, Romeo Bourne. He lugged the suitcase behind him.
The checkout process was swift and easy. Miss Turner was out of the hotel and into the back of a taxi heading to Heathrow airport in under ten minutes.
After the doors had closed and she could no longer see the blonde woman whom she had taken a liking to, she turned around to be met with Romeo's ear-splitting grin.
Darcy frowned and sighed. She wished Miss Turner had taken Romeo along with her.
-
NOTE - not edited!
The next chapter will be uploaded on 17/01/2020
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Layla Knight
13.07.19