It was already morning when Arya woke up to the ringing of her room's phone, her head throbbing from a hangover. As soon as she picked up, a somewhat hesitant female voice greeted her.
"Good morning! Is this Ms. Lewis from room 8018?"
The woman asked, clearly dreading the answer.
"Good morning! Yes, speaking," Arya replied, her voice still heavy with sleep.
"How was your night, Ms. Lewis?" The voice trembled even more.
"Quite enjoyable!" Arya responded, prompting a relieved sigh from the woman.
"That's really wonderful to hear. We will be sending up your breakfast immediately. Have a great day, Ms. Lewis." With that, she hung up, leaving Arya puzzled.
After replacing the receiver, Arya noticed a few dollars on her nightstand and tried to rise, but in addition to her awful headache, she felt a pain in her hips, and flashes from the previous night's memories started to scare her.
"It was just a dream, I'm sure of it. Was Noam here?" she said, confused by her recollections.
"But I didn't say anything about him being here when I spoke to him last night, I'm absolutely certain." She paused, terrorized by the implications of her actions.
"I can't believe I gave myself to another man thinking he was my fiance. How foolish to do something like that. Who was he? Who was this man I surrendered to? My God! What have I done with my life."
After getting up and taking a shower, she dressed and ate the breakfast that had been sent up. Arya went down to the lobby to demand an explanation for what had happened. As she approached, she realized the staff were rather uneasy.
"Who was the man you let into my room last night?" She demanded angrily.
"Ms. Lewis, only you checked into room 8018 last night. Perhaps Ms. Lewis availed herself of a special service?" The receptionist said, frightened, trying to cover up the hotel's mistake, which only infuriated Arya further.
"Are you insinuating that I requested an escort last night?" Arya yelled, indignant.
"I didn't ask for anything of that sort last night; I am not that kind of woman!"
In a corner of the lobby, the manager and another employee watched the confrontation from a distance.
"Sir, what will we do now with this happening?" The employee whispered, not wanting to be overheard.
"Fire whomever was on duty last night. They gave away Mr. Pagano's room, something everyone here should have been aware of by now. We need to ensure this incident doesn't leak out," he said, visibly concerned.
"Sir, when he entered the room last night, he must have thought we sent her as a gift," the employee said, even more anxious.
"If Mr. Pagano suspects this mishap and digs deeper, we're screwed," the manager muttered, running his hands through his hair.
"He'll shut this hotel down, and we'll be out on the streets with tarnished resumes, no chance of getting another job in the future."
"I'll do my best to ensure he never hears of it," the employee said, terrified.
"I expect you to handle this catastrophe; otherwise, an even greater disaster will befall us all," he stated and returned to his office.
After an exhaustive argument with the receptionist, Arya eventually admitted defeat. Even if she discovered the man's identity, the damage had been done, and there was no turning back—after all, even inebriated, she had acted voluntarily. Now, she had to forget everything that had occurred and move forward, hoping no further misfortune would befall her. Her phone rang, interrupting her morose thoughts, with Noam's number on display.
"Hello," she answered, her voice laden with sorrow.
"Arya, it's me, Noam," he spoke, but she did not respond.
"I just got off the plane, I've missed you so much and really want to see you. I'm sending the driver to pick you up soon, so be ready," he said eagerly, and tears filled Arya's eyes once again.
"I'm sorry, Noam, but there's a lot of visitors here, and I can't leave my mother alone with all these people," she lied, not ready to face him yet.
"That's fine. Call me when you're free, and I'll send for you immediately. And don't forget, my parents are hosting a party tonight to celebrate my return, and I've got a surprise for you," he said before hanging up.
"Noam, my love, would you ever forgive me if I told you about the mistake I made last night?" she murmured, her voice low and bitter.
Arya returned home to find her mother entertaining some clients at their bakery. She tried to enter unnoticed but failed miserably.
"Hey, my daughter, come here," her mother called.
"Is something wrong? You look awful. I was worried; you didn't tell me you were spending the night out," she said with concern.
"Mom, don't worry. Nothing happened between me and Noam," Arya said sadly.
"Arya, you know the Duncan family is very powerful. Even though you're engaged to Noam, we can't afford to offend them," her mother said, as if it were Arya's duty.
"Mom, I've just graduated from college. I want to get a good job and help you with the bakery," she said, somewhat troubled.
"Do I really have to marry Noam?"
"My daughter, you've always been very passionate about him since you were young," she said with a smile.
"A girl has to get married while she's still young and beautiful. Besides, it's just the two of us. What if something were to happen to me one day? So please, don't worry me about your future."
"Of course, mother. It was just a silly thought that crossed my mind."
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