When Luiza returned from the restroom, she realized that the man who had stirred her emotions had already left. Deep down, she felt a sense of relief; after all, it would have been impossible to see him again, of which she was absolutely certain.
Luiza: Thank you for keeping an eye on my suitcase!
Lara: No need to thank me! (laughs)
Luiza: Well, I'd better be going!
Lara: It's probably for the best, the innkeeper doesn't take in travelers after 8:00 PM.
Luiza checks the time on her watch and her eyes widen in alarm.
Luiza: Oh no, I really need to get going, see you later!
The waitress waves with a smile, and Luiza exits the pizzeria, pulling her suitcase along the snow-covered street.
Luiza: It's so cold!
She pauses to adjust her coat, crossing her arms over her body for warmth, then resumes her brisk walk. Since the inn was only a few blocks away, she didn't mind enduring the cold for the duration.
Upon arrival at the inn, she's shocked and disappointed to find the sign on the door reading 'closed.' Panic grips her as she considers her options.
Luiza: Oh my God! What am I going to do? I'll freeze to death!
For a split second, she considers returning to the hotel where Ryan is staying, but she can't bring herself to go back to that vile woman abuser.
Deciding to take a chance, she rings the inn's bell despite the 'closed' sign. She persists several times until a middle-aged man appears, opening the door angrily.
Luiza: I'm sorry to bother you, sir!
Man: And why did you? Are you blind, girl?
She looks again at the sign.
Luiza: I know the inn is closed, but I wanted to ask if you had any rooms available. I have nowhere to spend the night.
Man: I'm sorry, I can't help you. I hate to bend my own rules, it's already 8:30, we close half an hour earlier.
Luiza: I'll pay extra for the late hour!
Man: No rooms available!
Luiza: I could sleep on any mat behind the counter, please!
She gestures to where she could sleep, but the man remains unyielding.
Man: There are no rooms!
He closes the door, leaving Luiza unsure of what to do next, unable to spend the entire night wandering in the freezing cold.
She sighs in defeat and begins to trudge her suitcase back downhill, with barely any car movement or people around. But then, unexpectedly, the innkeeper reopens the door and watches her slowly disappearing into the fog.
Man: Hey, young lady?
Instantly, Luiza turns around.
Man: Come back!
She hurries back up the slope, nearly running, but slips on the slick pavement. The man rushes out to assist her.
Man: Be careful, miss!
She touches her back feeling pain but then smiles at herself.
Luiza: I’m fine, sir!
He helps her to her feet and goes to retrieve her sliding suitcase. She follows him back to the inn, thrilled to have been admitted.
Man: Well, I had forgotten about a spare room left by a marine biology student who stayed here for a week; he left earlier in the evening.
The man shuffles some papers in a drawer and turns on a laptop.
Luiza: Thank you so much, really, I had nowhere to stay.
Man: My name is Bartolomeu!
Luiza: Nice to meet you, Mr. Bartolomeu! My name is Luiza Padilha.
She extends her arm to shake his hand, then pulls out a document from her bag for registration, looking around curiously at the rustic and cozy inn.
Bartolomeu: Hmm... So, you're Brazilian!
He notes while examining her document.
Luiza: Yes!
Bartolomeu: We get some Brazilians around here every now and then!
Luiza smiles brightly.
Bartolomeu: I dislike renting rooms to Brazilians; they are much too boisterous and lack boundaries.
Her smile fades, fearing she might not be accepted, so she quickly tries to assure him she's different.
Luiza: I'm not like the others, I appreciate the quiet, and I promise you won't hear a peep from my room, Mr. Bartolomeu.
The man nods his head and smiles.
Bartolomeu: Alright, young lady. You seem like a decent person.
She takes out some dollars from her purse and pays for a few days in advance.
Bartolomeu: Do you plan on staying in town long?
She ponders for a moment before answering.
Luiza: Yes!
Bartolomeu: Here’s your key, room number 15.
She takes the key, thanks him, and ascends the stairs with her suitcase, enters the long hallway flanked by doors, and walks slowly until she finds hers.
The room is rustic, with antique furniture, a small electric fireplace, and a bathroom with a tub—simple, yet beautifully decorated and cozy. It feels warmly familiar and Luiza loves it.
Pleased with her room, she places her suitcase on a chair, pulls out some warm woolen clothes to wear after a hot shower.
She sheds her damp clothes and steps into the bathroom, turning on the shower to let the hot water revive her chilled skin. As she relaxes, she starts to think about what will happen tomorrow when Ryan wakes up sober. He'll surely be furious not to find her at the hotel.
She can't deny her fear of him. She's alone in the world with no one to protect her from men like him. Tears mix with the shower water as uncertainty about her future weighs on her. She's suffering now for something that hasn't even happened, fearing her life might be controlled by someone else.
Luiza: He doesn't own me!
Once more, she repeats this phrase out loud, echoing in the bathroom, trying to convince herself that she is the master of her own destiny.
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