Patricia stared at the monitor as though the screen had suddenly become dangerous.
For several seconds, she didn’t move.
Karla leaned closer.
“What?”
Patricia swallowed.
“It’s here.”
Her voice had lost all its earlier sharpness.
“Suite 904.
Corporate reservation.
Confirmed two weeks ago.”
Ethan shifted Lily slightly higher on his shoulder.
The little girl remained asleep, her cheek pressed against the collar of his faded leather jacket.
He didn’t smile.
He didn’t say I told you so.
He only asked, “So there is a room?”
“Yes, sir.” Patricia’s fingers trembled over the keyboard.
“There appears to have been a display issue on the main reservation screen.”
Lupita said nothing, but her eyes moved toward Patricia.
Everyone in the lobby understood what the receptionist was trying to do.
A minute earlier, Ethan had supposedly invented a reservation because he wanted a luxury room he could not afford.
Now the reservation existed, and suddenly the computer was responsible.
Karla unfolded her arms.
“Well, good,” she said quickly.
“Problem solved.”
But Ethan’s expression changed almost imperceptibly.
Not anger.
Attention.
He looked at the screen, then at Patricia.
“Would you print the reservation record for me?”
Patricia hesitated.
“Sir?”
“The internal reservation record.
Please.”
“That contains company information.”
“I know.”
The answer was so calm that Karla gave him a puzzled look.
Patricia glanced toward the office behind the front desk.
“I can give you a standard guest confirmation.”
Ethan nodded once.
“Then call the general manager.”
Patricia’s face tightened again, but the confidence behind it was gone.
“I already explained that Mr.
Mercer is attending the gala.”
“Yes,” Ethan said.
“You did.”
He shifted the wilted roses into the crook of his arm and reached into his jacket pocket.
For the first time that evening, Patricia watched his hands carefully.
Ethan removed his phone.
The screen was cracked at one corner.
Nothing about it looked impressive.
He pressed a contact and held the phone to his ear.
Karla looked at Patricia as if to say, Let him pretend.
The call connected almost immediately.
“Daniel,” Ethan said quietly.
“I’m in the lobby.”
A pause.
