The Summer Deal

Seven - Task two, three and four.

Noah Jordan's POV:

The banquet hall was almost empty when we entered. Most of the staff were arranging and cleaning up the tables. There was a bar at a corner for people who liked to have a sip in the morning. A small Asian family was sitting at a table near the bar, talking among themselves. Their kid was lost in his own world of chocolate pastry. The couple noticed us looking at them, gave us a polite smile, and went back to minding their own business. A man in a crisp black suit approached us with a writing pad tucked under his arm.

He turned to Sarah for a handshake. "Dr. Grant, it's an honor to have you here with us. My name is Jack, and I'm the manager of this hotel."

Honor? I raised an eyebrow. For all I knew about her, that woman had no honor. At least last night, she didn't.

"Thank you, Jack," she murmured shyly, her eyes down on the floor. I didn't bother listening to what followed after their greetings. Was it something about his daughter or someone watching videos about some conference? I didn't care. I had my attention on something else.

Something hot, crispy, juicy, and served on large trays.

God, I am so hungry.

After the talking maniac was finally done with her conversation, the manager did his job of checking the list of guests in his notepad by asking us our room numbers. I found out the maniac I was stuck with till our stomachs were full was actually staying in a suite, thus confirming my suspicions of her being rich and spoiled.

But man, I got curious about her again. I mean, if the manager himself came to greet and talk to her as if she were some celebrity, then she must have done something big.

"What kind of scientist are you again?" I asked as we grabbed our china plates from a rack. The delicious aroma of food made my stomach rumble in hunger. "The manager seemed to fancy you."

"The important kind," she answered, showing no interest. She sounded as if everything was a common occurrence to her. I chose not to question her further, and we attacked the buffet like hungry savages.

I couldn't keep my hands off the spread displayed. I took two of everything. Two bowls of cereal, two cups of coffee, two mini sandwiches... yum. Sarah, on the other hand, took her own sweet time picking, cross-examining items as if they held their own mystery. Since it was near closing time, we had to grab some leftover juice, yogurt, and hash browns. Many food items were long gone such as muffins, bagels, and...

"They're out of toast."

I choked on my laugh. Good. This is exactly what happens when you arrive late for breakfast. I grabbed two boiled eggs from the counter. "I'm sure they'll whip up a fresh batch soon. There's still some time left."

She eyed my plate with a judgemental look on her face. It was overfull, and I instantly regretted not picking up another plate. "Are you sure you're going to finish all that?"

Look how the roles have reversed. "What happened to not judging strangers?" I asked, referring to the conversation we had yesterday in the lobby.

"I think after everything that happened last night, we are far away from the category of strangers, but we'll get back there soon."

Want to get rid of me already? Same here.

"I had a nice dream," I teased her with a stupid grin on my face. That earned me a kick on my leg, and it nearly toppled my cereal bowl.

It was a lie. I didn't dream of her last night, though I was clearly expecting to.

My dreams were usually non-existent. Sometimes I dreamt about the stress-free, happy life I used to have with my family. It usually consisted of simple things—my father reading the morning newspaper, and my mother watching the TV while her infamous oatmeal and raisin cookies baked in the oven. She loved watching cooking shows and always tried new dishes on Sundays. Most of the time, it ended in a disaster which made my father mutter some things in broken Spanish, a language he never learned properly but always managed to show off, about the high grocery bill yet he ate everything with a smile.