Once Upon A Bet

/31/ Left off

Dedicated to twerkingdabqueen, thank you for the support so far and all your amazing comments <333

My hands were shaking as I took the key from the elderly woman but couldn't find it in me to return her smile. Not a real one. The moment I'd stepped out the estate reality hit me like a tone of bricks. I had literally nothing. My suitcase, my purse... and that was all. I had nothing else; but somehow, this churning in my guts wasn't as apprehensive as I thought it would be.

After the first rush and break down, I'd realized the sky was getting cloudy and if I didn't want to find myself wandering around in the rain, I needed to find a place to stay. My first thoughts were one of the hotels of the A.C. but I discarded that option for obvious reasons. As well as the penthouse I owned in the beach resort. But then what? There wasn't much other options around. All for the same reason why Damien needed me to pursue the Well House project: My father didn't like rivalry in his turf.

Luckily George had thought about it before I even realized the odds of actually leaving and in that small paper he'd written the address of a little guest house on the outskirts of the town, about half an hour from the estate and by the lake. The owner was a nice elderly couple that recognized immediately the butler's name and that bright smile hadn't left the woman's face since I'd spoken it. But I wasn't sure how long until my fake one fell completely,  I needed to be alone as soon as possible or this poor lovely lady would see me crumbling.

"I don't mean to be rude." I carefully intervened when she was about to start another one of her stories with George. "But I'm really tired and-"

"Oh dear, of course you are. Silly me." she tapped her forehead apologetically. "I'm sorry. Peter will show you the way, hold on a second." she turned to the attached office behind the counter and called for him before looking at me once, now some pride swirling under her orbs as she adjusted her glasses up her nose. "He's my grandson, you know? Making some money helping us. Such a sweetheart." she grinned just as a guy I knew too well came from that office and my heart stopped as his eyebrows rose in surprise. PJ. "Could you lead this lady to the room 11?"

I barely heard her talking, or if he said something in return. Instead, I felt the precarious wall I'd built around my caged emotions quivered as his eyes took me in, my still too elegant clothes, my suitcase... God only know what he would think of me. Last I'd seen him was on that beach when I was hell drunk and puke in front of everyone before having yet another shameful anxiety attack. They must have told him too about the pathetic scene in that cafe the very next morning and now I was here.

Unable to hold his gaze, I casted mine down; the painful pressure in my chest toying with my tolerance all the more as I felt his confused eyes still on me. The elder woman kept babbling not noticing the awkward tension that'd suddenly settled in that reception.

"You'll find that room has quite a beautiful sight. Dinners are served downstairs at seven o'clock, you can join if you want, it's included in the price. Your stay also includes breakfast and the use of the common places: rooms, gardens, the lake... You'll love it, I'm really sure." her eyed me closely now. "It's funny how Gorge didn't inform us of your arriving. So unusual in him." I gulped as she tilted her head, curiously. "Where did you say you know him from?"

Shit. Now how was I supposed to explain he was my butler? Well, ex-butler now. My chest squeezed all the more and I knew I was minutes away from fully breaking down for good. But not in public please, I desperately thought, biting on my inner cheek not to care about the burning in my eyes. "I-I didn't..."