New Beginning

Chapter 3- Nice to meet you too Quinn( Not)

Alex and I booked hotels right next to each other so we could stay close. It's around 9:00 a.m. now, and after last night's exhausting trip, I fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed. I'm heading to the front desk—apparently, this hotel serves breakfast in the mornings. I'm pretty sure Alex is already there; as far as I know, he loves food more than anything.

I hoped there would be coffee. I need it. Dressed in a striped red shirt and black jeans, with no makeup, I decided to keep my outfit simple—after all, I was only going for breakfast.

Step! Step! Step! Step!

As I walked into the breakfast center, I scanned the room for Alex but didn't see him. Instead, my attention was drawn to an absolutely stunning young woman, around my age, who had just walked in. She wore a cream-colored short skirt and a V-neck tank top, her medium brown hair cascading over her shoulders—it was the color of coffee. Lol. Maybe I was describing it that way because I love coffee. If I weren't a coffee lover (hard to believe), I'd probably say her hair was the color of honey.

To my shock, Alex appeared right behind her, and she was all over him. The entire breakfast center, including the front desk, seemed to be watching them.

"Such a cute couple," a woman behind me murmured.

When Alex finally noticed me, he ran over and hugged me.

"Good morning, Juliana! How was your night?" he asked, smiling.

"Good morning to you too. My night was good..." (But I could guarantee yours was better.) I thought but didn't say aloud.

"Who's that?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, I met her yesterday," he said casually.

I frowned. "But we just arrived at the hotel last night. How did you meet her yesterday?"

"Well, I was carrying my luggage when she saw me struggling to get up the stairs. She helped me to my room, and we got to talking—movies, games, and random stuff. Turns out, we get along." He grinned.

Odd way to meet, I thought.

"Oh, okay. Well, I guess you've already made your first friend in New York. Congratulations," I said, trying to keep my tone light, though I felt an odd queasiness in my stomach.

Alex made a weird face before responding. "Yeah, I can introduce you. She's really nice."

Just then, she walked over and smiled at me. I forced my best friendly expression, but I don't think it worked because she immediately asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking," I managed politely.

"No problem! You must be Juliana. Alex told me a lot about you last night while we were chatting," she said, smiling slightly.

Huh. Chatting all night? On a first-name basis already?

(My stomach twisted even more for some reason.)

"It's nice to meet you..." She hesitated before saying, "Quinn."

Her smile was just a little too sweet.

"Nice to meet you too, Quinn. I need to get going—I have things to do. I'll see you later, Alex," I said quickly, wanting to escape the awkwardness.