Only you, just you

Disappointed but Determined

    All I want to see is my reflection dancing in your eyes, in the same way that you have moved my soul. Words by Jen

When Rey and Poppy arrived at the Hotel Danielle , Poppy had to literally push Rey inside.  'Oh my gosh, I don't think I can go through with this.' Rey thought, all of a sudden realizing what a monumental event this was.

       Rey's feet felt like she was wearing cement boots and suddenly her heart slammed painfully inside her chest.

   This was it. He was here. Waiting for his one true love to come walked through the door.  They would see each other and then...

    "Poppy, he could be anywhere."  Rey looked around the large lobby at all the people sitting on comfortable  looking couches and and standing at the bar, drinks in hand.
        One attractive man did look up and Rey caught his eye.  She couldn't help laughing flirtatiously as she walked by him but then cringed inwardly, thinking her laugh sounded more like a nervous twitter.

      Poppy grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her to the hotel check in desk. A middle aged man wearing a hotel uniform greeted them with a simpering smile.
   'Oh niente  Americani', He thought as he saw the two disheveled and anxious looking women approaching his desk. He didn't like Americans. They were pushy and spoiled and demanding. These women looked no different in his eyes.

  "Buongiorno, hello . Good morning. How may I help you?"  He asked them in broken English, a simpering grimace on his bearded face.

  Rey finally found her voice and after checking in asked, " And, um, can you tell us what room a Mr. Dameron is in? We are friends of his and he's expecting us."

"If he were expecting you, he should have told you his room himself."  

  The two women stared at the hotel clerk in disbelief. How rude!

     "Besides,". He continued in his broken English, " Mr.Dameron is no longer staying with us. He has already checked out. If he was your friend he would have told you. Good day."

  Poppy could only stare slack jawed at the man behind the desk, while Rey felt that the ground beneath her feet had opened up and she was being swallowed whole.

   "No, no. You don't understand." Her voice came out in a panicked rush.  " He just arrived. You've got to be mistaken. He has to be here. Right now. In this hotel!"

  The man grimaced then walked over to a wall with keys hanging on hooks. He picked one off the hook then dangled it in front of Rey's face.

      "See, Mr. Dameron handed in his room key. He is gone."

  Poppy felt Rey slump heavily onto her shoulder . She had to do something to save this situation, and fast.

"Okay, can you tell us where he went at least?"  If she sounded like she was begging she didn't care. "Which way did he go?"

    "I don't know, we don't usually follow our guests."  He was trying to remain calm, but really, these women were ridiculous.

   Poppy did have good eye sight and caught the room number on the key. Let's do a little detective work she thought. 

      She was fantastic at finding lost homework or socks and she'd watched enough mystery detective dramas, to know a thing or two about finding clues to find a missing person.

     Pulling a despondent Rey away from the desk she steered her towards the elevator.   Poppy whispered something in Rey's ear and she cheered up, looking hopeful again.

   They clambered into the old rickety looking box of an elevator and pushed the third floor button.  

    The  stars must have been aligned and the gods must have been pleased at that moment because miraculously the door to his room was left ajar.
    A house keeping cart was parked outside the room but no house keeper in sight.

   "Come on , hurry, before she comes back!"   Poppy was in her element. She loved a good clue finding game.

They snuck inside and quickly scanned the room .

       Rey ran to the trash bin while Poppy made a bee line for a half eaten breakfast tray.

   "Oh good, he left some food behind, cause I'm starving."   She said happily as she plucked a strawberry off the plate.
Rey dumped the trash on the floor and sifted through it.

  "Look at all this trash! He likes his candy bars doesn't he." Poppy said, noticing all the butterfinger wrappers littering the carpet.

   There at the bottom of the debris pile was a crumpled up note.  Rey grabbed it and swiftly smoothed out the paper.

The message  was written in a elegant hand.  Obviously a woman's, but in Italian, so unfortunately they couldn't read it.

    "There's a phone number.  Let's go ask Mr. Helpful down stairs." said Poppy, "We'd better get out of here before the house keeper lady gets back."

They went back to Mr. Helpful and,  shockingly, he earned his title.

  "This is a phone number in Rome."

     The two girls stood anxiously watching him read the note, holding their breath for the secret information that would be revealed.

   "You want me to call this number?"   As if he didn't have more important things to do, like running a hotel. Sheesh!

  "Yes, please . And ask for a Mr. Dameron." Poppy tried not to sound demanding but she was. " Or if the person that you talk to knows him."

  "Okay."

  "Or if they know where he is."

  "Okay!" 

   Mr.Helpful was losing what little patience he had with these two American women.

He called the number and in rapid fire Italian asked about  a Mr. Dameron. 

       Rey and Poppy leaned in closer to hear the conversation, as if they would understand any of it.

Poppy thought that she caught the word 'Monastery'.  "Oh god, he's a priest?"
Rey looked at her , suddenly worried. No, he couldn't be. That would be totally against  the whole soulmate agenda she was working with.
"No, it's a fashionable boutique, they sell purses and leather goods." He had covered the mouth piece of the phone and whispered this new information, then turned back to the conversation.
   "Si, Grazie." 

   He hung up the phone and took a step back to signal to the two anxious women the call had ended.

They looked at him expectantly. This was information they desperately needed.  He cleared his throat and they stood up straight .

    "There's a woman there that knows him." He continued. "Her name is Anna."

    Rey's heart soared  with this news . She and Poppy did a high five in celebration.   They finally had a lead.

       "But she won't be in until tomorrow." 

  Okay, just a minor set back, a hiccup if you will, but Rey would never give up even if she had to swim an ocean to get to him.

     "Let's go to Rome!" Rey beamed over at Poppy.  It was all well and good to look for him in Venice, but Rome?
  It might as well be Jupiter Rey was dragging her to.

     Apparently the hotel clerk felt the same way. "Rome? The shops will all be closed tomorrow. 'La Festa dei Lavori'. It's a strike holiday."

     Was this man messing with them? Poppy stared at him slack jawed but Rey wasn't about to let this stop her.

        He handed the scrap of paper back over to Rey and said dismissively, "Good luck." Then turned his back on them.

   Well, all they could do now was rent a car, buy a map( this was before G.P.S) and point their feet towards Roma!