What the Future has for Us -- Renee Rapp fiction

Chapter 1 - THE SHOWER

...FEBRUARY...

I woke up to a damn noise in the hallway ! It felt like the walls were shaking with every sound echoing down the corridor. Groaning, I threw off the covers and stumbled out of bed. Another disruption in this godforsaken hotel... I muttered a curse under my breath as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

Groggily, I stumbled towards the door, the frustration of being disturbed seeping into my bones. As I reached for the doorknob, the noise intensified, grating on my already frayed nerves. With a sigh, I swung the door open, expecting to confront the source of the disturbance.

Instead, I was met with a scene that caught me off guard. Two women stood in the hallway, engaged in a heated discussion. Their voices overlapped in a cacophony of frustration and confusion. But something about their body language told me it wasn't a typical argument. There was an air of desperation, of misunderstanding hanging between them.

One of the women had her back to me, her posture tense with anxiety. Her blonde hair cascaded down her back, and she stood tall despite the evident strain. Her English words tumbled out in a rush, punctuated by gestures of frustration.

The other woman, shorter and brunette, seemed to be a hotel employee. Her brow was furrowed in concentration as she tried to make sense of the situation. Her attempts to communicate were met with further agitation from the blonde stranger.

I blinked, trying to focus on the scene unfolding before me. My tired mind struggled to comprehend the situation, my vision blurred without my glasses.

"Hello, can I help you ?" My voice cut through the tension like a knife, snapping both women's attention towards me.

The blonde turned to face me, her expression a mix of relief and desperation.

"Hi, sorry if we woke you, are you speaking english?"

"Yes yes what's up?" I replied, my annoyance seeping through my words.

The blonde explained

"My shower is broken and I'm in a hurry. They apparently don't understand my problem and i don't really know how to explain it in French"

I don't think I've seen a woman this stressed in a long time.

"Hey, it's ok no worries, i will speak to them"

I glanced at the hotel employee, silently urging her to offer a solution. But it seemed there was little that could be done at this hour. The broken shower would have to wait until morning, much to the blonde's dismay.

FR :"Il n'y a pas d'autre chambre de disponible pour qu'elle se lave la bas ?"

EN : "Is there no other room available for her to shower in?"  I questioned, hoping for a glimmer of a solution.

But the brunette shook her head, her expression apologetic.

FR :"non tout est plein ce soir"

EN : No, everything is full tonight.

Frustration bubbled within me as I processed the information. It was almost 9:00 PM, which is still pretty early but I had travel all day and I was exhausted.

"Ok"  I muttered, racking my brain for a solution.

"You're in a hurry right ?" I addressed the blonde

She nodded eagerly. "Yes, I have to meet with someone for dinner in an hour."

"Ok, they actually can't repair it tonight." Without even looking at her, I offered the key to my room. "Here, I'm in 11. You can take your shower at my place if you want."