Hotel of the woods

Chapter 3: The Limo

Terry took another slice of cheese off the table and threw it into his mouth. Ah, some nice smoked cheddar. What a classic. He thought as he watched Tom do the same. They had been waiting for an hour and it was already ten o'clock and there was no sign of leaving anytime soon. Presumably, everyone was here. What could they possibly be waiting for? Does setting up a limo take this long? Terry continued thinking, slicking back his short black hair. At least they provided food. He took another slice of cheese but before he could slip it into his mouth, Rick had walked back into the visitor center from the back door, looking even more stylish than when he left.
"Sorry." He spoke, "I was having a problem with the engine but it should be fine. Hopefully." He chuckled nervously, "I mean, it probably won't explode and all of us probably won't die horrible gruesome deaths. Probably." Now both Rick and George laughed. "But the limo is finally ready!" Rick gestured for them to leave but only Atharv moved through the open door, carrying a handmade lether bag
"And why should we trust you," Aubrey called in a disgusted voice like looking at him made her want to throw up. "You can't even follow simple instructions. Unlike me, who is perfect, and doesn't screw up like you have." Rick's gaze thinned, a frown growing over his face. He opened his mouth to speak but no words formed. Aubrey stood up, walking up to him.
"You're too cute to fire anyway." Aubrey laughed seeing the red in Rick's cheeks. "I'll see you bitches in the limo. The only car I belong in." Aubrey called readjusting her large red feathered hat. Rick looked like someone who had dropped red paint across his face. Whether that was from embarrassment or flattery, Terry could not tell. He followed suit, slipping another slice as he exited hearing Tom and George behind him doing the same.

The engine roared to life as Daisy took her seat between Terry and Atharv who both flashed welcoming smiles at her. Daisy tried to smile back but all she could manage was a small smirk. Daisy glanced down at her shimmering gold dress and reagusted the daisies attached to her shoulders, and pulling her dress forward. They had made her put her purse in the trunk, she didn't even know limos had trunks. She looked back up at everyone else taking their seats. The limo was big, at least bigger and longer than any other car she had seen, it fit all of them quite comfortably and there were 7 of them, and yet the limo still had three exposed seats. The coolest part was that it wasn't painted a simple black or white but instead a deep forest green. Blending into its surroundings like it was not meant to be seen. Inside the cabin of the car were two long panned windows, both covered up with green patterned curtains that they had been asked not to touch. Why was there so much green? Daisy thought as her eyes wandered towards the door at the front end that led from the cabin into the driver's compartment. Her eyes lingered for a bit, studying the door.
"Is something troubling you?" Terry asked following the path of her eyes.
"I don't know," Daisy shrugged and turned to face Terry, "I guess I just really don't want to be here." Daisy gave a small failed laugh trying the brighten the conversation. Terry frowned.
"And why would that be?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"I…I don't want to talk about it." Daisy mumbled as she let a tear fall from her eyes onto her lined yellow and black slip-ons as the car took off into the woods.

***

"Another whisky please," Daisy asked kindly holding her hand up and waiting to grab the drink. Rick quickly walked up to her, he'd been getting all of their snacks and drinks for the past thirty or so minutes.
"Are you sure?" He asked but Daisy just nodded. "That was already your second bottle. A young girl like yourself shouldn't be drinking so much alcohol." Daisy clenched her jaw. Young girl. The words circled her head like knives stabbing her multiple times over.
"You don't tell me what to do!" Daisy threw her hand down and glared into his eyes with a dour stare. "I can do what I please and don't have to listen to what some jerk says that works a minimum wage job at a hotel. Now go get me that whisky!" Daisy roared, clearly the achacol was working. Rick frowned and disappeared into the driver's compartment.
"Hey are you doing alright?" Terry asked putting his hand on her sholder but Daisy shot it away.
"Oh shut the fuck up, Terry. Like you've done anything with your life." Daisy rolled her eyes, folding her arms in her lap, staring at the green patterned curtains, behind them the forest passing by in one green glob. Terry gave a hard laugh.
"You have no idea." He gave wide teeth showing a smile, like the one those villains in the old cartoons Dasiy always watched with her mom.
"What's that supposed to me-" The cabin door flung open but it wasn't Rick. It was a man wearing a deep blue suit covered up with a fluffy white coat and a long green tie. His shoes were shiny red to the point they were painful to look at. This guy had obviously never heard of the term fashion. And there was a woman next to him who looked like she was Japanese. She was wearing a fancy gold dress with sparkly black heels like the ones Aubrey had. The man coughed to catch everyone's attention but it was useless as everyone was already silently staring at the two strangers.
"Hello, fellow people!" The man stated "My name is Victor von Coup. I have been friends with the host for many years and have always worked as his right hand man. I have been driving you for the last 30 minutes while the real driver was having some trouble in the bathroom to put it shortly."
"This limo has a bathroom?!" George interrupted but the man went on anyway
"This is my associate, Ms.Rose." Victor smiled
"Oh, please, call me Emi" Emi smiled back.
"Me, Emi, Atharv and the host have been working months on end for this small project of ours. To get you all in the same place, to do this with you all. And now we all get to spend a weekend in cabins, smoking marshmallows over the fire. The stars will hang above us and the animals will cuddle up next to us." Then Victor looked at Emi as if he snapped out of a trance
"Im sorry, I was rambling. Let's just get to the point. Before we can do any of that, we have to first get to know each other. So I say we go around in a circle and say our names and something about ourselves. Shall we? A great icebreaker to start this great weekend. I'll start!" Victor cleared his throat straightening his posture.
"I am Victor Von Coup, and I have been best friends with the host for 15 years." Victor smiled as if this guy didn't smile enough already. He looked at Emi. That was all he said? Daisy thought as Emi started talking.
"Im Emi Rose, I was born in Japan and moved to America around five and half years ago to become more independent with my life and do what I want to do. I have been working under the host for six months. Iv just recently changed my name to sound more English if you were curious." She had a light Japanese accent but she was still very easy to understand. Then Emi looked over to Aubrey who was just eager to speak.
"Im the great Aubrey Allison! HOW's glorious and beautiful CEO. Im the best CEO HOW has ever had!" She laughed kicking her feet into the air. She had a slim, sparkly red dress that reached her knees. She had a pale face with hazel eyes. Her rich brown hair peeking out from behind her hat. Speaking of; "And I have this amazing red feathered hat, who wouldn't like me!" She gave a cocky smile and looked at Ella who was next to her.
"Im Ella Banks" She paused, smiling. Ella was a semi-large woman with big muscles. She had a round face with deep brown eyes. She wore her hair in a ponytail braid coming down from her head. She had on a grey zip-up hoodie with a black t-shirt underneath and thin dark blue jeans. "I was the host's wife for years," She started to the whole car like she was trying to prove a point. "Until I got a position at WOTH and he…he…" She said darkly. Her face grew red with rage and she stood up without warning. "HE DIVORCED ME, HE BROKE MY HEART AND…AND…AND HE WILL PAY FOR WHAT HE DID." Victor and Emi rushed over to calm her down.
"Go get a glass of water from Rick, and message the host to beware of Ella, if anything happens to him I don't know what I'll do!" Victor whispered and it seemed Daisy and Emi were the only ones to hear it. Emi nodded and disappeared into the driver's compartment. Speaking of which, where was her whisky?
"Okay Ella, take some deep breaths, calm down. He can't hurt you again" Victor tried putting his hands on her shoulders only for them to be thrown off.
"Oh he won't, not what I'm going to do to him!" She growled her chest quickly expanding rapidly.
"You want to kill him? Does he really deserve that?" Victor said trying to push her gently back to her seat but she swatted his hands away.
"Kill...him? No….GOD NO. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Ella screamed.
"Well, I thought-"
"NO. WHO DO YOU THINK I AM? 'kIlL hIm' NO, IM NOT- I WOULD NEVER GET BLOOD ON MY HANDS LIKE THAT!"
"I wouldn't trust you. You look like the type." Aubrey interjected which was meant by a death look from Ella.
"Yeah, you would say that Aubrey," Tom mumbled. Aubrey gasped like he had said ten different slurs all at once.
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY ABOUT POOR OLD ME?" Aubrey yelled. But before Tom could answer Atharv stood up.
"Everyone, please calm down," Atharv said in a thick Indian accent, like the ones in the movies. The ones she was told were faked.
"Then what are you going to do to him?" Rick asked but was met with Ella's cackling laugh.
"You'll just have to wait and see" She smiled. Emi returned from the driver's compartment and handed the water to Ella who downed the whole cup in less than a second throwing the cup at Aubrey but missed. Aubrey was too busy looking at herself through a small handheld mirror to notice. Victor and Emi nodded to each other before finally taking their seats before the car hit a pothole.
SMASH.
The shattering of glass filled the room as the car jerked down and then up shaking them like an earthquake. Daisy swiveled her head towards the sound so loud it must have been the window. She thought but it was only Aubrey's mirror. Daisy sighed as Aubrey tucked it back up and into her tight dress.
"This is stupid" George grunted.
"George, can you please participate." Victor pleaded but Geroge was having none of it. "Mr. Banks, if you don't participate, I'll tell everyone here who you are," Victor commanded and finally, George rolled his eyes. George was small and very old. He was wearing a tattered black leather coat. Underneath, is a blank purple T-shirt. On his head, he had a small black top and a puffy white beard that looked recently shaved. His dark green eyes and shiny white hair reflected the little light there was in the cabin. He had his arms crossed, a wide frown across his face. Thin eyebrows that dipped down towards his eyes.
"Im Geroge Banks, and apparently…the host's father." He paused. "There, are you happy?" His voice was deep and grimy like a cheese grater. Victor sighed as Geroge had failed him. Then he moved his eyes towards Tom, who was paying close attention and was unusually happy with a small smile forming on his lips, eyes wide waiting for his moment to shine.
"Hi!" He said quickly "Im Tom! Im from-" he continued enthusiastically but he was quickly and quietly interrupted by a tap on the knee. He looked over to find his Grandfather staring at him, arms crossed, diagonal eyebrows, and a glare that made even Dasiy shutter. Tom cleared the smile off his face and slumped back into his chair.
"Names Tom Banks I guess. Im the host's son I think. At least that's what this old man said." He said, his enthusiasm had disappeared, and was left with a voice void of all life with a hint of sadness. He pointed to Terry who smiled back. Then without indication, Atharv gladly stood up.
"Names Atharv Burman ya, born in India!!!" He shot his hand up in the air in celebration but was met with disappointed faces. He cleared his voice, retracting his hand back. "Sorry, I thought-... Iv been working next to the big boss man for years now. I gave him the idea of bringing you all together and having some fun. I'm realizing now that it wasn't such a great idea as I thought it was."
"Yea, you THINK?" George scoffed.
"I guess Im just better than you!" Aubrey said, interrupting the end of George's sentence. Atharv was speechless as he sat back down disappointed. Daisy frowned at the look on his face.
"If it means anything, I don't think it's such a bad idea." Daisy wispered. "They'll get along, it just takes time." Atharv smiled back. Then Victor turned to Daisy. Daisy stood up, her gut twisting into a knot, and closed her eyes trying not to think too hard.
"I…I'm D-Daisy Daisy, born in a family of Daises surrounded by Daieses." Her opening line for decades, usually met with some laughs but the limo was quiet only with the whistling of the weels.
"My Dad left my mom when I was just a child." And now the hard part. "And M-My m-mom….my mom." Daisy fell to her knees unable to hold herself up. Memories rushed back to her, tears falling from her eyes. "S-she…found a secret within HOW…and…t-they…a-and…they…" she covered her face with her hands the words feeling like bricks in her mouth. Tears streamed from her face as she heard a wild gasp.
"WH-WHAT! I WOULD DO NOTHING OF THE SORT!" Aubrey exclaimed, "Im too gorgeous to get blood on my hands!"
"It…It was before you…you were in office." Daisy sniffed. Terry said something under his breath and Daisy felt the icy feel of a hand being pressed against her sholder.
"Here, come with me" Victor brought his other hand down waiting for Daisy to grab it. And she did, letting him pull her up, back to her feet. His warming smile loosened the knot in her gut. And she followed him through the door to the driver's compartment.