Day 0
Aiah emerged from the subway station, dragging her battered Rimowa suitcase behind her. Dented, scuffed, but still standing—it had survived years of airports, train platforms, and cobblestone streets. She let out a tired chuckle. This suitcase was probably her longest relationship. Sad. But, on the bright side, a fantastic advertisement for the brand.
She braced herself before stepping into the biting cold. Snow piled up in uneven mounds along the pavement, half-shoveled and already dirtied by the city. New York in winter was something else. She had experienced colder places before—Japan in February had been brutal—but this was different. The wind cut through her coat like a blade.
Adjusting the straps of her backpack, she exhaled, her breath curling into the air. Just one block to the hotel. One block between her and a long, hot bath. The thought propelled her forward, even as her shoulders ached from the hours of travel. Work had sent her here—two weeks of client meetings, all expenses paid. An easy yes for someone like her, who never turned down the chance to be somewhere new.
When she finally reached the hotel, she pushed through the heavy glass doors, stepping into warmth. The lobby was modern, a blend of industrial steel and warm lighting, the hum of conversation filling the space. A sleek bar sat just past the entrance, its polished counter lined with bottles that caught the light. Noted. Aiah wasn't one to turn down a glass of red after a long day.
She approached the reception desk, where two women stood behind the counter. The first, a tall woman with dark hair pulled into a sleek ponytail, greeted her with a bright, practiced smile. Aiah's eyes flicked to her name tag: Jhoanna. The other woman, shorter with strikingly fair skin and dark hair that caught the light with a hint of purple, barely looked up from her screen. Unlike Jhoanna, she seemed less interested in pleasantries, but Aiah caught her name tag just the same—Mikha.
"Hi there, welcome," Jhoanna said, her voice smooth and professional.
Aiah mustered a polite smile. "Hi. Checking in, please."
"Of course. May I see your ID and credit card, Ms...?"
"Arceta. Aiah Arceta." She slid her passport and credit card across the counter.
Jhoanna nodded as she typed into the computer. "Ah, here we go. You'll be with us for fourteen nights, Ms. Arceta?"
Aiah exhaled. Two weeks. Fourteen days of meetings, late nights, and whatever New York had in store for her.
"Yep," she said, forcing a smile. "Fourteen nights."
She felt, rather than saw, Mikha finally glance up from her screen. It was quick, barely noticeable, but something about it made Aiah's stomach twist in a way she couldn't quite place.
Maybe it was exhaustion.
Or maybe it was something else.
"Wow, two weeks. You're here for work?" Jhoanna asked, her fingers moving swiftly over the keyboard as she prepared Aiah's keycard.
Aiah nodded, shifting her weight slightly to ease the ache in her shoulders. "Yeah. Client meetings, mostly."
Jhoanna gave her a sympathetic smile. "That sounds intense. But at least it's New York —hopefully, you'll get some time to explore."
"That's the plan," Aiah said, though in reality, she wasn't sure how much free time she'd actually have. Between work emails, meetings, and adjusting to the time difference, her schedule was already looking brutal. But she wasn't going to admit that to a stranger.
As Jhoanna typed something into the computer, she glanced at Aiah's passport. "Oh! You flew in from Manila?"
Aiah blinked, surprised. "Yeah. You've been?"
