The Notebook

The lobby

She stepped out in the lobby. Quickly she checked out the situation. Brian stood there in the middle and was shouting for her, clearly drunk again. A few other guests looked around, obviously they didn't know what to do. The other employees looked at her too. They were waiting for her to do something. Her head was spinning.

"Ok. Melanie, go and get my father. He needs to do the auction and fill in for me. He won't be pleased but there's no other way. Tell the others they should get all the guests here in the lobby a bottle of champagne for free, as an apology for this incident. I'll get Brian out of here."

Melanie nodded. "Ok. Be careful!"

"I will. Thanks!", she tried to smile, but Melanie knew her too well to know what was on Laura's mind.

~

Benedict stood in front of a photograph that immediately got his attention, cause it didn't seem to fit here somehow. It was a snapshot of a crowd of birds that just started to fly away from an autumnal tree. It was simple and ordinary and yet so beautiful. Maybe he should buy it.

He just stared at it, deeply in his thoughts.

Unbelievable. Susie didn't find out who Laura was or in which hotel she's staying and he was sad, thinking he'll never see her again and then...

He wanted to skip this event, but decided to go. And there she was, standing in the middle of the room in a stunning dress that just enhanced her natural beauty. He couldn't believe his luck.

He just wondered what was going on in the lobby as the employee of Laura went by. What was her name again? Melanie? Yeah!

"Umm, Melanie?"

"Yes Sir?", she stopped and looked at him.

"What's going on outside?"

"Everything is alright. Nothing to worry about.", she smiled.

No, he won't let her treat him like another hotel guest. It was something with Laura, he could see it in Melanie's face.

"You can tell me. I'm a friend of Laura.", he smiled his most beautiful smile in hope it'll make her weak.

It worked. "Well, if you're a friend, you probably know... Brian's drunk again and she's trying to get him out of the lobby. And yeah.", she sighed.

"Ok. Thank you."

Melanie went away and left him with his spinning mind. Brian? Who's Brian? Her boyfriend? She wouldn't have flirted with him like that when she's in a relationship, right? Hold on! What did Melanie say? Drunk again? He anticipated that Laura probably was in danger.

He went out in the lobby. Quickly he scanned the room. Ah there she was. In front of the lifts. A man beside her, shouting something nobody could understand.

He ran over. "Hey! Laura!" He just reached her as she was about to get into the lift.

"Oh! Mr. Cumberbatch!"

"Is everything alright?" He looked into the lift. There was a man, who he assumed was Brian. He barely could stand on his feet, he was that drunk.

"Yeah it's alright. Unfortunately I won't come back to the party. But do me a favor and buy a photograph, yeah?", she smiled but he could see that she was in the complete opposite mood.

"Sure everything's alright?"

Brian mumbled something like: "Who's that Laura? A man you betray me with?!"

So he was her boyfriend. He was hurt but this wasn't the matter now.

"It's alright.", said Laura.

She didn't convince him. But he couldn't do anything, if she didn't want him to.

"Just in case you need help or anything. Call at any time if necessary.", he handed her his business card with his address and phone number.

"Thank you."

He waited and watched her stepping into the lift with tears in her eyes.

Did he do the right thing?