Dating the Dead • lrh

27. revelation

"Don't you look dashing," Shelby exclaimed when she saw me sitting in the lobby.

After that little chat with that ginger guy, whose name I don't recall, Harper led me to a hotel room and told me to change. When he left, I closed the door and roamed around the vast place. The room had a white and gold motif and the walls were adorned with beach portraits.

On the bed, I found a black suit, a white undershirt, a candy cane necktie, a pair of black shoes and white socks, and a bottle of perfume. They even included a pair of black boxer shorts for me. I put all of these after a quick shower and left.

In the span of almost an hour of waiting, I had called my mother to let her know where I am and had talked to the man sitting next to me.

"What are you here for, lad?" He had said when he sat beside me.

At first I was reluctant to respond but it would be rude if I didn't answer. "I'm waiting for someone," I finally said.

It wouldn't hurt to talk to him, would it?

While he looked deep in thought, I studied him. He looked young, couldn't have been more than thirty, and his brown hair was long enough for a man bun. He wore a white suit and a black tie.

Is this a hotel or a business complex?

"So, do you like her?" He asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. His greenish-blue eyes peered at me.

My eyes widened at him. "How- how did you know I'm waiting for a girl?"

Is he some kind of a psychic?

He smiled at me, reminding me of Shelby. "So it is a girl. Tell me about her."

Dammit, he got me there.

I let out a breath as my face felt hot. "Well, she's amazing. Probably the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"How so?"

"Well, she's got a weird sense of living," I smiled at the thought, "but she's quite awesome. Sometimes I wonder where she was all this time but then I remember, her day starts at two in the morning when my day has just ended."

"Is she beautiful?"

"Yes, very. I love her eyes and smile the most, but that's not why I like her. She's kind, loving, adventurous, and very much alive. It sounds superficial saying that I like her, I've only hung out with her recently. But in those two days, I've never felt more alive in my entire existence. She's a miracle, honestly."

When I looked at him, he was smiling widely. "Damn son, I think you're in love."

"You think so?"

Instead of answering my question, he stood up and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Take care of her, will you?"

A few minutes after the man left, Shelby was standing in front me. She wore a white dress that hung just above her knees and a pair of red high heels. Her hair was simply styled, just pinned on both sides of her head.

She was beyond stunning and all I could utter was her name. She giggled as she pulled me by the hand and led me to a restaurant. And when I sensed we were headed towards a long table where a familiar face was sitting with men wearing suits, I pulled Shelby to a stop.

"What was the name of the guy with red hair again?"

"That was Iowan Schmidt, I-O-W-A-N  S-C-H-M-I-D-T," she smiled looking like she knew I didn't get it in the first place. "Come on, they're waiting." She straightened my tie before we resumed walking.

Once we got to the table, Shelby introduced me to everyone and before she could introduce everyone to me, somebody spoke behind us.

"Well if it isn't my birthday girl."

We all turned towards the source and my eyes widened as Shelby rushed to the man. "Dadda," she said, hugging him.

The man Shelby called Dadda winked at me and I held on to the back of the chair beside me as the truth sank in: it was the same man who I talked to at the lobby.

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