I Like Your Shoes | ✓

Chapter 29 | He Looks at You Differently

[Ambrosia Bellemore]

It was a hospital. Calum Achorn brought me to a hospital.

I'd expected five star hotels where he usually preferred to hold his meetings. I'd expected a five hour flight to meet one of his special clients. Hell, I'd even expected an underground butcher shop with a huge guillotine to chop off my body into pieces.

But Calum Achorn parked his car right in front of the hospital, as if he owned the place. Which he probably did, given the throng of admirers who ran to attend to his every beck and call the moment we walked out of the car.

"We won't be needing anything except a few hours." Calum Achorn smiled politely, dismissing the crowd with just a wave of his hand.

"A hospital?" I hissed as everyone dispersed away, leaving us alone.

"Yes, Miss Bellemore. Is there a problem?" He asks, walking inside. I have no choice but to follow him.

"No," I defended. "But you could've warned me."

"Warned you about what?" He keeps walking like he knew the place by heart. Maybe he did.

How often did he come here?

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean, Miss Bellemore?" He asks, finally looking at me.

"Nothing." I mumble, shrinking away from his challenging gaze.

"That's what I thought."

We keep walking until we reach the end of the long corridor. Everything was white, as per custom, and the air smelled of chemicals and antiseptic. It was overpowering, yet I felt oddly at ease. Some of my mother's genes had passed into me, after all.

Calum Achorn led me to one of the small basins by the corner of the hall, where he gave me a pair of plastic gloves to put on. I stare at him, confused.

"Uh, don't overreact." Calum Achorn softly warns me, putting on his own pair.

"Why?" I start overreacting. "Is it something dangerous?"

Oh my God. Did they invent monster cheeseburger and pizza like in Cloudy with a chance of meatballs?!

But that wouldn't be a reason to panic, would it? That would call for a celebration. So why did he warn me not to panic?

No. It definitely wasn't monster pizza. Dang it.

"No! Of course not!" He says a little too loudly. "But it might be a lot to take in." He adds, quieter.

I don't say anything, but nod at him to open the door and show me. I mean, as long as I didn't end up dead by the end of this trip, what could possibly go wrong?

Giving me a final unwavering look, Calum Achorn opens the door. And I try to look over his shoulder, eager to find out what it is that had him so anxious.

The first thing I noticed, or heard, was the noise. A hundred or so voices, all trying to talk over the other, some shrieking and some crying so loudly I was sure my ears were going to burst.

The second thing I noticed, or felt, was the silence as the occupants of the room caught sight of something, or someone. As soon as Calum Achorn walked into the room, the whole room turned deathly quiet. The sudden absence of noise made me dizzy.

I walked out from behind his back and faced the room. About twenty pairs of eyes darted from Calum Achorn's face to mine, and then returned back to his in perfect synchronisation.