American Boy (EDITING)

chapter eight

C H A P T E R E I G H T

THE NEXT DAY CAME FAST. Before she knew it, Audrey found herself up at three o'clock in the morning. She tried to rub the tiredness from her eyes while her stomach grumbled at her. It occurred to her then that she really hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. It was too early for room service and the suite had nothing in the kitchen. So now it was up to Audrey herself to get something to eat. She remembered Whiskey driving past a couple of stores on the way to the hotel. Those stores would be her best bet to find an early morning snack.

Audrey changed out her pajama pants for a pair of washed-out jeans and kept her old pajama shirt on. She dug out a cardigan from her suitcase and slipped it on before walking into the main area of the suite. The agent moved towards Whiskey's bedroom door with caution and placed her ear close to it. She listened for any sign that he was awake, but only heard his snores reaching her through the door. While chuckling to herself about Whiskey's snores, Audrey made her way to the door of the suite and put on her shoes. She made sure she had a room key before letting herself out.

The floor of their suite was quiet for the most part except for some loud snorers. The lights were thankfully still on in the hallway. Audrey watched from afar a couple enter their hotel room in a haste with their hands all over each other. She rolled her eyes at the encounter and made the trip down to the hotel's foyer. Audrey noticed there was now a different receptionist stood at the check-in desk. He shot Audrey a kind, but tired smile as he typed away on his computer.

As she approached the doors, she realized there was no one near them anymore to greet guests. Once outside Audrey found that the valets were gone as well. It was a good thing Audrey thought to herself. At least they weren't working so many employees through the night and into the early next morning. A chilly breeze from the ocean nearby greeted the Brit the second she stepped outside. She shivered, pulling her cardigan tighter on her as if it would give her more warmth.

Monte Carlo at night was as alive as it was during the day. The city lights lit up the night sky along with the twinkling stars that sat above. Its liveliness at night was also due to the fact the city was littered with casinos. They had guests flooding in every minute to test their luck. Audrey saw this as she walked further down the sidewalk to the first corner store they passed earlier. A casino sat a few blocks down from where she stood. She watched from afar as glamorous and non-glamorous guests entered the massive building.

It reminded her of her family back home in London. Growing up, her parents loved going to casinos. The love for them was then passed down to her and her siblings. Audrey then remembered it had been a while since she even spoke to her siblings. She became the estranged sibling after losing her parents. That was when she turned to the Kingsman agency. They were her lifeline, and they patched her up in no time. Audrey would still give anything for a chance to make up with her siblings and see them just one more time.