CHAPTER 2

Alexander's POV

That voice. 

It was a female's voice. It was a woman bawling her eyes out in a male's restroom.

But it exuded nothing but pain and agony.

The sound of the shower running reminds me of the sound of her crying and I find myself wondering why she would be crying that way in a restroom.

It is unhealthy. 

Who is she anyway? Did she get ditched by her boyfriend and the restroom was the only place to let out her hurt without anyone knowing? Did she catch her boyfriend banging another woman?

That must be it! This is a club after all.

Waving the thought of the crying woman away, I turn off the shower and get out of the bathroom, in a hurry to get dressed and get to work.

I came to the club for a reason. First, because Chase owns the club and, secondly because he insists that I come here to find the person I was looking for.

Even though I succumbed to his wish, I still came here with work. I haven't been to New York for years and I am back with a huge load of responsibilities on my shoulder.

I have a lot to handle tonight because work began officially today and I have a lot of new implementations to introduce to the hotel's running as well as the company I would be inheriting some months from now. 

I want to prove to my father that I am capable. I am capable of anything.

I grab a towel and dry my hair with it when a knock comes on the door. My brows crease in frustration.

I thought Chase had gone home already. He has two other clubs in New York and this is the first time I am visiting this club.

Apart from him, no one knows I am here. This is the last floor and this suite is meant for me alone.

Who could it be? Did Chase change his mind about going to the other clubs?

I drop the towel lazily and stroll to the door with another towel laying dangerously low on my waist.

I fling the door open and a woman who has hair all over her face pushes past me and enters my room.

My frown deepens as I leave the door ajar and spin around to face her just in time for her to land on her buttocks.

She lets out a groan. Instead of pushing her out, I fold my arms and watch, expecting her to stand up. 

The door is still ajar and my temper is beginning to rise for the interruption and waste of time.

I don't have all day. I have work to do. Who the hell is this?

Before I can say anything, she puts her hands together and finally raises her head for me to see. Her disheveled hair covers most of her face and she looks drunk.

"Please, help me", she says and begins to sob.

It clicks.

The voice. That crying voice. Is this the same woman? Is this the same woman in the restroom?

I was on my way up to get settled into the suite for the day when I realized I didn't come up with the keys to the suite. I had to go back downstairs to take the keys from Chase before he left.

Before going downstairs to meet Chase for the keys, I needed to use the bathroom. Unable to control my desire to urinate, I stroll into the general restroom.

That was when I heard this woman crying. This heartbroken woman.

"Please let me stay here for the night", she mutters, dropping her head to the tiled floor, more like someone performing an act of worship.

Do I look like a random person you can just run to for help?

I am about to voice out my thoughts when her voice stops me again. "I don't have anywhere to go. Please help me. I don't want to become a prostitute, I want to live a decent life but it is just so hard to do that. I am homeless and jobless now all thanks to that idiot who fired me for no reason", she rants and stops to belch. "Please, help me. Let me sleep in here but don't touch me. If you do, I won't forgive you."

I can no longer hold it in. I point to the door and yell in anger. "Get out!"

She hoists her head up with shock evident in her expression. This is when I see her.

The lady from the club. The one dancing like a maniac. The drunk woman wouldn't stop dancing even after the music was put off.

I found her actions amusing and I took my eyes off her for a minute. When I turned back to continue watching, she was gone.

I thought she had realized what a fool she was making of herself which was why she ran away but now I know she didn't run away.

She was the same woman crying in the bathroom.

"I don't have time for this bullshit. Get lost!" I say, ignoring the curiosity in me to know why she was weeping in the bathroom, of all places.

Before I can tell her out again, she begins to cry, dropping her forehead to the floor again and crying loudly.

In irritation, I storm to where she is sitting carelessly on the floor. "I said get out!"

"Please, I am telling the truth. I don't have a home. I just need to sleep here for the night. I have no one to help me. Please, I will be quiet. I will…" she trails off and I seethe in anger, rising with my arms akimbo.

What the hell is all of this?

I am really refraining from doing something rash. I don't want to maltreat her because of her gender. 

They are too flexible.

I take long strides towards the desk where my laptop is sitting open so I can use the intercom to have the security here to get her out.

Before I can touch the button, something else catches my attention.

A card.

An ID card that looks the same as the one I have seen somewhere.

"Alex or whatever your name is, I hate you for doing this to me. I hate you for firing me without knowing how diligent I can't be. I fu***ing hate you!" She screams in between her sobs and my hand hangs halfway with my mouth agape.

"Alex?" 

I am Alexander Lorenzo. The new CEO of A&A Lorenzo Hotels.

I didn't fire anyone so why is she cursing at me? Isn't she sober yet after the long hours of tears?

Does she work in my hotel? Did my father lay off some staff before I came?

If he did that, then it means he is only doing his job. How in God's name is he supposed to know that she is homeless?

I drop my hand and move back to where she is laying on the cold tiled floor.

"I hate you!" She hits her hand on the floor and winces in pain.

I pick up the ID card and I see her name.

Daisy Marcello. A final year student at The City College of New York.

No wonder I found the ID card familiar.

"Where do I go now? Should I become a prostitute? Should I give Brenda a call? Should I go back to beg Mrs. B to give me another month", she belches again and stops talking.

I let out an exasperated sigh and drop the ID card beside her. Thinking of what to say to her and debating on whether to still go ahead and call the security men to take her out of my room, I remain silent.

I am not responsible for her situation.

She should be responsible for everything in her life. If she had been consistent with paying her rent, maybe she wouldn't be homeless now and I wouldn't be interrupted at this time of the night when I am supposed to be drafting out new business plans for our hotels.

There is nothing I can do. I am sure she wasn't the only one who was fired. The others didn't get drunk and they aren't homeless. 

Why will she even work part-time despite being a student? One will take more of her time and I am sure that must be the reason why she was fired.

If she works for me and I find out she is still in school, I would have done the same thing because I need to work with people who are focused and efficient, not some college student who knows nothing about what I want for my company but to come to drink to stupor.

I am making a mental note to ask dad about her tomorrow when we see them. I want to know if the Alex she is talking about is me or someone else and also to know if she was among those he must have fired before I arrived in New York.

Realizing what I am doing, feeling sympathetic towards her, I shake my head to wave all the emotions away.

This girl only wants to make me feel bitter. But I don't care. 

I can't help her when she is nothing but a total stranger.

I rise and return to the intercom so I can call security to come up and get her out of my suite and I can get to work afterward.

Then, I hear a sound.

I am thinking it is from my imagination initially but I can't touch the intercom button to make the call I want to make because the sound seems like a snore.

I rush back to the girl and lift her head. But she is asleep already. 

Fast asleep.

With a loud snore coming out of her slightly parted mouth.