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Chp. 44
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The Lovelane Motel Chp. 45
*** Mark ****The bar was complete. Today was its launch. It was to be nothing grand, although Solana had suggested a ribbon-cutting party. The past week had been rather hectic with all the planning and organizing, and Mark had welcomed every distraction the work brought him. He would've preferred much more distractions.He was especially looking forward to the little party with the motel guests, customers, some relatives, and other well-wishers this evening. Lovelane was doing great now. Despite all the economic troubles brought on by low spending, the motel's revenue had surpassed former times by threefold and then some.Merely advertising the launch of the new 'Lovelane Sky Bar' was enough to shoot up their guest lists this past week. Uncle Johnny was so impressed. He fought hard to hide it, but Mark knew him too much not to be able to tell. Kendi, Mark's cousin, had finished her graduate program and should around by now. Though from the look of things, she will miss the launch to
The Lovelane Motel Chp. 46
*** Solana ***Solana had just come from her lunch break, from which she couldn't eat anything because of her nerves. The bar's launch was this evening, and everything was ready. She felt like she was under a lot of pressure for no reason. Mark did not pressure her at all.Indeed, he'd hardly spoken or looked at her this past week. He gave direct instructions, and his words were curt. Gone were the days when he occasionally discussed matters unrelated to her duties with her. The distance between them had grown by miles. The ache in her heart grew every evening after work when his aloof manner remained unchanged. Eight whole hours every day without a faint glimmer of his smile. No lingering gaze filled with yearning like before.What had she done wrong? And what were those flowers? It's probably been taken to the rooftop.'Miss whore,' the designer, was still up there. She didn't want to talk to interact with the girl. Mark could come up, too. And the girl would get all flirty. Sol hat
The Lovelane Motel Chp. 47
*** Solana ***Ten minutes after the kissing encounter, Solana sat in her office, staring at her desk phone, waiting for Mark to ring for her and explain himself. Yvonne had left his office minutes ago. She could guess what the brief meeting was about, and she tried to care. Tried to worry about the staffing situation with launch starting in a few hours. That effort was to no avail. She willed the desk phone to ring. It did. The chiming abruptly tore into the silence of her office, causing her to jump. But the call was not from Mark. She stared at the phone as it rang beyond the familiar two chimes, then she snatched it up to quench the irritating, unending sound."Hey, Solana. You have a personal package in the lobby."It was Yvonne. Didn't she just leave Mark's office?"Package?" Oh right! She recalled Mark's little announcement about the flowers before he'd kissed her. She was too disoriented. "I'll be there."When she hung up, she waited a few minutes to see if Mark would ring h
The Lovelane Motel Chp. 48
*** Mark ****The impromptu meeting with Mark's lawyer and the man's associate began after Solana went out. Mark was silent, half-listening to both men's advise about one of his mother's properties.'Why did you kiss me?' Solana had asked. 'Why did you do it, Mark?' The answer was simple. Because he wanted to. It was all he could think about. She was all he thought about. He should have let these words fall out of his mouth like they intended to when she asked. Just minutes before the kiss, he'd been standing by his upstairs window, telling himself that he would make do with looking at her from afar. The sight of those flowers had triggered a great shift, dissolving his iron resolve. He hadn't even realized the transformation until he'd reached forward and taken her in his arms. She was meant to be his woman.After their episode last time in front of her suite, he'd vowed to control himself. He'd kept to that vow no matter how much he ached for her. But in that few minutes, as she
The Lovelane Motel Chp. 49
*** Solana ***Fifty minutes later, Solana had changed into a simple evening gown. She came down to the lobby to find an unexpected crowd milling about. Soft jazz music melded with the chatter and laughter giving the place a warm, relaxing ambiance despite the steady crowd increase. The entrance was wide open and some people stood outside, talking, laughing, taking photos. It was dusk, so a few lights in the driveway have been turned on. All the faces were unfamiliar to her, including the other two security guards standing by different corners. Mark had contracted a security firm for the evening. She guessed these were the guys they sent.Where was he? Maybe he was still in his office. But he should be down any minute because the party was starting."Miss Jang. Looking good."Tony, the photographer called out, lifting his camera to take a picture. Smiling back, she struck a funny pose. As the camera clicked, her peripheral vision caught sight of Phil shaking someone's hand, though
The Lovelane Motel Chp. 50
*** Solana ***Solana's eyes remained on the wine as it gracefully cascaded into the cup, but her thoughts had travelled, detached from the lively atmosphere and from Phil. The upbeat music blared in the background. Laughter and chatter were all around her. Phil's attentive presence were an immense comfort. However, none of these things could maintain her attention. Her mind was preoccupied with the fact that Mark had left. Would he return later? Or had he called it a night and gone home?An older man grabbed Phil's shoulders, saying something she didn't quite catch. He laughed and nodded, bringing out his phone for both men to peer at the screen with great interest. Her gaze shifted from them as she took a sip of her wine. The glass had barely touched her lips when she caught sight of the object of her preoccupation. He emerged from the dancing crowd, making his way towards her.Was he finally ready for their much needed conversation? "Having a good time?" Mark asked over the mus
The Lovelane Motel Chp. 51
*** Mark ***It took another fifteen minutes for Phil's SUV to drive into Lovelane's parking lot.The only sound in the office with Mark was the distant music at the bar upstairs and Phil's car honking outside.He watched as the SUV's lights went off moments after it slid into a recently-vacated spot. The door on the passenger side opened only a few inches, and Mark caught sight of Solana's leg as she made to get out from the car, her silver dress covering her thigh. She lingered a few moments before emerging, purse in her hand. Phil came out of the driver side, too. At the sight of the two, Mark headed out to ride the elevator to the bar. He was dead sure that's where they'd go first.When he entered the bar, he noticed more guests coming in and some leaving. The air was filled with a mix of tobacco and different perfums. He thought idly that the place does look and smell like an expensive bar.His uncle, the lawyer, and a few other men he'd been with earlier were not in sight. May
The Lovelane Motel Chp. 52
*** Phil ***"You can't go up there, sir." Phil stood looking at Solana's 'friend,' Joe, was it? The 'pretty' man with the large build and serious eyes stood blocking his way like a wall.That was not as vexing as the new, bold out-of-bounds sign on the wall facing the fancy gate leading to Solana's apartment. These things hadn't been here when he lodged in one of the rooms some three weeks ago.Phil rejected the thought that Mark had put these things here because of him. But the man's words that night rang in his head again. 'This place is off limits TO you.'He unintentionally let out a startled laugh at these thoughts. He'd been right. When the man said 'Off limits' that day, he'd been referring to Solana. Not the top floor."This is new!" He said to the security guard, standing in his way.The man ignored the remark and simply said, "Please return to the bar or your room, sir. If you've booked one.""I was here a few days ago, and there was no gate or sign." Phil said."There is
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The Lovelane Motel Chp. 70
*** Phil ***"I'm outside the hotel." The Uber driver's voice came through the phone on loudspeaker."Be there in two minutes." Phil replied as finished buttoning his shirt.It was early October. Which meant four-season countries were in their colder months. The weather was much chillier than he expected when he landed the previous day.He doned his new, thick, ankle length jacket as he rushed out of the room to his waiting cab.Minutes later, he was in front of Kendi's hostel in the city center.As she approached him from the distance, furrowed brow, messy curls peeking out of her hair warmer, he admitted silently that she was the reason he'd flown here. Not to piss off Mark some more or get over Solana. "You really are here." Laughter and disbelief colored her voice as she said this."What made you think I was lying?" He asked."What are you doing here, young Gonza." The shock was still in her voice but the amusement was gone."Young Gonza?" He scoffed. "Are you mad at me or someth
The Lovelane Motel Chp. 69
*** Solana ***The vibe in front of the motel lobby felt awkward as Mark led Solana away. He was quick to hide the embarrassed look on his face and Phil's fake smile was hard to miss. She looked at Joe's face for clues, but the guard was unreadable as he watched she and Mark moved towards the lobby.When she turned to glance at Phil again, she failed to see his face because Jamal and the temp guard's wide shoulders now stood in the way.Solana also noticed Lucy quickly returning to her seat as they passed the lobby. Mark did not let go of her hand even as they walked past receptionist to the staircase.She felt the need to ask. "Are you and Phil -?" "Chatting." He replied before she could finish the question. "That chat was long overdue."Was chatting the new code word for fighting? More importantly, had been about to do that because of her? That would be beyond flattering. However, it was totally unbecoming, especially for her former boss.Solana decided to find out later. Perhaps w
The Lovelane Motel Chp. 68
*** Mark ***"Who was that?" Mark asked his cousin.He wondered why she had been unusually quiet all day. Was it his little speech about parents and how they didn’t stick around forever? He shrugged off that thought. If it really got to her, she wouldn't be leaving, would she?One thing he knew was that she got like this whenever she was upset. Either her father must've really pissed her off or something happened, which she was unwilling to share. He thought his uncle was definitely not the only reason she was rushing back.She ignored his question, pretending not to hear, and he had no desire to press further, so he let it lie. Everyone deserved their privacy."I'm not happy you're leaving so soon." That was the truth."So come to Denmark one of these days. You're rich now. You can afford to go wherever you want." She replied, a half smile forming in her face. "Bring your pretty girlfriend, too." She winked as she moved ahead in the queue."You think she's pretty, huh?" Mark couldn't
The Lovelane Motel Chp. 67
*** Solana ***“You two should be working.”The sound of Mark's uncle's voice as he climbed down the stairs sends a jolt through Solana. This man again.She wished the ground would open and swallow her up. Mark still had his arms around her. She clumsily move out of his embrace, lowering her head in complete embarrassment. Stepping a few feet away, she wished there was a wall to hide behind, at least.“Thought you were meeting Uncle John? Mark asked the man.Solana raised her eyelids to steal a glance only to find the older man turning to continue on his way down the stairs. Relief made her suck in a deep breath. He was not on his way to Mark’s office.The man did not reply his question. Instead, he said, “Or you could use one of your suites. You’re not in a movie, Marky boy.”Solana glanced at her boss to find him looking down at her. It didn’t seem like was listening to his uncle.When the older man disappeared out of sight, he took her gently by the arm and led her into her office.
The Lovelane Motel Chp. 66
*** Solana ***After the little chitchat at the new kitchen, Solana only saw and heard from Mark just once for the rest of the morning.The brief meeting they had afterwards was nothing close to awkward. It was formal and serious, making her feel like they were back to that time when she pined for him all day and night. It felt like they'd returned to the stage when he looked at her with evident lust but keeps a safe distance.At some point before her lunch break, she wondered if their date on Saturday was not even real. Or were they back to pretending. It seemed like he'd forgotten the fact that she was his girlfriend now. Lovelane was the most important thing, of course. She was alright with that. Can't be jealous of the attention the motel got from him.But she was eager for the day to end. She needed to see how he'd treat her once they were officially done with work.It was break time, and she sat on her desk, wondering if it was alright to check on him. If it be too forward of he
The Lovelane Motel Chp. 65
*** Mark ***As Mark and his uncle entered his office for their meeting, he was prepared for any unsolicited comment or advise about his personal life.To his surprise, the man made no reference to Solana when they sat down to talk business. He went back to his usual, dignified, pretentious, proper self, beginning his questions and lectures about all Mark would be handling.Mark followed his lead and kept a professional and calm manner throughout their talk. If uncle Johnny saw him now, he imagined the man would say something like, "how come I never get this type of courtesy from you."The meeting went far better than he expected as they made plans for other businesses outside Lovelane.It turned out that uncle Johnny and Mr. Johnson were wrong about his paternal uncle. He hadn't come to see what his mother left behind to take back from Mark. He was getting the sense that the man came to ensure he was handling the estate well enough. If he thought he wasn't, only then would he make a
The Lovelane Motel Chp. 64
*** Solana ***Solana took a deep, steadying breath before opening her door. It is Monday morning and time for work.She had been dating her boss for forty-eight hours, and this day would be the first time they'd work together since they got involved.The sound of a door opening made her want to do one of two things. Nunber one was to get back inside her apartment and lock her door till he leaves. Number two was to run quickly down the stairs. She wanted to hide from him.Choosing the latter, she was already facing the gate but had to stop at the sound of her name."Solana." 'Why, oh why are you nervous?'She turned around and forced a smile through the grimace when a few drops of hot coffee spilled into her hand."Good morning," he said."Good morning," she replied.He moved closer bringing out his handkerchief and took the cup from her. Her hand shook a little when it made contact with his, but Solana was thankful that his did the same.He dabbed gently with his handkerchief, wipin
The Lovelane Motel Chp. 63
*** Phil ***The distant sound of a cock crow roused Phil from a sleep that felt like death as he forced his eyes open. The headache that struck as the daylight hit his eyes brought back memories of the night before.He and Kendi had ridden the elevator downstairs and she'd continuously insist he couldn't drive home in his state. Then she'd led him by the arm to this room, dumped him on the bed and left.Shame and anger filled him as he remembered leaning on her soft shoulder for support. The events of the past twenty-four hours made him wish this weekend would end already.Solana's date with Mark and the fact that he spent the evening with his bottle. Plus getting mocked by his ex. These things made him want to run off and start a new existence somewhere far from here."It's not enough that she witnessed the whole thing. You had to get wasted in front of her, too?" It was this very thought of Kendi that kept Phil on the bed, wishing he could vanish from the city.Eventually, he made
The Lovelane Motel Chp. 62
*** Phil ***"Hey! Hey!"Kendi stood between Phil and the glassdoor of the lobby. The nausea he'd felt all day intensified as he watched Solana and Mark enter the new, tiny elevator. "Don't even think about what you're thinking about." Kendi warned him, pulling his arm towards the outdoor staircase that led to the bar.Phil didn't know what he was thinking. Except that the bastard had his hand on Solana's lower back while she smiled up at him and gave him those doe-eyed looks."They are just getting back from a date, Phil. That means you lost! She chose him. C'mon." Kendi kept dragging him away, and Phil noticed mister harsh-face security guard now watched him with interest from the lobby's glass door. He felt like going up to that one to ask him what he's looking at. But Kendi had a tight grip on his shirt as she dragged him away."She hasn't told me that yet." He argued."Don't be stupid." She replied, urging him up the stairs.An the image of Mark and Solana, naked in bed tonight,
