Part 44 (1/2)

”Listen!” she yelled and even Denise shut up screaming from beside her. ”It's very important that you tell me!”

The man gulped and shook his head slowly, apparently too afraid to open his mouth. Finally he said, ”I'm sorry but -”

”Aaaaaggghhh!” Holly screamed with frustration, interrupting him again.

”Holly,” Denise said, gently placing her hand on Holly's arm, ”what's wrong?”

”I need to know what room Daniel is staying in!” she yelled, and Denise looked startled.

”It's room three forty-two,” she stuttered.

”Thank you!” Holly yelled angrily, not knowing why she was still screaming, and she stormed off in the direction of the elevators.

Holly rushed down the corridor dragging her bag behind her and checking the door numbers. When she reached his room she knocked furiously on the door, and as she heard footsteps approaching the door she realized she hadn't even thought about what she was going to say. She took a deep breath as the door was pulled open.

She stopped breathing.

It was Laura.

”Honey, who is it?” she heard Daniel's voice call. Holly saw him walk out of the bathroom with a tiny towel wrapped around his naked body.

”You!” Laura screeched.

FIFTY-ONE.

HOLLY STOOD OUTSIDE DANIEL'S BEDROOM door and glanced from Laura to Daniel and back to Laura again. She gathered from their seminakedness that Daniel had already known Laura was coming to the wedding. She also a.s.sumed that he hadn't informed Denise or Tom either, as they hadn't been able to warn Holly. But even if they had known, they wouldn't have considered it important to tell her. Holly hadn't shared what Daniel had told her before Christmas with any of her friends. As Holly stared into the hotel room, she realized this meant that she had absolutely no reason to be standing where she was right then.

Daniel hung on to his tiny towel tightly, glued to the spot, his face a picture of shock. Laura's face was stormy. Holly's mouth had dropped open. n.o.body spoke for a while. Holly could almost hear everybody's brains ticking. Then eventually someone spoke and Holly wished it hadn't been that particular person. ”What are you doing here?” Laura hissed.

Holly's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish's. Daniel's forehead wrinkled in confusion as he stared from one girl to the other. ”Do you two...” He stopped asking the question as if the idea were totally ridiculous, but then thought about it and decided to ask anyway, ”Do you two know each other?”

Holly gulped.

”Ha!” Laura's face twisted in contempt. ”She is no friend of mine! I caught this little b.i.t.c.h kissing my boyfriend!” Laura yelled and then stopped herself as she realized what she had said.

”Your boyfriend?” Daniel yelled, crossing the room to join them at the door.

”Sorry...ex-boyfriend,” Laura mumbled, staring at the floor.

A small smile crept across Holly's face, glad that Laura had dumped herself in it.

”Yeah, Stevie, wasn't it? A good friend of Daniel's, if I remember correctly.”

Daniel's face reddened as he looked at them both, seeming completely lost. Laura stared back at Daniel, angrily wondering how this woman knew her boyfriend...her current boyfriend, that was.

”Daniel's a good friend of mine,” Holly explained, crossing her arms over her chest.

”So have you come to steal him from me too?” Laura said bitterly.

”Oh please, like you're one to talk,” she fired at Laura and her face reddened.

”You kissed Stevie?” Daniel said, slowly getting the gist of the story. He looked angry.

”No, I did not kiss Stevie.” Holly rolled her eyes.

”You did too!” Laura yelled childishly.

”Oh, would you ever shut up?” She looked at Laura and laughed. ”What does it matter to you anyway? I take it you're back with Daniel, so it looks like everything worked out for you in the end!” Holly then turned to Daniel.

”No, Daniel,” Holly continued. ”I did not kiss Stevie. We were down in Galway for Denise's hen weekend and Stevie was drunk and tried to kiss me,” she explained calmly.

”Oh, you're such a liar,” Laura said bitterly, ”I saw what happened.”

”And so did Charlie.” Holly ignored Laura and continued to face Daniel. ”So ask him if you don't believe me, but if you don't believe me I really don't care either,” she added. ”Anyway, I came to have that chat with you but you're obviously busy.” She glanced down at the skimpy towel wrapped around his waist. ”So I'll see you both later at the wedding.” And with that she turned on her heel and marched off down the corridor dragging her suitcase behind her. She glanced back at Daniel, who was still staring at her from his door, and she turned her head and turned the corner. She froze when she realized she had reached a dead end. The elevators were the other way. She kept on walking to the end of the corridor so she wouldn't look completely stupid for walking past their door again. She waited at the end of the corridor for a while until she heard the door close. She tiptoed back up the hall, rounded the corner and sneaked past his bedroom door and rushed down to the elevator.

She pressed the b.u.t.ton and breathed a sigh of relief, closing her tired eyes. She didn't even feel angry with Daniel, in fact, in a really childish way, she was glad he had done something to stop them from having their little chat. So she had been dumped and not the other way around, as she was expecting. But Daniel couldn't have been that much in love with her, she reasoned, if he was able to get over her and go back to Laura so quickly. Ah well, at least she didn't hurt his feelings...but she did think he was a complete fool for taking Laura back...

”Are you getting in or what?”

Holly's eyes flew open; she hadn't even heard the elevator doors open. ”Leo!” she smiled, stepping in and hugging him. ”I didn't know you were coming down!”

”I'm doing hair for the queen bee today,” he laughed, referring to Denise.

”Is she that bad?” Holly winced.

”Oh, she was just in a tizzy because Tom saw her on the day of her wedding. She thinks it'll be bad luck.”

”Well, it will only be bad luck if she thinks it's bad luck,” Holly smiled.

”I haven't seen you for ages,” Leo said, glancing at Holly's hair and making it very obvious.

”Oh I know,” Holly moaned, covering her roots with her hand. ”I've been so busy at work this month I just haven't had time.”

Leo raised his eyebrows and looked amused. ”Never did I think I would ever hear you say those words about work. You're a changed woman.”

Holly smiled and was thoughtful. ”Yes. Yes, I really think I am.”

”Come on, then,” Leo said, stepping out onto his floor. ”The wedding isn't for another few hours; I'll tie your hair up so we can cover those awful roots.”

”Oh, are you sure you don't mind?” Holly bit her lip, feeling guilty.

”No, I don't mind at all.” Leo waved his hand dismissively. ”We can't have you ruining Denise's wedding photos with that head on you, can we?”

Holly smiled and dragged her suitcase out of the elevator after him. That was more like it, for a minute there he was just being too nice.