Chapter 98 - Hangover (2/2)

”Well, I've got the next few days off from work. Do you want me to show you around?” Emerson offered.

Halia took a bite of French toast and smiled. The bread was soft, buttery and eggy; there was peanut butter in the middle, and drizzled lightly on top was some condensed milk. Halia froze for a second when she tasted the peanut butter. That was right, Sara was allergic to nuts! But, Halia quickly glanced at the bracelet hanging on her wrist and reminded herself that she was not Sara. She knew she was perfectly fine, so she quickly took another bite and suppressed the feelings of fear

Ever since Halia rejected Sean the previous night, she felt like she had finally regained control of her body. She could now sense when Sara's emotions were building and knew how to suppress it before she lost control. This trip was definitely much needed. For the first time in almost two months, she felt relaxed and free.

”This is delicious!” she exclaimed.

”Hong Kong has a lot of Western influence from when it was ruled by the British. Cafes like this are perfect examples of how they've taken those influences and made it their own. Let me, at least, show you around today since you have no plans. Nothing is better than exploring with a local,” Emerson offered again.

Halia smiled and tried some of the macaroni soup. She had to admit, she loved food and Emerson was making an extremely tempting offer. So, she nodded her head.

Emerson took a bite of French toast and smiled.

...

Meanwhile, back at the hotel, Natalie finally managed to climb out of bed with a groan. Her head was aching and she felt nauseous; the results of a hangover. She wandered into the bathroom, brushed her teeth and had a shower, hoping it would make her feel better, but she still felt awful. So, she decided to make some coffee.

As she wandered out to the kitchen, she heard a phone ring. The ringtone didn't sound like her own, but it was definitely coming from inside the suite. Natalie quickly followed the sound and realized Halia had left her phone on the coffee table. Probably, it was because she was just popping downstairs for a quick breakfast, so she didn't take it with her.

The caller ID showed that it was a call from Sean, so Natalie picked it up.

”Hey Sean, Halia's popped down for some breakfast and she left her phone here,” Natalie said in a tired voice.

”Oh, thanks for letting me know. You didn't go with her?” he asked.

”I have a major hangover,” Natalie replied with a groan.

Sean sighed.

”I know a great hangover cure. Do you want to give it a try?” he asked.

Natalie held her breath in surprise.

”Sure,” she replied.

”I'll come get you in half an hour, give me your phone number and I'll call you directly,” he said.

Natalie quickly gave the man her number and hung up. She then placed her hand on her chest as she took some deep breaths to calm down. Why was her heart beating so fast?