Chapter 38. An arrival
Oliver Chester
Plaza Hotel, New York.
She ended the call, and when I tried calling back, it was automatically rejected.
"Did she block me?" I fumed, throwing my phone onto the bed. I ran my hands through my hair and began pacing the room. "Don't give up, Oliver," I told myself. I had to win her back. A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts, and a few steps later, it opened to reveal Michelle’s face.
"How's your room? Mine's great," she said. It was my sister. She finally entered and closed the door behind her. She looked around the room for a moment before flopping down on the edge of the bed. "What's up with that face? Haven't you talked to Lilly?" she asked anxiously.
"Yeah, she hung up on me," I complained, sitting next to her.
"Patience, this is going to take some work."
"I didn't think I'd have to travel to another continent for her."
"You need to fix this, Oliver."
"I know," I sighed, exhausted from the trip to New York.
"So? Are we going to explore the city? I'm not that tired."
"We can grab dinner nearby. We don't know this city yet, and we shouldn't take risks."
"Fine, cheer up. Our arrival will be a positive factor for her. Lilly is hurt by what you did, but if you talk face-to-face calmly, you can work it out."
"Why are you always so positive?" I grumbled at her.
"Because Lilly was perfect for you. Of all the women who paraded through our house, she’s the one. We all know it, even you. And she has a good heart. She'll forgive you."
"I don't know, Michelle. The Lilly I heard today, I've never heard her like that."
An hour later, I was with my sister eating at a restaurant near our temporary hotel. My father had given me enough support to stay for a short while to resolve things with Lilly. I knew I had to bring her back with me no matter what. Those were our plans, and I wouldn't change them for anything.
"This is delicious!" my sister exclaimed, excited about enjoying American cuisine.
"So? You're the one who's going to help me get her to listen."
"First," she said, taking a napkin and wiping the corners of her mouth before looking at me, "we need to find a temporary place. The hotel will cost a fortune."
"We have money, Michelle."
"We have the money Dad gave us, but it's not ours. We can't spend it all on lodging, no matter how wealthy we are. We need to find an apartment near her first. Second, we need to locate Leah."
"Leah hates me," I replied, making a face of annoyance.
"Well, you'll start with her. You'll apologize, and if you have to get on your knees, you will." I was about to say something, but she raised her hand to stop me. "She's our bridge to get to Lilly."
"Do you see this?" I pointed to the marks Lilly had left when I insulted Leah in front of her. "I doubt she'll want me anywhere near her."
"Can you stop being so damn pessimistic for a second?" she said, already annoyed. It was rare to see her like this. "We crossed the damn ocean to do this, so don't start whining now that we're here. Where's the repentant and eager Oliver who wants to fix this? So get it together," she said, slamming her open hand next to her plate.
"Fine," I said, raising an eyebrow, already irritated. "First, a place."
"Yes." The waiter approached to deliver the second round of drinks, and Michelle flirted with him for a moment. "Excuse me," she said as he was about to leave with the tray of empty glasses.
"Yes, miss?" he asked, smiling more.
"We just arrived in the city," she said, and the man listened attentively while she smiled even more. "And we're looking for a place. Can you recommend somewhere nearby? Or a real estate agent?" The young man’s face lit up.
"Of course. In fact, the owner of this restaurant owns the Johnson Real Estate conglomerate. They’re perfect to go to. I'll give you a card; he always has ads in his office. I'll be right back..."
"Thank you, you're very kind!" The waiter smiled and walked away, and Michelle didn't take her eyes off him for a moment.
"Calm down, don't be so obvious. You've had too much to drink."
"See? Fate is helping us from day one."
"You and your fate," I replied, already irritated with the topic. She made a face of annoyance, and I sighed before taking a sip from my new glass. I thought of Lilly. "She thinks I'll just leave it at this. But she's wrong."