again she was standing in the middle of the room, looking around. It was only six thirty in the morning, and the lawyer wouldn’t come until ten.
All of a sudden, she felt giddy. She was free of the hospital at last! If everything went according to plan, she would soon be free of the medical bills as well. And she had a thousand dollars cash in her purse. She glanced at the clock again. Then she felt her wrist. She had no idea what had happened to her watch. Maybe it flew off in the accident. Maybe it got lost during one of the room changes at the hospital. No matter. She now had the money to replace it. And sunglasses! She needed sunglasses. She gathered her bag and tiptoed out of her room.
The wall of windows was curtained for the moment, leaving the big room dimly lit. For the first time, it looked no more special than any hotel room. It needed that expansive view to provide the sense of elegance and luxury. She moved quietly the length of the room. Two other sets of double doors were visible along a corridor on the other side of the suite. Undoubtedly one was to Kevin’s room and one was for the chauffeur.
No one stirred.
Her stomach rumbled. A quick search of the well supplied bar revealed a sparkling chrome toaster but no bread or bagels.
That was all the excuse she needed. She scribbled a note at the bar on the bottom of the page where she’d made suggestions for the prenup to let Kevin know she was out. The door to the private elevator was closed. She opened it carefully and pulled it silently shut behind her. Then she pushed the call button for the elevator. The doors opened at once. Suppressing a giggle, she got in and hit the button for the lobby.
She was hungry, but not just for food. When she got to the lobby, things were quiet. It was only six-forty on a Sunday morning. Outside, Monday’s rush hour traffic was just a promise. She couldn’t stay inside. She had to walk! She moved through the revolving doors and took a deep breath on the sidewalk. The brisk morning air was a delight. She was smack dab in the heart of the city! She didn’t have to breakfast in the hotel. She would walk until she saw a place that appealed to her.
Thirty minutes later, she found herself peering through a window at a cute little pastry shop with ice cream parlor chairs and tables, and a clientele dressed for the weekend and exercise, having a coffee before running their miles or unwinding afterward.
With a secret smile, she joined them. She picked out a chocolate chip bagel and ordered a small coffee to go with it. Sitting in the little bakery and watching non-medical personnel going about their day filled her with joy. Once again she was overwhelmed with gratitude at having come out of the hospital a whole person.
And then the memory of the bills and the billing office tried to sour her experience. But she wouldn’t let them. She pushed those thoughts away. She was already taking care of her situation. She had made a tough decision to marry a man she knew nothing about so she could put her life in order.
Marry a man she didn’t know.
All the hustle and bustle around her dropped away as she realized what those words meant. But she was desperate. And so was he. They were a perfect match, in equally desperate financial straits.
A patron came panting through the door and the small breeze sent her napkin fluttering to the floor. Megan realized she’d been daydreaming. How long had she been sitting here? Darn! Still no watch.
“Excuse me, do you have the time?” She asked the woman behind the counter.
“On the wall,” she said.
Megan looked around and saw the clock. It was the same pattern as the wallpaper, so she forgave herself for missing it.
Eight o’clock! She needed to get back.
Thirty minutes later she felt winded as she entered the hotel lobby and pressed the call button for the express elevator. Once inside, she pressed the up button, but nothing happened. She pressed a second time, a third time, but
All of a sudden, she felt giddy. She was free of the hospital at last! If everything went according to plan, she would soon be free of the medical bills as well. And she had a thousand dollars cash in her purse. She glanced at the clock again. Then she felt her wrist. She had no idea what had happened to her watch. Maybe it flew off in the accident. Maybe it got lost during one of the room changes at the hospital. No matter. She now had the money to replace it. And sunglasses! She needed sunglasses. She gathered her bag and tiptoed out of her room.
The wall of windows was curtained for the moment, leaving the big room dimly lit. For the first time, it looked no more special than any hotel room. It needed that expansive view to provide the sense of elegance and luxury. She moved quietly the length of the room. Two other sets of double doors were visible along a corridor on the other side of the suite. Undoubtedly one was to Kevin’s room and one was for the chauffeur.
No one stirred.
Her stomach rumbled. A quick search of the well supplied bar revealed a sparkling chrome toaster but no bread or bagels.
That was all the excuse she needed. She scribbled a note at the bar on the bottom of the page where she’d made suggestions for the prenup to let Kevin know she was out. The door to the private elevator was closed. She opened it carefully and pulled it silently shut behind her. Then she pushed the call button for the elevator. The doors opened at once. Suppressing a giggle, she got in and hit the button for the lobby.
She was hungry, but not just for food. When she got to the lobby, things were quiet. It was only six-forty on a Sunday morning. Outside, Monday’s rush hour traffic was just a promise. She couldn’t stay inside. She had to walk! She moved through the revolving doors and took a deep breath on the sidewalk. The brisk morning air was a delight. She was smack dab in the heart of the city! She didn’t have to breakfast in the hotel. She would walk until she saw a place that appealed to her.
Thirty minutes later, she found herself peering through a window at a cute little pastry shop with ice cream parlor chairs and tables, and a clientele dressed for the weekend and exercise, having a coffee before running their miles or unwinding afterward.
With a secret smile, she joined them. She picked out a chocolate chip bagel and ordered a small coffee to go with it. Sitting in the little bakery and watching non-medical personnel going about their day filled her with joy. Once again she was overwhelmed with gratitude at having come out of the hospital a whole person.
And then the memory of the bills and the billing office tried to sour her experience. But she wouldn’t let them. She pushed those thoughts away. She was already taking care of her situation. She had made a tough decision to marry a man she knew nothing about so she could put her life in order.
Marry a man she didn’t know.
All the hustle and bustle around her dropped away as she realized what those words meant. But she was desperate. And so was he. They were a perfect match, in equally desperate financial straits.
A patron came panting through the door and the small breeze sent her napkin fluttering to the floor. Megan realized she’d been daydreaming. How long had she been sitting here? Darn! Still no watch.
“Excuse me, do you have the time?” She asked the woman behind the counter.
“On the wall,” she said.
Megan looked around and saw the clock. It was the same pattern as the wallpaper, so she forgave herself for missing it.
Eight o’clock! She needed to get back.
Thirty minutes later she felt winded as she entered the hotel lobby and pressed the call button for the express elevator. Once inside, she pressed the up button, but nothing happened. She pressed a second time, a third time, but
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