Chapter 4: He Wants Another Night

It was him, he was just a little different.Leah glanced at Amelia with a teasing smile as they walked toward the break room after the event. “So… who were you talking to just now? You looked like you saw a ghost or something.”Amelia hesitated, fingers nervously twisting the strap of her purse. Then, finally, she spoke, voice soft and distant. “It was someone from my secondary school days. A guy I once liked.”Leah raised her eyebrows. “Ooh, really? Tell me, tell me, tell me... Baby, what’s the story?”Taking a deep breath, Amelia settled onto a bench in the quiet corner, and began. “Back in school, there was this one time I had an accident. I’d just started my period unexpectedly during class, and I didn’t have any supplies. I was mortified,I thought I’d be laughed at, or worse.” She swallowed hard. “But then he appeared. He was in the basketball team, good looking, muscuale, always so cool and confident. Every girl's crush. He noticed what had happened, and without a word, took off his school blazer and wrapped it around my waist.”Leah’s eyes widened. “No way! That’s like a scene from a movie.”Amelia smiled faintly. “It was. I was caught, I fell terribly for him… and from then on, I never missed any of his matches. I’d sit in the stands, cheering, even though we never really spoke again. But I admired him, from afar.”Leah grinned, nudging her playfully. “The lovely Amelia had a secret crush. I'm sure he wasn't aware, or probably has the same feeling on his side.I mean, he even recalled your face, you definitely had an impact”She laughed softly. “No, he didn’t. It was just a moment frozen in time for me.”Leah’s excitement bubbled up. “I swear, Amelia, this might just be your chance to finally have a guy. And to keep the good memories alive from that night.”Amelia nodded, the warmth from the memory spreading through her. “Yeah… I actually felt good that night. It’s strange how one night can change everything, isn’t it?”Just as they were talking, the man from the hotel appeared, walking toward them. Leah’s eyes flicked between them and then back to Amelia. “Excuse me,” she said, standing and offering a quick smile. “You two catch up.”Amelia’s heart thudded as he reached them, his face familiar but tinged with something she hadn’t felt in a long time, comfort.“Hello, Amelia. I knew it was you that instant,” he said smoothly. “Coffee sometime? I’d like to catch up.”Amelia smiled, relief washing over her. “I’d like that.”They exchanged numbers quickly. Returning to Leah, Amelia noticed something out of place. A camera lay sprawled on the floor, shattered. The memory card lay broken nearby.Leah’s face paled and she shivered with fear. “That’s… the footage from the event. A motorcycle crashed right here earlier, and the rider ran off. I barely got out of the way in time.” she stammered as she tried effortlessly to put the remains together.Amelia’s stomach sank. “This is bad.”Leah nodded grimly. “We’re definitely in trouble.”The next morning at work, the tension was palpable. Their editor, Mr. Donovan, was boiling.“Where is the footage from last night?” he demanded, eyes flashing. “This is unacceptable.”Leah swallowed nervously. “The camera was destroyed in an accident. We lost everything.”Mr. Donovan’s glare was sharp enough to cut glass. “That’s a catastrophic loss. We rely on you two for everything. This is a massive failure.”He paused, voice cold and final. “Effective immediately, you are both suspended without pay for one week.”Leah’s shoulders slumped, and Amelia felt the weight of the punishment crushing down.Later that day, at Amelia’s apartment, she and Leah discussed the unexpected break.Leah leaned back, stretching. “Honestly, I’ve been wanting a break. My parents live a bit far out, I think I’m going to visit them. Clear my head.”Amelia nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe I should take some time too.”That evening, as Amelia was settling in, her phone rang. The name popped up, she smiled.“Hello?” she answered.“Amelia, it’s Grayson,” the deep, calm voice said. “I was wondering if you’d like to meet tonight… for dinner.”A flutter of happiness stirred in her chest. “I’d love to" After the call ended, she hugged her phone tight to her chest as if he was present right there.***************Grayson HayesIn this penthouse, Grayson scrolled absently through reports on his laptop. But his mind kept drifting back to her, the girl from the night before.It was surprising how quickly she had burrowed into his thoughts. Normally, he kept his nights, and feelings carefully separated.But after months of sterile encounters and empty distractions, this felt different. Almost… human.He admitted to himself that his sex life had hit a dry spell. Maybe that was it. So he called her, set a time to see her again.Back in the city, Amelia was on a date with Noah Caldwell. The restaurant buzzed with quiet jazz and soft conversations. Noah was charming, effortlessly funny, and his compliments made her cheeks warm.“Can I hold your hand?” he asked casually, eyes twinkling.She smiled and nodded, letting her hand slip into his. For a moment, a flicker of the previous night’s memory surfaced, the touch, the whispers, the warmth. She quickly shook it away.It’s probably because it was my first night like that, she thought. If things work out with Noah, and we make memories of our own, those old ones will fade.As they walked down the street, laughing softly, her phone buzzed. It was Rosa.She wondered why the woman that led to her greatest night mare was texting again, she was barely getting over what she put herself into and here was the planner.“Excuse me,” she said, stepping aside.On the screen was a message.“Grayson wants another night with you.”Amelia’s breath caught. Her eyes widened, shocked as a cold shiver run down her spine.“What?” she said to herself, almost aloud, shocked.