Danny Osipenko - Miranda Sparks’ wonderful life

The lovely and smiling Frances Gilmore, who was both our tour guide and local entertainment host for the duration of our stay, came to pick me up at 1 p.m. local time. Our entire group was gathered in the hotel restaurant to be fed various delicacies. I was the only one of the group who was quiet and relaxed. Even the process of eating an apple dragged on for a full minute.20

During the meal, I was able to get to know all the members of the forum. So sitting next to me at lunch was Catherine Blanc, an employee of a big computer company called Molose Corporations. She and her roommate, Bill Davis, were working together on IT technology, which they were arguing about with Martin Hall, the young kid sitting across from me. Sitting next to Martin was Scotty Young, a prominent programmer and online gaming enthusiast. He had Wright Walker and Lizzie Brooks in his chat room, who also happened to be specific players. Gary and Diane Hughes, a domestic couple, were also present, and they sat together, occasionally asking each other things while they stuffed their bellies. And finally Eric Russell, a handsome blond man with a regular American grin and two30 teeth. Eric reeked of his stifling toilet water from a meter away, and I had to turn away from him to Catherine as he sat, to my left.

– Francis, do you know where I can buy a month’s worth of decorations? These. – Asked Miss Gilmore, Diana pointed to her own phone.

– Honey, why ask the tour guide about it?

– Since she must know all the local markets. Jamie asked me to bring her crescent-shaped earrings. So if you have any ideas on how to find them more quickly, I’m all ears. – Gary was expressively silent in response. – Which was a good point.

– You might find them at the local flea market, Mrs. Hughes. We’ll be there tomorrow afternoon.

I thought about our whole itinerary and began to think about how to find Mike in a town like this. In that case, Mr. Moreau gave me the number of a certain Señor Francisco Salido del Pozo. He worked as a private detective and knew where my beloved was at the moment.

– Violet! Isn’t that your name?

We were sitting on a bus going to another hotel where a seminar was to be held when Mr. Russell sat down with me.

– That’s exactly right.

– And I’m Eric.

We shook hands, and I turned away from him immediately. I’d have to tell the man not to choke so much.

– It’s a beautiful city, isn’t it?

– Uh-huh.

– I have been here so many times, but its beauty still fascinates me.

I pretended to be drowsy from the traffic on the bus, and apparently Mr. Russell saw that, so he finished talking to me. The whole time we were driving, the smell of his toilet water kept me from enjoying the ride.

The impressive size of the lobby of the five-star Olympic Plaza Hotel was a sight to behold. It was like entering the palace of a sheikh himself. It was picturesque, bright and tasteful, all done in the best traditions of a prestigious hotel. As I walked across the shiny marble floor, my sandals slid gently but made no sound. People were arriving, checking in, and just strolling through the spacious hotel lobby. Life was buzzing everywhere, discussions in various languages, and it was easy to tell the difference between a guest in a regular room and one in a suite. In all this mass, Mr. Russell somehow managed to find me and followed me like a little dog.

– Miss Spikes, this way.

I had just managed to get rid of Eric when Frances called out to me, pointing to a bulky door, behind which was a small conference room with a shield, a projector, and several chairs upholstered in reddish velvet.

– Position yourself in a way that is comfortable for you.

While everyone was taking their seats, I approached our guide.

– Francis, excuse me, but can I step outside for a minute, I need to make one principle call?

– Yes, of course. The seminar doesn’t start for another half hour, so you can go about your business in the meantime. If there’s anything else you need, come to me right away. I’ll be sitting in that corner over there.

We both looked at the last row.

– Thank you.

– You’re welcome.

I found Señor del Pozo’s number in my phone book rather quickly, and immediately dialed it.

– Hello? – After a short ringing tone, I said. – Is this Senor Francisco Salido del Pozo?

– Señorita Violet?

The detective’s voice had a pleasant accent that swallowed some consonants.

– That’s me!

– Monsieur Moreau told me about your trip to Algeria. Where are you at the moment?

Señor del Pozo referred to Mr. Moreau in the French manner because he was, in fact, a native Frenchman.

– I’m at the Olympic Plaza.

– Where?

Apparently he didn’t hear me, so I said it louder:

– At the five-star Olympic Plaza Hotel.

A small silence ensued.

– Mr. Norland is at this particular hotel at the moment, senora.

My heart was beating at a frantic pace.

– Where exactly? Can you tell me?

I looked around to see Mike at last.

– He’s currently on the 46th floor.

It’s going to be very hard, kind of an accident to be there.

– What about you? Where are you at the moment?

– I am currently in room 303 in the same hotel.

– Then, may I come up to see you, Señor del Pozo?

Once again, a short-lived silence.

– Si, senora, you can.

– In that case, I’ll be with you shortly.

I reset the call and walked to the elevator, not understanding why my hands and feet were shaking so much. I heard the sound of the elevator arriving, and when its doors opened, I stepped in with the other people and pressed the third floor.

«Welcome to the operation Miss Spikes!»

What was I experiencing?

Love?

Resentment?

Disappointment?

Or maybe I was trying to realize what Mike had done?

I don’t know. I didn’t want to think about it. In my life, there was a lot of that going on together. At this point, I wasn’t smiling or sad or even bursting into audible laughter or crying. I was just a bystander, my realization that Mike was alive and that he was actually a regular crook. Yes, I adored him, but that love was a deception that transformed my wounded heart into a punching bag. My feelings were swinging from side to side like a pendulum. I sat in a seminar and tried to figure out what it was that I was feeling. No matter how hard I tried, it wasn’t like that.

– It’s mind-boggling, isn’t it?

Eric’s voice brought me out of my thoughts. I’d completely forgotten that he was sitting next to me.

– Uh-huh.

It really is mind-blowing! I don’t know myself and my feelings.

– In the past year, this young man talked about the newest online game.

I looked at Mr. Davis, who was giving us a presentation on new developments in the web environment. He was a tall man, thin, with narrow-rimmed glasses on his eagle nose and a bald head. His voice was quite sonorous, but even he could not shout out my thoughts.

And so again I came back to my thoughts.

How should I behave when I see Mike? What would I say to him? Would I feel the feelings I’d been harboring all these years again?

But there was no answer. I honestly tried to imagine our meeting with Mike, his face, and the likely environment. I couldn’t get myself in the mood, so I sat and fidgeted in my chair.

– Not interesting for you?

I turned to Eric, and the suffocating scent of his cologne made me shiver.

– Why is that? I just don’t like to sit in one place for a long time.

– Ah, I see. Same problem.

– The truth?

I had to act surprised.

– Especially when I have to wait for a long time at the airport. This is the height of my patience.