The Monarch Hotel
7:18am
The weight of Hanna’s eyelids was slowly giving way to the sunlight from the slightly open curtains. Her legs were frozen from being in an awkward position on the floor. On the side of her lip, saliva leaked from the corner of her mouth. The taste left from the wetness was sweet but not familiar. She rolled onto her back noticing that she was unclothed except for the one black knee high stocking that was around her ankle.
Hanna rubbed her eyes to clear her head. She pushed up from the floor with her elbows, trying to asses her whereabouts. The room came into view after a few minuets. She lay against a wall on a blue carpet floor inside the huge room. One plush green armchair sat in the opposite corner, pointing towards an armoire. The doors to the armoire were open just enough to see the television inside. The king sized beds sheets and blankets were thrown in a ball at the bottom of the bed.
After getting a clearer picture, Hanna assumed that she was in a hotel room. A very nice hotel room with a large sitting area, full bar and fireplace. She reached for her shirt that was draped over the corner of the nightstand closest to her. There was no immediate sign that anyone else was in the room with her. As she stood up, her head roared with moans of an obvious hangover. Slowly, she shuffled her feet towards the window. The heavy curtains were closed except for a sliver of sunlight. With her eyes squinting, she pulled back on side of the curtain. After the initial pain of the sunlight cleared, Hanna stared at the ocean many floors below her. Looking down, she could see the boardwalk spanning miles in either direction.
She wondered what time it could be but more importantly, where she was. Turning back to look in the room, she could not see any clock on the nightstand. She followed the electrical cord from the wall, until she found the black alarm clock stuffed under the mattress of the bed. As she pulled on the cord, the alarm was sounding a hideous buzzer. Hanna closed her eyes with the pain from the noise and pushed on all of the buttons until the alarm stopped. She placed the clock back on the nightstand, noticing her purse.
Hanna grabbed for the purse searching for her wallet inside. All of her canceled credit cards, overdrawn checkbook and identification were inside. In the bill area was the one thing that was out of place. She pulled out a think stack of one hundred dollar bills. With her eyes opening large enough to feel as if they would explode, Hanna counted one bill after another. Forty two bills caused her legs to sway with shock.
A knock at the door startled her, saving her from tumbling onto the floor. “Room Service.” The muffled voice outside the door was that if a young male.
Hanna quickly searched for her pants or a towel to cover her half naked body. She hesitantly called back, “Yes… one moment please.” Walking over the ball of linens, she made her way into the bathroom. The white hotel towels were missing from the shelf but a cotton robe was hanging over the shower bar. As she pulled on the robe, the curtain rod came crashing to the bathroom floor. The sudden noise caused her to let out a yelp of surprise.
“Mam? Is everything OK?” The male sounded concerned, not having any way to know if his guest was safe.
She quickly responded back, “Yes, yes. I am fine. I will be right there.” The robe was caught under the curtain rod. Hanna kneeled down to undo the robe when she noticed the hotel towels in the large whirlpool bathtub. Her eyebrow lifted with curiosity. Reaching into the tub, she pulled back the towels to reveal a shocking discovery. Lining the inside of the tub, money was scattered in a pile of bills. At first glance she saw bills of every denomination. There were thousands of bills with no way to determine how many or at what worth. Her mind raced with confusion and fear. Hanna had no recollection of where this money came from but the fact that it was hidden in the bathtub was frightening.
Quickly she threw the towels back over the money, remembering the male still waiting at the door. She put on the robe and walked out of the bathroom, pulling the door closed behind her. The room door was locked with both deadbolts that she turned to open only enough to peek out. She left the gold chain still hanging from its fastener. “I am sorry that took me a bit.”
The male was dressed in a hotel bus boy uniform and pushing linen covered cart. On the cart were covered dishes, a pot of coffee, one single long stemmed red rose and various utensils. “That’s no problem Ms. Granger. May I bring your breakfast in for you?” The male was smiling but looking at the chain that kept him from bringing in the cart.
“Um…” Hanna looked back at the bathroom door, unsure of weather to let a stranger into the room. “Actually, would you mind leaving it there? I will get it myself after you go. I am not looking by best and the room is amazingly amuck.”
The male was surprised that she was not letting him finish his job but was not going to bother if she didn’t need his help. He took out a brown bill fold with the check inside and handed it to Hanna. “As you wish Mam. I will just need your signature for you complimentary breakfast.”
Hanna opened the bill fold seeing that there was not charge for the service. The top of the check finally revealed where she was. ‘The Monarch Hotel’, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She let out a slight sigh of relive now knowing one piece of the bizarre morning. With the pen inside, she signed her name to the receipt. After she handed the bill fold back to the male, she smiled and apologized. “I am sorry but my wallet seems to be misplaced at the moment.” Hanna read the gold name tag on his shirt. “Please allow me to make it up to you before I leave, Jimmy.”
He nodded his head and smiled back at her. With no more conversation, he turned to leave. Hanna waited until he was down and around the corner of the hallway until she unlocked the chain. As she pulled the cart into the room, she noted her room number on the door. ‘PH1’ Closing the door, she relocked the chain and the other locks, double checking each one to ensure they were secure.
Now she knew what state, city, hotel and that she was in a penthouse suite. Pushing the cart next to the bed, Hanna poured herself a cup of coffee to attempt to lose some of the cobwebs. On the second nightstand there was a half of a pack of Newport cigarettes and a pack of matches. She took a cigarette from the pack and turned over the cover of the matches. The cover was gold with a bold text ‘W’. There was no phone number or address.
After she had some more coffee and ate some breakfast, she would clean herself up. The possibility of a shower was out. She opted to quick bath in the sink before going down to the lobby to ask some questions. There had to be some explanation of how she got here and what the money was doing here with her. Hanna had to go looking for some answers.
8:46am
On the long elevator ride down to the lobby, Hanna looked at herself in the mirrors surrounding her. The shirt she wore was bought at the local Kmart, pulled from the sale rack. There was small circular red stain on her right sleeve. She had no recollection of how it got there but it looked as if she had tried to remove the stain because of the area in covered. Her black dress pants were from an old suite that she used in bankruptcy court years ago. Finally, her shiny black shoes were the only new and expensive part of her outfit. Hanna remembered buying the shoes for full price at a store in the mall just a week ago. They cost $65.00 that was a personal splurge she never succumbed too in the past years. When she handed the cashier the money, she doubted herself for this foolish waste but decided that she deserved them.
The doors to the elevator opened just as Hanna was pushing her long brown hair out of her face. She had put on some makeup from her purse to try to look presentable. The lines under her eyes showed how tired and worn out her body was. She could not remember why she was so sore and exhausted. The last thing that she could recall was driving on the New Jersey Turnpike and seeing the lights from Atlantic City for the first time.
Hanna knew why she had come to Atlantic City. After being laid off from her secretary job at the law firm, the Director of Human Resources gave her a check for the balance of the weeks pay. When she saw the amount of the check, it was hard not to break down with emotion. After working in a dead end job, with crappy pay and no real benefits for the last seven years, all she received was $301.25. No goodbye cake or gift. No severance pay. The firm was bankrupt after loosing a huge personal injury case and the layoffs were quick and painful. Hanna was the first to be cut, followed by another ten people that were the lowest on the corporate totem pole.
The check was all the money that she had left. No savings accounts or IRA’s to fall back on. Her checking account was overdrawn by an unknown amount. (She was afraid to actually look at the numbers). All of her credit cards were either cancelled or already tapped out to their limits. The trailer that she lived in was rented and the landlord was breathing heavily down her back for the past rent money. At the age of 32, the only possessions that Hanna owned were the tattered clothes in her closet, her consignment shop furniture, the stereo that would only play on the highest volume and of course her 1991 Chevy Lumina Van. The van was barley working and given to her as a parting gift from her long time boyfriend who decided he needed his own space. His decision came after being with Hanna for ten years.
She came to Atlantic City to spend every dime of the $301.25 and then some. Her plan was to throw herself at the mercy of fate. Either she would leave with a few extra dollars to start fresh or she would be officially more than penniless. This was not a difficult decision but hard to put into action. All of her life she had always done the ‘right’ thing. Hanna was an honest, hardworking and optimistic person, including all aspects of her life. She had no family left after her mother passed away when Hanna was in her early twenties. The lack of any college limited her to the jobs that she could work. On the job training had given her adequate skills as a secretary. Even with her Hank, her ex-boyfriend, she stayed with him even though he continuously mentally tormented her. Hank had a drinking habit that caused him to have spits of anger and week long absences. Every time he mistreated her, Hanna would forgive him and help him to recover from his disasters.
The hotels lobby was enormous, decorated with the most stunning flower arrangements. Guests scampered around the lobby, followed by their luggage being pulled by bell hops. At the reception desk, there was an opening in front of a tall bald man who was looking down at his computer. With her head facing towards the floor, she meandered over to the waiting representative. Hanna stood quietly in from of him, not wanting to be a bother if he was occupied. When she lowly cleared her throat, the man looked up with a smile. “Yes. May I help you?” His gold name tag read ‘Chester’. “Oh. I am sorry Ms. Granger. I didn’t notice you standing there. Did you sleep well?”
Hanna did not recognize the man but he seemed to know her. “Oh, yes. Thank you Chester.” Hanna decided to go along with him, acting as if she had no quandary. “May I ask you something? What time did I arrive yesterday?”
“Yesterday, Mam? I was not aware that you have left the hotel since you arrived three days ago?” His puzzled look and remark left Hanna even more bewildered. “I do have your messages though. Your reservation with the spa has been confirmed for 9:00am, as you requested. Also, Ms. Lady asked that you meet her in the Waterfall restaurant for lunch at 12:30.”
Hanna tried to follow what Chester was saying but she had no memory of making any appointments or who this person was that she was having lunch with. She took the pack of matches from her inside of her purse. Maybe one piece of the puzzle may have been solved. The ‘W’ on the matches may be deciphered. Hanna showed the matches to Chester. “Are these matches from the Waterfall restaurant?”
Chester took the pack of matches from Hanna and nodded his head. “Yes Mam.”
Hanna thanked him for the information but had one more question for him before she walked away from the desk. “Chester. This may sound like a strange question but how did I pay for the penthouse suite?”
The bald man giggled for a moment, finding the question very peculiar. “I was told that your expenses were to be put on Ms. Lady’s account. That is what you wanted, isn’t it?”
“Oh yes, of course. I was just checking. Thank you Chester.” Hanna walked away from the desk with new questions. A large glass ball hung from the ceiling above her head. Inside the glass was a rotating clock. It was just 9:00am and she supposed that she should go to her spa appointment. Hanna had never been to a spa. She had no idea of what to expect but maybe it would spark her memory. Looking around at the lobby shops, she saw a sign that pointed to the spa.
Walking though the lobby, she felt underdressed compared to the other guests. Somebody might mistake her for a hotel employee. As she walked towards the spa, she noticed a beautiful red dress in the store window. Hanna looked past the dress into the store noticing that everything in the shop looked very expensive. For a moment she sighed with envy of those that could afford the clothes in this shop. Then she remembered all of the money in the bathtub. She smiled when it occurred to her that she may be one of those people, at least until she figured out where the money came from. Nobody would notice a little of the money missing if she bought a new dress or two. Maybe she could make a deal with the owner of the money to pay them back, somehow. Hanna decided that she would take the chance. Why not? She was going to live on the wild side today. After her spa, she would go shopping. With a huge grin, she practically skipped away from the shop window towards her spa.
11:05am
Two hours after she walked into the spa, Hanna emerged floating on air. She had only dreamed of being pampered like she had just been. She was welcomed at the door by her personal attendant, Linda. Linda handed her a glass of champagne and a white cotton robe with slippers. After her twenty minuets steam bath to open her pores (or so her Linda informed her) she was treated to a full massage. After her heavenly massage, Linda took her to get her nails done. She was treated like a queen with people continuously asking her “Is there anything I can get for you Ms. Granger? Are you comfortable Ms. Granger? May I help you Ms. Granger?” Every time that the women called her ‘Ms. Granger’, she asked them to call her Hanna but it was if they were programmed to call her ‘Ms. Granger.’
It was the most exquisite morning that she could possibly have imagined. Hanna had almost forgot that she was still totally unaware why she was here, how she got here or the other dozen questions in her head. As she walked past the shop again, she remembered that she had some shopping to do. The lobbies’ glass clock told her that is was just past 11:00am. Maybe she could bag the money in a pillow case until she figured out what to do and then come shopping.
Walking across the lobby, she watched the diverse guests walking about. The bell boy that had brought her breakfast was just stepping off of the elevator. They smiled at each other as they passed. Stepping into the elevator, she waited for the doors to close as she recalled the morning when he first came to her door with room service. Then she lost her breath when a horrible thought came to her. The maid room service! Hanna forgot to put the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door or ask Chester to tell the maid service not to go into the room.
Hanna pounded on the ‘PH’ button furiously. The soft tones of the elevator music did nothing too calm her nerves. What if they already came into the room? What would a maid do if she saw all of that money? Again she tapped the button, watching the floor numbers slowly elevate with the floors. The penthouse was thirty floors from the lobby and she was only half way there. Her mind quickly churned with her options but they were limited at the moment. No logical explanation came to her. A few mischievous ideas emerged like to bribe the maid, act just as shocked as the maid or maybe just cut her loses and run. What was she thinking? This money didn’t belong to her so why was she acting so crazy.
With no real plan, the elevator doors opened on the penthouse level. Hanna leaped from the elevator, turning left towards PH1. Just as she turned the corner, she tumbled over the maid cart. Little shampoos, bed chocolates, towels and other room items scattered on the floor in front of her, causing a loud crash that echoed in the hallway. She looked up to see a maid that was just about to enter her room, running to help her up.
“Oh my. I am so sorry Miss. Are you OK?” The woman was pushing the items out of the way to help Hanna to her feet.
From the other end of the hallway, a second maid was also running to help. “What happened here? Gabriella, I told you not to leave your cart in the middle of the hallway!” The second maid sounded angry, probably a supervisor. Both of them assisted Hanna to her feet, making sure that she was not injured. “Miss, I am so very sorry for this. Please let us help you to your suite. Do you need medical attention?”
Hanna shook her head to gather her thoughts. The maids held her by either arm, escorting her to her suite. She realized that she had just stopped the first maid from entering the suite but she could not let them take her inside. “No, thank you. I am fine. It was my clumsiness. I was not watching where I was going.”
Gabriella shuffled ahead before Hanna could stop her. The door to her suite was already opened as she walked inside. The mess was still inside the room, too Hanna’s relief. “Miss, please have a seat and we will clean this room for your quickly.”
“No!” Her paranoid voice caught the maids off guard. “I mean, no. Don’t worry about this. I will take care of it myself.”
Gabriella was already picking up the ball of sheets and blankets. “Don’t be silly Miss. We will only be a moment. I owe you that for being so careless with my cart.”
Hanna watched intently as Gabriella walked passed the bathroom door and back into the hallway. The supervisor began to pick up miscellaneous trash around the room. Hanna had to think quickly from keeping them away from the closed bathroom. “I think I will take a quick shower while you finish up in here.”
“Miss, would you like me to clean the bathroom before you go inside? I will take only a moment” The supervisor was heading towards the bathroom as Hanna almost tackled her to get to the door before her.
Tumbling past the supervisor, Hanna reached the bathroom door first. “No! Thank you but its just fine. I could use some extra towels if you could just leave them on the bed please.”
“If you insist Mam.” The supervisor looked curious but did as she was asked. She walked past Hanna who was blocking the door with her body. “Gabriella. Bring some extra towels in please. Will there be anything else Mam?”
The gold nametag on the supervisor’s shirt said ‘Helen’. Hanna smiled at her, showing that every thing was just perfect. ‘Nothing out of the ordinary here’. “Thank you very much Helen. I will have to leave good remarks for both you and Gabriella with the manager. You have both been so kind.” Hanna quickly opened the door a crack, to slide through. Inside the bathroom, she glided down the door until she rested on the floor.
With her hand clutching the doorknob, Hanna waited until she heard the maids leave. When they left, she jumped out of the bathroom to double lock the room door again. ‘That was close! This is insane! What the hell am I doing?’ She spoke out load to herself, hoping to hear an answer but the room was quite. Clean but quiet. The clock was back on the night stand. It was already 11:45am. Her lunch appointment was in forty five minuets. There was little time to bag up the money, hide the money, take a shower and get dressed.
She had no time to go back down to the shop and then back up again. Hanna thought of a plan, taking a scene from a movie she once saw. The phone on the bar was perfect for her to use while she made a quick drink to relax. She dialed ‘0’ for the operator as she filled her glass with ice and vodka. When a voice answered she asked, “Yes, I am not sure if this is possible but I am running short on time and could use a favor.” Hanna told the representative on the phone her dress and shoe size. The representative was more than happy to have the red dress in the window and a new pair of shoes sent up to her quickly. She could not believe that worked in real life. Hanna figured that anything was possible if she had enough money to spend.
While she waited for the dress to arrive, Hanna filled two large pillow cases with the money. In one gulp she finished her third glass of vodka. The money didn’t seem real but rather just green paper. She kept asking herself over and over again to remember something! Maybe there was nothing to remember and this was all a wonderful but bizarre dream.
After a quick shower, with the money stuffed in one of the closets, Hanna put back on the cotton robe. A knock at the door came. She looked through the peep hole to see her personal attendant from the spa. “Ms. Granger. I have your dress and shoes. I have also brought some items to help you with your hair if you wish.”
This was another wonderful perk of appearing rich. Linda was in her early twenties with short red hair and deep gray eyes. She was a quirky girl with unbound energy and an eccentric way about her. “Linda, thank you so much for coming so quickly. I would love you to help with my disastrous hair but you have to stop calling me Ms. Granger. It’s Hanna.”
Linda smiled at her as she walked into the room with a small brown bag over her shoulder. “Very well then, Hanna. Let’s get you ready.” Linda walked across the room placing her bag on the couch. She pulled a tall chair from the bar into the middle of the sitting area. “I understand that you are meeting Ms. Lady for lunch today?”
“Yes, I guess I am. Do you know this Lady?” Hanna took her seat in the chair, turning towards the mirrors behind the bar.
Linda laughed at the question as if it were a joke. “Well, we are not best friends but she does sign my paychecks if that’s what you mean.” Linda brushed Hanna’s wet hair to the back of her head. In her hand she foamed up a small amount of jell.
“So she owns this hotel?” In the mirror, Hanna watched Linda’s expression. It was as if she were asking ‘Who is Madonna?’
“I don’t understand your question exactly. We are talking about Lady Escot right? I assumed we were talking about your friend Lady Escot.” Linda was still working on Hanna’s hair, now getting the blow dryer from her bag.
When Linda started the blow dryer, Hanna signaled her to stop for a moment. “Linda, I know this is going to sound crazy, so don’t run for help but I am having a problem remembering things from the past few days. Can you help me fill in some blanks? Maybe it will trigger my memory?”
Linda put the hair dryer down and looked at her watch. “This is very strange but I read about things like this happening to people in ‘The National Inquirer’. Should we have a drink?” Hanna rolled her eyes at the idea that she was being related to such an outlandish magazine but listened just in case it did help. Linda walked around to the back of the bar and poured two glasses of vodka, handing one across to Hanna. “The article mentioned that a highly emotional occurrence sometimes is the cause of short term memory loss. Your mind gets so stimulated by an event that it can’t comprehend the reality. Sometimes it is permanent, like this woman from Illinois who was abducted by aliens from her back yard. She could only remember hanging her laundry on the clothes line, then BAM! She was back in her living room a week later. The only way that she knew that she had been abducted was the little gifts that the aliens left her for helping them.”
Hanna rubbed her eyes getting a headache from the booze or more than likely, from just listening to such an insane story. “OK. But I don’t think I was abducted so let’s discount that scenario.” Linda had walked over to the couch and was curling up with her drink in hand. Hanna knew that time was limited so she finished her hair by pulling it back into a ponytail. “I remember driving into the city and then waking up on the floor this morning.”
“Well, I know that you checked into the hotel three nights ago. Jimmy, your room service attendant, is sort of my boyfriend. When he is not acting like an asshole.” Hanna went over to sit next to Linda on the couch. “He was assigned to you when you checked in. It’s a perk of the penthouse to have specialized attendants. Anyway, I remember him saying that you only had one small bag with you and didn’t look like you had money. But he said he moved you from your other room the same night you got here.”
Hanna was staring out the window, desperately trying to remember something. “Why was I moved to the penthouse? Between you and I Linda, I wasn’t even able to afford my first room.”
Linda jumped with excitement, clapping her hands while smiling widely. “You are kidding right?” Linda stood on the cushions of the couch, eager to tell Hanna the news. “This must be the emotional block! Awesome! And I get to tell you!”
With her hands signaling for Linda to calm down for a moment, Hanna asked “What? Tell me what?”
“OK, OK.” Linda took Hanna by the hands, coming down too her eye level. She took two deep breaths and talked slowly, not to miss anything. “Hanna. You are rich girl! I mean filthily rich. The night that you checked into the hotel, I heard that you put twenty dollars down on number 5 on the roulette table. Everybody is talking about it! After the first win, you let it ride 5 more times! Number 5 hit again and again. The casino manager was going crazy trying to find out what was wrong with the wheel. People were crowding all around you for the next hour. You let it ride every time. They said you were totally expressionless, staring at the number 5. Like you were making the silver ball stop on the number.”
Hanna watched Linda speak but could not believe what she was hearing. She had never played anything but slot machines before. She had not idea of how roulette paid out for winning. “How much did I win?”
“Girl, that I don’t know exactly but they say it was the biggest win on the table since as long as anyone could remember.” Linda paced in front of the couch with excitement for Hanna. “Jimmy said that when he moved you into this room, two armed gaurds, the casino manager and the hotel manager were with you. He even said you were still walking in a daze. He thought you were stoned or something.”
Hanna walked back to the bar, filling her glass with more vodka. After one throat burning gulp, she took another. In the mirror, she saw herself and could not believe that it was her. She looked different somehow. “This cant be real. I mean I have always dreamed of having money or being in some wild adventure but it was only a crazy dream.” Hanna waited for the image in the mirror to disappear but it slowly stared to smile back at her. Behind her Linda was still talking about the woman in Illinois and how this could be a story in The Inquirer. “Linda, wait. OK. I am not sure if I fully believe this but I will accept it for a moment. Tell me why I am having lunch with the owner today? Who is Lady Escot to me?”
Linda stopped suddenly, hoping over the couch and joining Hanna for another drink. She poured a glass for both of them. “Oh my. That is the part I am a little sketchy about. Jimmy did say that Ms. Lady came the next morning to see you because he walked her up here to introduce you both. Now Jimmy may be exaggerating this next part because he is a horney man and loves this kind of stuff. He said that you two did not leave the room until the limo picked you up for dinner at 8:00pm.”
“I am not sure if I understand you. What is the ‘horney’ side of Jimmy have to do with us going to dinner?” Hanna was confused as she waited for the answer.
Linda took a gulp to finish her drink, again looking at her watch to keep track of time. “Yea, well…” Linda looked around the room searching for the words and appearing awkward. “Jimmy says that you two were close. Very close. He said that since the two of you left the room that night, you haven’t been able to keep your hands off of each other.”
“What!?” Hanna’s mouth dropped with shock. She had never been with a woman in her life and had never even considered that lifestyle.
Linda started to pack her things in her bag, leaving Hanna staring blankly at herself in the mirror. “Now, that may just be Jimmy’s wet dream but there is one big piece of evidence that may prove his story. The word around the hotel is that you are the new owner of the Waterfall restaurant. People are saying that Ms. Lady gave it to you last night. She just stood up and introduced you as the new owner. I wasn’t there but Jimmy said that you were very happy. Happy enough to lay a big kiss on Ms. Lady.”
Hanna stood motionless trying to remember. Every piece of her mind told her that none of this could be real but there was a pulling on her heart that stopped her from doubting. She had always been so wretched in life, money and relationships. Her mind told her that she wasn’t a lesbian but when she said the word to herself her heart skipped a beat. The more she struggled to remember, a picture of what Lady Escot looked like began to form in her head. A strange feeling of warmth came over her. It was a deep feeling of passion and happiness.
Linda was ready by the door to leave the room. “Ms. Granger? Hanna? Are you all right?” She waited until Hanna slowly turned to nod in her direction. “I am sorry that we didn’t get to finish your hair but you look very nice with it pulled back. That dress is going to look great on you. It is already 12:20 and you wouldn’t want to be late for your lunch. If you need me for anything else, just call down to the spa or tell Jimmy to find me.” Linda waved and walked out of the door.
Hanna looked at the clock on the night stand to confirm the time. With some questions answered but new ones looming, Hanna had to continue with her day. She quickly pulled the dress from the hanging bag and finished getting ready. On the way out of her suite, she checked on the bags of money. ‘I guess that’s my money. Incredible.’ Hanna closed the closet door and went to the elevators with a smile on her face that hadn’t been there in years.
12:30pm
“Good Afternoon Ms. Granger. It is wonderful to have you dining with us again today.” The man that greeted her at the door was obviously the Madre Dee of ‘HER’ restaurant. He took her hand and raised it to his lips. His lips softly touched the top of her hand in a gesture of respect. Hanna smiled and remembered all of the times she had seen that in the movies. She always wanted to be that lady and now she was.
Hanna nodded back at the man, looking at his name on the gold tag. “Thank you so much, Leonard. I believe I am meeting somebody here for lunch. Could you help me find her please?”
Leonard smiled and nodded back to his new boss. “Of course Ms. Granger. Your table is ready for you, as you requested but Ms. Lady called to say she was running a few minuets behind. She asked me to relay her deepest apologies and give you these.” He reached around the podium to find an arrangement of magnificent white orchids.
“These are gorgeous! Orchids are my favorite flower. How did she know?” Hanna accepted the bouquet from Leonard, smelling their sweet aroma. Leonard escorted her to the ideal table that over looked the beach and ocean. The day outside was picture perfect with the sun shining over the water, highlighting the crisp peeks of the waves approaching the shore line. “What a great view. Thank you Leonard.”
He took the flowers from her as he seated her in the plush, full-backed chair. “I will put these in a vase for you Ms. Granger. Your waiter today will be Pier and he has been instructed to bring you a bottle of our best merlot.” Leonard bowed as he walked away from the table.
Hanna could not stop smiling from the experience of the day. If this was a dream, she hoped that she had many hours more to sleep. This could not be any more flawless. She wished she could call somebody to share this with but there was nobody to call. For a moment she thought to call Hank, just to rub it in his face but didn’t succumb to be at his level of ugliness.
Pier came to the table within minuets. After greeting her, he presented her with the bottle of wine. He took the crystal glass in front of her, pouring a small amount of wine in the glass. When he placed the glass back down on the table, he waited for Hanna. It took her a moment to realize that she was to test the first pour. This was also something that she saw in many movies but there was one problem. She had no idea of what a good wine or a bad wine tasted like. Picking up the glass, she sniffed the wine first, swirled it around the glass and then took a small sip. These were all of the same moves that she could remember from the movies. “That’s wonderful. Thank you Pier.” Pier nodded his head and pored more wine into the glass. She had successfully replayed the scene well enough that he believed she knew what she was doing.
After Pier left the table, Hanna watched the ocean again from four floors above. She was becoming hypnotized with each new swale rolling into the beach. A small child caught her attention as he ran in and out of the water. He was racing with each new wave, having a great time. “I believe he just might beat the next wave. Don’t you think so?” The voice was a woman’s, with a slight British accent. Hanna turned to see the most beautiful woman that she had come face to face with. Her long black hair lay across one side of her tanned shoulder. Her deep blue eyes pierced Hanna’s very soul with an enticing splendor. The woman’s body was faultlessly trimmed with muscle tone over every inch of her. Hanna first though that this woman could be in her twenties but could be masking a mid-thirty year old woman. She smiled at Hanna as she leaned down to kiss her gently on the cheek. “I am very sorry to keep you waiting but I see that you are being entertained.”
Hanna was again hypnotized but with the woman that was sitting in front of her. Her mouth tried to move with the words trapped inside. The feeling throughout her body was something that Hanna had never felt. She had no immediate recollection of this goddess but something inside her throbbed with a passion of familiarity. “Yes, this view is breathtaking. I could stare out of this window for hours.”
“I am so glad you are happy.” Lady reached over to touch Hanna’s hand. “So, I am sure you have many questions. Where would you like to start?”
With an instant feeling of excitement, Hanna realized that this woman knew what was happening. “You know what has happened to me?”
Pier returned to the table to pour Lady a glass of wine. She asked him to tell the chef to bring them something delicious and creative for lunch. Pier bowed, obviously understanding her request. Hanna waited patiently for Lady to refocus back to her question. “Yes, I do know what happened but first let me reintroduce myself to you. My name is Lady Escot. Lady is my actual first name and royal title, as corny as that may sound. My father is a Prince in the sixth generation of Escots.” Lady blushed as she giggled at herself. “That all sounds pretty impressive and completely meaningless, doesn’t it?”
Hanna was fascinated with the woman in front of her. She watched every word that came from her deep, full lips. The accent was even more alluring. “It does sound pretty regal. I can’t say I have ever met anybody with a royal bloodline.”
“Isn’t that interesting? That is exactly what you said the first time that we met.” Lady was taking her first sip of wine, staring intensely into Hanna’s eyes. “But I assume that you do not recall the first time we met, do you?”
Hanna’s heart dropped, feeling as if she had missed out on something wonderful. “I am sorry but I don’t remember ever meeting you. Actually, everything from the past few days is blank but I think that you know that somehow.”
Lady looked out the window of the restaurant, wanting to collect her thoughts before she started. “Hanna, I met you the morning after you took a lot of my money at the roulette wheel.” Hanna had a guilty look about her hearing the way lady said that. “Oh, I am teasing you. You were spectacular that night. When my manager called me to tell me about your new fortune, I knew that I had to come here to meet you but when we first met, you were only half here. I could not put my finger on it but something was just off with your mind. We spent that first day together…well, to be honest making love for hours.”
Again Hanna blushed with embarrassment. She whispered across the table, “Lady, I do not remember that. I did not think that I was a… lesbian. The strange thing is that when I look at you now, feelings are coming into my heart and soul. We have a strong connection.”
“Yes, Hanna. We do have a connection. This is all going too take a moment for you to take in. Why don’t we have some lunch and get to know each other again? Or in your case, you can get to know me for the first time.” Hanna agreed that they would take things one step at a time. Pier delivered a visually attractive meal. The veal on the plate melted in Hanna’s mouth. Veal was another thing that she had never tried and didn’t know that she enjoyed.
For the next hour, Lady told Hanna about her life. Her father bought this hotel and three other many years ago. When Lady graduated from Harvard with a master’s degree in business, the hotel chain in the states was turned over to Lady. The three hotels and casinos in Atlantic City were matched by three more in Las Vegas and two in the Bahamas. Lady’s life was thrilling to Hanna. She had only dreamed of living such a parallel opposite life that she had. It was overwhelming to listen to all of the riches and adventures that Lady spoke about.
When their lunch had ended, Hanna was in love with Lady. Her feelings were confusing but she could do nothing to stop them from emerging. Hanna held onto Lady’s warm hand, not wanting the dream to end. But there was more to the story that she needed to know. Where had the memory from the past few days disappear too? Was this really a dream that she could not wake up from? “Lady, please tell me about my memory loss. You know the details that I need to know. I can feel that.”
“Hanna, I can’t explain this to you in words. The best way is to show you but we can’t do that until midnight. I know this is complicated but please trust me that it will all be explained to you in time.” Lady stood up from the table. Pointing out the window she whispered in Hanna’s ear softly “Look at the sun shinning down from the sky. You have been given a very special gift, my love.”
Together they watched the bands of sunlight hitting the ocean, stretching for miles out to the horizon. Hanna felt safe and at peace in the arms of this woman. The questions remained but somehow she felt new and fulfilled. She turned back to watch the hustle and bustle of the staff working to ensure their guests satisfaction. “Is this restaurant mine, Lady?”
Lady turned and smiled at Hanna’s inquisitiveness. “Yes, I gave you this and all of what
I own as a sign of my love. Hanna, this is unique for me also but I must tell you that I own you so much more than you will ever know. Days ago I was cold hearted, empty and full of rage from a loveless life. I never thought I would feel this way about a person. The thought had crossed my mind to give up and return home. You are my gift that I intend to treasure for the rest of my life, if you allow me.” Lady leaned in to kiss Hanna on the lips. Pulsing from the passion, Hanna felt alone in the room filled with other guests dinning. Nobody stopped to look at them and Hanna felt perfectly comfortable kissing this woman in public.
Together they left the restaurant not letting their eyes escape each other. Hanna asked, “So, I have a lot of time until midnight. What shall we do with these extra hours?”
Lady smiled back with a seductive wink, “I would love to suggest something but we already have a full day ahead of us. Our flight leaves from the heliport at 4:00pm. Maybe you would like to do some shopping while I wrap up some business details. I will meet you then?”
“Heliport? You mean fly in a helicopter? Where are we flying too?” Hanna had never even been in an airplane. She could not imagine flying in a helicopter.
With another wink and a kiss under the lobby clock, Lady smirked and replied “Well, you already told me your fantasy daytrip. Now all you have to do is remember it yourself and you will answer your own question.” Behind them, Chester stood patiently clearing his throat for attention. “Yes Chester. I know you are there. We are going now.”
“Thank you Ms. Lady. Good afternoon again Ms. Granger. I must say that dress is very flattering on you.” Chester nodded his head for her approval.
Hanna smiled back with a blushing grin. Lady also smiled saying, “Yes it is a flattering dress on a beautiful woman. Have a good afternoon, Hanna. Jimmy will show you to the heliport when you are ready.” Lady kissed her again on the cheek to say goodbye.
Under the main clock, Hanna closed her eyes and leaned back. ‘This has to be a dream. It’s all just so perfect.’ The glass clock spun slowly as the center point of the breathtaking lobby.
4:00pm
At ten minutes until 4:00pm, a knock was at the door. “Ms. Granger? It’s Jimmy. I am here to escort you to the heliport.”
Hanna had spent the time shopping in the clothes store below. The ladies in the store were so helpful in picking out a wardrobe of outfits that Hanna had only dreamed about. She figured that the amount of money that she had just spent, may have added up to the total amount that she had spent on all of her clothes throughout her life. But that may have been an exaggeration because she was sure she spent more on these beautiful designer clothes. This store was not like Kmart. None of the items had the price tags dangling from the sleeve because if you had to look at the price tag, they assumed that you could not afford it.
The best part was when Hanna went to pay in cash for the $9,325.19 worth of clothes. The sales associates insisted that she just put the bill onto her hotel tab but it was thrilling for Hanna to hand over so much money. When she was finished shopping, the clothes and other purchases were sent too her room, where Linda took extra care to arrange the closet in her master bedroom.
Walking to unlock the room door, she welcomed Jimmy in as an old friend. “Hello Jimmy. Please come in for a moment. I need to grab my shawl.” Jimmy stepped into the room, staring at Hanna. She was wearing a one piece black pantsuit that fit her perfectly. The back of the suite was open down to the curve of her backside. With the new gold Valentino heals that she wore, she walked with a defined elegance. With the extra time, she was finally able to apply the new makeup to herself. Her long brown hair was just right falling to one side of her breasts.
“Ms. Granger. Excuse me for saying so but you do look awesome. Allot better that you looked at 7:00am this morning.” Jimmy was still looking up and down the tall figure that stood in front of him.
Hanna blushed at his compliment. It had been a very long time since anybody had looked at her like that. She never thought it would happen again. “Thank you Jimmy. That is so sweet.
From inside the bedroom, her new friend startled Jimmy when she emerged from being out of sight. “You can put your tong back in your mouth and try to clean that drool up.”
“Oh, Linda. I didn’t know you were here.” Jimmy jerked his head back in place and looked up towards the ceiling to evade an attack from his girlfriend.
Linda walked over to Jimmy and smacked him on the back of his head. “Dog!” She turned to look at the transformed woman that she had spent so much time with today. “The truth is Hanna, he is right. If you weren’t a woman, I would ask you out myself.”
The two girls laughed together, as Jimmy looked at Linda with a promising glare. “Really? I mean… I didn’t know that you were into girls Linda. That cool.”
The second smack in the head almost took Jimmy off of his feet. “You wish. Get back to the real world Dog and take Ms. Granger to the heliport. And keep your eyes in your head.” Linda went to give Hanna a hug. They had such a good time shopping and getting ready. Hanna didn’t have any friends like this that she could just relax with and laugh so much. “Have a great time Hanna. You deserve every moment of this day. Don’t forget that.”
8:15pm
The wind on the roof pulled Hanna backwards. Jimmy helped her by taking her by the arm and leading her forward. She looked inside the helicopter for Lady but she was not there. The pilot opened the door and helped Hanna inside. Her signaled to her to put on the headset with the attached microphone. After he closed the door, he took his seat in the front. Hanna watched Jimmy running back in the hotel as the wind from the propellers pushed him from side to side.
“Ms. Granger. My name is Kent. I will be taking you to see Ms. Lady. If you would put the blindfold on that is in the pocket in front of you we can get on our way.” Kent’s voice was coming into the headset. Hanna watched his lips move just one beat shy of the words that she heard.
She looked inside the pocket behind the seat in front of her. The black blindfold was to cover her eyes and wrap around her head. She screamed into the microphone trying to compensate for the noise of the propellers. “Why do I have to wear a blindfold? Lady never mentioned this.”
He signaled to Hanna that she did not have to scream but waving his hands low. “Yes, Ms. Granger. I am sorry about this but you must wear the blindfold for security purposes. I am sure Ms. Lady will explain everything to you. Please Mam, we are a little behind schedule.”
Hanna was hesitant about the blindfold but felt that she had no choice if she was to go to where Lady was. There were so many questions that she had and she could not miss this opportunity to find answers. She took off the headset and placed the blindfold over her eyes. There was no light peering in from any crevices, making it hard to put the headset back on. When she was settled, Kent told her they were leaving the roof. Her stomach swirled when the first feelings of height crept into her body. Hanna could feel the helicopter lifting higher in the sky. The noise was muffled when Kent played some soft piano jazz in the headset. She loved jazz and was surprised that Kent knew that this was her favorite performer.
She could not determine how long they were flying when she felt the helicopter suddenly jolt upwards. “What was that Kent? Is that supposed to happen?”
“Yes Mam. Everything is fine. It will just be a few minuets longer.” Hanna grabbed onto the seatbelt around her waist feeling the drastic upwards movement. The helicopter seemed to be moving much faster than she could imagine that it could travel. Without the feeling of ever flying before, she did not know if this was a normal feeling. It was very frightening not being able to see where they were going.
In a split second, the helicopter dropped quickly and then landed on a surface. Kent turned off the engine and she could hear him getting out from his side. Hanna waited for a sign that she was to take off her headset or blindfold. Amazingly, her stomach was not upset at all but instead she felt very relaxed. The door next to her opened as somebody unfastened her seatbelt. When she removed her headset and blindfold, Lady was standing in front of her. “Hello again, Hanna. Welcome.”
Lady took her hand to help her from the helicopter. Looking around, Hanna could see nothing but tall snowcapped mountains surrounding the small clearing they had landed in. “Thank you but where I am exactly.”
Kent came around to close the door signaling to Lady. “Enjoy your time Ms. Lady. I will return for you at 10:00pm as instructed.” Lady nodded back to Kent as Hanna checked her new gold Rolex watch. It was only 5:00pm. The flight did not feel that it took that long but she assumed that she lost track of time in the excitement.
“Hanna, for the next few hours I would like you to just enjoy your time. I promise that I will answer all of your questions later tonight. Do you trust me?” Lady had led Hanna off to the edge of the clearing. They were standing in front of a yellow Jeep, full of covered baskets.
Hanna looked around at the beautiful scenery. She was not sure why she was not more frightened but somehow Lady’s look and touch comforted her. “I trust you Lady. I am at your mercy. Do with me what you want.” She leaned over to kiss Lady softly on the lips.
Lady smiled back, “That is just what I will do with you Hanna. Whatever you want and all of your fantasies will reveal themselves to you.”
They drove away in the jeep, through the woods. Over the next hours, Lady showed her some of the most magnificent sights that she had only dreamed of. Mountains of every size, sprawled out in front of them as far as they could see. The air should have been cold with the snow covering the ground but it was as warm as the beach that she left. The trees swayed slightly with the breeze from the mountain tops.
As they drove, Lady pointed out little details of their surroundings so Hanna missed nothing. They laughed with each other, enjoying their company. Lady urged Hanna to tell her everything about her life. She wanted to hear every detail of her past and present. It seemed important that Lady also hear what Hanna wanted to do in her future. The sad point was that Hanna felt she had no real future.
She mentioned the money that she had won but said it wasn’t enough to find the happiness she was seeking for her life. “The money will help me get a nicer place than the old rented trailed. I will be able to buy my own house and a car that doesn’t shake when you accelerate. But you can’t buy happiness, can you?”
Tears filled Hanna’s eyes as she dredged past this point in the conversation. Lady stopped the jeep at the edge of a beautiful lake that just appeared in front of them. Putting her hand to Hanna’s cheek, Lady smiled “You are a wonderful person Hanna Granger. Your spirit is peaceful and stronger than you realize.”
They stepped out of the jeep, as Hanna looked out over the lake. When she turned around a second later, all of the baskets from the jeep had been emptied. Lady stood next to a large blanket covered with food, champagne and an arrangement of orchids. Hanna was confused of how this area had been transformed so quickly. “Wow, you work quickly. I must have dazed off for a few minuets without realizing.”
“Come and sit. Tell me more about Hanna Granger.” They ate a wonderful dinner that was prepared by the hotel. Hanna was again surprised of how hot and fresh everything was. They had to have driven for an hour and it must have been much longer since the food was made. It was very puzzling to her but she had promised that she would not ask any questions until Lady was ready.
After Hanna had told Lady everything she could think of about herself (even the gruesome details of Hank), she lay next to Lady with a full belly and a glass of champagne. “I know that I am not suppose to ask you questions but maybe you could just tell me a little more about yourself.”
As the night crept over the lake, Lady light four white candles around the blanket. It was the most romantic thing Hanna had ever seen. Even the movies and dreams that she saw could not have been more exact to her idea of a romantic night. Lady pulled a blanket over them, kissing Hanna softly. “I am sorry my love but there will be time for that later this evening. For now lets enjoy each other and our night together.” They lay under the blanket covered by the light of the moon and the stars above them. Making love together, the nights romance a perfect bond for them both. Hanna fell asleep in Lady’s arms when her body could take no more passion.
10:37pm
Hanna felt as if she had only fallen asleep for no more than a half an hour maybe a bit more, when she opened her eyes. As she pulled herself up, she found herself back in the penthouse, her naked body covered with the hotel linens. She could not remember anything after she fell asleep on the lake. How did she get back to the hotel? Maybe she passed out from all of the drinking that day? Normally, she did not drink any alcohol with no need to celebrate much in her life. Watching Hank drink himself silly, turned her off from any booze.
Her white bathrobe lay across the bottom of the bed. As she stood up to put the robe on, she searched for Lady. Hanna hoped that she had not left her for the night. She walked out of the bedroom to the main living areas, not finding Lady anywhere. Their bottle of champagne sat on the corner of the bar, unfinished. She realized that besides the vodka earlier, she did not drink enough that night to forget so much. Especially a flight in a helicopter back here.
Hanna searched for Lady looking out the curtain that was blowing into the room from the ocean. Lady stood near the banister on the patio. The breeze from the ocean blew her hair back and around her face. Hanna walked out to her noticing the pain in her lover’s eyes. “How did I get back here anyway? I don’t remember the flight or anything after the lake. She wrapped her arms around Lady’s shoulders. “What is wrong? You look sad?”
Without turning to look at Hanna, Lady spoke smoothly and with a tone of despair. “Hanna, remember when I told you that I would tell you everything when the moment was right?”
Hanna pulled on Lady’s shoulder to look her in the eyes. “Yes, I remember. What is it Lady? You are frightening me.”
Together they moved to sit on the chase lounge chair, holding hands. “I need you to open your mind and listen carefully. This all may be difficult for you to believe or even understand. When I am done, you must make a quick decision of whether to accept the truth no matter how outlandish it may sound.”
“Now I am very scared and confused.” Hanna’s hands were trembling in Lady’s hands. Lady softly lifted Hanna chin to look deeply into her eyes.
With a soft kiss on the lips, Lady took a deep breath to begin her story. “First, remember when I told you that my father was royalty from six generations? That is a half truth. My family came to the hotel sixty years ago and transformed it into a meeting place of sorts. My father and the men in my family before him are responsible for keeping this hotel and the other locations secure for others to come and go in private.”
Hanna was not following what Lady was saying exactly. Her words seemed cryptic. “Come and go from where? You mean like business travelers?”
Pushing her hair away from her face, Lady looked out into the ocean and then up into the millions of stars that sparkled above. “That is somewhat accurate. My people come here for business of gathering information and returning it back home for others to process. The Monarch hotel is our main transport facility on and off of Earth.”
Hanna’s head jolted back with confusion. She did not know whether to scream or laugh. “On and off earth? What are you trying to say because it sounds very extraterrestrial?”
Lady closed her eyes and prayed for the best. This was the point of no return for Hanna. Either she accepted the truth or she would be lost from Lady forever. “Hanna, my family and I are not from Earth. We are from a small planet in another star system that your NASA has not found yet. The planet is called Escot.”
Hanna was now in shock. She stood up abruptly, stepping away from Lady until her back was against the railing. “Oh my God! To his cant be happening. Either you are insane or you are telling the truth. This means that you are an alien. Please tell me you are insane and are just out of your medication.”
“No, Hanna. I am not insane and I do not need any medication. Alien sounds so negative though. Cant we just say that I am not from around here?” Lady tried to lighten the pressure of the moment with humor but it would take more than quick wit to relax Hanna. Lady slowly walked towards her trembling lover, showing that she was no threat her. “I know this is a lot but there is more that I need to tell you before midnight. Shall I continue?”
Her eyes were misting from the ocean wind and she wanted to reach out to Lady for some kind of calming. “Lady, I am really freaked out right now. What else could you possibly say to me? If I am able to believe all of this, what am I suppose to do next?”
Lady was relieved that Hanna still wanted to touch her and put her hands in Hanna’s cold palms. She took this as a good sign that Hanna had not run from the room or worse, jumped from the edge. “You were never supposed to win all of that money Hanna. The casino system is a cover for our people to receive their money to blend into your society. When our people come or leave from The Monarch they pick up or return all of the money back into the system. It’s like a bank of sort” Lady slowly pulled Hanna back inside the suite and out of the cool night winds. Hanna followed with little hesitation, still trusting Lady. “When humans come here to gamble, the system is set for them to loose. This is like a deterrent for them not to gamble in the casino’s, safeguarding our funds. The hotel is open for humans as another cover so that we don’t raise any suspicion from your authorities. This has worked ever since the Monarch was established until you. Nobody knew why or how you were able to win so much until I first met you. I had to take you through the main transporter back to our home for the answer.”
“Wait!” Hanna shook her head with panic. “I was abducted and taken to another planet, in another star system?”
There was no way for Lady to avoid this piece of the mystery. She knew this would not be received well by Hanna. “Abducted is another bad choice of words but yes. I guess you may say that. We had to determine if you were a threat to our cover. Trust me. You were not harmed at all. There was no bizarre probing like your movies show. The equipment we use is Nero scanners that don’t cause any harm.”
Hanna had to get herself a drink. The bottle of champagne sat opened on the edge of the bar. She did not bother with the formalities of a glass, tipping it up until it was empty. When she went to place the empty bottle back on the bar, she missed the corner crashing the bottle onto the tile floor. Lady ran to help. Hanna was already down on the floor trying to pick up the larger pieces in her nervously shaking hands.
Lady took the glass from her hands, stopping her from picking any more pieces up. “Wait. Don’t hurt yourself. Stand up and let me show you something.” Lady moved Hanna away from the middle of the glass until she was safely off to the side of the bar. Lady spread her hands out above the scattered glass, closing her eyes. Hanna watched as blue light became to build up around the glass from Lady’s hands. The bottle slowly began to reform as each tiny piece of glass moved back into its original spot. Within seconds, the bottle sat on the tile floor unbroken and fully restored. Lady opened her eyes, turning to Hanna with a smile. “That’s better that cutting you isn’t it?”
“Wow. You have powers too. That was incredible.” Hanna was amazingly calmer than she would have imagined. There was only confusion without fear. Her connection to Lady was still strong no matter what the new variances were. She smiled back at her lover with a tingling in her eyes. “You can’t fly, can you?”
They laughed together out loud, calming the mood tremendously. “No, we can’t fly but it looks fun.” Lady kissed Hanna sending a feeling of love and support through here lips. She walked over to the suites door, unlocking each lock. When the door opened, Jimmy and Chester entered after waiting for Lady’s instructions. “Men, it is almost time. I will be giving Ms. Granger her last instructions and we will go on from there.”
Both men nodded their heads in obedience. Jimmy went to Hanna who was still amazed from the last bit of magic she had been shown. “It is cool that you haven’t run for the hills yet Mam. I told them that you would understand. By the way, just FYI, Linda is totally human and unaware of our presence. We talked about telling her but figured she is doing great without knowing anyway.” Jimmy took Hanna by the hand, kissing her softly on her palm. “I hope to continue to serve you Hanna. You are a wonderful addition to our family.”
Chester and Lady nodded with Jimmy, agreeing with his sentiments. Lady tapped Jimmy on the shoulder to break his stare with Hanna. “OK, Jimmy. That’s enough. Go and prepare the transport. We will be ready at midnight.” The two men bowed again and left the room. Lady locked the door and turned back towards Hanna.
Hanna was still amazingly calm. The peace that she had for Lady was now stronger than she imagined. “Lady, what are they talking about? Am I going someplace? I hope it’s within Earth’s orbit. The helicopter was a big enough scare for me. I don’t think I could handle any kind of spaceship.”
Lady was standing with Hanna again. From within the pocket of her robe she pulled out a small back velvet box. Hanna watched Lady’s eyes as they moved back onto the couch. “No more space travel for you right now, my love but you do need to make a decision.” Lady opened the box to reveal a diamond ring. It was the most extraordinary piece of jewelry that Hanna had ever seen. One large diamond sat on a gold perch, surrounded by eight smaller stones on either side. “This is for you, if you will accept my proposal.”
Hanna could not take her eyes off of the ring as it glistened with the light. She slowly reached out to take the box that Lady was giving her. “Are you asking me to marry you?”
“Well, in a way yes. I am proposing too you.” Lady took the ring out of the box, placing it on Hanna’s slender finger. “You have a choice. This ring is more than it seems. It works with the glass clock in the lobby as a teleport trigger. If you stand underneath of the clock and close your eyes, you will be able to go anywhere you mind can imagine. The ring is also a symbol to my people that you are united with me and my family. I am not only asking you to marry me but to help my people continue their work here on Earth.”
The ring fit Hanna perfectly. She was listening to lady but started at the huge stone now on her finger. “How can I help your people? I am nobody important. Not than I am not flattered but why me?”
“Well, for one thing, I am in love with you. You have made me very happy beyond what I could have dreamed.” Lady was tearing as the love from within her overflowed her heart. “I am queen of my people and you will rule here on earth with me. Besides that fact, when you won on the roulette table, you were able to accomplish something that no human we found had ever done. You crossed over from your human reality to ours. Your mind manipulated our safety system that was protected by our magic. Only our people are able to do that. You are a unique human that our coll
