Customer Satisfaction [COMPLETE]

Elevator Face Off

A week later, Kate found her right inside that hotel all over again, in possession of a key card to her very own apartment. .

John had only hesitated momentarily when his usually fiercely independent daughter had brought it up during dinner that she was considering accepting an apartment that she couldn't dream to pay for with her own salary, and after giving a hard searching stare, he had acquiesced with a single nod.

Before she had left, however, he had given her a tight hug and a single murmured instruction. "Be careful. If you need anything..."

"I'll be fine, Dad." Kate had said in surprise, "Is it because the apartment is on the tenth floor?" That, she too was nervous about.

Standing within the grand hotel paid for by her step-father's hard earned wealth, she was reminded starkly of the gangling little girl that she had been being led into the chateau style home by a finger. Having her chipped toys and careworn clothes replaced with frills and glitter. Two brand new parents who were nearly as beautifully intimidating as the everything they owned.

The people, she had grown to love, starting to see the little imperfections in her glorious stepmother as the time went by--her rising vulnerability as the disease progressed, increasingly fragile in her need for love and perfection as she lost control of her own self. The quiet strength of her stepfather, too young for such a tragedy at the heels of what had been a promising life, and his ability to find a smile for the new little girl his wife had brought into their life despite the devastation ravaging his life.

But the wide glossy spaces, the high ceilings, the endless stairs and corridors weren't as forgiving when she had to race through just to get outside after one of her asthma attacks, desperate to gulp breaths of fresh air, to collapse under the sycamore tree and draw her legs to her chest, bringing herself under control. In small apartments, at least she didn't have to run a marathon every time she needed the fresh air.

In Greymark Hotel she would only have to run out the corridor, ride down an elevator several floors, traverse the entrance...and oh, run into about a hundred people doing so. Perhaps one of them being Luke.

"Only drug lords can afford places like this, Kitty Kat. Or criminal masterminds."

She started, looking at David, her almost boyfriend.

They shared a few classes, and she knew he was very interested in taking things further. She was curious and willing to embark on a serious relationship after Mark, which hadn't been much of a relationship to begin with. But she still wasn't ready for the intimacy that he was and she was trying to send David the hint that she wanted to take it slow. It was too difficult for her to trust anyone so quickly that she would allow them freely in her house...or her bed.

He had taken to calling her with Jess's nickname, and Kate wasn't sure how she felt about that yet but she didn't have the heart to correct him looking into his big grey eyes. He was athletic and attractive with scholarly glasses that she thought looked particularly flattering.

"Or contract killers." He was saying as they rode up the lift, making her laugh, "Seriously, though, how did you manage scoring this place with your waitress job?"

She shrugged guilty, "My Dad..."

"Ah, figures...beauty and brains and money. I knew you didn't look like an ordinary girl."

She didn't like how that description made her sound, as if she was a perfect model of a woman who had no problems, no insecurities, that she didn't become a mess every night, moaning into her pillows. Having rich parents made all her woes seem put on, selfish, no matter how unworthy she felt for all that luxury. How even after all those years in the manor, she still sometimes felt like that shy, ratty little girl from the orphanage.