The Quest for Epic

Chapter Forty One

I was here. I was at 144 Westbrook Avenue. I was sitting in my car, clutching my steering wheel in a death grip until my knuckles turned white. I was also terrified.

Terrified that my little bubble of happiness would burst and I wouldn't be able to handle it. I reached out for my phone which was lying on the passenger seat, willing to give Noah a chance to come clean.

But he didn't, my call went straight to voice mail.

That was it; I got out of Sedan and closed the door shut, oblivious to how utterly ridiculous I must have looked in my Princess Leia costume.

I walked past the automatic sliding doors, marching forward determinedly until I was abruptly stopped by the concierge.

"Excuse me miss?" the young man looked me up and down with a confused expression on his face "Do you have a reservation?"

I stopped in my tracks and whipped around to face him, I had not quite factored this encounter into my plans.

"Umm, no", I smiled at him, desperately hoping the restaurant was not fully booked "But I was hoping to get some dinner"

He nodded, his queer eyes shifting from me and into his little book. "Are you dining alone or with company?"

"Uhhh... Alone?" I looked around starting to feel uncomfortable now.

His eyes came up to my face once more, the strange look still apparent on him. "You're in luck then, miss. We have a few singles tables left. Do follow me"

He stopped talking and began to walk away, which I guessed was my cue to follow him. Nate's restaurant was packed and I mean packed, with the sort of good looking and well dressed people you only saw in society magazines and blogs. My discomfort grew by about a thousand and I knew I was sticking out like a sore thumb looking like a virtual reality enthusiast. I only hoped Noah wouldn't spot me before I had the chance to see what was really going on.

Mercifully, the concierge finally led me to a single table which looked kind of sad in the throng of all the people dining together.

No sooner had I sat down before I was calling out to him again.

"Excuse me", I said, standing to my feet.

He turned around, giving me a barely patient smile. "Yes miss?"

"Could you please direct me to the little ladies room?" I requested. He gave me another queer look and I added, "I had a lot to drink earlier"

He looked uncomfortable as he gave me directions and I made a mental note to learn how to stop babbling unnecessarily to strangers.

I walked away in the direction of the ladies' room, just then noticing the odd looks and glances from a few patrons of the restaurant. I still hadn't spotted Noah, nor did I have an idea of where he and Shannon could be. When I was sure I was out of the line of sight of the host, I turned sideways and scanned the entire area. The restaurant was big, yes but it was open and spacious, with most dining areas clearly visible and since I had moved around quite a bit thus far, I felt like I had seen most of what there was to see.

It was right at that moment that I began to feel foolish. Rather than allow it get to me, I forged on, walking to areas I was sure I hadn't looked over properly. I was that determined to find out what was going on.

Finally, I saw what I was looking for. Or what I believed I would be looking for as it made more sense. A small inconspicuous door in the left wing of the restaurant with a stylish placard propped up by the side that read, 'Reserved for Private Dining. Do not enter'.