The Masked Singer

[Chapter Twenty Eight]

I dart to the door next to me and knock. When nothing happens, I knock three times more. It takes a couple more seconds after the second knock before I can hear movement happening on the other side of the door.

My heart completely stops when the door opens – this was not how I expected my morning to unfold, but I wouldn't change it either way.

He's just stumbled out of bed from the state of his short black hair. It's tousled devilishly, and there's a few strands hanging in front of his eyes. He's frequently blinking his eyelids from the onslaught of light – and I feel bad for waking him. There's a slight slant in his posture which gives the idea he's still tired from last night, or half asleep and out of balance.

I almost loose balance as my eyes scan down the front of his body. He might not be a ripped, shirtless super model, but there's a certain Alex chair that's making my heart swoon with happiness. He's standing in front of me with low slung grey pyjama pants with black anchor patterns dotted around.

"Hi Alex," I whisper, a little flushed from his appearance.

"Sienna? What are you doing here?" He yawns.

"I can't do breakfast with you, so I'll meet you at the studio at nine?"

"Okay, I'll see you then." He nods his head. "Make sure your own time, I wouldn't want you to get a bad reputation before your first interview," he adds.

"That would be bad." I frown.

"See you then."

"Bye." I smile awkwardly and then retreat to my own hotel room before anything else can go wrong.

I slip inside the room and slam the door shut. With my back pressed against the door, I slide down and softly land on the ground. Closing my eyes, I imagine Alex and the images of his shirtless body consume and fill my mind with pure delight.

My cheeks turn a bright red shade when someone knocks on the door. Dad gives me a weird look and I just shrug my shoulders in return.

Getting off the floor, I open the door and great the person. As I catch the smile on their face, it only makes sensitive to my current clothing choice – pink and red Hello Kitty pyjamas that a young child would wear.

Instead of looking confident like Alex and his half nakedness – I feel utterly humiliated. I want to climb back into bed and hide under the covers. I would give anything to be hidden away right now. Why does Nathan always catch me in this state? He's turning out to be my awkward pancake boy.

"Hi Sienna," he cheerfully says.

Just like our first meeting, he's nibbling on the bottom of his lips to hold back the desire to laugh at me. Thankfully, I'm not bound by a contract or the wrath of my parents – so I pout at the unfolding situation and reply to him.

"Hey Nathan."

"I've got your food order." He turns away and grabs a tray off his trolley.

"Thanks." I take the tray off his hands.

"I was surprised when I got a deliver request for your room – I thought you were having breakfast with Alex?" he asks.

"It's really none of your business." I slam the door in his face.

Guilt courses through my body, but I ignore the feeling.

I take the heavy tray over to the kitchen bench and then slide it in front of him.

"What the heck did you buy?" I ask.

"A variety of food. Eat up because we need to leave soon." He takes the tray lid off and steals a slice of plain toast.