- Chapter 9 -

When I awoke the next morning, it was snowing heavily. Christmas was right around the corner. Technically, it was in two weeks, but the blizzards never let up for the countdown yet. Great. I awoke by myself; nobody was in the room. I got up, rubbed my eyes, and instantly shivered. I put on a coat and walked out of the room. Mom wasn't home either. But it was Monday. Today was a weekday for school. Where is everybody? I was about to walk out the front door when someone's hand reached out and grabbed my arm. I don't spook that easily. I haven't seen a horror film yet that could make me jump out of my seat. But that physical connection was so warm, it frightened me a little. I knew that there was no way that could've been Mom.

"You just got up?" It was Maddie on the couch. I just nodded. Before I had a chance to ask, Maddie explained, "Your mom had to go work, so she asked me to baby-sit you." I grinned involuntarily and said, "Just like Mom. I'm almost seventeen now and graduating high school, and she still treats me like I'm twelve." Maddie managed a small grin. She looked at me from top to bottom as if she was sizing me up. She probably was. She whistled a small pitch and said, "You're seventeen now? Where did those years go?" I shrugged. I answered her, "You should know by now that I wouldn't have remembered even half of those two years you were gone." Maddie looked sad then, and I almost wished I could take back what I had just said. I didn't mean to remind her. I didn't mean to point fingers. But would I have really undergone all these changes if she had been there with me during those awkward teenage years? I'll never know the answer to that question.

She said to me slowly and apologetically, "I'm sorry that I haven't come to visit you guys up here since I went to college." I waved that away and replied, "Don't worry about it. You weren't the only one anyhow. Everyone was always busy, always got things to do. I don't blame them. If I had an agenda, I wouldn't have wasted my time here either." She scrunched up her nose in confusion – so freaking cute, I almost forgot how cute – and asked me, "What do you mean too busy? The employees are actually busy doing something?" I was about to answer her when someone knocked on the door.

"Room service!" I stood up, confused. I mumbled, more to myself than to anyone else, "I didn't order any room service." I unlocked the door. Maddie cried out surprised, "Esteban!" and sprang out of the couch to mangle him in a hug. And apparently, it really was Esteban. Damn, Esteban changed a lot, I thought to myself. Then I felt guilty because I hadn't even concerned myself with Esteban over these past two years. It's just that he's always been so busy that he hardly had time to breathe without getting a dime docked from his paycheck. He had an armload of fresh white towels and was struggling to hand them over to me while trying to push Maddie off him as well. She was just so happy to see him. I felt a pang of jealousy. And then I thought to myself, I'm jealous of a bellhop? Wow, I need to get out more. No offense or anything. Esteban had helped me and my brother out of some really tight spots back then, and I still owe him to this day.

When he finally handed me the towels, he seemed more relieved than usual. I set the towels down on the table. Maddie asked him, "Wait, Esteban, why are you performing room service duties? Aren't you a bellhop?" Esteban explained, "There are not enough employees, so the remaining few have to do everyone else's jobs until business goes back up." Maddie put her hands on her hips and said, "Why, what's wrong with Tipton?" Esteban cleared his throat and said, "A lot has changed since you were gone. Mr. Tipton has been losing a lot of business ever since the owner his rival, the owner of the St. Mark Hotel across the street, expanded his own empire to other countries in Europe. Mr. Tipton tried to regain control of the industry, but he lost a lot of money while doing it." He sighed. "He might have to consider selling his stocks and even this place to maintain his financial status, but that's going to be quite a challenge." Even I was surprised. I had been hearing rumors about the whole Tipton versus St. Mark deal, but I had no idea that it was that serious. Maddie was downright shocked.

"Ohmygosh!" she exclaimed. "How is Mr. Moseby taking this?" Esteban shrugged and answered, "I suppose he's managing, if that's what you call it. But if Mr. Tipton sells this place, we're all out of jobs." He looked at me meaningfully and then added, "And also out of homes." Maddie shook her head and said, "I don't even want to think about how London is taking this." We all know how that went last time. Esteban sighed as he said, "Well, I have to get going before Mr. Moseby starts yelling at me for wasting time. There have been tons of special guests arriving from all over the world to increase popularity for the Tipton, and I need to go tend to them." He tipped his bellhop cap at Maddie and said, "It was nice seeing you again, Maddie." He clapped me on the back lightly and began, "And you..." He paused for a moment to break in a grin as if he had just recognized I was there and continued, "Nice seeing you too, Zack. Take care of yourself, you hear?" He nodded his head as he took one good look at me before walking out the door.

Maddie smiled sadly and said, "Looks like everything has changed around here, even the people." I shook my head and replied to her, "Not everything. People, maybe, but not everything." She couldn't hold my gaze as she broke away from it. I was closer to her. Too close. But she saw that too. Before I could make a single move, she gently pushed me away. She confessed quickly, "I don't feel the same way you do." Before I could say anything, she said softly, "Let's hold it off for now. Let's just see where this takes us." I can't be satisfied with that. I grabbed her shoulders lightly and pulled her toward me. I stared into her eyes and said, "That's not good enough for me. I need to know... I've been dying to know all this time... do I... even stand a chance?" She asked me, almost whispering now, "Would you really wait for me?" I broke my grip and turned away from her. I couldn't see her face; I didn't want to read what she was thinking. I answered, distantly, "A lifetime."

She touched my fingertips with hers. Even though she released my fingers the instant she held on, I could see in her eyes. I could feel it in her words, the ones she said and the ones she didn't say.

Whatever you want. If it takes me a lifetime to be with you, a lifetime it is. No more, no less.