Chapter 4
Old friends
Lottie looks away.
Once Jasper and the woman pull away, the woman looks down at Lottie. " Jasper who is this?" her voice is pleasant and gentle. "This is an old friend that I grew up with. Alice meet Lottie. Alice is my girlfriend." He notices Lottie's face grow sad. "I'm not just his girlfriend, I'm his fiancé."
Lottie suddenly feels like a hole has just been dug into her stomach. She smiles, but not the smile that always reached her eyes. "Congratulations." is all she manages to get out. Alice smiles at her. She looks around and notices where they are. "Why are we in a graveyard?" "I'm paying a visit to my mother." Lottie says in a small voice. "oh I'm so sorry I didn't know." Alice says in a regretful voice. "It's fine. Well I can see that you two have some catching up to do. So Jasper I'll stop by your house and get my things." Lottie rises to her feet, dusts her pants off, and looks at the happy couple. "Lottie, I told you that you could stay at my house." Jasper says feeling like someone just hit repeatedly in the face. "No, Jasper, if I stay then I'll just be in the way of you and Alice." "No you wont. I already told you, you won't be in the way." "Jasper I'm not going to fight with you about this. I'm checking into a hotel." Lottie turns her back on them and starts to walk away before Jasper even opens his mouth.
"She seems like a nice girl." Alice says while watching Lottie walk away. "She's the best." Jaspers replies. "She looks so familiar. What did you say her name was again?" "Lottie Winston." Alice thinks about where she might know her from somewhere then it finally dongs on her. "Isn't she that really famous American singer?" "Yep, that's her." "Then what is doing here in London? She doesn't have a tour this year." "She grew up here. We grew up together. Right next door to each other in fact. I guess you could say that were inseparable growing up…that is until her mother passed away." "Do you think she'll mind singing at the wedding. I've always loved her music." "I don't know…I'll ask her." during the whole conversation Jasper barrel paid attention to what Alice said. He was to busy thinking about the kiss that he and Lottie shared no more than two hours ago.
Across town Lottie is walking through the streets looking for a good place to stay until she can find a home of her own. A few people stop her in the streets because they recognized her as being 'Lottie Winston the worlds greatest singer.' And they wanted to take a few pictures with her and get a couple of autographs. No matter how much she tried to turn the people down by saying "I would love to, but I look a mess. I'm all wet from being out in the rain." But her true fans didn't mind, they just told her that she is still just a pretty wet as when she is dry.
After a while the fans and pictures die down. Lottie stops in front of a small café. London was always known for it's little shops. She steps foot inside and steps up to the register. "Hello, what can I get you?" the man behind the counter asks giving her his best smile. She returns the smile. "Hi, can I get…" she looks up at the menu. "a vanilla bean frappuchino?" "What size?" "Just a regular." "Okay your total is 4.25." Lottie hands the man the money. He goes off to make her drink. She looks around the café and sees a few seats. She goes over and sits in one of them. She also notices a few couples acting as if no one was around. Lottie looks at her lap and avoids looking at the couples. "Vanilla bean frappé?" she looks up and sees the man holding up her drink. She gets up and takes the drink from him. "Thank you."
As Lottie is walking down the sidewalk, she looks down at her feet while walking and occasionally taking a sip of her coffee. After a while she ends up in front of a hotel that she had once stayed at when she was touring. She goes through the gliding door and up to the front desk. "Excuse me?" Lottie asks the receptionist sitting in her chair. The woman looks up at her and smiles. "Yes ma'am?" "I would like to check in." Lottie looks at the woman contently.
"Do you have a room reserved?" the woman opens a book full of names and room numbers. "No, I do not. When I got here I didn't know I was going to be staying at a hotel. I was suppose to with a friend, but he had some things going on." "Ah, I see." She looks down at the book. "Well we have a few nice rooms available. Of course the room size depends on the amount you pay." "How much is the nicest room?"
The woman looks at Lottie like she was crazy. "the nicest and most expensive room is 2,000." "I'll take it." Lottie prepares to get out her card. "Miss I don't think you can afford it." The woman begins to stand up. This time it was Lottie's turn to look at her like she was crazy. "can you just get me the room please?" "But ma'am I'm telling you. That room hasn't been rented for-" "I know when the room was last rented. If this is the room I am thinking about. Then it has been a year since it was rented because Lottie Watson was the last one to rent it. And I am she." By this point Lottie's voice begins to rise, which causes the manager to come over. "Is there a problem Loraine?" "No sir, this woman is claiming that she is Lottie Watson. How can she be her when Lottie has not been to London in nearly over a year?"
The manager looks at Lottie and smiles. "I'm so sorry Lottie she's the new receptionist." "Yes, I can tell. Walter, how have you been?" "I am a lot better now that you are a back in London." Lottie smiles at Walter. "Do you think I could have my usual room please?" "Why of course you can. That room is always yours." She laughs slightly.
"Then I guess I will paying the same time I always do." "And when is that Lottie?" "When I get ready to leave." "Of course how could I forget. Right this way." Walter ushers her towards the elevator.