Issuu

Day 1 3. Room 808 Michael Craig and Hope were giddy when they walked into the hotel elevator. He took a mental picture of them as a couple as they passed the mirrors in the lobby and in the mirror that covered the back wall. The stood there holding hands watching the door close. And when it began to move, Michael turned fast, and pushed his mouth on hers. Her sunglasses smacked against the bridge of his nose. “Mr. Lazaretto,” she squealed repelling a little. “I am not that type of girl.” And she gave a sly grin.

Michael then took her arms hard in his hands and twirled her backwards - him facing her neck. Then he yanked her to him - and bit her neck. Hope moaned. “Watch yourself.” Michael motioned her to the mirror in the back of the elevator. He was already watching. Then when he saw her eyes taking in their reflection, his mouth went to the place between her shoulder blades. And she groaned. And just as quickly as the elevator was moving, it stopped. The door dinged – and opened suddenly. They saw the busboy in the mirror because their backs were to the door. He quickly released her arms and they turned to stand in the direction of the open doors. The Chinese busboy moved inside uneasy. Michael and Hope tried to hold in their laughter by looking up at the digital elevator screen and it showed Floor 2. There were six more floors left and her panties were already wet. Hope looked down at her hotel key. Their room was 808. They stood there smiling stupidly and holding each other’s hands a little too hard. It was almost hard to believe she was with him. He looked in the reflection of the closed elevator door and made sure it was really her – and he looked down and saw her hand holding his. It always seemed to Michael that Hope didn’t really exist. She flew in and out of his life effortlessly – and he spent most of his time waiting for her to reappear. And then when she did re-appear it always seemed to go by so fast – and then she was gone again. He even found himself walking the streets of Central, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, and Taikoo hoping by accident or by fate he would see her. Even if she was holding the hands of her fiancé, he wanted to see her. He often wondered if his and her eyes and expression would give them away if they passed as “strangers” on the street. He would do his best to remain anonymous. But to him it would prove she was alive. And it would

prove that she is doing the same thing as he is doing – living two lives. One life that everyone approves of. And another life that he approves of. On the seventh floor, the elevator stopped and the doors opened and the busboy scampered out. Hope then laughed. “I think we made him horny,” she said. “You can smell how horny we are just being in the same elevator,” Michael said. And as soon as the door closed and the elevator moved – the doors opened again. Then there on the wall were the signs that pointed left and right – and to the right were rooms 800 – 816. Michael moved fast down the corridor pulling his luggage – and Hope tugged backwards. “Why you in such a hurry?” “I have been waiting for you for three weeks.” “And you have me for twenty four hours.” She reaffirmed. “Not long enough,” he said and began moving fast again. He came to the door and pushed his room key into the slot. It clicked but then the lock flashed red on its LED. He did it again – and it clicked but again the LED flashed red and pushing on the door – it kept. “Shit.” “Patience,” Hope said. She took her room key and slid it down slowly and then withdrew. It clicked and then there was a swack sound – then the LED flashed green. Hope pushed on the door and it gave way. She turned to Michael and winked, “See. Patience.” Then Hope went on into the room. Michael followed. “You know I had the same thing happen earlier today when I was packing my bags. I couldn’t zip the zipper because I was in such a hurry. Isabella had to do it for me.” And Michael slid his luggage into the corner beside the television. When he turned around, Hope was standing there biting her lip. “What are you looking at?” Hope just gave a wicked smile and licked her lips. Michael moved towards her and she took her hands and pushed him away. Then putting her fingers lightly on his shoulders – she traced the tips of her fingers down this arms, then she returned to his chest and they moved downwards, downwards. She hooked into his belt loops and jerked him forward. Then her fingers went to his buckle and with intensity she unsnapped it. His belt came undone.

Michael leaned in to kiss her – her hands rushed upward and shoved him backwards. But before he could fall back to far – she hooked his belt loops again and brought his hips back to her. “Patience,” she purred. She then moved forward and came to rest on her knees. Michael looked down at her. And she was looking up at him with her eyes wide and a wicked smile. “Patience,” she said and then began to unzip his pants.

They finally ended hours later in a sweaty heap on the floor. The sheets were ripped off the bed and tied around them. Their foreheads still had beads of sweat. “I need some water to swallow it all down,” Hope said breathless. Michael tried to stand up but his thighs were trembling. He propped himself on the bed and stood. Then he went to the mini-bar and found a cold bottled water. He twisted the top and selfishly he took a quick first sip. And then he stood over her naked – holding down the bottled water. Hope leaned up on her elbows – the sheets coming down and exposing her breasts, her nipples still hard – she snatched the water and took multiple gulps. While taking a breath, she put the cold bottle against her face. “God, you are a work out.” She said. “And just when I don’t think I could cum any more, I do.” Michael laughed and sat down Indian style on the floor. The light outside had become evening and the neon lights of Wan Chai were filtering into the room. Hope’s face was radiant – being highlighted in red and yellow neon lights blinking. He put his hand against her cheek. “You are so beautiful.” Hope just smiled meekly. Michael reached up and took a pillow off the bed and put it behind him and leaned back. Hope crawled on top of him and sat naked. He just watched her. “Why do we have to do this in secret?” he asked. “Why can’t we be together?” Hope stayed quiet and just watched him.

“We are perfect for each other.” Hope reached out her hand and cupped his cheek. “Not the right time.”

“When will be the right time?” Hope looked uncomfortable. “I don’t know.” “I love you,” Michael said. “I know you do.” And Hope stopped. Michael just watched her – and she stared back. Then he adjusted the pillow and he leaned flat against the floor and Hope moved off his body and then came back on him and rested her head against his chest. And soon they were asleep.

Suzy sat in her office and was taking a break while checking her Facebook. Mostly messages from her friends and family in Canada asking how Hong Kong was treating her. And how did it feel to take over her dad’s hotel. That’s when there was a knock on the door. But before waiting to enter, Jasmin, one of the front desk ladies burst inside. Suzy minimized her Facebook as quickly as possible. “Hey!” “Sorry ma’m. But the police are outside telling people to move back from the hotel.” Suzy’s eyebrows wrinkled. “What the fuck?” Suzy jumped up and just then the phone rang. She ignored it and went out to the front desk and she saw it. They were wrapping police tape in front of the front entrance. Just then one of the cooks of the restaurant – complete with his chef hat came into the lobby speaking loudly in Cantonese. Suzy turned to Jasmin, “He is speaking too fast. What is he saying?” Jasmin spoke to the chef in Cantonese. The chef spoke more loudly. Jasmin turned to Suzy, “The police are blocking the back entrance too. And all those smoking outside were commanded to go inside for further instructions!” Suzy looked around and it seemed that the hotel was in panic. Some of the customers in the lobby started heading for the doors – and that’s when three people in white hazmat uniforms broke through the crowd and stopped them. The customers began asking repeatedly, “You cannot stop us! We have the right to leave!” Those in the hazmat uniforms shook their heads and spoke in broken English, “Please return inside the lobby. Please do not panic. Instructions will follow.” The customers kept moving further outside.

One of them in a hazmat uniform spoke authoratively, “IF YOU CONTINUE, WE WILL BE FORCED TO ARREST YOU. Please return inside the lobby.” The customers – two men – a Japanese man in a business suit and a Caucasian in shorts and a tee shirt – stopped. The hazmat persons grabbed their arms by the elbow and started directing them back. The Caucasian man shoved the hazmat uniform away. “Get your fucking hands off of me!” “Miss Wong, you have a phone call!” Yuki at the front desk said. “Can’t you see that I am busy?” Suzy said. Yuki was adamant, “It’s the police chief. He says he is outside!” Suzy glanced outside – just past the barrier of the yellow police tape – and saw one of the police officers lift his hand and wave. His other hand was holding a mobile phone. Then he pointed to the phone. Suzy went to the phone and felt her voice crack, “Way?” “Miss Wong. I am Commander Lee of the Hong Kong Police. Did you have a Mister Garcia register in your hotel this afternoon?” “What the hell is going on?” Suzy demanded. He spoke in Cantonese rather quickly. Suzy shook her head and shot back. “Can you speak in English please? You are speaking too fast.” “I said did you have a Mister Raul Garcia check into your hotel this afternoon?” “Our customer check-in and check-out information is private.” “Well, Mister Garcia said he checked into your hotel this afternoon. And soon after, he went to the hospital because he was suffering from a high fever.” Suzy nodded looking across the lobby through the window – to the police commander holding the phone against his ear. “What does this have to do with disrupting my business?” “He tested positive for H1N1.” Suzy went quiet. “The government Hong Kong is going to quarantine your hotel. We want to know who came in contact with Mister Garcia and put them under observation. No one can leave the hotel until the quarantine period is over.”

Suzy pulled the phone off her ear. “Shit!” she yelled as loud as she could. She then returned to the phone to her ear. “How long is this quarantine period?” “The government is still assessing that.” “And what do I do in the mean time?” “Be patient. Calm your customers. We will be sending in a medical team in the next hour. We need you to bring all check in hotel guests to the lobby for testing and instructions. And any hotel guests who are outside of the hotel will be brought back inside the hotel for testing – and will not be permitted to leave. That understood?” “And if I don’t comply?” Suzy said just to be a smart ass. “We don’t want to but if we have to – you will be arrested.” She almost said back, “Come and get me,” but bit her tongue. A crowd was developing outside the hotel – and they were peering in through the large window walls of the lobby – like the inside of the hotel was some kind of new zoo. Then suddenly, Suzy saw the news crews take their places on the other side of the street probably tipped off by the police scanners and insiders on the police force. Suzy stood there quietly in shock. She saw the hazmat team paste yellow police tape across the entrance so no one could go in and outside of the hotel without permission from the authorities. Suzy hung up the phone. Everyone around her looked at her in a panic. Jasmin was the first to speak up, “What is going on?” “The hotel is under quarantine.” The customers were standing at the front desk. The Caucasian yelled out, “Quarantine?! Why?” “It seems we have a guest who tested positive for H1N1 swine flu.” “What does that have to do with us?!” the Caucasian screamed back. “Apparently we have all been exposed. The government of Hong Kong is quarantining all guests – inside and outside of the hotel.” “What do we do now?” Yuki asked.

Suzy took a deep breath. “We need to get all employees and guests in the lobby. The government will be sending in medical teams to test everyone within the hour. And they will explain the next steps.” Then in the corner of her eye – she saw a news crew come next to the far window wall and the news anchor was holding a microphone and pointing inside the lobby. “Fuck,” Suzy said under her breath. “This will be great for business.” She then said a little more softer, “I really hate you dad.” That’s when the police showed up and pushed away the news crews and started putting up large white sheets of paper to cover the windows so no one could see inside.

Michael went into a deep, deep sleep. And then he began to dream. Michael saw himself sleeping – and hearing the alarm – and when he cracked his eyelids - it was a beautiful sunny morning streaming in the windows of his loft in Redhook. When the alarm went off, he heard the woman sleeping on his chest groaning disapprovingly. She turned her head and her diamond necklace caught on his chest hair. He winced and plucked it out. Then he reached over to touch the alarm to hit the snooze. Then he closed his eyes. But then the alarm went off again. He leaned his hand over in his dream and tried to hit the snooze button again. But it wouldn’t stop. It just started ringing more and more. Then there was the sound of an explosion and the scene changed. And suddenly he was sitting at his desk on the thirty-fourth floor – and looking out the window of his office into the clear blue sky. And he saw the debris fall – and then the power flickered. The loudspeaker came on, “Please do not panic. Please evacuate down the stairs to the lobby in an orderly fashion.” The scene changed. And there he was in the mezzanine walking in the throng of the panicked – and the light of the morning was streaming in – and there was a pop, thwack, and then time would pass – and then another pop. He looked up at the glass above him – and saw the glass crack, fissure, and cover with red. And while walking, felt water fall on his arms, on his face. He looked down and it was drops of blood. Suddenly, he was outside – and the air smelled like jet fuel, fire, and debris – papers were flying. He was on his mobile hitting redial over and over. It kept giving him a busy signal. And then he heard one of the firemen yell, “Watch out!” And Michael turned to see one of the firemen spin and began to run just as an object, a thing, a person explode into him from above – and two bodies became a mass of human pulp and blood. The flesh, blood splattered Michael. Michael tasted it in his mouth –

and felt his body get weak. And he fell. A fireman came to him yelling urgently, “Keep moving! Keep fucking moving!” Michael wiped the flesh and blood out of his eyes – and then he stood although his knees were weak then he saw the flicker, the sparkle. He saw on the ground in the midst of the body parts – a diamond necklace. A diamond necklace was sparkling in the beautiful morning sun. Then he heard the roar of engines above him and there was another explosion. Michael burst awake and the hotel door broke open. Michael suddenly realized where he was and looked in the direction where the door had been locked and two people entered in white hazmat uniforms. They moved around the bed and stood over them on the floor. One held a clipboard. “Mister Lazaretto?” Michael composed himself. “What the hell? What the fuck are you doing in here?” Hope woke with a start and covered herself. “Oh my god.” She whispered. And then even more faintly, “They caught us…” Her voice trailed off. “The hotel is under quarantine. All guests are instructed to evacuate to the lobby immediately. Didn’t you hear the loudspeaker?” the person with the clipboard said. She began writing something down. “Is this Missus Jones?” the one writing on the clipboard asked. Hope was quiet with her answer, “Yes.” “Please get dressed and report downstairs immediately.” And another person in blue medical scrubs came in from the hall and peeked in. Then they brought out a walkie-talkie, “Room 808 has been accounted for. They are coming down now.”