Free Human Blend by Lori Pescatore Page A

employees,”
she said.
    “Are you going to look into getting a more
permanent place?” he asked her.
    “Most likely, on my next day off,” she
answered.
    “You might want to check the hospital
bulletin board, located in the lobby. There are usually postings
there about rentals,” he told her.
    “I'll do that. Thanks,” she said, as they
pulled up in front of the hotel. “Thanks for the ride,” Julie
said.
    “Wait. Here, take this,” he said, handing her
an umbrella from the back seat.
    “Thanks, but I can run through the
raindrops.” She gave a teasing grin before getting out of the car.
Julie made a mad dash for the awning overhang and made it with
barely a drop on her. She turned and waved, before ducking inside
the building.
    She made her way over to the front desk. Her
first order of business was to extend her stay into next week. This
way she would have time to find a place of her own. A place of
my own, she marveled at the thought of that.
    “Miss Miller, how wonderful to see you
again,” Anthony greeted.
    “Hello, Anthony. I would like to extend my
stay here for another week,” Julie said.
    “Absolutely. We can accommodate you, no
problem,” he replied.
    Julie was happy to see that he seemed a
little less skittish around her today. “I'll be down later this
evening to pay the balance,” she instructed.
    “That will be fine. Is there anything else I
can do for you?” he asked her.
    “No. I'm good, thanks,” Julie said, turning,
heading for the stairs.
    “Oh, Miss Miller. I almost forgot. You
received a delivery today,” Anthony said, as Julie turned back
around. He handed her a long thin box with a note attached that was
addressed to her.
    “Thank you,” Julie said, accepting the
package with a perplexed look. She put the package down on a nearby
table in the lobby and detached the note, opening it carefully. A
smile came to her face when she read it.
     
    Julie,
    I hope you had a good first day at work, and
that it was everything you were looking for. I'm working for my mom
until six tonight and hope to see you afterwards, if you are up to
it.
    Austin.
     
    Julie opened the box and took out the single
red rose that was inside. She sniffed the sweet smelling flower
before returning it to the box to take it upstairs.
    “Secret admirer?” a voice suddenly beside her
asked.
    Julie recognized him as the man from this
morning. “Excuse me?” she asked, wondering why he was still
lingering in the lobby.
    “Usually, when a woman receives a single
rose, it's from a secret admirer,” he commented.
    “I know exactly who this is from,” she
replied, giving an annoyed look at him. “Do you just hang out in
the lobby all day?” she asked him, suddenly curious as to why he
seemed to be lurking.
    The man laughed. “No, I'm here on business,”
the man replied, with what struck her as an eerie smile. She turned
and headed up the stairs. “Somebody special?” the man asked, as she
made her way up. She turned to give him what she hoped was a look
that said 'mind your own business' and continued to her room.
    The encounter had shaken her a bit. There was
something creepy about the man. Looking at the box she held helped
to put the smile back on her face. “I need to buy a vase,” she
said, opening the box to look at the rose again. The ice bucket
caught her eye. That would make a short term vase until she could
pick one up. She filled the bucket partially with water from the
sink in the bathroom and gently rested the stem in it.
    Julie relaxed on her bed for a few minutes,
with the day's events playing out in her head. Her eyes kept
straying back to the makeshift vase. She was looking forward to
seeing Austin later that evening.
    Restless, Julie got up and retrieved the
money from the safe. She counted out what she would need to pay for
extended stay at the hotel. Once that was completed, she went
through her duffel bag and pulled out the garments that needed
washing. The hotel had provided a