"I'm sorry," the receptionist apologized dejectedly. "It was a sudden breakdown, it'll take a few hours of work. I can tell you some nearby places..."
Belinda nodded.
When she woke up that morning, she'd felt a negative feeling, and with the news she'd just received, her discomfort increased; a long and tiring day lay ahead.
The first problem now was breakfast. Given the plumbing problem in the kitchen, she had to convince Naomi to go out and find a nearby café.
Getting her to move on an empty stomach was a disaster; she became nervous and irritable every time it happened. Belinda remembered certain scenes well, at home, when they were running late and had to have breakfast at school or elsewhere.
She turned away resignedly, expecting the usual scolding, but was surprised to see her sister smile.
She frowned in puzzlement.
"We can go to a café nearby, Linda, no problem." Naomi took her hand.
Stunned, she followed her out of the lobby, wondering about her sudden change of heart. She understood her sister's motives as soon as she saw her stride briskly toward the entrance of the Ritz Hotel.
"Wait a minute, where are you going?" he shouted, chasing her. "The bar's across the street."
"I'm unmanageable without breakfast, and I don't want to ruin my day, so the least you can do is buy me some at the Ritz," he replied with a mischievous smile.
"Let's not start at this hour, please," she huffed impatiently. "You stopped talking about those people at three in the morning, still mumbling their names even in your sleep. Give me a break for a few minutes."
"But I'm not doing anything, I just asked for a proper breakfast."
"This stay is turning into a nightmare. Thank goodness we're leaving tomorrow night..." Belinda, exasperated, ran a hand through her hair.
Meanwhile, Annalisa was looking around, casting fearful glances at the hotel concierge. "Will they let us in?"
"We're guests, of course they'll let us in. They have an open bar, open to the public as well." Naomi strode confidently toward the entrance, gave the man a warm smile, and in a captivating tone asked for directions to the bar. Having received an answer, without waiting for either her or Annalisa, she headed inside to find a free table.
The other two shook their heads in resignation and followed her.
They found Naomi sitting at a corner table, a strategic position from which they could see the entire staircase, the elevator area, and the entrance. So, if the band had been nearby, they would have spotted her and reached her in seconds.
"You're so cheeky," her sister scolded her. "What would we look like if they came down and found us here?"
"But we're just having breakfast, and besides, we have an alibi, right?"
"...Alibi?" asked Belinda, surprised.
"Yes, the broken kitchen in our hotel."
Belinda chose not to answer and strode toward the newspaper stand on the other side of the room to give herself time to breathe and calm down.
She scanned the front pages and chose a newspaper. Reading helped distract her, so much so that when her cell phone rang, she answered immediately, without looking at the screen...
"Hello?"
"Hello."
That simple greeting froze her. The newspaper, suspended in midair, slipped from her hands and landed at the feet of a surprised waiter, who picked it up and handed it to her with a smile.
Belinda picked up the newspaper and placed it on the counter behind her, leaning on it with all her weight; her face was ashen and her mouth dry. Her every movement was lifeless, mechanical, like that of an automaton. The world began to move quickly, and she felt as if her eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.
She took deep breaths to regain her composure, but she felt as if she couldn't take in any air. She tried to hold on to the counter to keep from falling.
"Hey, it's Alex!" exclaimed the voice on the other end of the phone.
A nightmare, it's just a nightmare, she repeated to herself. She felt like she was sinking.
The horrible feeling she'd had when she woke up was coming true. A strong sense of panic gripped her, sapping her strength and breathing.
Numb, she thought she saw her sister running toward her, but she couldn't move, while a layer of cold sweat ran down her back.
Alex had returned from hell to torment her.
Naomi snatched the phone from her hands, looked at the display, and before hanging up, shouted a ferocious, "Asshole, get lost!"
Belinda continued to concentrate on her breathing to avoid passing out, while her stomach tightened, causing terrible nausea. A tremor ran through her body, she felt her throat constricted in suffocation, and her heart pounding in her chest.
Someone lifted her bodily, carried her to a table, sat her down, and placed a glass in her hands.
"Drink."
It was a man's voice. Belinda was sure she'd heard it before, but she couldn't tell who it belonged to.
She shook her head; the mere thought of swallowing something made her gag, but the hand pushed the glass to her mouth, forcing her to force it.
The first sip went down the wrong way, making her cough and forcing her to emerge from the confusion she'd sunk into.
A few faces stared at her worriedly. She tried to focus on them, recognizing her sister, Annalisa, and... Tom and Klaus were there too.
"Are you okay?" the drummer asked her.
"Yes..." Although the water had improved the situation a bit, her mouth was still stuffy and she struggled to speak. "Yes, I'm fine."
She felt confused and that absurd cold sensation blocked her stomach making her tremble.
"You scared me!" Naomi was pale, her eyes wide with apprehension.
"I don't know what happened to me… I suddenly felt dizzy…" she stammered, confused.
"See what happens when you want to leave without breakfast?" Her sister winked at her.
She stared at her, bewildered, but gratefully accepted Naomi's intervention. She launched into a quick summary of what had happened in their hotel kitchen, justifying their presence at the bar and saving her from having to explain further.
"Now, let's order something right away, okay?" she concluded with a smile.
"Okay." Belinda nodded resignedly.
She took a deep breath, feeling her body relax a little. She was grateful for her sister and Klaus's care; she knew that if she were alone, she wouldn't have been able to handle the myriad of sensations she was experiencing.
She turned to look at Tom, who was watching her seriously. She had the feeling he hadn't believed her story about the low blood sugar. She gave him a tremulous smile and patted him on the arm.
"Are you okay, really?" he asked, frowning.
"Yes, and I'm sorry for making you lift me."
"You're so light, I'm not surprised you're having these fainting spells..." he muttered annoyedly.
"I swear it's never happened to me before."
"Do you want anything special or the usual cappuccino?" asked Naomi.
"Cappuccino is fine."
Belinda smiled at her sister, who stood up and, along with Annalisa and Klaus, went to order.
"Maybe it's bad for you to get certain calls early in the morning," Tom whispered. He leaned toward her. "I saw you at the counter, you know?"
Belinda paled again and felt the nausea return, but she tried to fight it by breathing deeply.
"Tom..."
He stopped her by raising a hand. "Don't worry, you don't have to tell me." He smiled faintly. "It's just that I was sorry to see you like this, that's all."
Crossing his arms, he let out a smile.
"Careful, you might become a good boy!"
At that moment, two shadows fell over them. They looked up, thinking their orders had arrived, but they met Bill's eyes.
Belinda blushed, as if caught in the act, but Tom waved nonchalantly at his brother.
"Up already, Bill?"
"Yes, I was thinking of popping into the hotel boutique to find some accessories," he replied, continuing to look at the girl. "Weren't you supposed to go out with Klaus?"
"Yes, that was the intention, but we had to help a damsel in distress." Tom smiled and turned to her.
Belinda sighed. "Good morning, Bill."
"Hi." He looked at her carefully. "What happened?"
"Something stupid," he shrugged. "I had a slight feeling."
"Not so slight, considering she almost fainted," Tom clarified, reaching out to touch her face.
"I'm fine now, Tom. Stop reminding me," she grumbled, avoiding him.
"Oh, don't worry. My brother is a specialist in embarrassing others," Bill pointed out, his tone sharp. He looked very different that morning, without makeup, with his hair scrunched up, hidden under a baseball cap, and dressed casually. He looked so normal that Belinda was surprised.
At that moment the others arrived, Naomi taking a seat next to Bill, greeting him warmly and involving him in their little misadventure.
Belinda shifted her attention to Tom, who kept glancing from Naomi to Bill.
"Did I miss something?" She leaned toward him across the table. "Why are you so possessive with me?"
"Does it bother you?" he teased, leaning his face close to hers.
"I don't like being used by people; maybe you guys do it often with your fans, but I assure you, it doesn't amuse me."
"I just wanted to give your sister some time to spend with Bill," he replied, bored.
"If you so much as take liberties with her, I'll rip your head off first," he hissed through gritted teeth.
Tom laughed, leaning his head back and letting his hair sway. "I'd love to take up your challenge, but I don't enjoy competing with someone who can't even stand up," he teased.
"I might surprise you; if they touch Tinker Bell, I'll become a real hyena. At first glance, she may seem superficial, but you don't know her. She doesn't need to sleep with your brother to feel fulfilled."
"There are so many girls who would do crazy things for us..." Tom pointed out cheekily.
"For us too, trust me!" she challenged, raising her chin.
They stared at each other for a moment and then burst out laughing. Tom shook his head in amusement.
"Don't try to be cynical with me, I don't believe you anyway." She wagged a warning finger under his nose. "I just saw a side of you that I don't think many people know."
"Okay, if you keep my secret, I promise not to make any more stupid comments," Tom offered, holding out a hand.
Belinda shook it. "Okay... although I know you won't last long."
Sensing the others' gazes on them, they turned. Ten pairs of eyes stared at them in puzzlement, while they continued to laugh.
"I see Tom managed to get you to come to," Bill muttered through gritted teeth.
"With his face that deserves a good beating... But he's definitely heavy, how can you stand him?"
"I don't know... sometimes I just can't stand him," Bill admitted, glaring at his brother.
"I think he's jealous because you don't give him any attention," Tom whispered softly, leaning across the table.
"Stop talking nonsense," he muttered softly, blushing.
"You don't know him like I do," the boy sneered, rocking in his chair. "If you spent more time with him, you'd agree with me."
Belinda rolled her eyes; he was truly unbearable, with the face of a mischievous little elf, with deep, lively eyes. If he hadn't had that cocky grin, he could have been a truly interesting guy.
She admired the way he was protective of his brother and anyone in need, but she hid that characteristic under a veil of bravado, to make it seem like he was a real tough guy; after all, that was the aura he'd projected to his fans through the press.
She stared at him for a few seconds, slyly. "What if I liked you?"
Tom stopped rocking his chair and his eyes widened in surprise.
"There, I managed to shut you up for a few seconds." Belinda grinned with satisfaction and turned to the others, who had witnessed the argument but were unable to grasp its meaning. "Can someone pass me a croissant?"
Breakfast continued peacefully, with the others occasionally casting puzzled glances.
Those moments had distracted Belinda, restoring some serenity. In her heart, she was deeply grateful to Tom. Meeting that group of kids, so similar in private to other young people their age, made her feel good. She realized she had been wrong and that she enjoyed their company; she had misjudged them, based only on what the glossy magazines had to say.
She glanced at her watch and realized the shops had been open for a while. If they wanted to make their planned tour, they had to get going immediately or they wouldn't be back in time for the concert.
"It's getting late, shall we go?" she said, turning to her traveling companions.
Naomi stared at her annoyed; she didn't feel like moving right now, not even for the shopping she loved so much. Annalisa also looked displeased, and she certainly couldn't blame her; Kristian had just said something that made her smile.
"We could all go for a walk together, if you promise your fans won't attack us," she suggested casually. "There's a mall nearby where I'd like to buy some pants."
Naomi's eyes widened at the proposal, taken aback.
Was she really inviting them out? Unbelievable! Maybe she needed to feel bad more often to be reasonable, she thought with a sly smile.
Belinda looked at Bill, who was staring at her thoughtfully, while the others exchanged long glances.
"I know it's as complicated for you to go out as us poor mortals, but maybe we're lucky. And I think Tom would be more at peace if he saw that I'd truly recovered."
The interested man winked at her and immediately stood up, offering her his hand.
"Fine by me. I'll put on a hat and sunglasses, and I'm ready."
Bill remained silent, watching them intently, his arms crossed over his chest. He had been silent for most of breakfast, answering the girls' questions in monosyllables.
Belinda smiled at him slyly.
"Bill, wouldn't you like to come and browse? Maybe you'll find something original... I promise you'll have a truly ordinary-boy experience, and we won't be late."
He gave her a long, intense look that unsettled her, forcing her to bow her head.
"Okay, let's try," she agreed, slowly standing up and glaring at her brother.
Tom ignored him and, taking Belinda by the arm, put on his sunglasses and headed toward the entrance, followed by the others.