As evening approached, Evelyn busied herself preparing to move out of the Stone Palace Hotel to another hotel, away from Derek. She doubted she could find and move into an apartment over the weekend, so a temporary move to a different hotel was preferable. Samantha watched curiously as Evelyn packed, sensing a change but not understanding it. The tension was palpable, despite Evelyn's attempts to remain cheerful.
"Mommy, are we traveling again?" Samantha asked after a while.
"No, darling. We're not traveling. Tomorrow, Mommy's moving you to a more comfortable place," Evelyn said, smiling.
"But I like it here. Aunt Maya likes it too," Samantha protested. Evelyn paused.
"I'm sure you do, pumpkin, but don't Mommy's feelings count too?" Evelyn asked playfully, pouting slightly. Samantha sighed.
"Will the new place have a playground?" she asked hopefully.
"I'm sorry, darling, I don't think so," Evelyn admitted, having a policy of not lying to her daughter.
Samantha's face fell, breaking Evelyn's heart. Evelyn pulled her onto her lap. "We won't be there long, I promise. And once we move to our own place, we'll visit nearby parks often, and even go to the amusement park!"
Samantha looked up. "Before then, can I go to the playground?"
"No"
"Please, Mommy," Samantha pleaded, her eyes wide.
Unable to resist, Evelyn sighed. What harm could it do? Derek wouldn't recognize her at a glance, and she doubted he'd pay attention to children at the playground. Maybe she was overthinking it. As long as he didn't see them together, everything should be fine.
"Alright. But promise you won't talk to strangers," Evelyn warned.
"What if I see Rek?" Samantha asked, hoping to see him again.
"You met Rek already, so he's not a stranger," Evelyn said, still assuming Rek was a boy.
"Yay!" Samantha squealed, running to Maya's room to tell her they could go to the playground.
Evelyn smiled. "Make sure you're well-covered before you leave," she called.
As Samantha and Maya headed to the playground, Samantha spotted Derek and ran to him, releasing Maya's hand.
"Rek!" she called excitedly.
Derek turned, smiling in recognition. He crouched down. "Hey, Sam! How are you doing?" Maya followed, but stopped a few feet away.
"I'm fine. I'm going to the playground," Samantha said excitedly.
"That's nice. Have fun!" Derek said. Samantha nodded.
"Mommy said we're leaving tomorrow, so I might not see you again," she said, pouting.
"Oh, dear. I'll miss you," Derek said; this was their third encounter, their second conversation. "Will you play with me?" she asked hopefully.
"Play with you?" Derek asked, amused. "What about your dad?"
Samantha shook her head. "Mommy says I'm special and I don't have a daddy," she said. Derek smiled, glancing at Maya. A funny way to make a child feel special, he thought.
"Tell you what, I'll finish my business, then meet you at the playground. Is that cool?" he asked. She held out her pinky finger.
"Pinky swear?" she asked. He chuckled, locking pinkies.
"Pinky promise," he said, ruffling her hair.
"Mr. Stone, I didn't realize you had a little girl," a hotel patron said, stopping beside him.
Derek smiled. "She's not mine. She's a guest. My little friend. Right, Sam?" Samantha nodded.
"She's not yours? Could have fooled me. She looks a lot like you," the patron said. Maya decided it was time to leave. "Let's go, Sam. Mr. Derek is busy," she called. Samantha waved goodbye.
"I see you're checking out," Derek said to the patron, noting her luggage.
"Yes. My stay is over. Your service is top-notch," she said. Derek bowed politely.
Alone, Derek resumed his task. He had a silly grin as he rode the elevator to Evelyn's floor. He'd subtly inquired about Evelyn's whereabouts from her boss, under the pretense of offering her accommodation at his hotel, and was pleased to find her so conveniently close.
He rang her doorbell, waiting patiently. Evelyn, enjoying a bath, grabbed her robe and answered, thinking it was Maya and Samantha. The moment she opened the door and saw Derek's grinning face, her heart skipped a beat, and she froze.