Patrick ignored Derrick and said to Kevin, "Kevin, see him out."
Derrick was pale. He looked down at the ground and walked out under Kevin's gaze.
Just as Derrick was about to vanish from Patrick's sight, the latter, who was on the stairs behind him, said, "Derrick, there's something you don't understand. It's because she's my mate, not yours, that you and I choose differently."
After saying that, Patrick no longer bothered to talk to Derrick. He turned around and walked up the stairs.
Derrick's body shook. He was still in a trance until he got into the driver's seat. He thought back to Patrick's words. Patrick said that they were different, which was the reason why they chose differently.
Derrick closed his eyes, and suddenly, a line of tears ran from the corners of his eyes.
He thought, 'Gloria, is that so? So, the whole story is about Patrick and Gloria. I am never part of it. Right?'
He opened his eyes, looked at the wine in his hand, and muttered to himself with mockery in his eyes, "Why am I even here today?"
At first, he said that he came here to laugh at Patrick. Later, he said that he and Patrick were the same.
And what about now?
Derrick gawked at the wine bottle in his hand.
Three years later, on the shores of Waikiki Beach in Hawaii, there was a not-so-remarkable B&B. It was just a three-story house, which was relatively small compared to other B&Bs around.
Although it was near Waikiki Beach, it didn't exactly enjoy a great location. The surrounding B&Bs were at least a few hundred meters away from here.
Gloria, dressed in shorts and a tank top, lay in the shadows of the first floor, the rocking chair beneath her swinging back and forth.
The sky was so blue that she felt so close to it as if she could reach the white, soft clouds easily.
Everything was laid-back and comfortable.
Suddenly, an energetic voice broke the quiet evening.
"Boss, something has happened! The young couple on the second floor are arguing! You should check on them!" It was Gloria's employee, Kate. She looked concerned.
"Come on, Kate. Give me a break. Let me sleep for a while longer," Gloria turned over and said calmly. She changed her position and continued to sleep on the not-so-spacious rocking chair.
She didn't even bother to open her eyes.
"Boss, how could you still sleep right now? Get up now!" Kate was extremely anxious.
Gloria finally sat up since Kate just wouldn't stop bothering her. "Kate, how many times have I told you? Stop speaking in a strange tone. Please! I'm begging you. Please stop trying to poison my ears."
"Boss!" Kate was so furious that she stamped her foot in anger. However, she was born with a baby face, so she didn't look fierce at all. She said angrily, "Boss! I'm getting mad at you!"
"OK. Go ahead and I'll go back to sleep." Gloria was about to lie down again.
Before she could lie down, Kate grabbed her arm. She continued, "Boss, the couple on the second floor is going to tear down our house! How can you still be so calm?"
Gloria threw up her hands in surrender. "Fine, Kate," she said. "I'll go right now, OK?"
Gloria rubbed her temples, feeling a headache.
"Boss, what's wrong? Is your head hurting again?" Kate had always been straightforward, and her concerns were without the slightest bit of scheming or other snaky interests.
Gloria waved her hand and said, "I'm fine, Kate. Help me up. I am a bit dizzy after sleeping for so long."
As soon as she finished speaking, a piece of candy was handed to her.
Kate said with concern, "Boss, you have low blood sugar. I know."
Gloria accepted Kate's kindness and took the candy from Kate's hand. Then she removed the wrapper and put it into her mouth.
Under the white clouds in the bright sky, Gloria slowly lifted the thin blanket on her body and stood up from the chair. For her, everything could be slowed down. Time meant nothing to her.
"Kate, take the contract and follow me," Gloria said and then walked into the room very slowly.
"Boss, I'm coming." Kate sprinted to the counter, grabbed a brown paper bag, ran up behind Gloria, and went together with her.
Gloria walked very slowly, and Kate followed behind her. They walked up to the second floor, which normally would take others about three minutes, yet they spent more than double the time.
They went up to the second floor, and as they stood in the hallway, they could already hear the sound of a man and a woman arguing intensely.
Gloria stopped in her tracks. The relaxed expression in her eyes was replaced with indifference.
Kate did not know why, but every time they had some guests quarreling in the B&B, Gloria, her laid-back and almost always sweet-tempered boss, would lose her temper.
The sound of something shattering came from the room, and Gloria's expression changed. Without saying a word, she took a few steps forward, stopped at the door of the room at last, stretched out, and knocked on the door.
"Open up," Gloria shouted.
The people in the room were so busy quarreling that no one came to open the door.
"Kate." Gloria took a step back and made room, motioning for Kate to open the door with the spare key. With the slight sound of the door opening, the two in the room were so startled that they stopped shouting and turned their heads together towards the suddenly opened door.
Gloria and Kate stood at the door.
When the couple inside the room saw that it was the B&B's staff standing outside the door, they weren't nervous anymore. Instead, they relaxed at once.
The woman immediately scolded in dissatisfaction, "Who gave you permission to come in? You violated my privacy and that of my boyfriend!"
Gloria, who was at the door, ignored the noisy couple in the room. She looked around the room and then said, "Please pack your bags and get out of here now."
The young couple in the room did not expect that the staff here would say such words.
The man blushed and said, "Why should we? We paid for five days of staying in advance! Who gives you the right to kick your guests out? Get your boss here! I want to talk to him!"
"I am the boss," Gloria answered calmly.
"You are the boss?" They were very surprised.
Gloria, who was at the door, looked at the couple opposite her. She repeated, "Now, please pack your bags and get out of here."
The couple flew into a rage. They roared in dissatisfaction, "Why? How dare you bully your guests? Look at your shabby little house!"
Gloria's eyes gradually went grim. She said coldly, "Kate, show them the contract."
The couple took the brown paper bag from Kate. Gloria continued, "When you checked in, the staff must have told you that quarreling or fighting is not allowed here, right? You signed the agreement, so you were informed and abide by the mutual agreement."
The expressions on the couple's faces changed as they held the forms they had filled out when they checked in.
"We did not quarrel," they retorted in a low voice.
"Are you kidding me?" Gloria scanned the floor, the sofa, and the table. The room was a mess. There was solid proof of a quarrel and even a fight.
The man felt very embarrassed. Even though he had signed the agreement, he was humiliated to be kicked out just like that.
"Just wait and see. I will put this online," he shouted threateningly.
"Whatever," Gloria said and turned to leave. She continued as she walked, "Kate, give them the refund for the three days they won't be able to stay while getting Corbett to keep an eye on them."
"Stop putting on airs! What's the big deal? There are countless B&Bs here on Waikiki Beach. Don't bother! I don't want to live here anyway! This place is so shabby!" the man shouted. "I'll let everyone know about your stupid B&B!"