The Elevator || Lando Norris

4 ~ Yacht Party

The next day, while the other girls slept in until 11 AM after their night out, I decided to make the most of the morning by going for a jog and exploring the city. I ended up stopping by a local restaurant and treating myself to a refreshing strawberry smoothie.

Coffee was never my thing, as it always seemed to have an unfavorable effect on me – making me sleepy whenever I drank it. With my smoothie in hand, I jogged back to the hotel, timing it perfectly so that I would be ready and finished by the time the other girls woke up.

As they groggily woke up from their sleep, we spent the day eating at a nearby restaurant that I saw on my jog back, and they were telling me about last night, trying their best to piece together the events of the previous night through the haze of drinks. They even attempted to reenact certain scenes for my amusement.

"Do you remember that guy with the goatee?" Hannah asked the group, her laughter filling the air.

They exchanged knowing glances, and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "What's wrong with the 'goatee' guy?" I asked, curious about their reaction.

"Oh my god. He tried hitting on ALL of us," Maya responded, shaking her head. "Even Valentina!" Maya's words turned our attention to Valentina, who was still struggling with a hangover, sporting sunglasses and a hand on her head.

We chuckled at the sight before Hannah continued. "Even Mads turned him down!" she exclaimed, and I shifted my focus to Maddison, the one among them who seemed immune to hangovers. She raised her coffee cup and took a sip, her expression filled with amusement.

"Ugh, don't get me started. He must have been, like, 40 years old. He probably had a wife and kids waiting at home," Maddison said, feigning disgust. "That's where I draw the line," she added, taking another sip of her coffee.

We all burst into laughter, our lunchtime conversation filled with shared stories. On our way back to the hotel, we continued chatting, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of our walk. After a few minutes of scattered conversation, Maddison suddenly exclaimed, "Oh my god, I almost forgot!"

"What?" Maya asked, puzzled by her sudden outburst. Maddison's face lit up, a wide smile stretching across her face. "Remember that blonde guy?" Maya looked momentarily confused, recalling the various encounters with blonde guys from the night before.

Maddison rolled her eyes playfully. "The one with the quirky sunglasses!" she exclaimed, prompting Valentina to chime in, "The one wearing the blue and pink shirt?" Maddison eagerly nodded in agreement.

Curiosity piqued, I couldn't help but ask, "What about him?", pretending to know who they were talking about. Maddison immediately grabbed my arm, intertwining it with hers. "Don't you guys remember?" she asked the rest of the group, watching as they all shook their heads. "He invited us to his yacht party tonight!" Maddison announced, causing memories to flood back into the minds of the group.

Maddison looked at me with that look and instantly, I felt uninterested. "No, thank you," I politely declined with a smile. They knew better than to try and convince me otherwise, so we simply continued our conversation as we made our way back to the hotel.

~★★★~

The connecting door to Valentina and Maya's room was still broken, but the sounds of laughter and excitement spilled through the walls as the girls got ready for the yacht party in the room next door. I lay on my bed, contemplating whether I should join them.

Parties weren't really my thing, but the thought of staying alone in the hotel room was incredibly boring. Should I just go with them? No, snap out of it. You hate parties! But the alternative was even less appealing. Ugh, I'm so bored.