Page 81 of Cinderella-ish
God knows I want this to betrue.
A knock at the door makes me jump in my seat and I leap up, eager to know if it’sher.
“Daniella,” I say, as I whip the front dooropen.
But it’s Jonah. Carrying bags of food. Smells like fastfood.
Fries. Burgers.Ugh.
I couldn’t eat even if I wanted to. Daniella is my sustenance. Food canwait.
“Hey, man.” He grimaces. “Don’t look so sad to seeme.”
I wave him inside. “I was hoping you were Daniella. But you’renot.”
“Nope. Just me. Coming to check on you.” He raises the bags. “And I bought you some food. Remember that joint we used to go to? They have the best fries intown.”
It does smellgood.
“Yep. Well, thanks. I don’t think I’ve had anything to eat since she leftme.”
We sit down on the barstools in the kitchen, and Jonah removes burgers and fries from thebags.
“No luck finding out where she is, huh?” He takes a hearty bite of hisburger.
I shake my head and nibble on a fewfries.
“Liza said she thinks she may still be at the BeverlyHilton.”
I tilt my head to the side. “Still? Why would she say that? And when did you talk toLiza?”
Jonah looks down at his fries and dunks them into a pool of ketchup. “I, uh, dropped off the mock-up of your new campaign, and Liza and I started chatting about TMZ and Daniella—anyway she sent you a text. Didn’t you readit?”
“I’ve been ignoring texts and calls from everyone who is notDaniella.”
“Well, she sent you a text yesterday. Apparently, Daniella called the office asking Liza if she could draft her a letter of recommendation. She was seeking other job opportunities and a letter fromCraveMewouldhelp.”
“She didwhat?”
“Yeah. Only she didn’t call from her cell phone. So Liza curiously dialed the number that showed up on the office Caller ID and it went to the front desk of The Beverly Hilton. Her guess is that Daniella called from her room, and when Liza dialed the number back, it automatically looped to the hotel frontdesk.”
I sink in my seat. I cannot believe this…The Beverly Hilton is only a few milesaway.
“Dude. You should really check your text messages. Liza said she texted you all the info. Plus, she said the hotel’s housekeeping manager lives in the same building shedoes.”
“You’re shitting me.Seriously?”
He shakes his head. “Check your messages, man. It’s all inthere.”
I pick up my phone and begin scrolling throughmessages.
Taking one last bite of fries, Jonah slides off the barstool. “Anyway, man. I just came to check on you and bring you some food. Call or text Liza. Then go get your girl.” He pauses as he sips on some soda. “But clean yourself up first. You really look likeshit.”
Jonah leaves and I sit still, scrolling through a barrage of text messages. So many of them. Vendors. One from Uncle Carlo, even. And then I see Liza’s.I think I know where Daniellais.
So this misery could have endedyesterday?
I text areply.
