Chapter 3 Saving Herself From Embarassment

Mallory hurried to her apartment, and because of the noise she made, her best friend Heidi woke up.

"I'm sorry I woke you up," she started removing her shoes and tossing her blazer to her bed.

"What time is it? You weren't home last night. What happened?" Heidi asked, yawning as she leaned over the armrest to look at Mallory better.

"Can I talk to you?"

"Mally, we're talking," Heidi paused when she saw something strange about Mallory. She hurried to Mallory's side to comfort her.

"What was wrong?" Heidi asked, caressing Mallory's back. She knew something was off when Mallory showed up early in the morning. She could tell Mallory had been crying by the look of her swollen eyes.

"It's Harris," Mallory said.

"Who's Harris? Is that your boyfriend? I don't even know that you're dating someone."

"Not a boyfriend," Mallory said hesitantly, "but I hoped it would lead to a serious relationship. Maybe I was just too naive."

"Oh, Mallory, I bet you were serious about... I mean, he made you cry." It's been a long time since Mallory had a serious relationship, so it was surprising for Heidi to see her best friend cry.

"Yeah, and I hate myself to admit it. Why would I expect something so big when we are both from different worlds. I feel so stupid today. It sucks."

"Mally, stop. It's just a man. He obviously doesn't deserve you if he made you cry after your night with him. This beautiful face and soul deserve someone better," Heidi squeezed her best friend's cheeks to console her.

"It's not that simple, Heidi," she pouts. "Harris and I had different connections, we both felt that way, and I hoped he was the one. The first time I met him, I felt we had chemistry, and I was so happy that he made the move last night."

"What move?"

"He confessed that he loved me, and I said I felt the same way too. Heidi, we both had a great night."

"Oh, Mallory, you should have played a little hard to get. Have you not learned your lesson yet?" Heidi was disappointed by her best friend's behavior.

Heidi had known Mallory since freshman year of college, and she was always the naive girl she knew. They have been best friends for so many years and stick together through thick and thin. And she thinks Mallory doesn't deserve to be treated badly as she is a pure sweetheart.

Mallory sighed, looking down at her hands. "I can't believe I fell for him," she murmured.

Heidi put a hand on Mallory's shoulder. "It's okay to feel embarrassed and angry. He didn't deserve you, okay?" Heidi repeated.

"I know," Mallory replied, "but it still hurts. I thought he was different. You know we felt the same connection the first time we saw each other. I felt the chemistry, and he told me it was love at first sight."

Heidi nodded in understanding. "Does it matter now? Tell me what happened, and why did you come home this early, crying? Did he hurt you?" Heidi checked if there were bruises on her best friend's body.

"He didn't hurt me physically. He wasn't even awake when I left him in our hotel room."

"Then why the hell did you leave him? I'm not getting any of this, Mally. You must explain everything that happened after you both had a great night."

It took a while before Mallory spoke again. "Harris had been hiding his true identity from me and other employees. I found out this morning when I woke up to pee, his wallet fell on the floor showing a black card."

"Black card?" Heidi's eyes widened. "What does it mean?"

"At first, I was confused. Why would a man working as a room attendant have a black card on his name?"

"Oh, so he works as a room attendant at the same hotel you work?"

"Yes," Mallory nodded. "While staring at the black card, the realization hit me. He has the same last name as the hotel owner."

"What? You mean Thompson?"

"Yes. So, I had to search for Harris Thompson on every social media I was on, but I got no results. Only when I look at him on the popular search engine did his photos with other women pop up."

"Let me check," Heidi got her phone and searched for Harris Thompson; the results popped up like Mallory told her. "He looks hot, though."

"Heidi..." Mallory rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, Mally. He was working at their hotel as part of his training. Rich people do this to some of their spoiled kids. I even heard some made their kids mop the floor like a janitor. So, now I'm convinced that's what he does in their hotel."

"I thought so. And it was easy for Harris to take advantage of me. He knew he could get away from everything."

Heidi could understand Mallory's feelings of embarrassment and anger. She knew that Mallory was still processing everything and wanted to provide her with the support she needed. She took a moment to think before she spoke. She knew that Mallory was vulnerable and that it was necessary to choose her words carefully.

"But I still think he deserved a chance to explain himself," Heidi argued.

"Heidi, I don't want to be embarrassed and lose my dignity. As soon as I saw his pictures with those supermodels, I knew he would dump me by morning - it was only a matter of time." Mally said with disdain.

"How do you know he would do that? You said there was a connection between you from the first meeting!"

"Yes. Before I knew Harris was Marian and Harrison Thompson's heir. Things changed after that...And besides, he is the kind of man who usually doesn't have trouble finding women to be with. He obviously doesn't need to try very hard," Mally replied bitterly.

"Yes, that's true... Look at him; he looks amazing! Just imagining what it must have been like to experience his soft lips pressing against yours or his strong arms around your body makes me almost drool!" Heidi exclaimed dreamily.

Mally frowned upon her friend's words and sighed heavily. "Heidi, please... Stop talking about him now. Do you know how I pity myself compared to those beautiful and sexy supermodels he was in the photos?"

Heidi gently caressed Mally's back to comfort her and said softly, "Okay, okay...No more crying for this hottie. Let it go now. And stop comparing yourself to those women. Mally, you are beautiful with no comparison. Remember that."

Mallory sniffled, wiping away a tear. "Thank you so much for being here for me, Heidi."

"Of course," Heidi said with a smile, "that's what friends are for, Mally."

Mallory managed a small smile in return. "Do you really think I can move on from this?"

Heidi took Mallory's hand in hers. "Absolutely. It may not feel like it right now because, you know, look at this hottie," Heidi looking at Harris's image on the phone. "But I'm sure you'll come out stronger on the other side."

"Thank you," Mallory whispered, feeling a sense of comfort wash over her. "I want to move away from all of this now, Heidi.

Heidi pulled a little distance from Mallory, looking at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"