Another extract from Love, Suzi, x – out soon.

‘I know you’re in there.’

‘I know you’re in there.’ There was banging on the door but this time louder. Vaguely I came to, looked around another hotel room and tried to work out where I was. Everything was dark.

‘Open up! Let me in,’ came the demand from outside the door.

My ear was aching. I remembered that I was in a hotel room in Sydney. Quickly I got out of bed and looked at my watch. 1. 45 a.m. What the hell was going on and who was that outside my door? I rushed over to have a look through the spy hole. A suited man of about thirty was standing outside.

‘Let me in!’ he demanded again. I reached for the door handle, and then some self preservation clicked in.  I stood away from the door and took a deep breath. What the hell was I doing? I was off-loaded here last night and the Duty Officer sorted me out with a room. It’s not the usual crew hotel which was full, so he’s hoping to move me tomorrow. Nobody knows I’m here in Sydney except my crew who have flown on to Perth without me.

I went over to the bedside table and rang down to reception.

          ‘Can I help you?’ the calm voice enquired.

          ‘Yes, I have strange man banging on my door demanding to be let in. I’m alone here in Sydney and know no one. Please can you send security up to deal with it?’ I was amazed at my self control.

‘Are you sure you don’t know him?’

‘Certain. Can you please hurry as he’s making a lot of noise?’

‘Of course, I’ll send someone up straight way.’

I went back to the door and put my eye up close to the spy hole. The man was leaning against the door frame. Suddenly an eyeball came into my view – like Sauron’s all-seeing eye on the top of the tower in Mordor from Lord of the Rings. I jumped backwards, nearly knocking into a chair.

‘I know you’re in there,’ he repeated. ‘I can hear you.’

‘Go away!’

‘Let me in darlin’.’ He slurred banging on the door again.

‘I’m not your darling and I’m not letting you in,’ I said emphatically. ‘You’re drunk. Go away!’

‘Oh don’t be like that, darlin’. I’ve only had a couple of beers with the boys.’

‘I told you,’ I repeated. My voice growing louder with each sentence. ‘I’m not your darling. I don’t know you. And I don’t care how many beers you’ve had.’

 ‘Just let me in and I’ll make it up to you.’

‘I’m not letting you in.’

‘Awww… not even if I do your favourite thing?’

I smiled. ‘Not even if you do that,’ I concluded.

I looked through the spy glass cautiously. He was now standing propped up against the opposite wall, the beer bottle hanging loosely in his hand by his side. Even if he knew what my favourite thing was, he was incapable of delivering it.

The phone beside my bed rang.

‘Excuse me madam,’ the hotel security man asked. ‘This man outside your room says that you’re his girlfriend.’

I looked again. The man hadn’t changed nor had my recognition of him. He was now accompanied by a man in uniform with Security written on the jacket pocket.

‘I can assure you, I’ve never seen this man before in my life. I’ve just arrived in Sydney this evening and know only one person, the Duty Officer at the airport. I will not be letting this man into my room so please deal with him.’

         I still don’t know why my suited ‘boyfriend’ picked on my room to hammer down the door. Who knows what would have happened if I had let him in? Would he have done my favourite thing? I’ll never know. Thankful that I seemed to have escaped unscathed, I replaced the security chain across the door lock and went back to sleep.