There's a pang of GUILT that hits Jessica then. ❝ That. . . is why I dragged you out here, yes. . . ❞ Weeks of practically pleading and insisting that they deserve this time to relax, and here she is now instead insisting on more work.
Emeralds still gleaming with HOPE, but unsure of what to say next, she simply bats her eyelashes at her best friend. Surprised ⸺⸺ and yet, also not all that surprised at all ⸺⸺ when Carol agrees. Difficult for Captain Marvel to take a day off, too, it seems.
In the excitement from her win, Jess springs from the chair, clasping her hands together before settling herself by gripping Carol's shoulders. ❝ You won't regret this, I promise. Pinky swear, cross my heart, hope to die, Bob's your uncle ⸺⸺ ALL THAT JAZZ. ❞
She then busies herself with fixing her best friend's dishevelled stress-do ⸺⸺ flattening parts and tucking rogue strands of hair. ❝ Ha ! Yeah, that's what I meant, you're easier to be. . . RECEPTIVE towards. You're intimidating, no denying that, but. . . Only when you want to be. People like you. ❞ Already too excited about their day of detective work ahead to dwell on the implications of what she just said, Jess instead flips through her notes as Carol gets ready, pausing only to salute in acknowledgement to the blonde's CULINARY COMPENSATION and add, ❝ I'll fill you in when we get downstairs. ❞
With fresh coffee now on the table and breakfast orders placed, Jess pulls her notepad from her jacket pocket, handing it over to Carol for her to flip through. Inside were SCRIBBLED DETAILS ⸺⸺ segments of conversation attributed to physical descriptions of the random guests who had them ⸺⸺ about rumours drifting through the resort about three men who had seemingly disappeared right from their suites. When the people with them woke the next morning, all that was missing was the man ⸺⸺ keycards, wallets and shoes all remain behind.
❝ And nothing is consistent about the men either, at least from what I can tell so far. One of them was with his husband, another with his girlfriend, and the last one was a college kid here with six of his buddies. ❞ Jessica takes a sip of her brew, looking slightly past Carol, rolling the information around once more in her mind.
❝ I figure first we track down and talk to the people involved. I already tried asking hotel staff for info a couple hours ago ⸺⸺ no such no luck. I'm apparently not ❛ authorised ❜ for such information. Psht. ❞ She reaches down to tap her purse at her side, with her wallet inside that houses her Universal I.D. Card. ❝ But I had ways around that. Now, I'm hoping maybe you can try asking first instead. ❞ That faux-innocent smile from earlier returns once more.
