Page 61 of He Loves Me Knot
Card was declined.
What?
Callum blinked at her, trying to understand more clearly. He had funds in his bank. He pulled out another card. “Try this one,” he said in Spanish.
The woman nodded and went back to the corner of the room.
She returned a few minutes later. “La tarjeta no pasó.”The card didn’t go through.
Callum stared at her in disbelief.
Then it hit him.
“No, fuck. No.” He covered his eyes with his hands.
“What’s going on?” Lydia’s alarmed voice broke through his racing thoughts.
“I forgot to call the bank—and my credit card companies—and tell them I was traveling internationally. My cards won’t process.”
How could I have been such an idiot?But he knew how. He’d spent the night before his trip getting sloshed. Even what little packing he’d done had been about twenty minutes before he’d left for the airport.
Lydia’s eyes widened. “I don’t have any cards on me. Or cash—we gave the cop the last of my cash.”
What the hell are we going to do?
Heat crept up his neck as he turned toward the server’s awaiting stare. “My cards are frozen because I came from England,” he explained in Spanish, his heart beating unusually fast. He pulled out his mobile phone. “Let me just call the credit card company. Or get online. See what I can do.”
The woman didn’t look amused by his story. She nodded but didn’t return to the kitchen. No doubt she was wary that he and Liddy would get up and leave without paying.
Callum turned on his phone.Relax. It’ll be fine.
His phone turned on, and a sickening six percent now showed on his battery life. How had he dropped battery so fast?
Then he looked for bars of service.
Nothing.
He searched for Wi-Fi.
Nothing.
“Are you getting through?” Liddy’s tone was anxious.
“No.” Callum shut his phone off again. With his phone searching for service, it would kill whatever remaining battery he had left. He looked up and held Liddy’s gaze. “You don’t have any money?”
“I was going to exchange more at the airport, but then Elle’s dress was taken.” Liddy’s face had paled.
The server was back, a man with her this time. Sweat broke out on the back of Callum’s neck as he explained the situation to them both. “As soon as I can get somewhere with mobile phone service,” he finished, “I can get online to my bank and get my cards working again. And then I come back here and pay my bill. I promise.”
The man shook his head. “Tienen que dejar los pasaportes.”You have to leave your passports.
Callum turned toward Liddy, his gut bunching. “He doesn’t believe we’ll come back. He wants us to leave our passports to be sure.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Liddy hissed. She gave Callum a stern look. “I amnotleaving my passport. It’s currently my only form of identification.”
Callum’s mind raced. “Okay. How about I leave my passport, but my girlfriend can keep hers?” he asked the man.
The man considered Callum’s words, then nodded. “Pero cerramos a las ocho.Y estámos cerrados mañana.”But we close at eight. And we’re closed tomorrow.