Wynette I couldn't remember how I got inside my suite. I also didn't know where Ale's camera or either of our coats went, but when he pushed me against the wall and nuzzled my throat, I didn't care about anything but how he felt against me. I had missed the heat of his solidly muscled body more than I dared to admit, and the fact that he wanted me even though I was wearing jeans and a sweater instead of a beautiful dress was both heady and magical. "I dreamed about you last night," he said in a raspy voice. He kissed me behind the ear, which made me tilt my head back and sigh. “Mmmm?” I meant to ask a real question, but his hand got under my sweater and threw me off, so all I could do was hum. "Tucson was in my dreams. Of waking up before you left." “Oh.” I was filled with guilt. "I didn't—" Ale's fingers picked at the thin fabric of the thermal top I was wearing under my sweater, pulling it away from my fleece-lined leggings. "—I didn't want to disturb you." He grunted
Alejandro I was frowning as I looked at myself in the enormous mirror that hung in the restroom. You are a shady piece of work, are you aware of that? As I stormed out of the bathroom and into the suite, I couldn't help but be irritated, so I spun on my heel and began thrashing at the light switch with one hand. It was ridiculously late, even for me, and as I made my way across the dark room, I could feel the effects of the long day coming up with me. After pushing the sheets to the side, I climbed into bed and landed on my back. Because I didn't want to wear anything more than shorts to bed, I turned the thermostat in my room all the way up, but now it's too hot. I grumbled at the ceiling as I kicked the flimsy, uninteresting blankets further off to one side of the bed and then turned my attention to the floor. I should have been more straightforward with Wynette and told her everything. During that first damned cup of coffee, I should have been honest about who I was and why I
AlejandroThat night, I didn't get very much sleep.Instead, I used each of the three packets of pre-measured coffee grounds that housekeeping had left in my room to make one pot after another of coffee. I used up all of the grounds. After I used up all of the revolting powdered creamer that I had on hand, I switched to drinking my coffee black.I used the laminate table in the room to set up my laptop, and I placed a notepad and a pen next to it. I was able to retrieve the skeleton of a plan for going into business for myself from the deep depths of my digital archives. This was a plan that I had started years ago and occasionally pulled out to poke at when I was very unhappy with the work that I was doing.Because I did not have any fidget toys readily available, I paced about the room while turning my coffee cup in my hands. I did this as the gears in my head turned and the thoughts that were going through my head churned. Whenever I took more than a few steps, I dashed back to the
WynetteEven though I was dressed warmly, I still felt chilly as I exited my suite, locked the door behind me, and made my way outside to the pavement leading to the entrance of the hotel's main lobby. The sudden interruption caused by Ale's phone jolted me severely, and the abrupt shift in his manner that occurred when he answered it caused a shiver to settle in my chest that I was unable to dislodge.
WYNETTEThe very first thing that came into my head was that everything hurt. My throat and eyes were raw and gritty, and my brain felt like it was being stabbed with hot, piercing throbs. It was as if I had been screaming for hours. Even the joints in my body hurt. I was able to breathe once again, but there was a weight on top of me that was keeping me down. I struggled to keep my eyes open and grimaced as I turned away from the harsh glare.
ALEJANDROSomething struck the bottom of my foot. I paid it no attention.It occurred once more, but this time it was more challenging. I grunted.
ALEJANDRO"What do you mean you ran into her while she was on vacation?"The person working the front desk was staring at me with an expression that wasn't quite terror but was certainly more than simply confusion.
WynetteI chose the three post cards that I thought were the most stunning out of the bunch by carefully turning the creaky rack. I carried them up to the counter and demonstrated their value to the elderly lady who was seated there. Her gnarled fingers never caused her knitting to slow down, but she did grin and nod at me to let me know that she'd put the items on my tab. After expressing my gratitude to her, I left the chilly interior of the store and returned to the bright sunshine outside.