Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 64354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64354 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
When the song ended, he looked up at me and asked, “Will you come to the party with me?”
It was tempting, but I said, “I probably shouldn’t.” I walked him to the door and held it open for him. “Are you going to be okay finding your way there on your own?”
He nodded. “I know right where it is, because it’s across the hall from my room.”
“Okay, then. Take care of yourself.”
“Thanks for keeping me company tonight.” He stretched up and kissed my cheek, and then he paused to look at me wistfully before wandering down the hall.
I shut the door and immediately regretted not getting his number, but I tried to tell myself this was for the best. Even though I was undeniably attracted to him, my life was complicated right now. The last thing I should be thinking about was getting involved with anyone.
Not that he’d want me anyway if he knew I was a criminal.
If we’d kept things casual though, maybe I could have kept my past to myself. He’d mentioned that he lived in San Diego, and I was currently living in L.A. I was new to California and still learning my way around, but I was pretty sure those two places were only a couple of hours apart. I would have loved it if we could have gotten together occasionally… gone out to dinner… fucked like wildebeests…
I tossed my glasses onto a side table and scrubbed my hands over my face. This was ridiculous. Here I was, daydreaming about a very drunk guy who probably wouldn’t even remember me in the morning.
But I hated the thought of never seeing him again, and it wasn’t too late to do something about that. What if I left a note for him at the front desk with my contact information? Then he could take it from there.
Although again, starting anything right now, casual or otherwise, was a bad idea. I didn’t even know how long I’d be able to stay in California. It was entirely possible that I might have to flee at a moment’s notice.
After pacing around and debating with myself for a while, I decided to leave it up to fate. Armando and I were staying in the same hotel, so there was a chance we might run into each other in the lobby, or the elevator, or someplace else. If I saw him again, I’d take it as a sign—the universe’s way of telling me this was meant to be.
Now that this was decided, I changed out of my suit and started to get ready for bed. Minutes later, a knock at the door startled me. Who could it be at this hour? Had the people who were looking for me tracked me down?
But that was pure paranoia. No one knew I was staying here. It was probably just a hotel guest who’d gotten my door confused with theirs, or maybe room service was misdelivering an order. I needed to get a grip.
I crossed the room and peered through the peep hole. When I saw Armando standing in the hallway, I threw open the door. He was barefoot and dressed in gym shorts, a tank top, and a hoodie, and he greeted me with a bashful, “Hi.”
“Hello.” As he fidgeted with his zipper pull, I asked, “What happened to the party?”
“I only lasted a few minutes. Then I said good night to everyone, went to my room, and threw up.”
“I see.”
“It actually helped. I feel less nauseous now.”
“That’s good.” I knew I was being awkward, but I didn’t know what else to say.
He looked up at me from beneath his dark lashes and asked shyly, “Would it be okay if I spent the night in your room? Mine’s way too quiet and lonely.”
“Of course. Come in.” I stepped back and held the door for him, and as he crossed the threshold I couldn’t help but grin.
The universe had spoken.
2
Armando
I woke up with a pounding headache and a mountain of regret. The night before was a blur. What had I been thinking when I drank all that champagne? And did I do anything to embarrass my son at his wedding reception? If so, I’d never forgive myself.
There was a fancy bottle of imported water and some Advil on the nightstand. I was surprised I’d planned ahead like that. I wrapped the blanket around myself and sat up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed.
After taking a couple of pills and chugging most of the water, I considered going back to sleep. But as I looked around, something seemed off. My son and his new husband had gifted me with a beautiful room at the hotel where they’d gotten married. Now it looked even bigger than I remembered it. And how had I failed to notice the wet bar? I was too groggy to make sense of any of this.