“Do you have toothpaste and brushes?” she asked.
“I’ll have them sent up, as well.”
They were the only two people in the elevator. She fiddled with the key card. “Sorry, I just thought it would be nice to have our own space.”
“Our own showers.”
She smiled. “Exactly.”
“You don’t need to apologize for wanting to be alone.”
Did she? She was as prepared as she could be for tomorrow and had just assumed they’d be spending this night together as they had the last several. Her cheeks heated and the elevator doors opened, each of them walking to a different door.
She shrugged, feeling as awkward as a teenager. “I guess I’ll see you later.”
“Sounds good.”
She went inside and leaned her back against the door.Sounds good?Did that mean he was happy they weren’t sharing a room, or was she reading too much into this? She walked to the door adjoining their rooms, turning the bolt to unlock it. If they were apart tonight, it wouldn’t be because she hadn’t been open to the possibility of him joining her.
She moved to the window. There, just a block away, was the convention center with day three of the Democrat National Convention going on inside. Tomorrow they would formally announce their nominee for president.
She took a shaky breath in and held it. Everything was about to change. She could see now the days of cowering to Doug McGrath had never ended, they’d simply been put on hold. Tomorrow she would break free of him forever. She would fight back.
A knock at the door.
Razorback.
She smiled, pulling open the adjoining door to find his still firmly locked. Her face fell, another knock clearly coming from the hallway door. She opened it to find a stunningly beautiful woman with long, straight black hair, holding an equally perfect little girl on her hip. She looked to be two or three years old.
“You must be Jacqueline,” the woman said with a smile, extending her hand. “I’m Jessa Andersson, and this is Emily. My husband is with HERO Force.”
Jackie had never felt so disgusting in her life, but she returned the smile and shook Jessa’s hand. “Please call me Jackie. Come on in.”
“I brought over some clothes for you to try on.” A bellhop followed her in, wheeling a long wardrobe bar with at least twenty outfits hanging from it.
“Wow,” Jackie said, closing the door.
“Wait,” said a second bellhop, wheeling in a wheelbarrow-sized cart. He smiled. “Shoes and personal items.”
“Oh, my goodness.”
“I wasn’t sure of your size. I brought several based on Ian’s description.”
Jackie ran her fingers over the fine fabrics, her eyes taking in the gowns in royal blues and deep greens and even red. Three sizes of each had been provided, her true size the middle of the three. Dresses like this had once been common in her closet, political functions a mainstay in her life. She hadn’t worn anything so fancy in years, her love of beautiful clothing long ago pushed aside. “These are unbelievable.” She laughed. “I’ve never felt so frumpy in my life. I don’t think I even remember how to put on makeup.”
Jessa put the little girl down and gave her a few toys from her bag, then gave Jackie a kind smile. “I’d be happy to help, if you like. Nothing I enjoy more than a good makeover.”
It had been so long since Jackie had a friend other than Bill, and she certainly didn’t have any girlfriends anymore. But something about Jessa seemed genuine and sweet, and she liked her instantly. “That would be great, thank you. I need to shower first.”
“Take your time. There’s underwear in that bag over there.”
She showered, reveling in the sharp citrus scent of the toiletries and feeling herself relax. She and Razorback were safely back in America, and she was poised and ready to confront Doug for the final time.
Her hair took three washes before it felt clean, but by the time she rinsed her body, she almost felt like her old self again. The white lace underwear and bra were a perfect fit, which would have been miraculous if she’d picked them off the rack herself, and she wondered just how detailed Razorback’s description had been.
She pulled a fluffy white hotel robe over herself and emerged from the steam-filled bathroom. Jessa and Emily were on the floor having a tickle fight, and Jackie missed Selena acutely. It had been a long time since she’d had a toddler herself, but in a mother’s mind her child never really grows up.
“Good shower?” asked Jessa.
