The closet door was cracked and he could see several suits hanging, all still in plastic from the dry cleaners with several pairs of shoes neatly arranged on the floor.
There was a briefcase by the desk, black and sleek, but no personal markings. Probably where Cold kept all those books he was scribbling in.
The ledgers, Jimmy blinked as realization struck. That was why the cops couldn’t get any evidence on Cold. He was too smart to use any traceable electronic activity to organize his illegal operations. He was old school, pen and paper. Those just weren’t books, those were the foundation of the entire criminal empire that controlled Strassen Springs.
Feeling quite proud for putting all that together, Jimmy decided to keep that revelation to himself. It could just be a collection of crossword puzzles.
Jimmy snuggled into the pillows, trying desperately to stay awake. This was supposed to be his big debut to prove himself to Boss Cold. Though the mob boss had already told him that the deal was on, there were several hours left to play, and Jimmy had to admit that despite his aching body, he was looking forward to another round.
The bed was too warm, however, and the pillows too soft. Jimmy fell asleep while Cold was still working, snoring lightly as he tugged all the blankets all around him. At some point, he thought he felt the warmth of another body next to him. Groggily, he reached toward it, his arm finding a firm chest and clinging to it. He cuddled close, sighing contently. It had been so long since he slept next to someone. He could have sworn there was a hand gently resting on his forearm, but he was probably dreaming.
Jimmy didn’t wake again until there was a loud knock at the door. He felt sore but refreshed, stretching out his long legs with a groan, then frowned when he realized he was alone.
There was no sign of Cold, the briefcase and all the books were gone, and the clock at the bedside said it was a few minutes after nine o’clock.
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Jimmy sat up. He stared at the door, hesitant to answer it. He was in Boss Cold’s hotel room. There was no telling who it might be. The knocking had become relentless, and Jimmy finally stumbled out of bed to peer through the peephole.
It was an older woman, very distressed, with a cart full of silver-domed dishes.
Room service.
Food!
Jimmy opened the door, smiling brightly and greeting, “Good morning!”
“Good morning,” the woman replied, clearly upset. “I am so, so very sorry I’m late, I really didn’t mean any offense, I swear!”
“Late?” Jimmy frowned, confused. He glanced down the hallway, spying two members of Cold’s burly entourage posted by the elevator doors. They smirked at him, but said nothing.
“Yes, I know how much Mr. Frost values punctuality, and I really tried to be here on time! I know he said to be here right at nine, but the kitchen—”
“Hey! It’s okay, really!” Jimmy exclaimed, blinking rapidly. He wasn’t awake enough to handle this much excitement and he opened the door to allow her inside. He looked at her name tag, quickly reading it and soothing, “Lola? Hey. I’m Jimmy. I promise, it’s not a big deal.”
“Oh, God! Thank you, thank you so much!” Lola was almost sobbing, quickly pushing the cart inside the room. She set up a folding tray by the edge of the bed and placed one of the smaller domes right in the center.
“Seriously, it’s really fine,” Jimmy comforted her. “Thank you so much.”
Lola wiped her eyes, smiling nervously as she gestured at the tray. “Here. Mr. Frost wanted you to have this first. You, you really need to look at this one first. If you don’t... well, if he asks, I told you to. Thank you, so sorry again, thank you.”
Jimmy was stunned. They both knew who Mr. Frost really was, and Lola was clearly terrified of him. He watched her leave, tail tucked between her legs as the door slammed shut.
Plopping down on the bed, some of the glamour of last night faded away as reality slapped Jimmy right in the face. Roderick Legrand, Boss Cold, was a dangerous criminal. Jimmy had pledged his body to the most feared man in all of Strassen Springs.
What the hell had he been thinking?
With a sigh, Jimmy put his troubles aside in favor of exploring the giant cart of food, starting with the dome Lola had been so particular about. He quirked a curious brow when he didn’t find food but a small card instead.
Balance: $252,007.19
Tonight the real work begins.
-RL
Jimmy made a face, dropping the card with a groan. His ass still ached and his cheeks were definitely bruised. He didn’t want to know what Cold meant by ‘real work,’ but he had a suspicion he wouldn’t be walking straight afterwards.
Poking through the different domes of food on the cart, he found a wide variety of dishes. Pancakes, waffles, fresh fruit, and eggs cooked at least four different ways. He didn’t understand why Cold had ordered so much, especially since Jimmy was obviously going to be dining alone. He appreciated the gesture, but decided not to read too much into it.
Jimmy made a valiant effort to eat every last bite until he was about to burst. He finally accepted defeat and waddled to the bathroom to change back into his clothes. He made sure to carefully tuck the cash into his wallet, unable to resist a big smile. He couldn’t wait to go grocery shopping or pay his rent, or... oh, fuck, the rent. That had to come first.
