Wilson was silent for a moment before replying, "I guess that would be okay."
Jayden doubted he'd ever hear from the man again.
He swallowed tightly. "Goodbye, Wilson."
"Bye, Jayden."
The sadness Jayden could hear in Wilson's voice said he knew this was the end, as well. Jayden hated that it had to be that way, but it was better for both of them. He didn't have to out Wilson to the world and Wilson's private business stayed private.
Jayden drew in a deep breath as he hung up. So, that was that. His incredibly brief affair with the handsome senator was over before it even began. He didn't like how that made him feel. Hell, he shouldn't be feeling the way he felt. That lead weight in his stomach had just turned into an all-consuming pain that radiated up to his chest.
Jayden absently rubbed his chest as he glanced around his small hotel room. He didn't have much left to do except pack and drive back to the city. The sooner, the better because tomorrow he'd need to start looking for another job. Marv was going to fire him after this for sure.
Knowing he had no other choice, Jayden got up and started packing his bags. He really didn't have a reason to stay in Cade Creek. If he wasn't going to be working for Marv anymore, he certainly wasn't going to get a story for him about diamonds or the senator.
He wasn't surprised in the least when it took him less than twenty minutes to gather everything and get it packed. It wasn't like he'd come with that much in the first place. A few changes of clothes, his laptop, and some research material. It took longer to go through the hotel room and make sure he hadn't left anything behind than it did to pack.
Jayden grabbed everything and headed downstairs. He smiled when he reached the front counter and set his bags down. "I have to leave earlier than I expected. I'd like to get the bill for room 228."
He tapped his finger on the counter as he waited for his bill to be tallied then handed to him. He'd already given them his credit card number. Once he signed, everything would be billed to his credit card. He scanned the bill then signed.
He started to lean down to grab his bags when a thought hit him. "Can I leave a message for one of the hotel guests?"
The hotel manager smiled. "Of course, sir."
"Do you have a pen and a piece of paper?"
The man handed him a pen, a slip of paper, and a small envelope. Jayden thought about it for a minute, but nothing that ran through his mind seemed right. Finally, he just went with what was in his heart.
Thanks for the wonderful memory.
It seemed lame after he wrote it, and he almost didn't hand it over, but in a fit of pique, Jayden shoved it into the envelope and handed it over, giving instructions for it to be delivered to Wilson when he came back to the hotel.
Jayden picked up his bags and hurried out to his car. He was still a little amazed that such a small town had a five-star hotel in it. They even had valet parking, which was very convenient. If he was a travel blogger, this place would be all over his blog.
Maybe that was what he could do. Travel places and write about them. How hard would it be to start a blog like that and gain followers? Of course, having a travel blog meant traveling, and while he did his fair share of that as a journalist, he wasn't sure he wanted to tie himself to something like that long term. But it was definitely something to think about.
The drive from Cade Creek back to the city was pretty much a blur for Jayden. His mind was too occupied with how much his life had just turned upside down. One bad decision—or a good one depending on how he looked at it—had turned his life from the path he thought he'd been on to a totally new one.
Yippee.
The sun set long before Jayden reached his apartment. He went right up, not even bothering to grab his bags, check his mail, or anything. Once in his apartment, he stumbled straight to his bedroom. He was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.
By the time he opened his eyes several hours later, he felt as if his mouth had been filled with cotton balls that had been dipped in dirty sink water. Jayden groaned and rolled off the bed. Jeez, he hadn't even taken his jacket or shoes off before falling asleep.
He went to the bathroom, took care of business, then brushed his teeth—twice. It was only after his second cup of coffee that he even considered thinking about his day. It was going to be a full one.
Jayden made himself a third cup of coffee then made his way over to his office. He sat down then booted up his desktop computer. Before he could second-guess himself, Jayden wrote up a resignation letter and printed it out. He set it on the desk beside him to grab later then got to work putting out some feelers in the journalism job market. If he was lucky, he might find something before he actually turned in his resignation to Marv.
He wasn't lucky.
There was nothing but a bunch of freelance crap. Jayden hated freelance. Granted, with freelance he could work on whatever caught his interest, but it didn't guarantee a steady income and he kind of liked eating. He was resigned to the possibility of flipping burgers.
Jayden grimaced when his cell phone rang and he saw the name on caller ID. He drew in a heavy breath then answered. "Hello, Marv."
"Where are you?"
"Why?" Jayden asked in a guarded voice. "Has something happened?"
