Me: Check.
That done, I shove my phone in my back pocket. Now, I have to be in search of condoms.
Half of the club was in the kitchen when I passed through, listening to Fancy and Iron Jack tell the story. But Hoss is in his room. He hasn’t gotten his lock back. He leaves it cocked open.
I rap on the doorframe.
He looks up from where he sits on the bed, shoving a pencil up his cast. It must itch.
“Bothering you?” I ask.
“Yeah. Sucks. Need something?”
“You got a party hat or two hanging around? I’m shacking up in a room for tonight.”
His grin gets large. “You gonna rail one of those ladies you hauled in? That was fast.” He opens a drawer by his bed and extracts a long string of condoms.
I shrug. “Maybe.”
He tosses the wrappers to me. “Have fun.”
“Thanks.”
I back out. The less said, the better.
I stop by my room to drop the condoms into the top drawer of the dresser. When I turn around, Marietta’s arrived, pulling a big suitcase behind her.
She pauses when she sees me. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
Her tall, slender form is lost in the miles of gray sweats. She looks like she always did on her balcony back when I had guard duty. Casual. At home.
“I’m not sure where to put everything,” she says, shifting the bag in front of her.
“I stacked the bins in the closet. It’s decently sized.”
She peers in. “You’re right.”
“You can take the dresser. I won’t need much space.”
She walks over to it. “I’ll leave the top drawer for you.” She opens it and must see the condoms, because she closes it quickly.
“I’m going to get more of my stuff,” she says.
“I’ll go with you.”
She holds out a hand. “Can we go separately for a moment? I’m not quite ready to deal with anyone’s comments. Maybe in the morning.”
I get it. “Sure.”
She hurries out, and I stand in the doorway watching her go. Only when she’s heading back with another suitcase do I go to fetch more bins.
It only takes three trips to move it all. Marietta brings in sheets, pillows, and a blanket from the linen closet.
“I washed all these myself, so I know they’re clean,” she says. “The linens weren’t in the best shape when I first came here. I ended up pulling all of them and washing them fresh.”
“I’m sure you’ve been a big help.”
