Reluctantly, he lets me go, and I make a beeline for the door. Julian follows me into the hallway, and I pause to pet Beppe, wishing I had some time to hold him.
“I’m going to the ladies’ room,” I tell Julian.
“I’ll wait here.” He nods.
I find that a little strange, considering the bathroom is at the far end of the hall. If Riccardo came out and saw that Julianwasn’t following me, his spiel about direct line of sight would fall apart. But I’m grateful to have a moment to myself as I make the walk.
This level of the IVI building in downtown Seattle contains multiple gathering spaces for members, including several private lounges. Men often do business in those smaller, more comfortable rooms, but tonight they’re all empty.
I’m relieved to find the ladies' room is also vacant when I step inside. I don’t actually need to use the bathroom, so I take a seat on the chaise and do some breathing exercises to ground myself.
As I sit there, I wonder how long I can dawdle without being missed. Realistically, I know Riccardo would probably come for me, and he’d be mad.
“You can do this, Gabi.” I close my eyes. “You’ve been doing hard things your whole life.”
My mental pep talk isn’t as helpful tonight. Searching for another distraction, I take out my phone and see I have a new message.
Eros415: Missing me yet, little shark?
BiteSizedGabi: You have no idea.
He reads my response right away, so I wait for his reply before I leave the bathroom.
Eros415: I didn’t get to peel those clothes off you. Now what am I supposed to do with myself?
My stomach sinks as I realize I was so distracted earlier, I forgot to let him know I’d be gone. He’s probably at the penthouse—or at least he was. Now I’ve missed him, and I might not even see him tonight.
BiteSizedGabi: I’m sorry. Something came up, but I’d much rather be with you.
He sends me a selfie taken from my bed, lying beside the giant teddy bear.
Eros415: Not the same.
I smile, but it fades quickly. I want to ask him if he’ll still be there when I get back, but I don’t know how long this night will drag on, and that isn’t fair to him.
BiteSizedGabi: Raincheck until tomorrow?
I wait for him to answer, but he doesn’t. Then I start to overanalyze, wondering if I said the wrong thing. Regardless, I can’t stay locked in this bathroom all night.
Reluctantly, I open the door and force myself back toward my version of hell.
I notice Julian is no longer in the hallway, and a sense of unease fills the air. I don’t know where he would have gone, but maybe he decided to take Beppe out.
As I pass one of the private lounges, something flashes in my periphery, and I pause to look through the glass pane. I don’t see anything, so I think I must have imagined it. Still, my curiosity gets the best of me, and I reach for the doorknob.
Before I can turn it, the power in the building flickers, then goes out completely.
I stand motionless as I wait for it to come back on. Down the hall, I can hear scattered voices filled with confusion, followed by Riccardo trying to reassure his guests.
A moment later, the knob in my hand turns, and I gasp as I jump back. Before I can go anywhere, someone reaches out and grabs me, wrenching me inside the room.
A scream bubbles up my throat, but a hand covers my mouth, muffling the sound.
“Hi.”
“Eros?” I mumble into his glove.
“I should hope I’m the only one pulling you into dark rooms,” he breathes the words against my ear. “As it turns out, I don’t like rainchecks.”
