“Two doubles?” she asked, doubt clear in her voice.
“Well, I don’t want nobody coming up more than once,” I said.
“We’ll come up as often as you like, sir,” she said. “We want your gin and tonics to be fresh.”
“Okay,” I said. If that’s how they wanted it. “I’ll have a gin and tonic every half hour.”
“So four altogether,” she said, to clarify. “Will that be top shelf gin?”
“Best you got,” I said, nodding to myself.
I was going to go whole hog and get shitfaced drunk, then plop myself in bed and sleep it off. Maybe I’d make it to the Westmore’s Christmas breakfast, or maybe I wouldn’t. I certainly didn’t need all the complicated feelings that being around them brought me. It would be easier to forget about Alex and move on, if only his family would leave me alone.
“Would you like anything to snack on with that?” she asked.
I made a little sound in my throat. Sure, I was full, but after I started drinking, I’d want something salty and crunchy.
“Send up whatever,” I said. “One of them meat boards with crackers and cheese.”
“Certainly, sir,” she said, attentive and cheerful. “If you need anything additional during your soak, you can always use your phone or the intercom to call to reception, and we’ll get you taken care of.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“You’re more than welcome,” she said. “We want your stay with us to be amazing.”
I was uncomfortable with all the kindness, but I was going to make the most of the hot tub or die trying. I grabbed my jacket, and picked up my keycard, made sure the hotel door was securely locked and closed, and marched to the penthouse elevator.
The ride up to the top of the hotel was quick and silent. I was early. It wasn’t yet nine o’clock, but I was all alone up there, at least as far as I could tell, because it was perfectly silent.
Ahead of me was a tall wooden fence with one of those keypads. The top of the fence had a string of tiny Christmas lights in all colors: red, green, blue, and white.
I entered my hotel room and my last name and pulled the gate open on silent hinges. Inside the enclosure there were around four or five hot tubs, each with a small wooden wall around them, to make them private. Keep out the wind.
Steam rose up from each hot tub. They were what I’d call in-ground, that is, the hot tub was level with the wooden deck. Probably so drunk people wouldn’t have to go up and down any ladders.
Along the far edge was a series of sheds that I guessed were changing rooms. Only I didn’t have a bathing suit. I hadn’t even packed one. Maybe I didn’t even own one.
I looked inside the shed nearest to the end, and while I found the promised robes and slippers and towels, there were no bathing suits for me to borrow. Fine with me. I could soak in the buff.
Dragging what I needed to the hot tub I wanted, I shed my clothes, feeling the crisp air against my skin right before I slid into the hot tub.
It was hot, hot, hot! But I stayed where I was and tipped my head back to rest it against the curved edge of the tub. This feeling, of floating with the steam rising all around me, was what I’d looked forward to from the moment I made the booking. Peace, quiet, and hot water up to my neck.
From somewhere I could hear gentle Christmas music on speakers. Maybe even people singing Christmas carols.
Looking up, I could see the faint glow of the streetlights from the small town of Steamboat glinting along the top of the wooden fence. But above, directly above, the sky was black and blue velvet, dotted faintly with stars.
City lights were hell on starlight, but I only learned that when I’d gone out to Farthingdale Valley to visit my good buddy, Jonah. Then, when I’d moved with Jonah and Royce up to Thackery Ranch, which was just beyond Billings, Montana,I’d seen a whole other level of starlight. Steamboat, for all it was so cute, was too bright for lights in the sky.
Reaching out of the hot tub for my phone, I wiped my hands on my pile of clothes and called down to the front desk.
“Could I speak to Jane, please?” I asked.
“Jane’s gone off duty,” a pleasant male voice said. “This is Mike. Is there something I can help with, sir?”
“This is Beck from room 1115. Penthouse. Jane said I could put in an order for a top shelf G&T to be brought up every half hour, starting at nine. So, four G&Ts, please, cause I got a two-hour window here and I want to make the most of it.”
“Certainly, sir,” said the voice. “And would you like your charcuterie board now or later? Perhaps at ten o’clock?”
