Beau had sent out a tweet thanking George and Allie for the great afternoon, including a pic of all of them at the table. He’d also mentioned heading home to play some pool with the guys. If they waited for a half hour, most of the people outside would assume they’d snuck out the back and they could leave in relative peace.
Beau rolled up the sleeves of his button-up shirt. “I’m glad that’s over with—the cop was a card, wasn’t he?”
“Yeah.” Anthony shook his head.
“I liked Allie, though.” Leticia rubbed her belly affectionately—like the baby could feel her. What did he know? Maybe the baby could sense a mother’s love. She’d been doing that all afternoon, and Anthony had a dopey smile on his face each andevery time he caught her at it. Being around the two of them when they acted all in love and crap was difficult.
However, after spending those few minutes listening to Allie sing, he could kind of understand where the two of them were coming from. Which was weird, right?
“Hey.” Beau lifted his glass and took a sip. “Kate should have dropped George off at that scuzzy hotel. I’ll bet he flipped out when he realized he wasn’t staying at the Ritz.”
“Probably—she said he’d bucked at every rule she put up,” added Anthony.
“Call her and find out how the drop-off went.” Beau kicked his feet up on the chair across from him.
Mark had been fighting the urge to find out if Allie was all settled and this was as good of an excuse as any. The phone rang once before Kate picked up.
“Hey, Kate—how’d it go?” Better to start with generalities than jump right in to finding out if Allie had enough bubble bath. Beau nudged him, and he put the call on speaker phone.
“Better than expected. They’re all settled for the night.”
“What room at the Ritz?” asked Leticia. “I’d like to send over some of my bath salts.” Leticia had a small company that made herbal body lotions and soaps. Mark had given a large basket to his mom for Christmas. She raved over them, so he’d sent another—just to spoil her.
“Hang on.”
They waited while Kate checked whatever device she’d noted the information on. “216,” she finally replied.
“Thank you,” called Leticia.
216. 216.216.
Mark took the call off speaker. The conversation hadn’t told him about Allie’s well-being—or if she liked the room. She probably loved the complementary bathrobes and fruit baskets. Maybe she’d thrown herself across the bed, her arms spreadwide. He wasn’t about to ask for particulars with Beau and Anthony on the call, though. He’d never hear the end of it from them.
The conversation did, however, give him one giant opportunity—he had her room number. What he was going to do with it was a whole other question. “Today went great. Take the weekend off, will you?” he told Kate. “I’ll see you Monday.” Kate’s voice held a smile.
They hung up and Mark turned to Leticia, a stroke of genius smacking him upside the head. “I can deliver those bath salts for you.” Leticia pointed over her shoulder. “I’ve got some in my trunk. You don’t mind?”
“Not at all, the hotel is on the way home. I’ll just hand them to the footman and be off. It’ll take three minutes—tops.”
“That would be great. I’m ready for a nap.”
“Just a nap?” Anthony kissed her hair.
Leticia’s movements were laced with sleepiness. “Yes, just a nap … a twelve-hour nap.”
It was only six-thirty, but Mark remembered Jasmine getting tired early too and was doubly glad he’d offered to deliver the gift. They made quick work of getting the items from Anthony’s car and into his. Most of the fans had indeed dispersed after Beau’s tweet that they were leaving, and those that remained were entertained by the man himself. Beau never seemed to tire of being in the limelight, and Mark was more than happy to hand the screaming fans over to him after he promised to call a cab.
The drive to the hotel wasn’t long, and yet the sun had set and the city lights came alive before he handed his keys to the valet. Mark debated going through with his little plan to … to what? To check on Allie? Kate would have made sure she was fine.
He held the basket of bath stuff, all wrapped in cellophane and tissue paper, up by his chest to hide his face as he crossedthe hotel lobby. Dimly lit crystal chandeliers blushed the room with a golden glow. The sound of his steps on the marble floor was muted by the wood walls painted black. The golden elevator door opened and a pair of teens stepped out, too absorbed in their phones to pay any attention to him.
What he really wanted was to see Allie again—to talk. Just talk more. The desire was strong enough to propel him into the elevator to do something stupid.
The easy-going way she’d brushed off getting his autograph could have been an act, but Mark didn’t think so. And after the way George had behaved, Mark was pretty sure he was the one who had asked for an extra room.
That left Mark with a problem.
He’d met a woman who hadn’t asked for a part of him and he wasn’t quite sure what to do about her. He stared at the buttons as the elevator took him to the second floor. He could still hear her clear voice and see the joy light up her face as she talked about those kids. He wished his church had a children’s choir. Chloe could sing and she’d love to participate. Performing in a group would be a good way for her to get used to being in front of people too.
