“D-do you know where he lives now?”
“Nope, and I don’t care, either. He was a loser when he worked here. He sat around on his lazy butt and never did anything. I’m glad he’s gone.”
The tightness in her head squeezed tighter. Suffocation closed in around her, and made her struggle to even breathe. Were the walls closing in around her, too? She had to get out of here. Fast.
“Uh, thanks for your help.” She took a step back and swayed. No, she couldn’t lose control now. She must stay focused!
“Hey, lady? Are you all right? You don’t look so good.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Do you need a little pick-me-up?”
His voice made her ears throb. “A what?”
“You know, an upper, speed, whatever you want to call it. The first one is on me just because I think you’re pretty, but after that, you have to pay for them, just like everyone else that comes in here.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was he really suggesting that this hotel sold drugs? “Uh, no thanks. I have my own at home,” she lied.
She turned and hurried out the door before he could stop her. When she climbed in her car, she breathed in deeply, and slowly exhaled. Confusion swam in her head. Tom didn’t work here? But, every time he talked to her about his job, he always referred to it asthe hotel. Sometimes he even described his boring night as the desk clerk. Yet, the man inside mentioned the cops were trying to find Tom, but he’d run to find another place to hide.
Her stomach lurched. Had Tom been running from the police? Was he doing it now? Could that be the real reason he needed to get away, blaming it on a trip to see his parents?
For some reason, she didn’t believe him. How could she after discovering this? And yet, if he didn’t work here, where did he work? He still made money, so why didn’t he want to tell her he’d gotten a new job?
Once she reached home, she laid on the couch with a cold rag on her forehead. She’d taken some medication for the headache, and hopefully it would work quickly. Her head pounded with uncertainly, and she didn’t want to talk to Tom or whatever his name was. She wanted to think clearly when she screamed at him for lying to her. And she definitely wanted to have full use of all her facilities when she kicked him out of her life for good.
Breathing slowly and deeply, she tried to calm herself, but her breathing exercises weren’t working this time. The only thing that had worked to calm her lately was Brad.
She smiled and her mind eased a bit. He’d been like a drug to her since meeting him. His nearness stirred feelings within her, and his smile and laugh was like a shining ray of sun on a rainy day. If only he were here with her now, she wouldn’t have a headache.
Should she call him and tell him to come over? She really wanted to, and yet, she didn’t want him here when Tom arrived. Then again, did she care about Tom’s feelings at all? He’d been lying to her, so why should she care what he thought?
She sat up and the damp rag dropped to her lap. If seeing Brad would make her feel better, she’d do it!
She grabbed her phone and started punching in his number, but before she could finish, she heard a truck with a bad muffler stop outside. She hitched a breath. Could Tom be here already? She hoped not.
Her tension caused her body to shake as she walked to the door. She tried to convince herself it wasn’t Tom. It wasn’t even afternoon yet. Why would he come ahead of schedule? That never happened in the five years they’d been dating, so why now?
