Everything loose.
Now.
As the footsteps neared the turn, Jem came around the corner at a brisk walk.He registered Tean—who was now blushing, which made him look even guiltier—and next to Tean, an older woman with hair that managed to be the color of banana Laffy Taffy.She was wearing one of the lodge uniforms, her expression fixed like she was going to be polite to the guest, blizzard or no blizzard, even if it killed her.She saw Jem.She saw him barreling toward her.And her eyes widened.
Jem crashed into her—not hard enough to hurt, but with enough of an impact to knock her off balance.The whole point was to startle them, surprise them, maybe even scare them a little.Tean let out a shocked cry that had to be authentic.Jem caught the woman in a weird half-hug to keep her from falling.
One hand in this pocket.
Lint.A cigarette lighter.A joint.
One hand in this pocket.
Bingo, bango, bongo.
He already had the card up his sleeve by the time he was pulling his hand back.
“Watch where you’re going,” Jem snapped.He got the woman upright with a movement that was almost a shove and strode down the hallway—just one more asshole in a hurry.
Behind him, Tean was apologizing.
Jem made a loop of the floor, and when he came around to the ice machine, Tean was backing out of the alcove, saying, “I’m really sorry.But there were two of them, and they were very loud—”
Whatever the woman said, it was enough to make Tean let the door fall shut.He turned around, face red, and saw Jem.
“Two of them?”Jem said.
“I didn’t know she was going to see you,” Tean said, lowering his voice and casting a nervous glance at the alcove.“Then I remembered those teenagers.”
“So, you lied to her.”
“You didn’t tell me she was going to see you!”
“And you framed two innocent teenagers for your crime.”
“I think that’s putting it rather dramatically.”
“But you did.”
“She was— It’s not like anyone—” With something like despair, Tean said, “Aren’t we supposed to be in a hurry?”
“Sure, babe.And don’t worry.I won’t tell anyone what you did.”
“But I didn’tdoanything,” Tean mumbled as he followed Jem back to Stephen’s room.
The housekeeping key worked.The light on the electronic lock flashed, and when Jem nudged the door, it swung open.
On the other side:
A standard hotel room.
Light flooding in through a window.
The white-hot shine of the snow.
No Stephen.
“Well, slap my ass and call me Candy,” Jem said as he let the door fall shut behind Tean.He gave the room a considering look.“He’s not here.”
