I saw no one in the hall or the elevator, thank God. I went down to the lobby and spoke to a guy at the front desk. “Is there anything you can do for a patron on the occasion that she got super drunk last night and lost a shoe?”
“Oh, dear.” He poured me a glass of cucumber water, which I accepted gratefully and downed in seconds. “I’d be happy to have the concierge send someone out to purchase some shoes for you up the street. Once the stores open, of course.”
Right. Like I could afford shoes from anywhere in this neighborhood.
“I don’t have time for that. Is there nothing in-house? The gift shop?”
“I don’t think so. However, we do have flip flops for the spa patrons. I could sell you a pair of those.” He looked something up on his computer. “I’d have to charge you sixty dollars.” He looked at me and said, “They’re pink,” like that somehow sweetened the deal.
Sixty bucks? For a pair of disposable flip flops? Christ. But it was that or get home barefoot.
“Size seven please.”
“They’re one size fits all.”
Sure they were. “Great. Can you point me in the direction of an open drug store?”
I paid the man, waited while he sent some underling to collect the flip flops, then hit the road in my red lace dress, oversized pink flip flops, and black leather jacket.
I walked the five blocks to the twenty-four hour drugstore where I picked up a bottle of Tylenol, a gift bag and a gift card that was blank inside. Somewhat fittingly, it had a little drum on it. It was green and silver. Possibly leftover from Christmas.
Then I bought every pack of cinnamon flavored gum they had. And every cinnamon Tic Tac.
I ducked into two convenience stores on my way back to the hotel and bought their entire stock of cinnamon gum too.
In the hotel lobby, I stuffed the gum and Tic Tacs in the gift bag, threw back a couple of Tylenol with some cucumber water, and signed the card.
Have an amazing tour. K.
On second thought, I tossed the bottle of Tylenol in the bag.
I left the gift bag with the front desk for “the guy in 709” since I assumed the room wasn’t under Jesse’s real name.
I grabbed a cab and stopped by my sister’s place to pick up Max. Then I went home, had a long, hot shower and passed out in my own bed, spooning my dog.
CHAPTER 12
JESSE
Jude leaned back against the Bentley, settling in with his breakfast burrito as I punched the number to Katie’s apartment into the ancient intercom system. After several staticky beeps there was a click and a scratchy little voice. “Hello?”
“Had breakfast yet?”
Static-filled silence. “Pardon me?”
“Have you had breakfast?” I enunciated. Through the static, I heard a scratchy little voice say a very bad word, which made me grin. “Wanna buzz me in?”
Silence followed by some staticky fumbling and a loud buzzer.
I found Katie’s place on the second floor. The door was ajar and a red-rimmed eyeball sized me up through the gap from behind a pair of cute, turquoise-framed glasses.
“Please tell me you brought coffee.”
“Nope. But Jude will get some.” Katie opened the door wider; I was already texting Jude as I stepped inside. “Nudge open today?”
“Yes, but you don’t have to do that.” She shut the door behind me. Her dog sat at her feet, wagging his tail. “I’m sure your best friend doesn’t really want to be your errand boy.”
“The amount I pay him to be my errand boy, I don’t give a shit. What do you drink?”
