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I push myself off the wall and stand straighter. “Thanks, gordo. Same time next week?”
“You got it.” He puts the phone away, his boyish grin returning. “And hey, you should talk to that guy, you know? Who knows how much longer you got to do it, yeah?”
Hector heads back into the kitchen. I linger a moment in the relative privacy of the staff hall and let his words sink in.
Soon, the car will be mine. I’ll have to retrofit a stealth camping build, but there’s time now that I’m waiting a few extra weeks for the papers. Once it’s all finished, I’ll have a new name, a new identity, and a new life. Lines of credit in a new woman’s name. No way to track me, no way to follow.
I’ll sleep in my car, shower at Planet Fitness, and disappear up north forever.
Nerves tingle down my spine as I return to the front desk. Sara’s scrolling on her phone, bored. We chat about nothing and I try not to daydream about bathing in streams and watching the sun rise over national parks, thousands of miles away from my family.
Around ten thirty, I get the call.
Sara leaps up. She reaches for the receiver, but I’m ready and I’m faster. I nudge her aside with my hip, making her curse in annoyance, and lift the phone to my ear. “Front desk. Mari speaking. How can I help you?”
His voice. My god, his voice. It’s the purr of an angel, the low earthy groan of a satisfied bear, the growl of a freshly oiled Harley motorcycle. Sometimes I think his voice is even hotter than his body.
No, that’s stupid, his body is definitely better.
“Hello, Miss Mari. I’d like some room service sent to the penthouse, please.”
“Yes, Mr. Bass, I’d be happy to take care of you.”
Sara rolls her eyes and mouths, I bet you would, slut.
“The usual. New York strip, rare, with a side of steak fries and two glasses of the Glenfiddich.”
“Can you hold for a moment, please? I’ll relay this to the kitchen.”
“Of course.”
Sara’s making faces and swatting at me. I’m distracted as I lower the phone. “Cut it out. Can you call to Hector and ask for his usual, please?”
“Ugh, I wish he’d eat me instead.”
“Yeah, we all do. I even wore special underwear for him tonight.”
“Shut up, no, you didn’t.”
“I’m serious,” I say, laughing at the absurdity of it, because it’s true. I pull open the front of my blouse enough to show Sara the edge of my dark green lacy bra.
“Wow, that’s actually hot.”
“I know, right? I haven’t had a reason to wear it and I knew Mr. Bass was coming tonight, so I figured—”
That’s when I notice.
The red light beside the mute indicator isn’t shining.
My jaw drops open. I stare in horror. Sara looks confused until she follows my gaze.
She bursts out laughing and bends over double.
I quickly cover the mouthpiece with my hand. My heart’s racing. No, no, he didn’t hear, there’s no way—
I raise the other end to my ear.
“I hear you breathing,” he says in that sensual baritone. It makes my toes curl. “You forgot to put me on mute.”
