Page 65 of Grumpy Puck

I turn to the woman.“Can you find out who this was based on security footage?”

She nods.“The officers have already requested it.Unfortunately, we recently switched to a new system, so I was told that it might take a few days to get a hold of the footage.”

“You’ll send it to me as soon as you have it,” Michael says imperiously.

“I’m sending it to the police.”

The expression on Michael’s face causes both cops to lay their hands over their guns.“You will send the footage to me or?—”

“Bear in mind, we’ll be in Florida in a couple of days,” I chime in.I have a feeling Michael is about to get himself arrested for making deadly threats or some such, so I quickly add, “And if this is a stalker situation, he might follow us home and leave nothing to do for the police in New York.”What I don’t mention is my skepticism about the cops even looking at the footage given nothing was stolen and no one was hurt.

“Actually,” the bearded cop says, “if?—”

“I’ve had enough of this,” Michael growls.He looms over the manager.“Do you know who we are?”

She shakes her head.

“Google ‘Honey and Boo Boo,’” he says grimly.“And then ask yourself if you want us to publicly shit all over your hotel, which is what will happen if you don’t comply with my very reasonable request.”

The woman takes her phone out, does a search, and pales.

“What’s your email?”she asks Michael.

He gives it to her, and she promises she’ll send the footage he wants.

“We’re going to go,” the bearded cop says.

“Thanks for your help,” I say.

As soon as they leave, Michael asks the manager for another room.

“Make that two,” I say.

Now that the game is over, they should have more availability.

“Two?”The manager looks confused.“Aren’t you together?”

Shit.The fake relationship.“We had a fight.”Hey, this isn’t exactly a lie.“I need some space.”

“One room.”Michael turns my way, eyes squinty.“I insist.”

“Why?”Despite the scare, or perhaps because of it, I’m the horniest I’ve ever been, and therefore can’t trust myself to be in the same bed with him.Especially after yesterday.

He walks over and takes my hand.“Until this stalker thing is sorted, I don’t want you to be alone.”

Damn it.He makes sense—but this also means we’d share a space for at least a few more days, an idea that makes me feel weirdly bubbly.

“Okay,” I say to the manager with my best poker face on.“A single room, please.”

“You can have the Presidential Suite,” she chirps.“It has two bedrooms, so you can choose to sleep in any arrangement that you desire.”

Why am I so disappointed by the very idea of two bedrooms?Because I am, and as the manager helps us make the move to the Presidential Suite, Michael doesn’t look pleased either.

“I’ll hire private security to watch the hallway outside your door,” the manager says before leaving.“And while we wait for them, I’ll have a couple of porters do the job.”

Wow.“Thank you.You’ve gone above and beyond.”I can even almost forgive the two-room idea.

Almost.

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