Page 154 of Chosen Beta

She looks shaken, and it’s not hard to tell why.

“Pete, it’s just Marianne. She’s one of the kitchen staff. They deal with the laundry as well as the food orders.”

He sighs, his tense posture relaxing. “Oh. You didn’t tell me they have room keys.”

“I forgot about that,” I admit. “Sorry, Marianne. We didn’t mean to scare you. You can go.”

The young girl nods. “That’s okay. I shouldn’t be here this late. I forgot about the laundry this morning and I didn’t want you to have to wait an extra day to have these back.”

“No problem,” I reply, tapping Pete on the shoulder to get him to move out of the room with me.

The space is tight, and I don’t want Marianne to have to squeeze past us.

Especially not after we just scared the life out of her in the dark.

“I can always wait. Anytime you forget. I don’t mind,” I let her know as she steps out of the room with the bag.

She nods. “I’m so sorry. Things were hectic earlier and there were extra laundry bags on this floor. I forgot to come back up to get yours. It won’t happen again.”

The poor girl seems completely mortified.

“It’s okay. Honestly,” I tell her. “Don’t give it another thought.”

She smiles. “Thanks, Ms. Cole. Things are so much nicer around here than they used to be.”

She leaves with the laundry bag, and I look at Pete in the dark.

He’s frowning after her as she leaves.

“If someone’s trying to hurt me, it’s not the girl who does my laundry.”

“Hm,” he murmurs. “She didn’t seem a little strange to you?”

“We just gave her the fright of her life. She might have peed a little. You’d seem strange too if you’d been in her place.” I step back into the room. “I’m just going to change. You can wait out here for me.”

“Don’t take too long,” he warns me.

I smile as I close the door on him. “I’ll be lightning fast.”

Using my phone’s flashlight, I move over to the lamp and switch it on.

Then I leave the phone on top of the dresser while I attempt to pick out an outfit that looks a little nicer than my least flattering pants and the blouse Pete ripped buttons off this morning.

Only trouble is, my dresser’s full of work clothes.

I didn’t pack much casual or date-worthy items when I decided I’d stay on campus until I was caught up with theworkload. I fish out a dark pair of jeans I brought to wear on the weekends.

At least those make my ass look good. It takes a while to find a top that’s kind of cute. The white cami with the gold trim could even be sexy if I don’t pair it with a cardigan.

Clothes picked out, I go into the bathroom and run the shower.

I smell like sex, and I’d rather feel a bit fresher if I’m about to have dinner with four men who might all want me to be theirs.

That thought is crazy.

I spent so damn long thinking I might never meet one guy, or girl, and now this?

I can’t wrap my head around it.

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