Page 140 of For a Price

The next minute is the most nerve-racking moment so far.

Once he parks again and hops out to collect the first batch of flowers, I’m waiting for him on the inside. I’m not much of a fighter, but as the door springs open, my boot’s ready to greet his face.

“ARGH!” he howls, stumbling back.

I don’t give him time to recover. Instead, I grab a large, colorful pot of peonies and smash it over his head. The guy is down on the ground seeing stars as I leap out of the truck with a different floral arrangement.

All I need is to gain entry to the hotel long enough to disappear.

By the time security notices the floral van and the man collapsed on the ground, I’ll already be inside.

I march toward the huge garage-like doors where deliveries are brought to the hotel. The guard on the inside monitoring the deliveries nods me through unsuspectingly. Pretending I’m treating my job as a flower delivery person with utmost care, I walk the arrangements all the way up to the glass doors leading into the hotel.

“Hey,” calls a different security guard. “Deliveries are dropped off here. Hotel staff will retrieve them.”

I shoot him a quick, apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry. It’s just these peonies are very delicate and they can’t be left in a dark, damp environment like this loading dock. It would be a shame if they were ruined and then the club members noticed?—”

“Alright, carry ’em inside and drop them off right at the reception desk. Straight back out.”

“Yes, of course,” I murmur, my walk fast.

The moment I’m inside the hotel and certain the security guards on the loading dock are not watching, I ditch the flowers.

My gaze is everywhere, scanning the area. I’m quick scurrying to the first nook where I can hide long enough to be forgotten about.

I make it, diving down a short hall that seems to be for hotel staff.

There’s a door marked cleaning and maintenance and two more marked as restrooms.

I opt for the one with the little illustrated woman in a dress.

No one’s inside.

Perfect.

It’s the reprieve I was hoping for as I get ready to make another move.

Now I just have to find a way to get close enough to the pakhan and?—

The door swings open and in walks a young woman in an unmistakable housekeeping uniform. She aims a small, tired smile at me as she steps into one of the stalls. I decide instead of fleeing like I’d originally planned the moment she walked in, I’ll stay.

The toilet flushes and she steps out of the stall to join me at the sink.

I maintain her gaze in the mirror, pretending I’m washing my hands. “Busy day?”

“Hmmm?” she hums at my side. “Oh yeah. Really busy. I’m just getting off.”

“Me too.”

“I’ve never seen you around before.”

“I’m a contractor,” I fib. “I do deliveries for the hotel.”

She nods, reaching over to the soap dispenser that’s between us. It’s the opening I need as she’s more distracted fussing with the dispenser than she is with what I’m doing.

“Well… see you around.”

“Bye.”

---