If he was finally getting some actualsleep, I wasn’t about to interrupt it. So I just kept driving, just like Isaak must’ve done all night.
By mid-afternoon we pull into Denver with the afternoon traffic. We’ve made excellent time if I do say so myself.
I stop at a hotel I’ve always liked here, and almost as soon as the car stops moving, Isaak wakes up, stretching his long arms in any direction he can in the car that’s far too small for him.
“Where are we?”
I tell him.
“Denver?” He looks around, then winces at the sunlight. He pulls the hood of his sweatshirt down over his head. “Fuck. I gotta piss like a racehorse.”
“Can you hold it until we check in, stallion?”
“You check in. I’ll find a pisser.” He shoves out his door and takes off through the automatic glass hotel doors.
Ah, my gallant bodyguard. Those duties are over, though, so it’s only fair.
I let the valet park the car while I pause outside the hotel that’s situated perfectly across from Civic Center Park.
It’s a cloudy day, and I close my eyes and let the breeze blow across my skin. I shiver as goosebumps rise everywhere. It’s actually cold, cold here. I take it in for a quick moment before opening my eyes again and dragging my suitcases and Isaak’s single duffel into the hotel.
I wonder if I should be worried about him, but he shows up at the elevators after I’ve checked in. We ride up to the eleventh floor.
Finally, finally, we’re pushing through the door into our home away from home.
“Why Denver?” Isaak asks, pulling the suitcases behind him. He took them from me at the elevator. “I thought you were looking for a road trip.”
“That was a road trip!” I fall back on the single king-sized bed dramatically, arms out wide.
It’s only then that Isaak looks around. “Kira. There isn’t a second bed.”
I sit back up and reach for his hands. “If it’s a hard limit, we can go back downstairs and get a room with two beds. But I wondered if we could try sleeping in one again. It’s part of why I wanted to come to Denver.”
“What’s Denver got to do with it?”
“Denver’s got everything to do with it. But I want to keep it as a surprise. Especially in case you get mad at me.”
I cringe and wait for him to go all grouchy investigator on me since I mentioned both a surprise and that he might get mad at me about it. Instead, he just stands there, broody and quiet. Is he already mad about the one bed?
I decide to snatch the win while I’ve got it.
“Great!” I climb off the bed. “I’ll shower first. I feel grimy after a day in the car.” With that, I flounce off to the bathroom, dragging one of my suitcases behind me.
“Wait, what were we talking about?” Isaak trails after me.
Nothing, sweet man. Nothing at all.
“I could scrub your back?” he asks, sounding hopeful.
Good. His mind has obviously moved on to other things.
“No! I’m gross! You can shower after me.”
I slam the door in his face, then pull out my phone to arrange everything for tonight, grinning down at the little screen.
FORTY-FOUR
ISAAK