Page 407 of Rock Me All Night
18
Morning hitsme like a ton of bricks. It's bright but it's damn cold. I don't need to feel the other side of the bed to know that Tom is gone.
My heart sinks.
If he's gone... Then what the hell did last night mean?
There's no way I'm going to clear my head here. After my usual morning routine, I find the hotel pool and swim laps for the better part of an hour. My thoughts settle bit by bit. I have to demand an explanation from Tom. It will gut me to walk away from him, but I can't give myself to him if he's going to pull that just friends line again.
I towel dry and make my way through the lobby.
Clarity, gone. Tom is here. He's wearing a loose muscle tank and running shorts, and he's dripping with sweat. Explanations are silly. What matters is how badly my body needs his.
"Hey, kid. Good workout?" He looks away, shy.
Tom Steele is shy. With me. That must mean something.
There are footsteps behind us. Drew.
"Why aren't you wearing pants, Wil?" He asks.
Drew's expression is overprotective. He's also clad in work out gear. Must have been at the hotel gym with Tom. Maybe they had a standing work out date. Maybe there's a completely reasonable explanation for why I woke up alone. One besides Tom realizing he made a mistake.
The elevator doors slide open.
I step inside. "Pants would add a lot of drag in the pool."
"She's got you there," Tom says.
Drew shoots him a menacing look. Then he's back to me. "Where'd you go last night?"
"Dinner and a movie. Wanted some time to myself. I'm not used to the constant company." That's close enough to the truth.
Drew looks from me to Tom and back again. "Let's get brunch. Just the two of us."
"Rude of you not to include your sister," Tom teases.
Drew flips him off. He turns to me. "I'll give you twenty minutes to get ready."
The elevator arrives at my floor. I step into the hallway. "Sure. See you then." My eyes catch Tom's. Immediately, my cheeks are burning. I turn away so Drew won't get ideas, and I lock myself in my room.
* * *
Drewand I talk movies over pancakes at a cozy restaurant on the other side of town. He still has the same taste—science fiction and super heroes—but Kara has expanded his horizons into classics and independent films.
We linger through coffee refill after coffee refill. I'm practically shaking from the caffeine overdose when Drew finally asks for the check.
The waitress drops it off with a much too flirty smile. He's completely oblivious to her attention, already pulling bills from his wallet.
I try to steal the little black book. "Let me get it. Please. I got my first paycheck from Hazel."
"No way." He throws down a generous tip, closes the book, and helps me out of my seat. "I need your help."
"With?"
Drew checks the time on his cell. "You have an hour or two?"
I nod. The only thing on my agenda is the show tonight and I have to be there after he does.
