Page 39 of Romancing the Grump
Well, almost all the Appies. There’s one who is missing, and he’s the only one I really want to see.
I sit down at a table near the edge of the dining room, mostly because it’s closest to the coffee station, but also because it gives me an easy view across the lobby to the bank of elevators. At least now I can watch for Nathan withoutlookinglike I’m watching for Nathan.
I glance up from my eggs at least two dozen times—every time someone new walks into the dining room—but he never shows.
Eventually, I start to worry, which is stupid. He’s a grown man.
He could be on a run…in frigid Chicago winter temperatures.
He could be sleeping in or taking a long shower or any number of things that would make perfect sense and require zero explanation to the team attorney who has no reason to be concerned about him.
“Still no Nathan?” Felix asks, and I look up, attention immediately caught.
At the table beside mine, Alec, Felix, Eli, and Van are sitting together.
“I haven’t seen him,” Eli says.
“Hey, Summer,” Alec calls when he sees me looking. “Have you seen Nathan?”
I shake my head, and Alec breathes out a beleaguered sigh. “All right. Who’s up for sweet-talking the front desk into giving us a key to his room?”
“That’s all you, man,” Eli says, pointing to his wedding ring. “I’m a married man. I’m not sweet-talking anyone.”
“Next time, we just need to make Nathan give us a key,” Felix says. “This always happens. You’d think we would have learned by now.”
“Wait,” I say, cutting in. “What always happens? Is he okay? Why do you need his room key?”
“He’s fine,” Alec says. “Just asleep. The dude is impossible to wake up.”
I frown, trying to wrap my head around this information. “He doesn’t use an alarm?”
“He could use twelve,” Felix says. “It wouldn’t matter.”
“I’ll get the key,” Van says, standing up. “Does anyone know his room number?”
“Oh. I do,” I say, and four heads turn to look at me, theirmatching expressions saying they’re definitely curious about why I’m the one who knows where Nathan’s room is.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I say, holding up my hands. “His room is right next to mine. That’s the only reason I know. I’m 203, which means he’s 205.”
“Got it. Be right back,” Van says. “But you’re all coming up to his room with me. I’m not dealing with his grumpy ass on my own.”
Van is back minutes later, key in hand, and the guys all stand up. I’m tempted to join them, but I’m not sure my friendship with Nathan is longstanding enough to justify me being witness to whatever ritual is required to wake him up, no matter how curious I am.
Alec pauses and looks back at me. “Want to come? It’s usually pretty entertaining.”
Ishouldn’t.
How would Nathan feel about me being in his hotel room uninvited? But the guysdohave a key. And Alecdidjust invite me.
I have a feeling I might regret this, but I quickly stand and hurry after them anyway.
On our way, Nathan’s teammates regale me with stories of things Nathan has managed to sleep through in the past. Entire bus rides. Parties happening in his hotel room with all the lights on. Every summer camp sleep prank in the book, from feathers on his face to his hand in warm water, which did not, incidentally, make him wet the bed.
I’ve heard of people being deep sleepers, but never anything like this.
Nathan’s room is dark, only a sliver of light trickling in around the edges of the blackout blinds covering the window, and two different alarm clocks are beeping into the darkness. Eli flips on the bathroom light, then turns on a floor lampstanding next to the wall-mounted television while Van moves across the room and turns off the alarms.
Nathan is curled up on his side, the covers pulled up to his waist. He’s shirtless, and my breath catches at the sight of all that exposed skin and muscle.
