Page 60 of Bottoms Up
Silver
I ordered Epsom salts and a gallon of apple cider vinegar to be delivered when I woke around two-thirty the next afternoon, and I texted Atlas to tell him it was coming. I’d been told to text him if I ordered anything, or if I wanted to leave the room.
I soaked for hours while reading a historical romance set in Italy about the time Julian would’ve been human. This author’s reviews talked about how accurate she is with her historicalstuff, so I hoped maybe it would give me a little more insight into Julian’s life as a human.
Julian rose an hour and a half earlier than expected, and he assumed it was from the sexual energy he’d taken in.
We had tickets for two shows that night, one inside the building we were in and another offsite, but it wouldn’t start until well after dark.
While Atlas walked us through the tunnels to the theater, he made a phone call to see if anyone was in Gavin, Lauren, and Nick’s personal box. It was empty, so he took us to it.
Best seats in the house.
It was a Cirque-type show, and we both loved it, but he was beyond amazed by the acrobatics, and I got caught up in his excitement and awe.
It was dark when Atlas drove us down the street to the other theater, this one also full of acrobats and showmanship, but with a ribald theme. By far, I enjoyed the second show more, but both were excellent. We went to Circus Circus next, and rode roller coasters one after another, over and over. Atlas was with us but wasn’t a pain in the ass about guarding us. It was just him at the theaters, but he had a team around us at Circus Circus. It wasn’t annoying, though. We barely noticed them — he’s damned good at his job.
I was exhausted when we returned to our room, so I double-checked everything I’d already put into place for the following day, and thought I was going to bed.
Julian had other ideas, though, so I found myself a well-fucked limp noodle when Ifinallymanaged sleep.
And honestly, it’s good he put me to sleep so I didn’t have to think too much about the following day. I wassonervous about introducing Benji and Julian. I mean, they’d met before, but that’d been business. Julian had been assistant to the guyBenji had been meeting with. Off to the side, not part of the discussion.
But first, my brother and I would have a few hours on our own, before Julian rose.
I wasn’t feeling particularly male or female the next morning, so I put jeans and a T-shirt on, pulled my hair into a high ponytail, and applied minimal makeup.
I’d called the hotel’s concierge service the night before to request a driver to take me to the airport, so I was surprised to see Atlas waiting outside my room when I stepped into the hallway.
“I don’t need a guard,” I told him. “You’re here for Julian, and he probably won’t rise for hours.”
“He’s safe on the premises, and my instructions from Gavin are that I’m to be with you when you leave this floor. The limo is waiting for us.”
I shook my head. “The limo is overkill. A car or SUV will be fine.”
He gave a brief nod. “As you wish.”
He walked a few steps behind me in the hallway, but then we were in the elevator alone. Just the two of us, looking straight ahead, but since the door of the elevator was reflective, we had a slightly blurred view of the tableau we created, standing side-by-side. He’d been in the background the day before, tailing Julian and me, but now, alone with him, it felt awkward.
Probably best to just talk about it. Right? “I feel the need to say how much I enjoyed our evening, and I’d like to check in with you. I know you don’t want to deal with it when you’re on duty, so let’s deal with it now, so we can drop it the rest of the day.”
He lifted his chin in the reflection and met my gaze. “It isn’t often people understand what it is I need, much less figure out how to give it to me. I feel at peace today.Still. Thank you for giving it to me.”
“You’re welcome.”
Another of those short nods. “The private terminals have their own pick-up area. Do you wish to get out of the car, or will you wait for your brother to come to you?”
“Get me there, and we’ll see how long until he comes out. I may step out so I can hug him properly, but I won’t get far from the car.”
“I’m told he’s traveling without security?”
“He usually does, unless there’s a specific threat.”
Once we were in the SUV, I opened my phone and clicked on the link I’d sent myself to track his flight.
“It’s estimating he’ll land in twelve minutes,” I told Atlas. Those estimates aren’t always accurate for private planes, but it’s usually close.
“Depending on the traffic lights, we should be there in nine to twelve minutes.”
