Page 30 of Havoc
“I am all good, but if I think of anything, I’ll get in touch,” Trent stated.
“Alright. Since there’s nothing needed of me, I’m going to get going then,” Remy responded. The two shook hands, and Remy walked out of Trent’s office. He took the elevator to the ground floor and got into his rental.
He had completed everything faster than he anticipated, and he was debating whether or not he wanted to fly back that evening or wait until tomorrow morning. He figured there was no reason he couldn’t enjoy the rest of his time there.
Pulling up outside the hotel he was staying at, Remy went inside and up to his suite. He’d see what restaurants were popular in the city and if there were any blues and jazz lounges.
He contemplated calling Lawrence, but he knew he was still at work. Instead, he grabbed his laptop and sat on the couch. He searched through the hot spots the city had to offer. Remy read the reviews on several of them before deciding on his two destinations for the evening.
He placed his laptop aside, turned on the television, and flipped through the channels until he found something to watch to kill a few hours before he left.
Remy stepped into the lounge a few minutes before ten. The soft jazz music filtered through the space as he walked to a two-top table and sat. He didn’t have to wait long before a server approached to take his drink order. He ordered a rum and coke, taking in the atmosphere as he waited. It was nice, mellow.
His server returned with his drink, and Remy thanked them, forgoing ordering food since he’d finished dinner not too long ago.
He was halfway through his drink when a woman approached his table. She placed her hand on the back of the other chair.
“Can I?” she questioned, and Remy didn’t miss how she looked him over.
“Sure,” he responded. He knew why she’d approached him, and he knew he could have sent her away, but he did not need to be unnecessarily rude, especially since she was far from his type.
He turned his attention to the band on stage, taking another drink from his glass. He could feel her looking at him the entire time. The silence hung between them until the band finished their song.
“Do you come here often?” she questioned, and Remy refrained from shaking his head in secondhand embarrassment. That would always be one of the weakest pickup lines he had ever heard.
“I don’t,” he responded, downing the rest of his drink. His server came over, and Remy ordered another drink.
“What brought you out alone tonight?” the woman then questioned.
She probed, trying to see if he was single or in a relationship—the same tactic he'd used the first night he’d met Lawrence. Remy contemplated whether to answer her or counter her question with one of his own.
“I’m in town for business and thought I’d check out this place.”
“How do you like it?” she asked, taking a drink from her glass.
“The lounge is nice.” Remy paused as the server returned with his drink and thanked him.
“But?” she inquired.
“What makes you think there’s a but?”
She shrugged. “Maybe it could be better.” She smiled at him, and he was sure she was attempting to be enticing as she tucked blonde strands behind her ear.
“You’re right,” he started. “It could be better. Unfortunately, I couldn’t bring my boyfriend with me on this trip.”
Remy watched as the smile slowly slipped from her lips. People's reactions when they found out he dated men never ceased to amuse him. He wasn’t sure why it was so shocking to them. Remy knew most of the time, people judged books by their covers, and looking at him, they automatically assumed he was heterosexual.
“I…hope you enjoy the rest of your evening,” she told him, standing.
“You as well,” Remy responded.
He sat there another hour, finishing his second drink and listening to the music. When he was ready to go, he called for his bill, paid it, and left the server a generous tip.
As he headed to his rental, his phone vibrated. Remy pulled it from his pocket, got into the car, and saw that it was a reminder for a text. It was from Lawrence; he’d gotten it almost an hour ago. It read that he hoped Remy was having a good work trip and that he would call him Sunday when he got back.
Sunday was the original date Remy had given Lawrence for his return since he planned to fly back late Saturday night. However,he’d moved his return flight to tomorrow morning since he'd finished early. Remy figured he’d surprise Lawrence when he got back.
Lawrence was ready to start his relaxation celebration. He had all his favorite snacks, and his couch was made up with his pillows and favorite blanket. He was dressed in his most comfortable shorts and a T-shirt, his hair still slightly wet from his shower.
