Page 37 of Am I the Only One

“Hey, what can I say. I leave a lasting impression.”

“You need an ego check.”

“You wouldn’t be saying that if you’d give me a chance,” he teases with a cocked brow.

I roll my eyes, and he shoots me a smirk.

“Just sayin’.”

When he stands to leave, I stop him with a quick, “Oh hey, I’m going to be making a quick trip back home tomorrow, but I’ll be back the following day.”

“What’s going on back home?”

“My niece has a school performance, and I promised her at Christmas that I would attend.”

“Cool. I’ll see you when you get back,” he responds, not even batting an eyelash at my deceit.

The rest of the day passes with ease. I even call Matthew to check in and see how he’s doing. He’s agitated, and his audible ticks have become more frequent, which is a sign of anxiety. I promise myself that I’m going to find him a better home once I get back on my feet.

Luca and I camp out on the couch, eating Chinese takeout and watching a movie until we both fall asleep.

It isn’t until I wake up that the boulder in the pit of my stomach returns. The gloom hovering above me has returned, and I’ve been a bundle of nerves all day. I go to The Jefferson in the afternoon to check in and pick up my room key, and then I walk around the prestigious hotel, familiarizing myself with the space, making sure to peek my head into Quill.

When I go up to see the room Carly booked for me, I am blown away by the opulence and end up hanging out there for a while. If only my mind weren’t spinning in a million different directions, I could enjoy it. But it is, so I can’t, and I end up going back home.

Luca isn’t here. He has an evening class tonight and he always goes out to a local bar with his buddies afterward, so I don’t have to worry about him seeing me when I’m supposed to be in Tennessee.

Jittery hands make it difficult to apply my mascara, but when I take a step back from the mirror in my bedroom, you would never know the level of anxiety I’m under. I’m also freaking out because, if Olivia is with him, I’m screwed, and not in the good way.

“Pull yourself together,” I murmur as I slip on my nude heels.

Wearing my long blonde hair down, just like Carly instructed, I look at the con I’m about to become, sheathed in a designer dress and about to seduce a well-respected politician.

I feel like a cliché of sorts, but I keep my eye on the endgame, which is the paycheck. I need this money. Ten thousand isn’t nearly enough, but the full fifty will be a good start.

I check the clock.

It’s game time.

The drive to the hotel is short, but I forgo the expensive valet and park a block down in a garage. With my umbrella in hand and my wool coat wrapped around me, I make my way down the street.

Snow has given way to rain, which is already starting to freeze in small patches. My heart beats wildly, and I do my best to slow its tempo to match the clicking of my heels against the pavement, but it’s a failed feat.

When I approach the hotel, the windows are fogged over, making it difficult to see in, but I know he’s there. That thought alone releases a swarm of bees within my stomach.

“You can do this,” I whisper before opening the door and stepping inside.

“Evening, Miss,” a gentleman greets when I make my way into the lounge. “May I?”

With a polite nod, I allow him to help me with my coat. “Thank you.” I then hand him my umbrella before he rushes off to check them.

My eyes skitter across the lavish lounge, rich in mahogany and deep-brown leather. It’s nearly empty, but he’s here.

Holy shit, there he is.

Something inside me dip-dives as I watch him from across the room. He sits at the bar with an open briefcase to one side and an almost empty tumbler in front to the other. Carly was right—he’s hard at work. His suit jacket is draped over the back of his chair and the sleeves of his dress shirt are rolled up.

After a silent pep talk, I remind myself of what Carly told me earlier and the demeanor I should have. More than anything, I think of my brother and how I can’t fail him. He needs me, so I have to do this.

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