Page 76 of The Veiling

“I made a reservation for two rooms.” Valentino took a step toward the desk, careful not to touch the surface.

She tapped on her outdated computer for a moment. “Oh, found you here.”

“But I didn’t give you my name.”

“You only person pay by whole night. Lucas Thompson, I have you here. I can show you if you not believe!” Her brash statement made me slightly afraid.

“No, no, I believe you.” Valentino lifted a hand, clearing his throat. “That’s me.”

What was going on?! Lucas Thompson?Clearly, she did not recognize him. I exchanged a glance with Joseph and Noah. Joseph showed zero emotion, whereas Noah offered me a subtle signal to remain quiet. I forced my gaze back to the woman, who slammed two room keys on the counter.

“Enjoy stay. Ice machine broken. Left elevator broken. No breakfast. Refrigerator broken.”

“Thank you.” Valentino examined me as he cautiously plucked the keys off the counter and shoved them in his pocket.

We moved over to the only working elevator. Noah pulled his cuff over his finger and pushed the button on the wall. “I’m not touching shit in here,” he whispered.

The doors opened and a tall, skinny woman, who looked like she just stepped out of a 1980’s music video with a wind machine, trod off, bumping Noah’s shoulder when she sashayed toward the door. Her red, ruffled mini skirt was tucked into the back of her ripped pantyhose, exposing a dark thong as she paraded through the lobby.

“Oh God,” I muttered as we stepped on and the doors slid closed.

I spun to Valentino, sure there was not one camera surveying the space. “What the hell are we doing here?!”

“You said you wanted a normal night.”

“Valentino!” I clenched my teeth. “This is not normal, even for me.”

“Don’t lean on the wall,” Joseph pointed behind me.

I whirled around to see a white oozy substance dripping off the railing.

“No,” I gagged, “I can’t be here.”

“But you wanted a normal night.”

“I think I just caught a STD from standing here,” Noah joked.

“Please, can we go?” I pleaded.

“Maybe the rooms are nice.”

“Valentino,” I hissed.

The doors opened, and the three of us exited. Joseph took the lead, guiding us down the long, narrow hallway. He came to a stop in front of the sixth door on the right. “This is your room.”

Valentino stepped forward, taking the cards from his pocket, and stuck one in the door. He pushed it open and stepped in before me. He froze and spun back around. “Let’s go.”

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s orange shag carpet and floral wallpaper. We’re leaving.”

He grabbed my hand and hurried down the hallway, back to the elevator. The doors were still open. We entered and Noah pressed the button for the lobby with his sleeve over his fingers once again. We remained silent as we descended. The moment the doors parted, Valentino took the keys and laid them on the desk.

“We changed our mind. Have a great evening.”

The woman was already on the phone again, so she did not bother to respond. Once we were outside, Valentino took a deep breath.

“I’m shocked the cum in the elevator wasn’t the deal breaker, but the carpet and walls were,” Noah muttered under his breath.

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