Page 17 of Connor

To say the room was luxurious would be badly understating it. I was kind of thrilled at the idea that Jared had put me up in such a place, with no expectations of repayment. I would try to repay him, I vowed to myself. As soon as I found another job.

I spent the day mostly resting and watching tv, like I normally did all day. At around six o’clock, there was a knock on my door, and I went to look out the peephole. A waiter was there with a cart. I took the door from under the doorknob and opened it just a crack.

“Yes?”

“Mr. Floyd. Room Service.”

“I didn’t order anything.”

“The order was placed by a Mr. Spencer.”

Did I believe him? He did use my name, and Jared’s so I suppose he really was Room Service. I slowly pulled back the chain, opened the door, and he pushed the cart inside.

The waiter fussed around with things for a few minutes, and I went to see if I could find a dollar to give him as a tip, but he waved me off. “It’s all been taken care of, sir. Enjoy your dinner.”

I sat down to do that and pulled the lids off the trays. He had ordered me chicken nuggets, along with macaroni and cheese and green beans and a salad. Like a kid’s meal, but it was all delicious and I ate my fill before trying the dessert. It was strawberry shortcake. After dinner, I put the tray outside my door, after making sure the hallway was empty, and then I watched TV until my eyelids were getting really heavy.

I closed my eyes, but my mind was racing. I kept going over and over all the mean things I’d said to Jared and started feeling really guilty about how I’d acted. Jared had been nice to me, and he was still being nice. While I’d acted like a spoiled brat. From the first moment I saw him, I’d flung myself at his head. And other places. Suppose the shoe had been on the other foot, and he’d acted that way toward me? God, I needed to apologize, but did I dare call him?

I knew he’d given me his card, but I had no idea where it was now. I went over to my bag, dug around through my clothes and found it inside—one of the maids must have rescued it from my pocket before washing my jeans. She had also tucked the damn teddy bear inside there too. I pulled him out and stared into his little face.

“I guess it’s me and you, kid.” I sat him down on the bed, and then, curling up on the oversized king bed, I wrapped one arm around him, settled myself on one of the fifteen pillows, and decided I didn’t have the nerve to call after all. I sat there worrying about it for a few minutes and was about to put the phone down on my nightstand and not phone him at all when it went off in my hand like unexploded ordnance.

I jumped like I’d been shot, then glanced down at it, trembling and wondering if my thoughts had somehow magically conjured Jared up. They hadn’t. It was a 1-800 number that my phone labeled as suspected spam. I ended the call, but it had given me the jolt I needed to stop dithering around. I took a breath and dialed the number on the card.

“Jared Spencer.” His voice was as sexy and as gruff as I’d remembered, and I was suddenly terrified again.

So I just sat there holding the phone to my ear. “Hello? Who is this?”

“Connor? Is something wrong? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, really. I was calling to-to thank you. This hotel is so nice. And I just ate the dinner you ordered. So…thank you for that too. I think I was in too much of a snit to say that properly before. You probably literally saved my life, and I was—well, you know how I was. I’m just sorry I wasn’t nicer. And that’s why I called.”

“Connor,” he said, his voice softer, with just a tiny hesitation, like he wasn’t quite sure what to say next. He came up with something perfect. “You don’t have to have an excuse to call me. I’m just glad to know you’re all right. I hope the room is comfortable?”

“It’s great. I’ve never slept in a room so nice. I’m not even worried much about somebody breaking in. There’s only one deadbolt, but I’ve got the chain, and I put a chair under the door handle.” The second the diarrhea of words came bursting out, I was embarrassed. I gave a fake laugh to try and cover. “You know how I like my deadbolts.”

“You’re apprehensive, then, about being there on your own? Why is that, Connor?”

“When I was a little boy, someone tried kill me.”

A sharp silence and then, “Is that true?”

I laughed gaily. “No, of course not. I just thought it sounded cooler than being scared for no reason.”

“Do not lie to me again, little boy. Do you understand?”

“Yeah.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Yes, Sir,” I repeated in a small voice.

“I think I’ve told you that I’d spank you if it happened again, didn’t I?”

“Um, maybe?”

“Excuse me?”

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