Page 11
Oh gods. Ihadsounded like I was asking for a freebie, hadn’t I? Way to ruin a vibe.
“I meant—just, you know, maybe next time I’ve got enough overtime again. I’d pay. I just…”
His voice softened. “How about this?”
I wanted to reach out and take his hand, but I kept mine tucked at my sides. My palms were too warm. My chest too tight. My nerves too shot.
“If you decide you want to, you can reach out to me through the app. I promise I’ll see it.”
“Oh. Yeah. Okay,” I said, not really trusting my voice. It wasn’t a yes, but at least it wasn’t a no.
“I’m guessing you don’t want to stay here for the night,” I offered. “But if you do, I can leave you with the key.”
He smiled. “Thanks. But yeah, I should get going. Early shift tomorrow.”
It took everything I had not to ask him what he did for work. If he was wearing a mask, he didn’t want me to know anything about him. I might not like that, but I was going to respect his boundaries.
“Do you need a lift?” I offered. “I saw you took a ride share here.”
“Yeah, maybe…” He pulled out his phone. “No—I gotta make a phone call first.”
“Oh, okay. Well—thanks. Really.”
Our parting was awkward. Way more awkward than it had any right to be, considering how intimate the night had been.
“I’ll return the key,” he promised.
I nodded. “Just drop it in the box.”
He nodded back.
I left.
Only… I didn’t get far.
Once I made it to my car, I sat down in the driver’s seat and gripped the wheel. My eyes burned. I blinked fast, telling myselfit was just the bad lighting or the mildew smell or leftover nerves.
But it wasn’t.
I was already attached. To his voice. His touch. To the way he held me.
This wasn’t supposed tobeanything. Just a transaction. A soft one, yes. A good one. Sure. But still… a one-time exchange. But the thought of going back to jars, of holding a tepid bottle?
I didn’t want that.
I wantedhim.
But what was I going to do? Ask him to be my Daddy after two hours and a broken faucet?
I sighed, forehead resting against the steering wheel, trying to breathe.
Just as I reached for the ignition, a car pulled into the lot.
And not just any car.
This one was sleek. Expensive. Black with deep-tinted windows. I didn’t know much about cars, but even I could tell, this one cost more than the entire motel was worth.
Whoever was about to check into this place was going to beverydisappointed.
“I meant—just, you know, maybe next time I’ve got enough overtime again. I’d pay. I just…”
His voice softened. “How about this?”
I wanted to reach out and take his hand, but I kept mine tucked at my sides. My palms were too warm. My chest too tight. My nerves too shot.
“If you decide you want to, you can reach out to me through the app. I promise I’ll see it.”
“Oh. Yeah. Okay,” I said, not really trusting my voice. It wasn’t a yes, but at least it wasn’t a no.
“I’m guessing you don’t want to stay here for the night,” I offered. “But if you do, I can leave you with the key.”
He smiled. “Thanks. But yeah, I should get going. Early shift tomorrow.”
It took everything I had not to ask him what he did for work. If he was wearing a mask, he didn’t want me to know anything about him. I might not like that, but I was going to respect his boundaries.
“Do you need a lift?” I offered. “I saw you took a ride share here.”
“Yeah, maybe…” He pulled out his phone. “No—I gotta make a phone call first.”
“Oh, okay. Well—thanks. Really.”
Our parting was awkward. Way more awkward than it had any right to be, considering how intimate the night had been.
“I’ll return the key,” he promised.
I nodded. “Just drop it in the box.”
He nodded back.
I left.
Only… I didn’t get far.
Once I made it to my car, I sat down in the driver’s seat and gripped the wheel. My eyes burned. I blinked fast, telling myselfit was just the bad lighting or the mildew smell or leftover nerves.
But it wasn’t.
I was already attached. To his voice. His touch. To the way he held me.
This wasn’t supposed tobeanything. Just a transaction. A soft one, yes. A good one. Sure. But still… a one-time exchange. But the thought of going back to jars, of holding a tepid bottle?
I didn’t want that.
I wantedhim.
But what was I going to do? Ask him to be my Daddy after two hours and a broken faucet?
I sighed, forehead resting against the steering wheel, trying to breathe.
Just as I reached for the ignition, a car pulled into the lot.
And not just any car.
This one was sleek. Expensive. Black with deep-tinted windows. I didn’t know much about cars, but even I could tell, this one cost more than the entire motel was worth.
Whoever was about to check into this place was going to beverydisappointed.