Page 177 of Positively Pricked

Chapter 59

From my hotel room doorway, I stared at the unexpected visitor. Until today, I'd seen Bob on only two occasions. The first time had been at Zane's party. The second time had been when I'd spotted him standing out on his front lawn, watching as the movers loaded up his stuff.

Both times, he'd looked immaculate, with tailored clothes and a perfect haircut sporting just the right amount of gray at the temples.

Back then, he'd looked like everybody's favorite rich uncle.

Now, he looked like a hobo who'd been turned away at the soup kitchen.

His face was unshaven, and his hair was a mess. He wore dark slacks and a gray dress shirt, but the slacks were rumpled, and the shirt had a dark, damp stain running down the front, like he'd been trying to take a drink and accidentally missed his mouth.

I gave the stain a closer look.Coffee?

Or something stronger?

He said, "Got a minute?"

Startled out of my stupor, I managed to say, "Uh, sure. Bob, right?"

He blinked. "You know me?"

I nodded. "We met at the party. You remember? At Zane's place?"

"Oh. Sorry." He squinted at me for a long moment. "Yeah. You were wearing a red dress, right?"

No. I'd been wearing work clothes and a frilly apron. Obviously, he had me mixed up with someone else, but I didn't have the heart to correct him, so I gave him a reassuring smile and said, "Something like that."

He murmured, "Right, right... Looked great on you, by the way."

"Uh, thanks."

He glanced toward the inside of my hotel room. "Can we talk inside?"

The question caught me off guard. I barely knew the guy. Plus, I had no idea why he was here.

Still, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him, in spite of the fact that he'd cost me my catering job. No wonder he didn't pay the bill. The way it looked, he could barely afford food for himself.

I gave him an apologetic smile. "I’m really sorry, but I can't have guests in the room. Maybe we can talk out here? Or maybe get a coffee downstairs?"

After all, he looked like he could use it.

He frowned. "Out here's no good. He might see us."

Who on Earth was he talking about? Zane? Teddy? Someone else? I had no idea.

I said, "Sorry,whomight see us?"

From somewhere beyond my line of sight, I heard a different voice, lower and harder, say, "Me."

Bob whirled to look and went suddenly pale. A split-second later, he managed a shaky smile. "Heeeey, Zane. How's it going?"

Zane appeared outside my doorway, like he'd just come from somewhere down the corridor. He looked to Bob and replied, "Shitty. Now, get the fuck away from her."

I couldn’t help but flinch. "Actually," I said, "it's fine."

Without so much as a glance in my direction, Zane said, "No. It's not. And stay out of this."

What the hell?"I can't stay out of it," I said. "This ismyroom."