blame.
“Not exactly,” I said, hoping I wasn’t coming off like a crackpot alarmist. “I overheard the hotel staff discussing some jerk who’s been hanging around and trying to pick up women in the bar and lobby. He’s…overly persistent. And he’s been seen following them to their rooms.”
Her eyes widened and I decided I’d better soften things up a bit, so I added, “So far, he’s been chased off without doing any harm.”
I couldn’t help pausing for dramatic effect.
“I wouldn’t open my door for anyone, not unless I was sure it was someone I knew well. And beware tall, dark, handsome strangers.”
Her gaze flicked back to Van. Yeah, she definitely thought I was being territorial. He was tall, dark, and handsome. But so far he didn’t seem like a jerk. Besides, he wasn’t mine. I really was being altruistic with my warning.
I didn’t mean to sound like Madame Reilly, the all-knowing prognosticator of doom. I really didn’t. Nor did I mean to scare Cayla. But what could I do? I had to dispel her of the jealous theory. I had to keep her on her guard.
I gave her a loose description of Ket. Just as Cayla and I fit the same general description, so did Van and Ket. But they didn’t look the same. Not at all. Ket had several inches and thirty pounds or so on Van. I hoped she’d see the difference and take my warning to heart.
I finished by saying, “You might warn the other women.”
It wouldn’t hurt to have a couple hundred more pair of eyes keeping a watch out for Ket. For her sake and mine.
Cayla nodded. “Thanks for the tip.”
Her thanks was so insincere, she may as well have done the heavenward glance. She’d barely tolerated listening to my warning. And I’m pretty sure she thought it was bogus.
“You will be at the benefit, won’t you?”
Only I think she was looking more at Van than me.
As we walked away, Van caught my arm. I paused to look up at him.
“What’s this about a man hanging around? Since when did you hear the staff talking?”
I shrugged and started walking. “I dunno. Must have been yesterday.” Which was kind of wiseass because when else could it have been?
“Something or someone has you spooked.”
Despite his intimidating, penetrating stare, I didn’t validate his accusation. I didn’t deny it, either.
“You don’t strike me as the flighty, high-strung type so I’m going out on a limb and saying it’s not the FSC break-in gag. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s a six four, two hundred twenty pound, dark-haired man…” He went on to repeat my description of Ket.
By the time he finished, we’d reached the breakfast room.
“Let’s eat! I’m starving,” I said, ignoring his question. I might have been leery of having a fling or anything else with Van for his own safety, but I didn’t feel like scaring him away completely by telling him about twisted Ket, the celebrity trainer/gym owner turned stalker, just yet. Van wasn’t a big, bad PI like Huff.
Our run-in with the jewelry queen in the lobby made us late for breakfast. When we finally arrived, all the boys were present except Huff.
“There’s two more.” Cliff sat at a table, eating a half of grapefruit. Taking my suggestion, he’d commandeered a pair of scissors from somewhere and hacked off his camo pants at the knees, exposing his stumpy, hairy legs.
I should have kept my mouth shut about the scissors.
“Huff with you?” Cliff seemed edgy.
“No. Isn’t he here?” I asked. “Nice shorts.”
Cliff mumbled a thanks.
“He’s probably just sleeping in,” Steve said, standing in front of the buffet with a look of disgust on his face as he surveyed the breakfast offerings.
I glanced at the clock on the wall over the buffet. It was 0715 already. “If Huff doesn’t hurry, he’ll miss out on the chow.” Such as it was.
“He’d do better to join us at the bus,” Steve said.
I took one look at the breakfast spread and agreed with Steve. “Continental
“Not exactly,” I said, hoping I wasn’t coming off like a crackpot alarmist. “I overheard the hotel staff discussing some jerk who’s been hanging around and trying to pick up women in the bar and lobby. He’s…overly persistent. And he’s been seen following them to their rooms.”
Her eyes widened and I decided I’d better soften things up a bit, so I added, “So far, he’s been chased off without doing any harm.”
I couldn’t help pausing for dramatic effect.
“I wouldn’t open my door for anyone, not unless I was sure it was someone I knew well. And beware tall, dark, handsome strangers.”
Her gaze flicked back to Van. Yeah, she definitely thought I was being territorial. He was tall, dark, and handsome. But so far he didn’t seem like a jerk. Besides, he wasn’t mine. I really was being altruistic with my warning.
I didn’t mean to sound like Madame Reilly, the all-knowing prognosticator of doom. I really didn’t. Nor did I mean to scare Cayla. But what could I do? I had to dispel her of the jealous theory. I had to keep her on her guard.
I gave her a loose description of Ket. Just as Cayla and I fit the same general description, so did Van and Ket. But they didn’t look the same. Not at all. Ket had several inches and thirty pounds or so on Van. I hoped she’d see the difference and take my warning to heart.
I finished by saying, “You might warn the other women.”
It wouldn’t hurt to have a couple hundred more pair of eyes keeping a watch out for Ket. For her sake and mine.
Cayla nodded. “Thanks for the tip.”
Her thanks was so insincere, she may as well have done the heavenward glance. She’d barely tolerated listening to my warning. And I’m pretty sure she thought it was bogus.
“You will be at the benefit, won’t you?”
Only I think she was looking more at Van than me.
As we walked away, Van caught my arm. I paused to look up at him.
“What’s this about a man hanging around? Since when did you hear the staff talking?”
I shrugged and started walking. “I dunno. Must have been yesterday.” Which was kind of wiseass because when else could it have been?
“Something or someone has you spooked.”
Despite his intimidating, penetrating stare, I didn’t validate his accusation. I didn’t deny it, either.
“You don’t strike me as the flighty, high-strung type so I’m going out on a limb and saying it’s not the FSC break-in gag. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s a six four, two hundred twenty pound, dark-haired man…” He went on to repeat my description of Ket.
By the time he finished, we’d reached the breakfast room.
“Let’s eat! I’m starving,” I said, ignoring his question. I might have been leery of having a fling or anything else with Van for his own safety, but I didn’t feel like scaring him away completely by telling him about twisted Ket, the celebrity trainer/gym owner turned stalker, just yet. Van wasn’t a big, bad PI like Huff.
Our run-in with the jewelry queen in the lobby made us late for breakfast. When we finally arrived, all the boys were present except Huff.
“There’s two more.” Cliff sat at a table, eating a half of grapefruit. Taking my suggestion, he’d commandeered a pair of scissors from somewhere and hacked off his camo pants at the knees, exposing his stumpy, hairy legs.
I should have kept my mouth shut about the scissors.
“Huff with you?” Cliff seemed edgy.
“No. Isn’t he here?” I asked. “Nice shorts.”
Cliff mumbled a thanks.
“He’s probably just sleeping in,” Steve said, standing in front of the buffet with a look of disgust on his face as he surveyed the breakfast offerings.
I glanced at the clock on the wall over the buffet. It was 0715 already. “If Huff doesn’t hurry, he’ll miss out on the chow.” Such as it was.
“He’d do better to join us at the bus,” Steve said.
I took one look at the breakfast spread and agreed with Steve. “Continental
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