dark-haired, green-eyed harpist stirred him like no other.
A slight gasp sounded to his right. Turning his head, he saw the look of surprise on the face of the woman that was filling his thoughts, just before she turned and walked away. Disentangling himself from the two interlopers, he told the passing waiter to put the meal on his room tab and jogged after Annalissa.
The elevator doors were just closing as he rounded the corner in the lobby. Fuck. He took the stairs to the third floor, arriving about the same time the elevator doors opened. He caught her wide-eyed expression, knowing that she had hoped to be in her room by the time he arrived.
She quickly schooled her expression, but he could still see the embarrassment. She tried to move past him, but he took her arm escorting her to her door. “Annalissa,” he said softly.
“Thank you for a lovely dinner, Vinny. I’ll just be turning in and you can…uh…enjoy your…um…evening.” She graced him with what she hoped was a bright smile.
No way, baby, am I letting it go like this. Not used to having to explain himself, he rushed in. “I was enjoying my evening…with you. What you saw? They came up and I was trying politely to move them along. I have no interest in being with anyone else.”
Her eyes peered into his, searching deeply. Cocking her head to the side, she asked, “Do you usually find women from bars to…um…be with?”
Dropping his head, he wanted to scream “No” but found he could not lie to her. “Yeah.” He sighed, shrugging his shoulders. “Yeah.”
“Please, Vinny,” she said. “I know I’m a job, but I’m here in my room safe and sound. You can come in and check to make sure my harp is here. But then you may go do…um…whatever you want to do.”
He stepped closer, his hand on her face, and could see her fighting to keep from leaning into his embrace. “I only want to be here. I have no desire to be with anyone else.” Please believe me.
He watched as she lifted her chin slightly, away from his hand and he missed her touch. “Goodnight, Vinny,” she said, turning and entering her room.
Her door shut firmly with a click and he heard the bolt latch.
And now, he was laying on his bed listening for any sound from next door. What did I think was going to happen? That she’d have a change of heart and come knocking on my door?
He had heard the shower and movement for a little while after they parted and now nothing. S he must be asleep.
*
Miles away, a man placed a call, anxiety coursing through his veins.
“Talk,” was the only response when the call was answered.
“It ain’t here. I searched everywhere. Even went back to all the planes. Looked through everything. I’m telling you, it ain’t here.”
“Goddamnit! You must have missed it.”
The line was deathly silent for a moment while he swallowed loudly a few times.
“Or else you decided to take it for yourself.”
“No, no, I swear it. I ain’t lying. It ain’t here. I looked everywhere,” he said, sweat trickling down his face.
“Well, find it. Search the apartment in case it was picked up and taken there.” Rattling off the address, they said, “And do not fail to locate where it is if you want to keep your job. And your life!”
The line went permanently dead at that point, leaving him to wipe his brow once again.
What have I gotten myself into, he wondered as he looked down at the address he had written. Heading toward his car, he hoped the trip would be successful, trying to push the consequences of failure from his mind.
*
Annalissa was sitting up in bed. Sleep was not coming and no matter how much she tried to tell herself that it did not matter what the women in the bar said, it still hurt. Mouse. I’m not a mouse. Maybe I’m not an in-your-face kind of person, but that doesn’t make me a mouse. Glancing down at her slim body, she thought of their tight shirts with tons of cleavage showing. Taking her hands and pressing her
A slight gasp sounded to his right. Turning his head, he saw the look of surprise on the face of the woman that was filling his thoughts, just before she turned and walked away. Disentangling himself from the two interlopers, he told the passing waiter to put the meal on his room tab and jogged after Annalissa.
The elevator doors were just closing as he rounded the corner in the lobby. Fuck. He took the stairs to the third floor, arriving about the same time the elevator doors opened. He caught her wide-eyed expression, knowing that she had hoped to be in her room by the time he arrived.
She quickly schooled her expression, but he could still see the embarrassment. She tried to move past him, but he took her arm escorting her to her door. “Annalissa,” he said softly.
“Thank you for a lovely dinner, Vinny. I’ll just be turning in and you can…uh…enjoy your…um…evening.” She graced him with what she hoped was a bright smile.
No way, baby, am I letting it go like this. Not used to having to explain himself, he rushed in. “I was enjoying my evening…with you. What you saw? They came up and I was trying politely to move them along. I have no interest in being with anyone else.”
Her eyes peered into his, searching deeply. Cocking her head to the side, she asked, “Do you usually find women from bars to…um…be with?”
Dropping his head, he wanted to scream “No” but found he could not lie to her. “Yeah.” He sighed, shrugging his shoulders. “Yeah.”
“Please, Vinny,” she said. “I know I’m a job, but I’m here in my room safe and sound. You can come in and check to make sure my harp is here. But then you may go do…um…whatever you want to do.”
He stepped closer, his hand on her face, and could see her fighting to keep from leaning into his embrace. “I only want to be here. I have no desire to be with anyone else.” Please believe me.
He watched as she lifted her chin slightly, away from his hand and he missed her touch. “Goodnight, Vinny,” she said, turning and entering her room.
Her door shut firmly with a click and he heard the bolt latch.
And now, he was laying on his bed listening for any sound from next door. What did I think was going to happen? That she’d have a change of heart and come knocking on my door?
He had heard the shower and movement for a little while after they parted and now nothing. S he must be asleep.
*
Miles away, a man placed a call, anxiety coursing through his veins.
“Talk,” was the only response when the call was answered.
“It ain’t here. I searched everywhere. Even went back to all the planes. Looked through everything. I’m telling you, it ain’t here.”
“Goddamnit! You must have missed it.”
The line was deathly silent for a moment while he swallowed loudly a few times.
“Or else you decided to take it for yourself.”
“No, no, I swear it. I ain’t lying. It ain’t here. I looked everywhere,” he said, sweat trickling down his face.
“Well, find it. Search the apartment in case it was picked up and taken there.” Rattling off the address, they said, “And do not fail to locate where it is if you want to keep your job. And your life!”
The line went permanently dead at that point, leaving him to wipe his brow once again.
What have I gotten myself into, he wondered as he looked down at the address he had written. Heading toward his car, he hoped the trip would be successful, trying to push the consequences of failure from his mind.
*
Annalissa was sitting up in bed. Sleep was not coming and no matter how much she tried to tell herself that it did not matter what the women in the bar said, it still hurt. Mouse. I’m not a mouse. Maybe I’m not an in-your-face kind of person, but that doesn’t make me a mouse. Glancing down at her slim body, she thought of their tight shirts with tons of cleavage showing. Taking her hands and pressing her
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