that?”
“ You are his girlfriend, aren’t you?” I can’t tell if he’s trying
to get a scoop for Bookfeed or if he really cares. But, my life-long crush
starts clashing with my conscious thoughts, making everything come out gooey,
incoherent and flighty.
“ Why would you think that? Me and Mr. Eliott? No, um...no. We,
well, we know each other. Not in the biblical ‘know’ sense but in the…you know,
the ‘I know you’ sense of knowing someone. You know?”
I stand there
babbling in the hallway, momentarily forgetting August is missing, while both
Jordan and the intern put on polite smiles and let me continue to run verbal
circles until my tongue swells.
“ Well, I guess I got some wrong information,” Jordan says when I
finally shut up. I watch his eyes flicker as he looks up and down my body. I’m
no supermodel like the women Marcus is known for escorting, so I take it he
believes me. “I seem to be getting a lot of wrong information from Eliott House
lately.”
“ I don’t know anything about that. I’m just on call for Mr. Kalle,”
I add defensively. Then I remember August is missing. “And, I should see to
him.”
“ I thought you were looking for Mr. Eliott,” Jordan floats the
thought out there. I ride on the tones of that beautiful podcast voice for a
moment before I realize he wants an answer.
“ I…um…was looking on behalf of Mr. Kalle,” I say, praying he
doesn’t ask me where August is hiding. The intern wraps her arms around her
bag, and Jordan nods.
“ I have an appointment with you and Mr. Kalle for an interview
tomorrow at my hotel. We will call your people with the room number once I
check in. I’m not made of billions like your boyfr…er….your boss…so we won’t be
in the same place there. I would like to spend more time with you though, Ms.
Miller, so plan for a long day.”
A long day? What
does he think I’m already having? Wait. Did he just say he’d like to
spend time with me? I’m going to spend time with Jordan Davis at his request?
I’ve just fallen into wonderland.
“ That sounds magnificent,” I rasp, rubbing my tongue over my lips
hoping to be cute, with a sprinkle of sexy thrown in as well. I think it might
have worked because he winks at me before he taps his intern on the arm and
they head toward the elevator together. I secretly stash myself behind a corner
and watch the elevator doors close. Then I sprint around the floor looking for
any sign of my runaway author.
Five floors and two
blisters later, I arrive back on the floor my room occupied. I still intend to
keep looking, but I need a potty break and some better shoes. I dressed hoping
Marcus would meet our flight in Boston and whisk me away. But now, all I can
think about is my afternoon with Jordan; answering his questions, guiding my
eyes down his athletic frame and running my fingers through his thick, sandy
hair. So, Marcus gets the “I’m pretty tired” routine, and that means I
can throw on some sneakers for the rest of the search and the ride to my
flight.
Walking in the door
I see two workmen from the hotel coming out of August’s room with the pieces of
the door Jim broke, shaking their head. I’m sure Eliott House is paying
for the replacement so I don’t know why they look some grim.
“ Sorry about that,” I say, as if I had anything to do with it.
“ That’s fine, Ma’am. Is this your suite?”
“ Yes. Well, my room is the one on the right. The one that still has
a door.”
“ Good to know,” the man nods slowly. “Your son told us to come back
when he was finished with his words. Why don’t you give us a call when you
check out.”
“ My son? My son lives in New York, I think.” He used to live
in New York, with that “Risen” group. But, truthfully, I don’t know if he is
alive or dead.
“ Your boyfriend, then,” the man looks at his coworker, and both
grimace
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