vehicle. Far more comfortable, far safer for his future plans, if he continued to brand her the enemy.
Note to self, he vowed silently, make sure to get her a room on the far opposite side of the building.
Chapter Six
“W hat do you mean, you can’t find my reservation?”
Trae took in the mob behind them, lined up for their turn to register at the front desk. The place was a zoo. It had taken three swings around the parking garage to find a spot, and then they’d had to muscle their way up here to the lobby.
Shifting her backpack to her other shoulder, she waited for Rhys to lose it. Better yet, maybe he’d use his connections to get them a room. Not even a full hour, and she’d already win their bet.
“Fine,” he said instead, forcing a tight smile. “Then give me two rooms in the tower, as near to the ground floor as possible.”
The desk clerk, a cute brunette straight out of high school, stared at him blankly.
Trae felt compelled to intervene. “I’m thinking they don’t have any rooms in the tower. In fact, looking at this crowd, they probably don’t have any rooms at all.”
The desk clerk nodded solemnly.
“Maybe you can call around for us?” Rhys persisted. “There must be something in one of the other hotels.”
“I’ve tried, sir. The Fourth of July weekend is coming up and a lot of people are in your situation. Those hotels that still have rooms post a three-night minimum. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to stay an extra two days?”
Rhys turned to Trae, a question in his eyes. She didn’t even bother to do the arithmetic. Even with what was left of Lucie’s “loan,” there was no way they could stretch their remaining cash to cover three nights. “We could always sleep in the car,” she suggested, picturing him tucked in the fetal position in the rental.
She watched the tic start above his eyebrow, and waited for the explosion.
Again, he surprised her. “The thing is…” he paused, looking at the clerk’s name tag “…Lisa. It’s been a hell of a day. The airline lost my luggage, and then someone stole my wallet. I’ve had to drive all the way here from Los Angeles in borrowed clothes that don’t fit, and now I’m told that someone’s misplaced my reservation.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but…”
“I’m not blaming you, Lisa.” He flashed her the most charming smile Trae had ever seen. “None of this is your fault. But I have a crucial business meeting in the morning, and I need to shop for clothes before I can attend it. It wouldn’t hurt to shower and shave, and I sure wouldn’t mind getting some sleep. Isn’t there something you can do for me?”
Trae noticed how he kept speaking in the singular, as if she weren’t there. As if he thought his poor-little-me routine would spur more sympathy in Lisa if he were a single man traveling alone.
Then again, maybe he was right. With a sympathetic sigh, Lisa again consulted her computer.
“I really appreciate this,” Rhys continued as she typed.
Nodding, Lisa pursed her lips, as if girding herself for action. “If you’ll excuse me a minute.” Opening the solid pine door behind her, she disappeared into the office.
“Slick, Paxton,” Trae said grudgingly. “If it works.”
“You were a big help. We can sleep in the car? ”
She grinned up at him. “Thought that would get you. Which proves I was helpful. Look how I spurred you on.”
To her surprise, he laughed. It did something nice for his face, she thought. He should try it more often.
“Let me guess,” he said, shaking his head. “That was your creativity at work.”
“Don’t knock it until you try it.”
“If you’ll notice, I was both practical and inventive. I happen to think the crucial business meeting was a nice touch.”
“Not bad.”
“Thank you. And by the way, I never once mentioned that I’m on a first-name basis with the manager of this hotel.”
Apparently, he didn’t have to. Charging through the door with
Note to self, he vowed silently, make sure to get her a room on the far opposite side of the building.
Chapter Six
“W hat do you mean, you can’t find my reservation?”
Trae took in the mob behind them, lined up for their turn to register at the front desk. The place was a zoo. It had taken three swings around the parking garage to find a spot, and then they’d had to muscle their way up here to the lobby.
Shifting her backpack to her other shoulder, she waited for Rhys to lose it. Better yet, maybe he’d use his connections to get them a room. Not even a full hour, and she’d already win their bet.
“Fine,” he said instead, forcing a tight smile. “Then give me two rooms in the tower, as near to the ground floor as possible.”
The desk clerk, a cute brunette straight out of high school, stared at him blankly.
Trae felt compelled to intervene. “I’m thinking they don’t have any rooms in the tower. In fact, looking at this crowd, they probably don’t have any rooms at all.”
The desk clerk nodded solemnly.
“Maybe you can call around for us?” Rhys persisted. “There must be something in one of the other hotels.”
“I’ve tried, sir. The Fourth of July weekend is coming up and a lot of people are in your situation. Those hotels that still have rooms post a three-night minimum. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to stay an extra two days?”
Rhys turned to Trae, a question in his eyes. She didn’t even bother to do the arithmetic. Even with what was left of Lucie’s “loan,” there was no way they could stretch their remaining cash to cover three nights. “We could always sleep in the car,” she suggested, picturing him tucked in the fetal position in the rental.
She watched the tic start above his eyebrow, and waited for the explosion.
Again, he surprised her. “The thing is…” he paused, looking at the clerk’s name tag “…Lisa. It’s been a hell of a day. The airline lost my luggage, and then someone stole my wallet. I’ve had to drive all the way here from Los Angeles in borrowed clothes that don’t fit, and now I’m told that someone’s misplaced my reservation.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but…”
“I’m not blaming you, Lisa.” He flashed her the most charming smile Trae had ever seen. “None of this is your fault. But I have a crucial business meeting in the morning, and I need to shop for clothes before I can attend it. It wouldn’t hurt to shower and shave, and I sure wouldn’t mind getting some sleep. Isn’t there something you can do for me?”
Trae noticed how he kept speaking in the singular, as if she weren’t there. As if he thought his poor-little-me routine would spur more sympathy in Lisa if he were a single man traveling alone.
Then again, maybe he was right. With a sympathetic sigh, Lisa again consulted her computer.
“I really appreciate this,” Rhys continued as she typed.
Nodding, Lisa pursed her lips, as if girding herself for action. “If you’ll excuse me a minute.” Opening the solid pine door behind her, she disappeared into the office.
“Slick, Paxton,” Trae said grudgingly. “If it works.”
“You were a big help. We can sleep in the car? ”
She grinned up at him. “Thought that would get you. Which proves I was helpful. Look how I spurred you on.”
To her surprise, he laughed. It did something nice for his face, she thought. He should try it more often.
“Let me guess,” he said, shaking his head. “That was your creativity at work.”
“Don’t knock it until you try it.”
“If you’ll notice, I was both practical and inventive. I happen to think the crucial business meeting was a nice touch.”
“Not bad.”
“Thank you. And by the way, I never once mentioned that I’m on a first-name basis with the manager of this hotel.”
Apparently, he didn’t have to. Charging through the door with
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