“Stella! Open the door!” the voice called before rapping again. “It’s Tony!”
It was almost one in the morning and she peered through the peep to see Tony’s grinning face. “Tony? What are you doing here? Do you know what time it is?” she asked as she opened the door.
“I know!” he said with manic energy as he stepped into the apartment. “I want you to come away with me! Just you and me! We’ll leave tonight. What do you say?”
She blinked at him, trying to throw off the cobwebs of sleep. “Tonight?”
“Yes! You, me and Katrina.”
“Keep your voice down! You’ll wake Katrina. What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing! I feel great! Better than I have in a long time, and I realize it’s time to make a change. I want to take you and Katrina someplace and start a life together. We can do it right now!”
She looked at him, wondering if she should pinch herself to see if she was still dreaming. “Tony, slow down. What are you talking about?”
He took a deep breath. “Look, I’ve been thinking a lot lately, about you and life and what I wanted. I love you Stella and I want to be with you. I want to take you away and take care of you and Katrina. I’m getting out of the construction business and getting out of Greenfield, and I want you to come with me. We can start a new life together. I know you don’t love me, not the way I love you, but if you give me a chance I’m sure I can win your heart.”
“This doesn’t make any sense. I can’t leave! I have my job, and Grammy is here. How would we live? You’re not thinking this through!”
“But I have! I’ve come into a lot of money. I can take care of you, and I’ll find something else to do. Maybe we could open that bakery you’ve talked about. Wouldn’t you like that?”
“Well, yes…but this is so sudden. I have all my stuff, and my job. And I can’t just move and take Katrina from Grammy.”
“Forget your stuff and forget the job! Do something impetuous once!”
She looked at him and knew he was serious. “Tony, I can’t.”
“Why?” he cried softly. “A fifteen dollar an hour job? An apartment full of furniture? It’s just stuff! This is life we’re talking about here! Forget the stuff!”
“I can’t. This is Katrina’s home, my home. Grammy is all the family I have left and I can’t leave her, not like this. I’m sorry.”
He looked at her, his manic energy fading. “So that’s how it is? I’m nothing but a fuck to you, nothing but a hard cock for you to use? You have no feelings for me at all?”
She looked down, clasping her hands together, unable to meet his eyes. “I like you, Tony. You’re a good man and I enjoyed your company, but I never said I loved you.”
“No, you didn’t,” he snapped. “You were just using me.”
“Like you were using me.”
“I wasn’t using you Stella. I love you and I have for the past year. I kept thinking you would come to love me, too, but I see that isn’t going to happen.”
“No. I’m sorry.”
“Fine. I’m not waiting on you. I’m getting on with my life, and if you don’t want to be part of it, then I’ll find someone who will.”
“Is there someone else?” he demanded.
“Yes. Maybe.”
“Who?”
“What does it matter?”
“I think I deserve to know.”
“Gabriel.”
“Gabriel?” he cried. “The Gabriel that got you pregnant and left you? That Gabriel?”
“Yes.”
He stared at her. “You’re going to back to that asshole? Why? I’m better than him! He doesn’t love you, not like I do! I would never hurt you like he did!”
She looked up at him. “I’m really sorry, Tony. I really am, but I can’t give you what you want. I hope you find someone who can.”
He glared at her a moment. “Yeah, same to ya,” he snapped, but she could tell he didn’t mean it. He stomped to the door and left without a backwards glance.
She stood in the family room, staring at the door. She knew she should be upset, but she wasn’t, relieved it hadn’t gone any worse. She’d wanted to wait as long as possible before telling Tony they were done to give herself time to understand how she felt about Gabriel, but he’d forced the subject and made her to choose.
She relocked the door then returned to her bedroom, peeking into Katrina’s room as she passed to see if Tony had awoken her. Tony was a good looking guy and very sweet and understanding. He would have no problem finding someone once he let go of his hope for her.
She tumbled back into bed and smiled into the darkness. She should be upset Tony had walked out of her life, and she should be concerned if things fell apart with Gabriel, she’dd have no one. But she wasn’t. It was almost as if removing the safety net of Tony helped crystalize her thoughts about Gabriel. She should be terrified, but she wasn’t. With a deep sigh, she rolled over and pulled the pillow Gabriel has slept on the night before to her face, his slight lingering scent making her smile. Her whole world may be about to change, but for tonight at least, she wasn’t worried about it.
***
Royal sat in the hotel bar, nursing a beer. It was a bit after midnight and he was unable to sleep, his mind a jumble. Stella was all over the place emotionally last night and today. One minute she was having him talk dirty to her over the phone, then next she was cool. She acknowledged it was her problem, and even told him why, but it still made it hard and he wondered if he was making progress or not. It’d only been a week, but her hot and cold cycles made it hard to know what to do.
He snorted and gave the beer mug a spin. He’d promised he would give her time, and he would, but sometimes it was difficult to contain his hope, especially since they were fucking the hell out of each other every chance they got.
“You look like you could use a friend,” a woman’s voice said. He turned as the woman sat down beside him. She was in her mid to late thirties, dressed in a dark blue power suit, and drunker than shit.
“And you could use a cab if you aren’t staying in the hotel.”
She cackled and leaned into him. “Nope! No cab needed. I’m giving a presentation to Lee University in the hotel tomorrow from noon until four. I flew in today to setup. You should go.”
He grinned. She was totally sloshed, her words slurred as she waved her arms around. “What kind of conference?”
“Glad you asked,” she said, putting a hand on his arm. “I’m trying to sell them on the idea of expanding their online presence. Online education is where it’s at! My company can help them set that up! Did you go to school?”
“Only high school.”
“You should go to college! You can do it online, at your own pace.” She waved the bartender over and pointed at her glass.
“I think you’ve had enough,” Royal said, sliding the glass away from her.
“You think?” She looked into his eyes. “Maybe you’re right. Just one more for the road, then you can take me back to my room.”
He chuckled. She was attractive and a year ago he would be all over her, an easy conquest for him to fuck and forget. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why?”
“You’re wearing a wedding band for one thing.”
“Pfft, this old thing?” She pulled the band off and dropped it into her purse. “What wedding band?”
“Won’t your husband care?”
She leaned in close. “I really don’t care what he thinks. He cheats on me, I cheat on him, we cheat on each other. We fuck anybody and everybody, anybody but each other that is.” She looked around the bar. “Besides, we’re the only two in here. How would he know?”
“So why do you wear the band?”
She grinned. “Because I’m the wife of the respectable Doctor Gary T. Nelson, thoracic surgeon. He’s a great doctor but a lousy fuck. You look like a guy that knows how to fuck. Are you a good fuck?”
He grinned and shook his head. “You want to find out?”
“I thought you’d never ask!”
“What room?”
“618. You can call me Sophie, by the way.”
The barkeep gave him a condescending look, but he ignored him. “Nice to meet you, Sophie. Now let’s get you out of here, okay?”
He led her out of the bar and to the elevator. The moment the doors closed she turned to face him and offered her lips. “Wait,” he said softly. A moment later the elevator slowed and the door dinged open. He led her to the room, took her pass card, and after opening her door, escorted her inside. The moment the door closed she flung herself into his arms and kissed him lustily. After a moment, he gently pulled her away.
“Why don’t you get undressed and into bed. I’ll be there in a moment.”
“Don’t be long.”
“I won’t.”
He stepped into the bathroom and relieved himself then spent a few minutes checking his phone. When he thought it had been long enough, he opened the door and looked at the bed. The light from the bathroom provide plenty of illumination for him to see Sophie sprawled on the bed, nude, but fast asleep. With a grin and another shake of his head, he placed her pass card on the side table and quietly let himself out.
He returned to the bar for another beer, still waiting for Blade to get back from his tour of duty staking out the Bass house. When he entered, less than ten minutes after he left, the barkeep gave him a quizzical look.
“I put her to bed,” he said to the unasked question. “I’ll have another of the Obi Juan Chipotle,” he said, requesting a beer from a microbrew out of Chattanooga. He’d tried the beer on a whim, intrigued by the name, but found it had a nice smoky flavor and just a bit of heat he liked.
The keep pulled the beer and placed it in front of him with a smile. “On the house.”
Royal picked the frosty mug up in thanks. He’d never intended to fuck the woman, but she was embarrassing herself and giving her what she wanted seemed to be the most expedient way to get her out of the bar so he could enjoy his beer in peace.
He sat, staring at nothing, his thoughts returning to Stella. He knew he might have to let her go, but he was determined not to give up until there was no hope.
“Last call,” the keep said.
He nodded, downed the last of the beer in the mug, then threw a five on the bar as a tip. Blade should be back in less than a half-hour. Hammer and Goon were probably already asleep since one of them had to be at the house by five in the morning to see who left and who stayed. If they were lucky, tomorrow Wayne would be left alone in the house.
“Anything?” Royal asked as Blade let himself into the room.
“No, man. Quiet as a church. They turned the lights out about ten. Nobody left and nobody arrived.”
“They saw you watching?”
Blade grinned. “I made sure of it. I moved a couple of times, just to keep them guessing, but then rode away real quiet like.”
Royal nodded. “Goon or Hammer has the first shift in the morning. The rest of us should be there about nine. I want to try to get his done early so we can get back to Charleston tomorrow.”
Blade began to strip out of his clothes. “That’s fine with me. The sooner we get this done, the more money we make.”
Royal nodded in agreement as he began to strip down to his shorts as well as he prepared for bed. He was still keyed up, and morning to was going to arrive early.