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She should have been prepared for the explosion.
The cabdriver chatted about the rain while Piper answered where she had to. She was aware the trip back to the hotel took much longer than it had going from the hotel to the rental agency, but she always added in for the detours and “scenic routes” the cabbies took to add to the time and mileage they charged, no matter where they were.
There was only so much of a delay he could make, though. It may have seemed like hours before he was pulling into the front of the well-lit hotel, but it had actually taken no more than fifteen minutes. Which was way too long, considering it was close to midnight and the streets, with the exception of Times Square and a few other tourist-heavy areas, were all but deserted of traffic.
Pushing his fee and a larger tip than he deserved through the small opening in the divider between the passenger’s and driver’s areas, Piper stepped from the cab and moved quickly into the hotel.
“Ah, Ms. Mackay. ” The young, blond receptionist caught her attention. The girl’s expression was apologetic, her pale blue gaze faintly concerned. Just as Piper expected.
“Yes?” She should have kicked Vessante while she had the chance.
“The manager would like to speak to you. ” The receptionist’s smile was compassionate. “He’s coming now. ”
As she stepped to the reception desk, the night manager moved from his office and slid behind the desk as Piper waited.
Stocky, his face weathered with laugh lines at the corner of his eyes, his brown gaze was concerned and compassionate. It was firm, though. He knew what he had to do, and he may hate it, but he would do it.
“My apologies, Ms. Mackay,” the manager, Charles, appeared genuinely apologetic. “I’m aware your stay was to be taken care of by another party, but. ” He grimaced. “I’m terribly sorry, ma’am, but I was informed before your arrival that that is no longer the case and the party is now refusing to pay. ”
She couldn’t let the manager finish demanding the payment. It wasn’t his fault, and she could tell this was one part of his job he definitely didn’t like.
“I’d prefer to take care of my room myself, Charles. ” She smiled back at him as relief gleamed in his gaze.
He was a nice guy; she liked him. He had checked her in during the wee hours of the morning and ensured she had a cab waiting that morning to take her shopping. He’d arranged her morning coffee and joked with her about the weather when she’d stepped into the lobby to leave for her shopping trip.
Taking her date book/planner from her purse, Piper opened it and pulled her credit card free before laying it on the gleaming marble counter in front of the young woman standing at his side.
“Thank you. ” The young woman—Brittany, her name tag claimed—ran the card before giving her a bright smile as the payment went through. “Will you be staying with us the full length of the reservation?”
So much for Dawg being unaware where she had stayed.
Piper shook her head as she slid a tip to the girl. “I’m checking out tonight. Could you please have a car waiting in about an hour to take me to the train station, and send the bellhop up for my luggage?”
She should never have gone shopping that morning. There were bags of additional materials in her room that she would now have to try to stuff into the single extra duffel bag she’d packed rather than purchasing another, as she’d planned.
“I’ll make certain of it. ” Brittany’s smile was too cheerful.
Piper quickly turned and headed for the elevators as she tucked her card back into the planner’s clear zippered pocket.
As she did so, a phone number caught her eye.
Jed Booker. The number was scrawled under his name in the neat, no-nonsense handwriting he used.
She should have invited him to come with her, she sighed wearily to herself. Eldon Vessante would have never tried anything so stupid if Jed had been with her. She had a feeling Mr. Vessante would have been far less likely to stuff that sock in his pants, or to make such an outrageous demand.
He would have simply told her he had changed his mind the first chance he had, which would have suited her fine.
Stepping into the elevator, she told herself it didn’t matter. If it was meant to be, it would be; it was that simple.
That phone number glared back at her, though, until she snapped the planner closed. She didn’t push it back into her purse, however. She held on to it even though she’d already both memorized the number and programmed it into her smart phone.
Yes, if she had brought Jed, she had no doubt the night would have been far less disappointing and much more interesting.
One thing was certain: Jed so did not stuff his crotch with anything but what God had given him. And God had been generous.
* * *
Rudy Genoa stared at the disgusting, bloodied face of the car rental agency manager with bitter fury.
