“I can’t find my phone,” he muttered.
Mrs. Lime tilted her open purse towards Sterling. No phone inside.
Sterling stepped back, surveying them. Her instincts said they were being honest. No cameras or phones on them. Her logic agreed with her intuition. His phone was probably at the bar, and his date knew better than to bring one here.
Mrs. Lime ran her hands down her white fur coat. “You’re welcome to pat me down, if it’d make you feel better.”
Touching her would sure make Sterling feelsomething, but not better. “That won’t be necessary,” she replied.
Mrs. Lime slipped off her coat and tossed it back at Fernando. He caught it, letting out a breathy scoff that only Sterling noticed. After hanging their coats, he took Mr. Lime by the arm, hoisting him upright for the journey to Room 5. At least it was on the ground floor. Before he disappeared around the corner, Fernando looked back over his shoulder, his narrowed eyes warning Sterling not to cause more trouble.
Mrs. Lime prowled behind the desk, bent to Sterling’s height, and whispered, “It’s been too long. We should talk.”
“We shouldn’t do anything together,” said Sterling, stepping back and cocking her chin. “You didn’t have to come all this way to say hello.”
Mrs. Lime stepped forward. “It’d be easier to get in touch if you had a cell phone. Why, for such a modern woman, do you despise all modern technology?”
Sterling was cornered, back to the counter. “A cell phone might encourage people like you to call me. Privacy is sacred, and we must protect it.”
“It’s like you’re reciting from the employee handbook.”
“You used to find that charming. Besides, I better watch what I say, since it’s all getting quoted back to Madame Weiss,” said Sterling.
“Is it, now? Maybe I don’t tell Weiss everything.”
“I learned the hard way not to believe anything you tell me.”
“You’ll see,” she said, lifting Sterling’s chin. “Mind if I borrow some lipstick? Mine needs a touch-up.”
She kissed Sterling before she could protest. It was passionate, demanding, and far from a polite peck. It was as good as she remembered. The moment Sterling gave in, Mrs. Lime pulled back.
She turned to leave. Before vanishing from sight, she cast one last look over her bony shoulder. “By the way… your favorite bartender’s back at the Loos Bar.”
Then she was gone, leaving the warm ghost of her kiss on Sterling’s lips.
Sterling grabbed the Loos Bar matchbook to toss out, but hesitated. She ran her thumb across the striking surface, biting her lip to restrain both her desire and her anxiety. So her exes were consorting. Why? Were they forming a fucking support group? They’d need a bigger venue than the Orient. Sterling had broken enough hearts to fill a convention center. Yet two people who’d managed to break hers seemed to be new friends, if not more.
Fernando ran back so fast, his shoes slipped across the carpet. Sterling cupped the matchbook in her hand.
“What were you thinking, letting them stay?” he said in a shrill whisper. He cocked his head towards her hand. “What are you hiding?” he asked.
She tossed the matches across the counter. “Mrs. Limeisn’t the only ghost reappearing tonight. Guess who’s back at the Loos Bar?”
“Oh, Lord, not this again. I thought you were over the whole kinky-bartender thing,” he said.
“Iam.”
She wasnot.
Fernando threw up his hands in frustration, pressing his lips into a thin line as if holding back a comment he’d regret. He took a deep breath and exhaled, miming lowering a curtain over his face, then raised it, transforming his bitter expression into a puppy-dog stare.
Sterling’s customer-service smile melted into a genuine one. His acting phase was growing on her.
Fernando took her hands, batting his lashes. “Listen, my petite American apple pie. Most rooms are occupied, so things should be you-know-what,” he said, avoiding the Q-word out of superstition. “I need a quick break to run a scene for my audition.”
On second thought, she still wasn’t sold on the actor thing. “Seriously? You show up late and already want a break?”
“Relax. You Americans are always working your fingers to the bone.”
