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She was silent, baiting me, waiting for a larger offer. I kept my mouth shut.
“Fine,” she conceded, making me smile.
I slipped the piece of paper my dad had his valet, Frederick, lay on my bed out of my pocket. “Seven p.m.,” I read, “Sofitel Bar.” I closed my eyes, vomit threatening to make an appearance. I hesitated at the next part. “He’s a family man so dress seductively but not obvious.” I swallowed down the bile.
“Got it. See you then.”
I pressed end to the call and stared at the surface of the phone. My reflection, the one I’d hoped to avoid for the evening if I was going to be able to do what I needed to do, stared ominously back at me. I threw the phone through the doorway and onto the bed, sick of looking at myself, and undressed. Standing in the shower, I washed the flight off my body and hair. I let the hot water run over my sore shoulder for half a minute. I made a mental note to have Bridge rub it out for me. Hope she’s feeling okay. Poor kid, I thought.
When I got out, I wrapped a towel around my waist and headed for my closet, sliding the large doors across half the length of the room on each side. Immediately, I grabbed my three-piece tailor-made suit from Gieves & Hawkes in London and a crisp, starched shirt and laid them on the bed. I took a deep breath and entered the bathroom, situating myself at the sink, and looked in the mirror. I averted my eyes quickly and laced my toothbrush with toothpaste. I brushed my teeth without looking at my reflection and applied deodorant, but shaving and waxing my hair was a different story. I didn’t have a choice but to face myself then. I let the Bvlgari after shave sting, a self-imposed penance that didn’t touch the surface of paybacks for the sins I’d committed or was about to.
I dressed, took a quick look in my closet mirror, acknowledged that I was as ready as I would ever be and grabbed my keys, jacket and wallet before tucking in my Kiton pocket square.
I strode down the hallway, the sun hidden now, hidden from exposing me for what I truly was, a walking contradiction. I twirled the keys to my Aston Martin, a habit that feigned how carefree I wanted people to think I was. I’d just made it to the second level stairs when I did an about- face to check on Bridge before I left.
I knocked on her door. “Who is it?”
“Housekeeping,” I said, straining my voice in much too high an octave.
“No, thank you. I’m all right,” she said.
I smirked to myself. “Housekeeping.”
“I’m fine, thank you,” she said more sternly.
“Housekeeping. You want head for pillow?”
It got quiet and I stifled my laugh.
“Come in, David Spade,” a weak voice commanded.
I swung the door open, expecting her to be crouched on the bed with one of her ridiculous books. Bridge could party with the best of us, much to my dismay, but she was a complete nerd at heart. But instead of her nose buried in the pages of the latest, I found her lying pathetically slumped over the edge of her bed, her silver bathroom trash can perched just below. My heart sank for her.
I sat next to her and shifted my baby sister’s hair away from her shoulder. “You okay, dude?”
She ignored my question and took me in instead. “Where do you think you’re going, Tom Hardy from Inception?”
“Funny. I’m meeting someone. You watch too many movies, by the way.”
She smiled at me but barely. “You look sharp. Lots of effort for whomever she is.”
I didn’t correct her misassumption. “Thanks. Can I get you anything before I jet?”
“A time machine?”
“No can do, kiddo. Whatever you ate has to take its turn. Don’t worry, though, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” She nodded, but looked unconvinced. “If you need anything, ring my cell.”
“Yeah, I’m sure your date would appreciate that,” she teased.
I smiled the best I could and stood. “Bye, Bridge.”
“Bye, Spence.”
I closed her door behind me, and reminded myself to check on her when I got back.
Chapter Two
I whipped my Aston Martin into Sofitel, but dodged the valet, choosing to park in the back of the lot. This is one place where I didn’t need to be remembered. I only wanted to blend in. I got out and locked my door, taking out my cell and ringing Lola as I made my way to the Sofitel entrance. She answered on the second ring.
