Page 10 of Choosing Stella

He caught my hand before I turned away, not hard enough to stop me.

“I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“For the card?”

“For the card. Maybe for the rest.”

I slipped my hand free.

“Request through the app.”

“Always professional.”

“That’s why I’m expensive.”

Antonio laughed as I picked up my coat and walked to the door.

When I glanced back, he was standing beside the marble bar with The Tower lying faceup near his glass, still smiling.

I left him that way.

The private elevator carried me down through The Exchange while the casino’s noise gradually returned. By the lobby, music and voices blended with the clatter of chips and the electronic trill of machines.

I stepped outside into cold river air.

Damp leaves skittered along the pavement. I pulled my coat tighter over my dress and opened The Network app.

The check-in prompt waited on the screen.

Booking complete?

I tapped yes.

Safe departure confirmed?

Yes.

The timestamp registered.

Under it, the familiar motto appeared in clean white lettering.

Discretion. Elegance. Choice.

Usually, I barely noticed it.

Tonight, I thought about the card I’d left forty floors above me.

Then I put my phone away and went home.

Someone pounded on my apartment door before I’d managed to sleep.

I jerked upright on the couch.

For a second, I had no idea where I was.

Then the room settled around me.

The lamp was still on, throwing a low pool of light across the couch and coffee table.