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I grumbled in response,not liking the idea that others find her attractive. I knew that just looking at her could make almost any man hard, but my remark was a clearway for me to stake my claim on her.
The cop smiled, but he quickly wiped it away when he noticed me staring at him. There were people to befriend and people to make them fear you. Officer Carlos Mainefell into the latter.
"There's no need to be offended. She's pretty,I'll give you that," Tristan gave a mischievous grin. "But she's going to be a challenge."
I couldn't see what Tristan saw. When I spoke to her, she smiled. Despite keeping her guard up, I could tell she wanted to flirt back but didn't out of politeness.
"I don't believe she will be," I countered.
"I mean,look at her. She'slike a nine," heexplained. "I'm sure she's a college student or a graduate of some fancyschool. You should steer clear ofthat type. Plus, I believe she knows your moves."
"Are you messing withme? Whatdoes that evenmean?" I asked him, astounded. That was basically thepoint—for her to know, to acknowledgemy moves. I wasn't some teen boy to play coy and hide.
Tristan shrugged and turned to face the cop.
"Well, I thinkshe is a ten. I wouldn't mind at all—" My icy stare snatched his next words from his lips. I dared him to mention one more thing aboutthe woman who had just left.
"She's stunning. That's all I'm going to say," he said and went quiet after taking a deep breath.
I wanted to get out there and feel the evening breeze on my face…and mayberun into her again.
"I may not have gotten her number, but I'm confident that with a little research, I'll soon have the information I seek." I sighed and sank back into the couch. Women like her didn't come along every day, and I knew I'd be miserable and full of regrets if I didn't see her again.
"I would advise you not to cause any trouble here."
I turned to face the officer, but he didn't flinch. He was serious about his warning, as if things were about to spiral out of control.
"This isn't Chicago. Kidnapping girls here would make a lot of noise, and even with my help, you wouldn't be able tohave complete control over the authorities," he warned.
But I wasn't paying attention. I couldn't stop thinking about her. My gaze shifted to my wristwatch where I checked the time and counted the minutes until she returned to the room.
* * *
VANESSA
I never returned to Room Thirteen. I delegated that task to a male colleague.
"I warned you, but you thought I was being paranoid," Anna said as I tried to regain my composure.
"I think there's bribery going on up there, shady things." I shuddered at the thought of what they were doing, deciding not to delve any further into it. "It's just best to avoid them."
I got up as soon as I felt some strength in my legs and my breathing became more steady. My escape was cut short when she grabbed my arm and turned me around to face her. Her mouth was curved in a curious smile. I was already aware of what she was about to ask.
"Were any of themcute?" she asked.
They were definitelydangerous-looking!I considered yelling at her but decided against it. She was simply curious.
"The cop is not at all my type. There was a quiet fellow—hewasalright. There was a third guy, and that's all. There's nothing out of the ordinary about any of them," I informed her.
I felt a prick in my chest as I lied to my best friend. The man I had casually referred to as "the third guy" did not deserve such a sloppy description from me. He was handsome and tall, which only added to his bad-boy, intimidating aura.
"That's a pity. I was certain that one of them would be hot," Anna expressed her temporary sadness.
I avoided the private rooms for the rest of our shift and kept an eye on the back of my head. I didn't see any of the three guys until it was time for Anna and me to leave. She dashed off to see her friend, clearly a new love interest she wasn't ready to tell me about.
I changed back into my regular clothes and quickly searched for the men, but they were nowhere to be found. It was strangely disappointing to realize I might never see the dark-eyed man again.
It's probablyfor the best, I told myself this as I walked out the back door. When I stepped out into the dark and beautiful city, there he was, coat unbuttoned and an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth. My breath caught in my throat as he noticed me walking out and ran his hand through his tousled black hair.
