AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTERTHREE
Beatriz checked into the hotel at nine that evening,THE MANUALstill burning a hole in her bag. While the man at the desk processed her credit card and paperwork, Beatriz scanned the lobby, looking for any suitable candidates to help her with her review. Maybe she’d get lucky and an “Attractive Men Looking For No Strings Attached Sexual Intercourse” conference would be happening at the Hotel Essex this week. She saw a few teenage boys loitering by the fountain. Too young. Three older couples talked in the vestibule. Too couple-y. A pretty woman about her age strode through the lobby pulling a wheeled suitcase behind her. Too female. Most of the time she wouldn’t have any problem with a few nights in bed with another woman, but the sex position manual was for heterosexual couples. Plus women tended to get clingy. She had no time for clingy.
She heard a shriek from the elevator area and Beatriz took a steadying breath. Speaking of clingy women…
“Oh, my God!” Claudia rushed toward her and wrapped her up in a bear hug. Beatriz hugged back, knowing that when caught in a Claudia-hug, much like quicksand, the harder a person struggled, the more trapped he or she became. Best to simply relax and take it. This, incidentally, was her philosophy for anal sex, as well. “When did you get in?”
“Just now. Checking in. You look amazing.” Beatriz pulled back enough to give Claudia a once-over. She hadn’t seen her foster sister in over a year. She’d expected her to look haggard from wedding planning, but she wore the look of love. “Engaged looks good on you. Where’s Henry?”
“Hiding in the bar,” Claudia said while the bellhop put Beatriz’s bags on the luggage rack. “The wedding planner’s driving him nuts. I’m about ready to hit her myself. Got any connections?”
“I do,” said the bellhop.
Beatriz made a mental note to give the bellhop a good tip.
“How bad is it?” she asked Claudia.
“Long story. It involves her trying to get Henry to rearrange his groomsmen so they line up by height. She thinks the tallest one should be his best man. Henry’s brother was not amused.”
“Short men deserve love, too. Is Mark still single?”
Claudia shook her head. “Nope. He’s here with his girlfriend. Why?”
“I need to get laid. It’s work-related.”
Claudia nodded. She knew all about Beatriz’s work.
“I have connections there, too,” said the bellhop.KEATON, his name tag indicated.
“I love this guy,” Beatriz said as they neared the elevators.
“So what’s the job?” Claudia asked as the three of them got on the first elevator.
“I have a book to review by Monday. Sex position manual creatively entitledTHE MANUAL. They call it‘The Joy of Sexfor Millennials!’ Complete with exclamation point.”
“What’s a Millennial?”
“Us.”
“Got it. We’ll find someone to do you. Some Millennial.”
“I like older men. Gen X works, too.”
“A couple of the groomsmen are single,” Claudia said. “Jake’s here.”
“No way. He always wears too much body spray. I’d need a hazmat suit. Hazmat suits are not sexy.”
“Speak for yourself,” Keaton the bellhop muttered.
“Jed?” Claudia suggested.
“We hooked up in college. He’s terrible in bed.”
“Really?” Claudia sounded stunned. “He seems so confident. Cocky, even.”
“It’s a cover. Guilt. Momma complex. You have sex and then fifteen minutes later he’s giving you the ‘I don’t think we should do this anymore’ routine. I told him his cock wasn’t worth cutting through all the red tape for.”
“You go, girl.” Keaton nodded his approval as the elevator door opened.
