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“I was actually going to call you. We need to talk.” I righted myself, placing my hands on my hips as I stared him down. He wasn’t a skinny nerd like you’d think a tech genius would be, but my years of hockey had him beat on the muscle side.
“Oh?” He stopped his forward approach, and leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms. “You know, when I broke into your house, I thought it would be harder to get you to listen to me.” He smiled like he’d already won. “Go on, what do you have to say?”
“I want to help you find Fin, and I think we should talk about your feelings for my girlfriend.”
He stared at me, his eyes searching for something. He wasn’t teasing or making light of the situation for once, showing me he could be serious when needed.
“Now, I’m really glad I ordered Chinese food. This will be a better conversation over some noodles and rice.”
Relaxing, I walked to the fridge and pulled out two beers, handing him one. “So, where do we start?”
Cohen smiled, and I realized I didn’t hate the guy. In fact, he was pretty easy to get along with when he wasn’t incessantly flirting with me. The doorbell rang just as my stomach growled again, and I was thankful it was one less decision I’d have to make tonight.
As he paid the delivery person and placed copious amounts of food on the table, I sat down, feeling more clear than I had all week. It seemed the ocean had helped to at least bring me to the place I needed to be to face what I’d been hiding from.
“I have an idea of where she is and how we can intercept her,” Cohen said, scooping out some food.
“You have my attention.”
He handed me a carton, and I began to eat, listening to his plan. When he finished, I nodded, wiping my mouth.
“I’m in. Now, how do you feel about Fin?”
Six
FINLEY
Two weeks had passedand I had nothing to show for my time away except a mild addiction to vending machine mini donuts. Blackhawk had been quiet the past week, and I wondered if he’d somehow caught wind of my thoughts and knew what I was up to. Not that I was up to much of anything other than becoming a slob.
Looking around my new hotel room, I realized how disgusting I’d become. Wrappers littered the floor, soda bottles tumbled out of the trash can, and the few outfits I had were strewn about.
“Jeez, I’ve turned into Henry,” I mumbled. Since I only had myself for company, I’d gotten used to talking aloud so I wouldn’t feel so alone. I avoided thinking how sad that was.
Heaving myself off the bed, I sniffed my shirt, the stench making my nose curl up. I smelled worse than my brother’s gym bag.
Okay, first things first, I needed to clean up. I couldn’t think in this pigsty. No wonder I hadn’t made any progress. I’d fallen into a rabbit hole and forgotten to check for light every now and then. Shoving all the wrappers into a new trash bag, I sat it and the one with bottles outside my door. Opening the curtains, I squinted as the sun filtered into the room, shining some light into the dark space. Tiny dust particles floated around, making it even more obvious I needed to get out of this room. I was becoming one with the dust.
Grabbing all of my clothes, I shoved them into a laundry bag. I’d have to figure something out there. I hadn’t thought the limited amount of outfits through when I’d packed. I was tired of wearing the same three things. Even off the grid, I still wanted my fashion, it seemed.
“You can take the girl out of fashion school, but you can’t take fashion out of the girl,” I chided, laughing at myself.
Okay. I was losing it. Perhaps a stroll to get food would be wise. Nodding my head, I made my way to the bathroom, determined to make myself clean.
Thirty minutes later, I smelled better and felt like a human again. Placing a blonde wig on my head, I pulled out some makeup and applied eyeliner and lipstick. Stepping away from the mirror, I found a new version of myself staring back.
“Time to be a badass,” I whispered.
Grabbing my bag of dirty clothes, I’d head to the front desk to see if they had any laundry services. I wasn’t expecting much, but it never hurt to ask. The elevator was quiet as it descended, and I quickly made it to the bottom floor. The nice thing about this hotel was how empty it seemed to be. Probably not for them, but it worked well for me wanting to stay hidden.
“Good afternoon, ma’am. How can we help you today?” the lady at the desk asked. God, I loved the south and their hospitality.
“Um, yes, I wondered if you had laundry services or knew a nearby place?”
“There’s a laundromat around the corner open 24-7. Would you like me to draw you a map?” she asked.
“Sure, that’d be helpful.” I’d been hoping they had one on-site so I wouldn’t have to sit with them. But it was better than dirty clothes. I’d have to grab some more in the meantime.
Taking the paper, I stepped out of the hotel, shielding my eyes from the sun. I looked left and right and decided to go right first. A few food places were open already, and people went to and fro. I spotted the laundromat and peeked in, checking out the establishment.
