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“She’s not a nurse. She’s a friendly neighbor. I worry about you when I’m not there. Don’t be mean to Mrs. Lewis.”
He coughed, and fear froze her. “Are you getting a cold?”
“No, I just have a tickle in my throat. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be nice to the old hag. What about you? Have you dug up that story yet?”
“I just got here. But good things are happening. I have a feeling I’ll get that promotion after all.”
“Oh, tell me about it.”
Her phone chimed with a new text, and she looked at the screen. Her first assignment had come in. “Sorry, I have to run. I’ll tell you about it later.”
“All right, sweetie.” She could tell he was tired. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Dad.” She frowned as she hung up. He was so fragile now. There were days where he barely was able to walk from the bedroom to the living room without getting winded. There wasn’t anything she could do, other than wait for the call that they had a donor heart ready for him. That, and learn who Shadow really was. She checked the text that had come in.
Please pick up a sea food plate from somewhere local. Deliver it to Shadow’s room. Just leave it on his desk.
Perfect. She could do that. And maybe get a look at what was in his room. Maybe she’d find a clue. And then another thought popped into her head. The more time she could spend with Jalen, the better. She sent a quick text back.
Are you hungry as well? I could pick up two plates.
She held her breath as she waited for him to answer.
Yes. Please do. Thank you.
She smiled and headed toward the lobby. Something in her life was finally going her way.
* * *
Jalen stared at his phone,the words almost dancing before his vision. He was dumbfounded. He’d been Shadow Walker for six years. Performed at countless venues and events. Been on tour and hired hundreds of temporary assistants. No one had ever thought to ask him ifhewas hungry.
It gave him a strange feeling. Like he had pent up energy to spend. Maybe it was stupid of him to care. She wasn’t asking because she liked him or anything. She was just doing her job. Still, it showed something about her and intrigued him.
He tried working on his song lyrics for another ten minutes before shoving his notebook back into his briefcase. Nope. Wasn’t going to happen right now. He was nowhere near in the mood he needed to be.
Instead, he pulled up his schedule on his phone for the next few days and looked it over. This wasn’t his first gig at the Diamond Oasis, which everyone affectionately called the Billionaire Club. He’d been hired last year to sing during the week-long pop extravaganza. It was an upscale clientele for sure. The venue was clean, the management was friendly, and he got to hang out with some of the other pop stars. Security at the resort had been good too. No crazy fans trying to climb into his window. Still, he kept Shadow’s room locked up tight and the blinds closed, and had a security guard posted at the door and the patio at all times just in case.
Tomorrow he was scheduled to take a group on a schooner excursion. No singing, he just had to be on the boat with thirty or so people, interacting with them. Not too bad of a deal, except it would be pretty hot in his black costume. Nothing he could do about that, though.
A knock came on his door, and he crossed the room to open it. Riley stood there holding a takeout bag, a logo from The Shrimp Next Door on the side. Sir Barks-a-Lot whined and wagged his tail. She smiled at his dog, then raised her gaze to him. “Here’s your food. I already put Shadow’s plate in room 177. Will he be coming soon? I don’t want it to get cold.”
“He was in there. He was just hiding from you.” That was his go-to answer. No one usually questioned him.
“Hiding?” Riley wrinkled her nose.
Oh. That’s right. She didn’t know who Shadow Walker was. Jalen took the offered bag from her and motioned for her to enter his suite. “He doesn’t want the public to know his true identity. He goes by Shadow Walker and wears a mask when he performs.”
She blinked. “Why?”
He set the bag on the desk. The smell of shrimp filled the room, and his stomach growled. He gave Riley an appraising look as he pulled out the food containers. “He couldn’t catch a break until he dressed up in his ninja outfit. Part of his appeal is the anonymity.”
Jalen had been asked that same question many times, but he’d never answered it as honestly before. Something about Riley made him want to talk to her. Tell her things he didn’t normally divulge. He had to admit, it scared him. Divulging too much could be dangerous in his situation.
Her eyebrows raised. “Really? So, no one knows who he is?”
“Right.” He waited for the usual questions. Do you know who he is? Will you tell me? But she didn’t ask, which made him like her even more.
He stared at all the food. There was so much of it. He’d never be able to eat it all himself. Plus, he had another plate in the next room. “Are you hungry?” he blurted out before he could stop himself. When she didn’t immediately answer, he kept talking. “I mean, they gave me a lot of food. I don’t know if I can eat it all. And it would be a shame to waste it.”
