Bluffing the Devil

chapter 3



Finally having a moment to myself and feeling strangely dirty from Rey's game of smolder-to-death, I decided a shower would do wonders for my disposition to help settle my mind and body, for my much desired nap. Of course, I was right.

Since I was a kid, bath time had always been one of my favorite times of the day, and had yet to fail me for lifting my spirits, or at the very least helping rid myself of grime and tension.

The steaming hot water from the dual massage heads worked wonders on my tired muscles and the grime of the day. Not even bothering to get dressed, I just patted my body dry and then wrapped my damp cascade of jet black hair in one of the ultra-thick amazing hotel towels that my favorite place always provided. I glanced at myself in the mirror to check for trip and day-damage. My face didn't look as tired as I felt, thank goodness. One of the luckiest things about me was my ability to always appear good, happy, and healthy on the outside.

My cyan eyes were one of my favorite features about myself. They were such an unusual shade of blue and such a huge contrast to my hair, attitude, and other plain-Jane features that it made them better, in my opinion. The one thing that always shined from me.

Jamison always used to say that he would get "lost in the ocean" of my gaze. I always smiled when he said that and would become shy or throw out some "my parents and God gave them to me, I'm nothing special" speech to which he would get grouchy with me immediately and go into some rant about how I'm the best thing that ever happened to him, and he loved every speck of my DNA. How I should accept that and be quiet. Crazy boy! What I wouldn't give to have him back with me, and hear that some cheesy line comparing my eyes to a hidden pool of Heaven's light, or some other abnormally weird thing he would say.

I slammed my eyes shut and took a much needed deep breath and exhaled so slowly that I could feel every molecule of air leave my body. I didn't look at my reflection again, I simply trudged to my cushy bed and flopped onto the dozen cloud-like pillows that littered across the oversized bed. Ahh yes, that is why I pay the big bucks for the "fancy" room my friends always complained about. If I was going to be away from home, I was going to at least enjoy the experience, and if I wanted to sleep and dream about a sexy Angel of No-Mercy, then I chose wisely.

Lying down never felt so amazing. Like after you spend hours working in your yard or after a long hike when, at the end of the day, your body is screaming for rest but you truly feel accomplished. You lay down and it's as if your entire body sighs with relief. That's what it felt like. Complete bliss. Perhaps my body was getting used to rest and catching up the years of abuse I'd been giving it with insomnia, working three jobs at a time, and not caring about my health in general.

The crisp, yet super soft, baby pink 1,000 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets could have helped, too. I had a thing for comfy beds; sheets, comforters, and pillows were always my biggest splurge. I didn't like to spend money on much else besides books, food, and comfortable bed gear, so I knew nice sheets when I saw them. These bedrooms were the main selling point for me choosing this hotel when I found out about the tournament.

I had done nothing in the room except for shower and head directly to the bed. No lights were on, no music or television, nothing but the hum of the air conditioning and then complete silence and pure comfort. The perfect setting for my mind to prepare for whatever exquisite torture awaited me the next time I could see him. Slipping under the fluffy down-filled comforter and across the amazingly soft sheets, I exhaled my way deeper into the pillow until I was nearly lost in the too-good-to-be-true bed.

I glanced at the clock. 5:28. Awesome, I have time for a few hours nap and then off to my game. "Please God, let me see him tonight…" was my last thought before immediately drifting off.