Between Holly’s delicious thighs, that’s where.
“Staying in. Maybe get a drink at the bar here.”
He looked disappointed.
“When’s this place gonna start hoppin’?” he asked.
“About the time we head out of here.” I smirked and leaned in to hit the twenty-five on the elevator. “Don’t worry, plenty of regulars you can sort through.”
He didn’t seem to have any problem conjuring up women this past week. A few NASCAR cuties, too young for my blood, but he didn’t seem to mind. I could tell they were using fake IDs to get into the seedy night club on Seabreeze Boulevard. The girls were falling all over themselves on the stripper poles in the VIP lounge, and Luke was lapping it up. One girl, Melissa, had caught my attention, but Luke ran her off with his immature fan club.
“What time you heading to the bar?” he asked, inviting himself to my party of one.
The elevator doors opened. I stepped off with Luke quick on my heels. “After I hit the shower. I’ll shoot ya a text.” I smirked, slid my card into the door lock, and pushed open my door.
“Yeah, you do that. Come to my room first. Got some good shit.”
I stopped and turned to look at him, my skin crawling with anticipation. “How good?”
His grin grew wider. “Excellent. Just what you need before hitting the bar. Then I’ve got some Xanax for later, help you come down.”
My mouth actually damn watered and I swallowed hard, wishing the urge for a hit was as easy to get rid of. I’d used up my stash and had told myself that was it. No more. But…
It wasn’t like I was buying it.
Luke shouldn’t have to party by himself.
It was bad manners to reject a gift.
And it wasn’t season yet, after all.
“Maybe,” I finally said, staying in neutral territory before opening the door to my hotel room. “Talk to ya later.”
Inside, the air conditioning was blasting frost into the air, stripping my attention away from another type of snow. Damn, I could almost see my breath. I adjusted the temperature on the wall and went straight to the kitchen for a beer.
Ten minutes later, I was damn shivering, so I checked the thermostat again. I turned it off. Nothing. Turned it to heat. Nothing. Adjusted it up and down. Nothing.
Shit.
Picking up the phone, I called the front desk to report the problem, then pulled on some swim trunks to go relax by the pool, maybe warm up in the lingering sun.
Back in the hallway, I stood outside my door for a long moment. Left to the elevators. Right to Luke’s room and a quick fix to help me get through the night.
Fuck.
One hit won’t hurt. I’ve worked hard all week. I’m tired. It’ll be good for me to be awake for when Holly gets here.
No. I’m cutting back. I’ll be fine with just a couple drinks.
I headed to the elevator, then stopped and turned around. Shit.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Seconds later, I knocked on Luke’s door.
***
Twenty minutes later, I felt like a new man, not the run down shell of myself I was earlier. Heading downstairs, I stopped at the front desk to give them a key for Holly.
“Maintenance is working on your room problem, Mr. Newman,” Hector told me as I hand over the key. I gave him a wink and a fifty-dollar tip. I might need him to drag my ass back to my room later.
The outdoor pool was empty, except for a girl in a green bikini made up of nothing but strings. As I got closer, it became very clear that she was a real beauty, her long dark hair falling off the side of her chair. I took the chaise several feet away, spreading myself out while avoiding eye contact. Let them come to you.
“Mi nombre es Anna.”
I opened my eyes, and she was standing beside me. When I gave her a friendly smile, she took a seat next to mine.
“You are quite beautiful, Anna.” My Spanish was lousy, but I knew enough for an introduction.
“No habla ingles.” She was still smiling.
Okay, so I was pretty sure that meant she didn’t speak English. I didn’t need her to tell me that. It was obvious.
“Would you like a beber?” I asked. I knew my Spanish was probably amusing to her, but I had to try.
She nodded and stood back up, her body towered over me. I didn’t want to move. I wanted to sit there and take in the view for another moment.
“Bar?” she asked. Another word I understood.
“Si,” I stood and beckoned her to walk in front of me, wanting to see if her ass was as fine as her tits. It was.
I pulled out a seat for her at the bar and then took the one beside her for myself. There were a couple other people in the place, but so far, no sign of Luke.
“The usual?” the bartender asked. Her mole stared at me with anger.
“Yes,” I muttered as I tried to avoid eye contact with the angry brown knot on her face.
“And for the, um, lady?” She wrinkled her nose as she eyed my companion’s bountiful tits.
“Noche Buena?” Anna asked, not fazed in the least.
The bartender leaned onto the bar with her elbows propped up and her face on her hands. “I don’t speak Spanish,” she growled.
“I don’t either, but, I’m pretty sure she just ordered a beer.”
“We don’t carry that brand,” she snarled.
“Beer,” she said with a thick Spanish accent. It was fucking adorable. I wondered what she yelled out as she came.
“What kind?”
“Que tipo de cerveza le gustaria?” Luke piped in from the fuckin’ peanut gallery.
Anna’s face lit up. “Oscuro.”
Luke relayed the message to the bartender, who was also giving him googly eyes. “She’ll take a Guinness.”
Luke ordered a Corona with lime like a sissy boy and sat down on the other side of Anna. She immediately started yapping ninety miles a minute and he seemed to be keeping up with her. This was the only beauty of having a woman who looked this damn good and didn’t speak English, the silence. Now this idiot ruined that for me too.
“I didn’t know you spoke Spanish.” I was slightly impressed.
“Yeah. In this league, I’m surprised you don’t.”
“Just something I never picked up.” I defended my lack of bilingualism.
“Los jugadores de beisbol?” Anna looked at Luke, and then me.
“Si,” Luke agreed quickly while I tried to decipher what she just said.
“We need shots,” I called to the bartender.
“Patrón?” she yelled back without turning around.
“You know it, darlin’.”
Her tone perked up when she delivered the shots. I winked and left her a fifty on the bar. I expected excellent service and her attitude was creating a problem. If my charm wouldn’t warm her up, cold hard cash would.
Anna lifted her drink to her lips, but I reached out and stopped her from drinking until I got my toast in. “A night with me is like a table — four bare legs, and no drawers.”
Anna looked to Luke for translation. I was glad he only smiled and clinked his glass against hers. I held my shot glass out, waited for them both to clink theirs against it, and then poured the smooth tequila down my throat.