Authors: Deborah Bladon
"H
e's in Boston, Jess." I can smell the tequila on Rebecca's breath even though she's three feet away from me.
"I know he is." I shoot back. I want to leave. I hate being in this place. Every time I pull my gaze up I see a beautiful women and I instantly wonder whether Nathan's fucked her at some point.
"You keep looking for him." She takes another shot. "I see you looking around the room for him."
"That's not it," I argue. "It's these women."
"What women?" She almost screams the question over the noise of the crowd.
"He's fucked some of these women, don't you think?" I lean forward to temper my tone. I don't want to announce to the entire club that I'm the woman Nathan takes to his home. I don’t want to know anything about any woman he's ever touched.
"Most of them." She shrugs her shoulder as she nods her head.
"I can't be here." I hop from the barstool to my feet. "I want to go home."
"No." She pushes me back down. "We're staying."
"Rebecca." I raise my voice slightly to get my point across. "You can stay. I need to go."
"You're just scared." The words tumble out her too quickly. "You're scared he's still fucking women upstairs, aren't you?"
I was. She's right. Ever since we stepped foot back in the club I've thought about that. I've wondered whether the room is rented to someone else right now or if he's still holding onto it.
"Let's go see." She pulls on my arm, steering me towards the entrance to hotel Aeon.
"What are you talking about?" I down the shot the bartender placed in front of Rebecca just to calm my nerves. I recoil at the heat of the tequila as it courses down my throat.
"We go upstairs, we knock on the door and we see who answers." She pulls on my hand yet again and I don't stop her this time. I race behind her until we're in the lobby.
"It's a stupid plan." I spit out in a muted tone. "It's not going to work."
"You don’t want it to work." Her words are slurred. "You don't want to know that he still has a place because then you have to kiss him and his big cock goodbye."
"He doesn't have a room." I know I sound too insistent. I'm not just trying to convince her. I'm trying to steel my own doubts about him.
"We're doing this, Jess." She points towards the bank of elevators. "You remember which room it was, right?"
I nod my head in silence. I can't move. I can't go up there knowing that there's a very slim chance that no one will answer the door and I'll be cursed with the knowledge that he may be lying to me about holding onto the room.
"Let's do it already." She jerks my hand so hard that I almost fall forward. She's not going to give this up. She won't.
We ride the elevator up to the eighteenth floor in silence. I fish in my purse, pulling my smartphone into my palm. I scroll through my new messages and there's nothing from Nathan at all. Absolutely nothing for over a day now.
I pull Rebecca down the dimly lit hallway to the doorway I remember. She knocks softly and we both perch our ears to the door. Nothing.
She knocks again and we both wait for what feels like endless moments.
"No one's here." She cocks a brow and leans against the door jam. Now what?
Now I breathe a sigh of relief. He's not in the room. My heart told me he wasn't. I knew he was telling me the truth.
I scroll my thumb over my phone's screen and type a message to Nathan.
I miss you so much. I can't wait to see you when you get back.
I press send and I turn to walk towards the bank of elevators hoping Rebecca will give up her useless mission to trap Nathan in a lie.
The unmistakable sound of a not-too-distant cell phone chime breaks the silence in the hallway.
I stare at my phone.
Call me as soon as you're back from Boston.
My hand shakes as I type out the message before my thumb hits send.
The same chime rings through the air.
"His phone is in that room," I murmur, my voice shaking as intensely as my hands.
"D
o you see what I mean?" Rebecca giggles as the elderly security guard presses his ear to the door, listening to Nathan's phone ringing. "My friend left her cell phone in there when she was visiting Mr. Moore."
I throw her a small smile, grateful that she pulled out the composure to lie for me.
"We just need a minute to get it back. That and her bra." She practically yells the last word at him and it definitely has the desired effect.
"I...uh..." His face flushes a deep shade of crimson at the mere suggestion that I left lingerie in a room. "I'm not supposed to let people in."
"I know." Rebecca pats him on the back. "The thing is, her and Mr. Moore had a fight and she can't talk to him right now. She's really emotional because it's that time of the month."
I grimace at the words. He does too and I can tell that she's pushing every single one of the buttons that make him incredibly uncomfortable.
"Let me see if he's here." He pulls a radio out of his belt and punches in Nathan's room number. We all listen intently at the sound of the room's phone ringing beyond the barrier of the wooden door.
"He's out." Rebecca leans close to him. "Probably chasing another skirt."
I roll my eyes in her direction but she's solely focused on her mission to get this poor man to open the door and break every rule he's ever been taught.
"You've got two minutes," he whispers as he pulls a master key card from his pocket and swipes it. The green light shines as he pulls the doorknob down, pushing the door open just enough so I can sneak in.
Rebecca nods to me as she starts chattering to him about how brave he is and what a selfless job he's doing protecting all the patrons of the hotel.
I slip into the darkened room and fumble with the light switch. As the small lamps on the table flicker on, I'm overcome with a rush of emotions. It's exactly the same as I remember it. This is the room. The same room that Nathan fucked me in and promised he gave up for me.
My eyes dart to the counter near the bank of windows. Everything is in its place. It's obvious the cleaning staff have gone through the room recently. The glasses are all spotless and lined neatly in a row. The trash is cleared.
I move quickly to the bedroom, realizing that I won't have much time if Rebecca runs out of steam. I push the call button for Nathan's number on my phone again and hear his ringing near me. I flip the light switch and instantly see the lighted screen of a phone dancing in the dim light. It's sitting on the top of bed.
I reach for it and see my number flashing back at me. I pull my thumb over it and my breath hitches. I lean back against the bed, my knees giving out.
I close my eyes and pull in a deep breath.
I scroll silently through the messages.
There's the five I've sent since this morning and so many more...
I miss you sweetie. When are you going to fuck me again?
I can't wait to have your cock back in my mouth. Call me.
Thanks for yesterday. I'm still thinking about your tongue.
It's been awhile, Nathan. What does a girl have to do to get laid by you?
They're endless.
Each more intimate than the last.
All from different numbers.
My thumb hovers over the contact list.
Hundreds of names.
All women.
I scroll to the J.
Click on it once.
Scan the names until I find Jessica.
Jessica A.
Jessica C.
And me... Jessica R.
T
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PULSE – Part Three
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Still Obsessed
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eborah Bladon has never read a romance hero she didn't like. Her love for romance novels began when she was old enough to board the bus, library card in hand to check out the newest Harlequin paperbacks. She's a Canadian by heart, and by passport, but you can often spot her in New York City sipping a latte and looking for inspiration for her next story. Manhattan is definitely her second home.
She cherishes her family and believes that each day is a gift for writing, for reading, and for loving.