Jake Me

by Sabrina Stark

  If I forgot it, I was screwed.

  I was half-way there when I heard the sounds of scuffling somewhere behind me.

  I turned to look. Squinting into the darkness, I saw nothing, only the shadows and outlines of equipment and supplies. But something had made that noise. What was it? A raccoon? The security guy? I swallowed. Or worse?

  Oh stop it, I told myself. If anything, it was only my brothers messing with me. Annoyed by my own skittishness, I whirled back around, only to collide with a shadowed figure that hadn't been there a moment earlier.

  I stifled a gasp. The figure was warm and solid, and utterly familiar.

  Jake.

  I lost my footing, and his arms closed tight around me. For the briefest of moments, my eyelids drifted shut. Oh God, the feel of him, the scent of him, the nearness of him. It was pure heaven.

  And pure hell.

  Regaining my balance, along with a shred of dignity, I pushed away and said, "Jeez, you scared the crap out of me."

  His voice was hard. "Good."

  "Oh, that's nice."

  "No," he said. "It's not. But if being a dick is what it takes, hey, whatever."

  I drew back. He was being a dick, in fact. But why?

  "In that case," I said, "you're doing a fine job of it." I looked around. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

  "What are you doing here?" His voice rose. "Alone. In the dark. In the middle of fuckin' Detroit."

  I drew back, surprised by his reaction. "It's hardly the middle."

  Actually, I had no idea where this place was on a map. But I did know one thing. Compared to other areas of the city, this section was actually pretty nice.

  His eyebrows furrowed. "It's almost midnight. What the hell are you thinking?"

  All day, I'd been longing to see him, to talk with him, to get some answers. But nowhere in my thoughts did he jump out of the dark to read me the riot act. And now, he wanted to know what I was thinking?

  I glanced toward the hotel. "I'm thinking that I've got to get to work."

  He looked toward the hotel. "You work there? Since when?"

  "Since tonight, assuming I don't get fired for tardiness." Okay, so technically, I was running early, but I knew how this went. If I wasn't careful, I'd go from a half-hour early to a half-hour late. And I needed that job.

  Besides, as far as the Jake situation, I had tried all day to reach him, not that it did any good. And now, he wanted to talk?

  "You know what?" I said. "I've really gotta go." I sidestepped to move past him.

  "Wait," he said. "Why didn't you tell me?"

  "Tell you what?" I said. "That I got a job there? Gee, I don't know. Maybe because you wouldn't take my calls?"

  Since finding that cash in my purse, I had tried Jake's cell phone at least ten times. He hadn't answered. He hadn't called me back. He hadn't even given me the chance to say thank you.

  I bit my lip. Actually, the plan was to say "no thank you" in the nicest possible way. As much as I appreciated the gesture, there was no way I could accept that kind of money.

  So instead, I had borrowed a twenty from my brothers, bought only the bare minimum, and put Jake's money aside, with plans to return it at the first opportunity.

  Unfortunately, that opportunity wasn't now, because I didn't have it on me.

  In front of me, Jake said, "Maybe I didn't like your reason for calling."

  "How would you know my reason?" I asked.

  "Because you mentioned the purse."

  "So?"

  "So, from the way you sounded, I knew damn well what you were gonna say."

  "Oh yeah?" I said. "What's that?"

  "That you couldn't accept the money."

  "Oh."

  "So I was right," he said.

  This totally sucked. I desperately wanted to have this conversation. But now wasn't the time. "Jake," I said. "Seriously, I've gotta go. If I call you tomorrow, will you please answer?"

  He looked toward the hotel. "You really got a job there?"

  I gave a hollow laugh.

  "What?" he said.

  I mimicked his own question. "You really got a room there?"

  He froze. "What?"

  "Oh my God. You did. Didn't you?"

  "Forget that," he said. "Where's your damn brothers?"

  "They're in the trailer. And quit changing the subject."

  He made a sound of disgust.

  "What?" I asked.

  "They swore they'd keep an eye on you."

  My jaw dropped. Talk about insulting. "Keep an eye on me?" I said. "Seriously? I'm older than they are. And a ton more responsible. Maybe I need to keep an eye on them."

  From somewhere behind me, I heard Steve say, "In your dreams."

  I whirled around. I saw nothing except the same construction equipment as before. I squinted deeper into the darkness and finally made out the silhouettes of my brothers, leaning up against some heavy machinery.

  "Oh for crying out loud," I said. "What are you guys doing out here?"

  "Walking you to work," Steve said.

  Through gritted teeth, I said, "I told you that you didn't have to."

  It's not that I didn't appreciate the gesture. But I had been determined to avoid attracting attention. One thing about my brothers, they weren't exactly the quiet types.

  "Yeah, we heard you," Steve said, "which is why we're doing the secret-agent thing."

  I glanced over at Jake. The way it looked, there was a lot of that going around.

  Jake called out to my brothers. "Go on. I've got this." Turning back to me, he said, "Come on. I'll walk you."

  "Well, you'd better walk fast," I told him, "because I heard the night manager's a real stickler."

  "That's one name for him," Jake said.

  "What do you mean by that?" I asked.

  "You keep that job, and you'll find out fast."

  With a resigned sigh, I gave my brothers a quick wave and turned around, heading again toward the gate. With long, easy strides, Jake walked alongside me, saying nothing as we went. At the gate, he grabbed the lock and began working the dial. A moment later, it opened.

  "How'd you get the combination?" I asked.

  "I have my sources."

  "Yeah, I just bet," I said, wondering if his so-called sources just happened to be two guys related to me.

  When we reached the sidewalk across from the hotel, I stopped to look up at him. I really didn't have time for this, but what if it was my only chance? "About the money—"

  "Don't," he said.

  "Don't what?"

  "Don’t tell me you can't take it."

  "It's not that I don't appreciate it," I said, "but—"

  "Luna," he said.

  "What?"

  "I've been thinking."

  I cringed. That was never a good sign. Still, I made myself ask, "About what?"

  His voice was quieter now. "You."

  Chapter 18

  Somehow, that wasn't the answer I'd been expecting. Through my lashes, I looked up at him. "Really?" A reluctant smile tugged at my lips. "What about me?"

  He glanced toward the hotel. "Screw that job."

  I shook my head. "What?"

  "Come back."

  I studied his face. Something about his expression didn't quite match his words. Fearful of assuming too much, I looked toward the hotel and said, "Do you mean, uh, to your hotel room?"

  His mouth was tight. "No."

  Was I relieved? Or disappointed? Sure, I wanted like hell to be with him. But the whole come-back-to-my hotel thing wasn't exactly what I had in mind. At least, it wasn't the only thing I had in mind.

  "I'm not following," I said. "You mean come back to your penthouse?"

  "No." He glanced away. "The office."

  At the memory of my first and only visit to his office suite, my face grew warm. Jake and I had done some delicious things in there. Was he suggesting a repeat-performance? And if so, was that all he was suggesting?

  Into my sil
ence, he said, "Quit tonight, start tomorrow."

  My eyebrows furrowed. "Start what?"

  "The job. Like we talked about."

  Confused, I searched my memories. At last, reality slapped me in the face, and I drew back. "Let me get this straight," I said. "When you say 'come back,' what you mean is come back to work for you?"

  Technically, I had never worked for him. But a couple days earlier, he had offered me a job. I'd declined, and I couldn’t exactly regret it. The job had once been Bianca's. No matter how this thing with Jake played out, I refused to step into her shoes.

  Jake flicked his head toward the hotel. "All you have to do is walk in and quit. Right now."

  "Oh," I said. "Is that all?"

  "Or don't show up," he said. "They'll figure it out."

  Stunned, I stared up at him. "God, you are such a jerk."

  "Call me what you want. Just do it." At something in my expression, his voice softened. "Alright?"

  I let out a long sigh. "I so don't have time for this."

  He glanced toward the hotel. "That job's trouble."

  "How would you know?"

  "Not hard to figure out."

  I crossed my arms. "Is that so?"

  "Hell yeah. You can do better."

  "Really?" I said. "Because I have a college degree?" My voice rose. "Well, guess what? The job market sucks. Do you know what a miracle it was that I got this job at all?"

  "It's no miracle."

  "Wanna bet?" I said. "For your information, I was hired on the spot. In my book, that's a pretty big miracle."

  "Or," he said, "you were hired because two people quit last night. With no notice."

  "What?" I felt my shoulders sag. So I'd been hired out of desperation? "And you know this, how?"

  He shrugged.

  "Oh, that's right." I gave a bark of laughter. "I almost forgot." I gestured toward the hotel. "Because you're staying there." When he didn't deny it, I added, "And why is that, exactly?"

  "I've got my reasons."

  "Yeah, I just bet. Like your 'reasons' for offering me a job?"

  "It's a real offer," he said.

  "Because of pity?" I said. "Or because you want to keep an eye on me?"

  "Because you're qualified."

  I gave him a dubious look. "Uh-huh."

  "You've got the same degree as Bianca," he said. "Or at least, close enough."

  My degree was in hospitality management. About Bianca's degree, I had no idea. But I knew she had a ton more experience, and not just with event-planning.

  Suddenly, it felt like we'd been having the same conversation over and over again. I looked toward the hotel. "If you really want to help me, wanna know what you'll do?"

  "What?"

  "Butt out."

  His voice was flat. "Butt out?"

  Okay, so I'd said it before, but some things were definitely worth repeating, especially when someone refused to listen.

  "Yes, butt out," I said. "Because I'm not coming to work for you." I took a deep, steadying breath. "And if you ever cared about me at all—"

  "I do." His eyes met mine. "You know I do."

  "Good. Then you won't mess this up for me."

  His gaze slid to the hotel. He said nothing.

  "So here's what you're not going to do." I counted off on my fingers. "You not going to quit this job on my behalf. You're not going to do something crazy to get me fired." My teeth clenched. "And you're not going to be hanging around the front desk like a walking menace, because I seriously need this job."

  "No. You don't."

  "Jeez," I said. "What's your problem? I've already lost two jobs because of you. I can't afford to lose another."

  "Luna—"

  I gave him a warning look. "Don't say it."

  "Don't say what?" he asked.

  "Don't say, 'then come work for me,' because I've already said no. And I'm going to keep saying no." I leaned in close and lowered my voice. "And you wanna know why? Because I know darn well this has nothing to do with my qualifications."

  His jaw clenched. "That's not true."

  "Well here's my truth," I said. "I've got to get to work. And I swear to God, if you interfere with this job in any way, I will never forgive you."

  And with that, I turned and walked away.

  Chapter 19

  From behind the front desk, the gangly, pinched-faced man greeted me with only two words. "You're late."

  I glanced up at the oversized clock, hanging on the wall just over the guy's left shoulder. According to the clock, I'd arrived with ten minutes to spare – unless, had I gotten my details wrong?

  "Sorry," I said, "I thought my shift started at eleven. Did I miss something?"

  He looked away and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "Just the chance to make a good impression."

  "Excuse me?" I said.

  "Forget it. Go ahead, clock in. I'll wait."

  "Sure," I said, glancing around for a time clock. Unfortunately, I didn't see one. "If you could just point me in the right direction…"

  Silently, he pointed to the large wooden door, situated just behind the front desk. I'd been through that door once before, earlier today in fact, when I'd filled out all the employment paperwork. The door led to a small, cluttered office suite that served as the hotel's center of operations.

  Without commentary, I skirted the front desk, brushed past him, and made my way toward the door. I reached out and twisted the knob. It didn't budge.

  I turned to give the guy an apologetic look. "I think it's locked."

  "You think?" he said. "Or you know?"

  Well, I knew one thing for sure. The guy was a total ass.

  Biting my tongue, I turned to give the knob another twist. It still didn't budge. I turned back to the guy and said, "It's definitely locked."

  "Yes, it is." He pulled a key card from his pocket. "Consider that your first lesson. After dark, there's only one person with that key." He puffed out his narrow chest. "And that person is the assistant deputy night manager. Me."

  I glanced at his nametag. Apparently, that person was also named Rupert, not that he'd bothered to introduce himself.

  "Oh," I said, glancing at the key card. "Well, then can I borrow it?"

  "No." He smirked. "But you can ask me to open the door for you."

  Or, I could ask him to bite me.

  My eyebrows furrowed. I was a girl. Did that sentiment even apply?

  His mouth pursed. "Is there a problem?"

  I snapped back to reality. "No. No problem at all." With the most pleasant expression I could muster, I pointed to the door and asked, "So, could you please open that for me?"

  He crossed his arms and gave a slow nod. "You and me, we're gonna get along just fine."

  I seriously doubted that.

  But I was darned determined to try.

  For the first hour, Rupert watched over my shoulder as I dealt with the usual things – greeting guests as they returned for the night, fulfilling requests for extra towels, and in one case, running a travel toothbrush up to someone who had forgotten theirs.

  Since most of my responsibilities were practically the same as at my previous job, right down to using the same reservation system, it all seemed pretty straight-forward. There was only one thing that confused me.

  During my job-interview, I'd been told that the night shift always had at least three people working. But all I saw was Rupert. Maybe the third person was on break?

  A little after midnight, when no third person had appeared, I finally asked Rupert about it.

  "Forget him," Rupert said. "The guy's a no-show."

  "Oh," I said. "That's too bad."

  "Too bad for him, you mean." Rupert straightened his tie. "If he does show up, he's getting fired, courtesy of yours truly."

  "Good for you," I said.

  "Yeah." Rupert gave a slow nod. "I run a tight ship around here. Ask anyone. They'll tell you."

  I looked around. There was no one to as
k, probably because they had all quit.

  Even so, I still didn't get it. Sure, Rupert was annoying, but in this job market, it would take a lot more than a crappy manager to make me walk out. Of course, I'd only been working with this guy for an hour. Who knew how I'd feel in a week?

  We were pretty busy until nearly two o'clock in the morning, when the number of guests slowed to a mere trickle.

  "Well, that's it," Rupert announced. "Paperwork time. I'm heading to the back office. If you need something, give me a shout."

  "You're leaving me alone?"

  He frowned. "Is that a problem?"

  "No, of course not." I summoned up a smile. "It's just that you know, since I’m new…"

  "You'll be fine," he said. "You'll probably get a few drunks at closing time, and yeah, maybe a few crazies here and there, but mostly, you just stand there and deal with whatever comes." He looked toward the office. "And, if you've got a question, I'm right behind that door."

  "So, it'll be unlocked?" I asked.

  "No. But you do know how to knock. Don't you?"

  "Sure. I was just asking, that's all."

  Although I'd worked in hotels before, I had never worked the night shift. But I'd heard stories from former co-workers. The way it sounded, I'd spend half the night running my ass off and the other half bored out of my mind.

  I could deal with that.

  Or so I thought – right up until three o'clock in the morning, when a large, noisy group of trendy people around my own age stumbled through the doors, led by someone all too familiar – Rango, the ex-boyfriend from hell.

  Chapter 20

  Rango's dark spiky hair was in its usual stylish disarray, and he wore the same kind of clothes he always wore, flashy and expensive. Behind him were four other people – two guys and two girls – all dressed for a night on the town.

  From the looks of them, they'd been drinking. A lot.

  "Oh crap," I muttered under my breath. I knew exactly how they'd ended up here. Bianca had gone blabbing, that's how, because there was no conceivable way that Rango would have found out where I worked otherwise.

  "Hey babe!" Rango called over to me. "You got room for a party?"

  Behind him, his entourage laughed like he'd just told the funniest fart-joke, ever. I recognized both of the guys, Brody and Chet. Even when Rango and I had been dating, I had never been overly fond of them.