Chapter 21
As the elevator crawleddownto the lobby, I tugged my hair into a high ponytail. I checked my reflection and wished I’d applied foundation, as my freckles were having a little party on my cheeks tonight.The slight bags under my eyeswere a perfect representation ofhow tired I felt.
I didn’t sleep well today.
For some reason, I just hadn’t been able to switch my brain off for long enough to get a deep sleep. Hopefully, tonight will be busy; otherwise, I was likely to faceplant on the desk and stay there.
Before the elevator dinged, a dull noise emanated from the usually quiet lobby. The doors opened to dozens of people milling about, and they all appeared to be in their early twenties or so.
That’s right. . . twenty-nine rooms had been booked by the Southern Cross University in Sydney.It looked like my wish for a busy nightwas about tobe granted after all.
Marjorie looked up from her seat at reception and smiled at me.
“Hey, Marj, how was your day?”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s been crazy.”
“Everything okay, though?”
“Yes, except for these bloodyunistudents. They’re a noisy bunch. They’ve been coming and going all day. Oh, andthere’sa couple of weirdos in the bar asking for Memphis.”
A couple?I gripped the counter, fearing my legs would buckle beneath me. “Oh, really?”
“Yep. I don’t know who this Memphis woman is, but I’m beginning to believe John. Maybe we do have a lady of the night lurking here.”
Oh crap! Lady of the . . . I’m going to be sick.
“Anyway.” She opened the bottom drawer, removed her bag, and hooked it over her shoulder. “I’m off. Popcorn and movie night with the kids.” She hugged me to her chest. “Have a good one.”
“Thanks.”
The second Marjorietoddledaway, I collapsed into the chair.
A couple were asking for Memphis! Who could they be?
Oh jeez! Was it the couple I watched having sex back in April?
Or was it just a coincidence that two men were asking for Memphisat the same time?
That could be messy.
Aftersucking ina few deep breaths to steady my tumbling thoughts, I put the ‘back in five minutes’ sign on the counter and forced my wobbly legs to lead me into the bar.
The noise from both the people and the music bordered on deafening. The university students outnumbered the other slightly older patrons I spotted in the dim lights. I had a flashback to the young virgin who I’d experimented with months ago. He’d been a uni student.
I tried to recall what he looked like. Sandy blond hair,a trimmed goatee.As I weavedmy waythrough the gyratingthrongtoward the bar, I scrutinized all the blond men.
Tania was busy serving drinks, and both she and the bar manager, Pete, turned toward me as I stepped in behind the counter.
“Hey, guys. Busy night.”
“Sure is. This lot came in about an hour ago.” From Tania’s grin, I’d say she was happy with the crowd. Our usual demographic was much older than this, and I often thought Tania was out of place working in our bar. She was a pretty, petite blonde with a quick smile, and despite being just twenty-two, she had no problem handling unruly patrons who were often twice her age and size.
Asher attention was divertedto a young man at the serving station, I scanned the crowd, searching for a familiar face, but didn’t recognize anybody. Maybe they’ve gone. I wasn’t sure if I was happy or not about that, though. The curiosity alone was going to kill me. I needed to check the booths at the back to be sure.
“Would you like me to collect some glasses for you?”
Pete wiped his forehead across his sleeve. “Thanks. That would be great.”
I pushed back through the swinging gate andproceeded to gatherempty glasses dotted around the tables. With a row of empty beer glasses lined up my arm, I turned around, and the sight of the man in the corner booth hit me like a sonic boom. Bathed in a red hue from the fancy bar lighting sat the gorgeous magazine-worthy plumber from months ago.
Our eyes met, and a flood of fear ripped through me as recognition lit up his face. He waved, and when the other person in the booth turned around to look at me.
Oh farrkkk!I wanted to evaporate into thin air.
I was trapped in a mental frenzy as my trembling knees threatened to crumble me to the floor.
The plumber and the electrician were sitting in my bar. It sounded like a bad joke.
It wasbadnews, that was for sure. I forced my feet to move, and in a blur, I managed to offload the empty glasses. Despite my race to get out of there, I didn’t break any of them. After assuring Peter and Tania I’d pop in againa bitlater, Iscurriedback to my haven behind the reception counter.
But seconds later, my racing heart hit an explosive level as two of Memphis’s past conquests walked toward me.
They were stunning representations of the male species. The plumber could grace the center stage of any male revue show, while the electrician had that cute, you-can-trust-me-with-your-life look about him. They both grinned like drunken teenagers as they crossed the distance from the bar to me in long, confident strides.
“Hello, Jane,” the plumber said. “Do you remember me?”
My stomach contents were seconds away from launching upward as I shook my head and shrugged. “Sorry, no. Should I?” Hopefully, those wordsactuallycame out of my mouth.
“I’m Mickey the fixer.” His steely eyes drilled into me. “I’m the plumber you called a few months ago.”
“Oh, hi.” I waved. I’m an idiot.
“Yeah, and I’m Jackson. You remember me, don’t you?”
“Um, oh yes. You were the electrician who came in the middle of the night.”
“Yep, Jackson Kane. Your sizzling electrician.”
Mickey scrunched his face at his mate, then splayed his fingers on the counter and pushed them toward me. “My mate and I are looking for Memphis.”
I tried to ignore his intoxicating scent,even though itwas the perfect blend of woody tones and hot-blooded man.“I’m sorry, but I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
“It’s okay.”Jackson touched his nose insome kind of‘your secret is safe with me’move.“We won’t tell anyone.”
I shook my head. “Sorry, guys, but you must be mistaken.”
“Right.” Mickey pulled back and inhaled nice and deep, filling out his already broad chest. “Well, when you see her,let her knowwe’re in room thirty-three. Waiting.”
My head spun. They’re in a room. They booked a room. For me? Holy crap.
Mickey turned and strode away, and I swept my attention tothe enormous grin on Jackson’s face.He wriggled his eyebrows. “Tell Memphis her sizzling electrician is waiting.”
Istifled a giggleas hescurriedacross the marble tiles to his mate’s side.
While Jackson jiggled from foot to foot as they waited, Mickey stood, his feet slightly apart, his hips rock-solid as rigid as a battle-hardened soldier. The second they disappeared into the elevator, I glanced at the clock. It was 11.10 p.m. Being a Friday night, there was a good chance Lolita was still awake. As discreetly as I could behind the counter, I madly tapped out a text.
Trouble. 2 men here.
Her reply came in a flash.
2??? Cryptic.
Electrician and plumber.
What? Together?
Yep.
There was a slight delay before her reply popped up.
Holy shit, well get your gear off and go fuck those 2 puppies.
“Hi.”
My phone slippedfrom my handsas I snapped my eyes up from the text. Two young women were at the counter.
I flipped my phone over. “Sorry. How can I help you?”
“Can you tell us where the nearest taxi stand is?”
“There isn’t one nearby, but I can call a cab for you. Where are you going?”
“We were thinking about the Hard Rock Cafe.”
I tried to ignore my dinging phone. “Okay. I can call a taxi for you, but at this time of night, it may take a while. The best thing to do would be to walk to the tram station as it goes to Cavill Avenue, and Hard Rock is right there.”
“Is the tram station far?”
My phone started vibrating across the desk, and I palmed it in place.Obviously,Lolly was trying to ring me now. “No, only about a ten-minute walk.”
As I gave the women directions, my phone dinged again, and a hot flush blazed up my neck.
The second the ladies disappeared out the front sliding glass doors, I flipped my phone over and read her text messages.
Hello.
Jane, you there?
Oh, don’t be like that.
Want me to call you?
Okay, I’m calling.
Shit, babe, you’re worrying me now.
I glanced about, and deciding it was safe to text, Ishother a message.
Sorry really busy here. Can’t call
Okay. I thought you must have passed out.
I’m close
With adrenalin?
Fear!!!!
Of what?
Of what? Had she even read my message?
TWO MEN !!
Hell, yes. Bucket-list tick. Go for it
I should have known she’d be like this.
Have you ever done it?
Shit yeah
Thousands of questions ran through my brain, and I tried to sift out the right one to ask.
2 men???
Yep
Two men . . . I couldn’t even imagine how that would work. It was tricky enough just having one man to concentrate on.
And 2 women.
Whoa! I flopped onto my seat.
I was dumbstruck, yet I should have known Lolly would have done that. She’d always been very open with her sexuality. Not like me. Before I’d met her, I didn’t even talk about sex. Now, though, she knew everything about my devious exploits.
My dinging phone dragged me back to the conversation.
Have I scared you?
No
What then?
I’m not like you
Memphis is!
I couldn’t stand texting anymore. I put the ‘back in five minutes’ sign on the counter and raced into the lobby toilets with my phone.But that plan was foiled by the sixor so young women congregating inthere.
“Hi, ladies. Sorry for the interruption. I was just going to check the toilet paper situation.”
“That one’s empty.” The dark-haired woman stopped applying lipstick long enough to point at the last cubicle.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll be back in a second.”
Damn. I raced to the stationery cupboard, placed my phone ontop ofthe filing cabinet, and tugged the bulk packet of toilet paper from the shelf. With six rolls in my arms, I crossed the lobby and pushed backward through the doors.
“Here you go, ladies.” The women were loudly discussing the benefits of lip-liner as I replenished the toilet paper and added a spare roll to each cubicle. I took the opportunity to go to the toilet myself, and when I came out, they’d gone. After I washed my hands, I returned to reception. The six women were now hovering between the Triple H Bar and the lobby, and as I waited for them to make a decision, my phone repeatedly dinged.
The second the women disappeared into the bar, I dived into the back office and without even checking her messages, I rang Lolita.
“Jesus, babe, what’s going on?”
I huffed. “It’s nuts here tonight. Fifty or so uni students up from Sydney.”
“Is that all? Okay, tell me about the dueling hunks.”
I glanced around the doorway, and confirming all was clear at reception, I put my back against the wall and tried to calm my racing heart. “Do you remember me telling you about the plumber from months ago?”
“Yes. Top Model gorgeous, he fingered you from behind while you still had your clothes on.”
My jaw dropped. “What the hell? Are you recording our conversations or something?”
“No, but that’s a great idea.”
“Lolly!”
“What? They’d be a hoot to listen to again.”
“Will you stop it?”
“Okay, sorry. Carry on.”
“So, Mickey told his mate, the electrician, about me?—”
“Memphis.”
“Yes, Memphis. Well, anyway, both of them are here together.”
“And . . .?”
“They were in the bar, but they came out and asked me to inform Memphisthat theywere here.”
“Ohhh, this is gold, babe.”
“It’s not gold! It’s a disaster!”
“No, it’s not.Thisis the perfect chance to have a threesome.”