Dane
"Over here." I hear the gruff voice of my friend Silas and thread my way through the packed diner towards his booth. I stop short when my phone pings, my desperate heart squeezing with hope that it's Silver, but it's a message from my friend Jett.
Jett
Lulu ran into Naomi. Said you're headed here next month.
Yes. On assignment. Fox Falls.
Call when you get to town.
I send a thumbs up emoji and try to squash the little bubble of disappointment because I haven't heard a word from a certain curvy sexy singer since I kissed her in the elevator.
Silver's manager, Alice, dismissed me after Silver performed her set last night saying she'd let me know when they needed me today.
Silver looked like a goddess on stage and the crowd was going wild.
I somehow managed to calm my raging hard-on by the time we made it to the festival, but every time I think about what she tastes like, I'm having to readjust my dick-uation like a teenage boy.
I don't know what I'm thinking. I have never crossed a line with a client in my entire career, but I'm going to have to quit my job, because I've fallen in love.
Sunbreak Harbor Security is very strict about fraternizing with clients, but after today, I'm a goner.
I plan to follow this woman around the country for free, if she'll have me.
I'll be her number one groupie, keeping all her adoring fans at bay.
The only thing stopping me from marching my ass over to her hotel room to tell her all this is the fact that I have no idea how to say it.
I make it to the back booth and Silas raises his fist for a bump.
I haven't seen him in years, but we get along because we don't need a lot of fuss to keep our friendship intact.
We met when we worked on a base in Antarctica.
I worked in security, which was a relatively easy job until the days got shorter.
People aren't always their best selves when they get a little cooped up.
Or, when they're drinking, which the base has cut down on in recent years I've heard.
It was a good gig overall though, and I met my two closest friends while on base.
Silas worked in carpentry and Jett was a mechanic on the bigger machines while we were there.
Our contracts overlapped and we've kept in touch, although we rarely see each other.
My sister Naomi says it works because all of us are allergic to communication.
"You good?"
I glance up to find Silas eyeing me.
"Yes," I respond immediately and then lower my eyes to the cracked laminate table. "No."
Silas leans back, crossing his arms over his chest as he waits for me to continue, but I can't violate Silver's privacy. On a professional level, I signed an NDA, but on a personal level, the situation with Silver is not something I'm willing to share.
"Nothing flapjacks can't solve." Silas raises his hand to call over the server and I'm grateful to my friend who understands my boundaries.
"Dolly at work?" I ask and Silas nods, his whole face lighting up at the mere mention of his wife. Silas met the love of his life a few years ago and you might as well have told me pigs were flying, but I've never seen him happier.
"She went to the festival last night but had an early appointment this morning so we slept in town."
I'm envious of how easily my friend can talk about the woman he loves.
I need to talk to Silver – tell her everything that's in my heart and if she laughs me out of the room, then so be it. At least I tried.
Silas and I shoot the shit for the next half hour and then we walk out together.
"The flower shop over there is good." Silas nods to the corner and I look at him in confusion. He shrugs. "You look like a man in love. Flowers go a long way." He claps me on the back. "Say hi to Jett next month."
After a quick stop, I walk into the lobby of The Eveningstar Hotel carrying a bouquet of flowers in my arms and hope in my heart. I nod toward the woman sitting at the front desk whose name tag reads Caley as I make my way to the bank of elevators.
"Oh, Hulk- I mean, Dane. I mean, Mr. Hunter, sir." Caley hops up from the little stool she's perched on and holds up a hand. "Um, Silver, um, I mean, Ms. Langford checked out."
I stop in my tracks and stare at her. "She's gone?"
"Yes, it seemed like they were in a bit of a rush." She gives me a sympathetic smile.
"No, I–," I clear my throat and glance down at the flowers in my hand feeling like an idiot. "Thank you."
"She left this for you, though." Caley holds an envelope out to me and I take it.
"Thank you." I turn to leave and then force myself to go back to the front desk. "Caley, could I ask a favor?"
"Sure," she says brightly.
"I think I left something upstairs in Ms. Langford's suite. Could I go up and look?" I can’t look her in the eyes.
"Of course! Housekeeping hasn't been there yet, so it's probably still there. Whatever it is." She types out a few keys on the computer and hands me a plastic keycard.
As I head up to the eighth floor, my heart pounds in my chest, the same thought racing through my brain like an echo: She left.
Even as I swipe the key against the sensor, I know what I'm going to find behind the door, but I need to see for myself that she's really gone.
I open the door and close my eyes. Silver's scent still lingers in the air, but the suite is empty. Cold and used – exactly how I feel.
What a dumbass. I almost threw my job away for a woman who didn't even care enough to say goodbye in person.
I shake my head, unable to process the array of emotions that pelt at my psyche like a mountain rockslide.
At the core of it all is the fact that I would have walked off a cliff for that woman.
Today's heartbreak is tomorrow's strength. My grandmother's favorite saying comes forward unbidden. I shake my head, trying not to punch the wall. As I head out of the room, I drop the flowers in the garbage can, followed by the unopened envelope.
Here's hoping tomorrow comes quickly.
***
Thank you for reading this prequel scene.