They kept on dancing their own slow way when the music changed and Katrina and the Waves started singing “Walking on Sunshine.”
“Maybe you can salvage this thing,” she said, tilting her head back to look at him. “You might want to check your messages. I mean, you’re in Boston. You’re probably going to be sleeping in the same hotel bed. Eventually.”
“Well, that’s one way of looking at things.”
“And the other?”
He smiled his Danger Bond smile. “You and I go back to the apartment together.”
* * *
RICK WAS ALMOST sorry they’d left the MIT suite. It was too easy to think without constant distractions. But he knew Jenna had to be exhausted, and not just because it was 2:00 a.m.
The lobby traffic had dwindled, because it seemed everyone was outside in the freezing cold waiting for transportation. The longest line by far was the queue for taxis and he could barely hear the piped-out Christmas carols for the sound of whistles.
The idea of hypothermia, mixed with the daunting proposition of checking his texts and calls, made him wish they’d stuck with booze instead of switching to shellfish. But he couldn’t leave Boston without talking to Faith. “What do you think?” he asked. “Should we get in line?”
They were still inside the hotel near the front exit. Jenna had her cell phone out and from the number of tone notifications, Payton hadn’t spent all of the last two hours kissing Faith.
“I’ve got nineteen texts and six voice mails, none of which I plan on reading. Well, maybe a couple, But my intention is to text him to let him know I’ve made other arrangements for the rest of the morning.”
“Sounds about right. So, since I’m also just checking a few of Faith’s texts, we should probably get in that insane line.”
Jenna shivered preemptively. “Does that second bedroom have a heated blanket? Or a fireplace?”
“You’ll be fine,” he said. “I promise. Besides, the cab will be heated.” With great reluctance, he turned on his phone. He had his own pile of unread, unheard messages. Checking the first three and the last three texts should give him all the information he needed. If Faith was truly stranded, he wasn’t going to leave her here, even if it would make for the world’s most awkward cab ride. He didn’t want to think about the sleeping arrangements, but he’d do his best to make the night as comfortable as possible for the three of them. “I’ve got twelve texts and nine voice mails.”
She took a step toward the exit, and then just stopped. “Huh. What if it’s not all apologies?”
“What do you mean?”
“The way they looked at each other? Maybe they’ve reconnected with their soul mates. Maybe they’re writing us to say goodbye.”
“I doubt it. They chased after us, remember?”
“Right.” She nodded as she led the way to the porte cochere.
The cold was like a sucker punch. Sadly, he’d learned a lot about that feeling tonight. But they found the end of the taxi line and he opened the first of the texts.
I’m so so sorry!
The second was straightforward and typed at 12:13 a.m.
Where are you?
At half past midnight the tone shifted.
I’m starting to get worried
It probably made him a horrible person, but instead of feeling guilty, he was glad. He swiped through until he found the last three texts. But the first of those was all he needed:
I’m with Payton and he’s letting me stay at his place
He turned off the phone. Moved a whole quarter of an inch forward, trying to save not only their place without disturbing Jenna, but also gain some distance from the man behind them. Nothing was shady about the guy, but he got inside their personal space bubble. And as soon as Rick could, he moved his wallet to a safer inside pocket.
But all that was nothing, really. He looked over at Jenna. She was texting so he couldn’t see her expression. Couldn’t read her through her heavy woolen coat. Was she telling Payton to go to hell? Accepting his apologies?
When she did meet his gaze again, she’d put her phone back in her purse and donned her gloves. “We’ve hardly moved. At this rate, we’ll still be in line next New Year’s Eve.”
She seemed fine. Subdued, but fine.
“We could take our chances with Uber.” He’d used the services of the app-generated taxi service before, but not on a major holiday.
“That’s true. I imagine we’d find a ride sooner that way. But I don’t know. I think we should walk.”
He laughed out loud, evidently annoying Mr. Oblivious behind them. Rick didn’t care. What he should do was tell the inconsiderate bastard to just move. But first he said, “You’re joking, right? The apartment isn’t around the corner. It would be a challenge in the middle of spring, and, if you haven’t realized, it’s snowing.”
Jenna shook her head. “What kind of a weather chaser are you? So it’s cold out. We’ll walk fast.”
The man behind him snorted.
Rick tensed and turned on the guy, ready to teach him a thing or two about manners. But the guy was completely absorbed by something on his tablet, and not paying any attention to Rick or Jenna.
Stepping to the side to regain his equilibrium, Rick wasn’t sure if he should laugh his ass off or find a therapist. Normally, it took a hell of a lot more than inconsiderate line movers to make him Hulk out. Perhaps he wasn’t quite as Zen about Faith’s midnight kiss as he’d thought.
Turning to Jenna, it also occurred to him that her impulse to walk to the financial district wasn’t such a crazy idea. They both had a lot to process and he knew of no better way to unclutter his mind. “Okay. Let’s go for it,” he said. “We can always defrost when we get to the apartment.”
Her expression changed from that self-contained cool to ready, willing and able. She started walking as fast as those stupidly high shoes would let her. And that was pretty darn fast. It actually took him a few seconds to catch up to her. When he did, she turned on him so sharply he nearly ran in to her.
She grabbed his lapels and yanked him even closer. “Whose stupid idea was this? It’s freezing out here. We’ll never make it to the corner, let alone your fancy-ass apartment.”
He laughed, and then kissed her very cold lips. But that was just a peck while he unbuttoned his coat all the way down. The second the last button was undone, he pulled her against his body. Then he closed the coat, making them a warm cocoon. “Better?”
“Oh, yes,” she mumbled against his collar. “How are you going to call Uber?” Adjusting her head so she wasn’t smothering herself, she said, “Keep in mind, I’m not letting you go.”
Unable to resist, he bent and maneuvered them a small but crucial distance. One that changed a gentle forehead kiss into a fiery, no-holds-barred stunner of a kiss.
Everything disappeared. The street, the cold, the whistles and the horns. There was just Jenna with her death grip on his tux, meeting his tongue thrusts with her parries until they were both dizzy with lust.
And then...
“You want to carry that inside, fella? This is a public street you’re on.”
He only opened one eye, just in case the voice was in his head. But no. It was one of Boston’s finest.
He hated moving her away, but there was nothing to be done but to call Uber and freeze as they waited for their ride.