Reservations

I’m looking forward to continuing our relationship. I thoroughly enjoyed myself last night. Knew you’d be worth the chase.

I like the natural color of your hair. We’ll talk soon.

Thane

He sank lower on the bed. How had he gone from floating on such a high because he thought he was wanted and life was evening out again to waking this morning and being back to nothing more than a paid fuck in less than a minute? He stared down at the carpet, the note still dangling in his hand. Man, he’d loved last night. He’d needed last night. How could he have been so stupid?

Levi crumpled the note in his hand, angrily tossing the wadded paper to the floor, and dropped his head to his hands. Through the whole deal with his father, he’d tried to be strong, tried to do right by his brothers. He had refused to do anything more than keep hope alive, not allow the past-due bills, all the stress of suddenly becoming the caretaker to two teenage boys, delaying his dream of becoming a doctor get to him…until right this moment.

Every single minute of their night together had been etched in both his heart and head. Permanently cemented there. Thane had built him up, made him feel special, and cut him to the quick in less than twenty-four hours. Now the only thing he felt was tawdry and sordid.

Levi pushed off the side of the bed. His legs felt like rubber. His stomach threatened to revolt. How could he have been so blind? He reached down, picking up the bundles still taunting him.

Money ran the world. He should be thankful for the amount. Hell, he should be thankful for the offer. All he had to do was let some guy fuck him for more money than he made in a month and a half of daily work. But he wasn’t thankful; he felt used and lost. He let the money slip through his fingers too, dropping it all to the floor. He felt around his pockets, found his keys in the front, and went for his cell phone on the bar counter. He swiped his finger across the screen to find a text from his brother.

“We have a half day. We’re out at 11:30 and we’re out of food. We think El Pollo Loco’s a good idea. I’d go, but you still have the car.”

Levi took a deep breath and fought the tears forming behind his closed eyes. He didn’t even know why he wanted to cry, but he swore to hell he wouldn’t. One thing was certain: he never wanted to feel like this ever again.

He needed to quit his job.

No, he couldn’t.

He had the boys to worry about. His little brother wanted to go to DC. How could he deny him that chance? God, he was screwed! He wanted to rage. He wasn’t a whore. But he sure as hell felt like one. He needed the job, needed the money.

He could find another job waiting tables somewhere else. But nowhere would pay as much as he made at Reservations.

Levi shook his head and walked in a daze to the suite door, refusing to look at any of the opulence surrounding him. He grabbed his duffle bag and decided to put the job decision off. It was Friday, and he didn’t have to be at work at the club until Sunday evening. He’d decide what to do tomorrow. Tucking his phone in his back pocket, Levi left the hotel room. The loud click of the lock as the door closed behind him echoed in the empty corridor. Humiliation was a normal part of life. He just wished his heart didn’t hurt so bad.

~~~

Thane sat in his fine-dining restaurant alone, his computer and paperwork spread across a table strategically placed closest to the window facing the parking lot outside. The same lot where Levi’s car still sat parked in the back. Thane had spent the last couple of hours peeking out the window, watching for Levi. Most of that time holding himself at a distance, wanting nothing more than to crawl back inside that bed and make love to Levi as he woke then spend the remainder of the day, and quite possibly the night, burying himself over and over in that sweet sexy ass until Levi agreed to everything. What that everything meant was a complete mystery, but he was certain he’d learn the answers the more time he spent with that brilliant, sexy man.

He stared out at Levi’s car. Only two were left in the employee parking lot and one was a sporty little car. He didn’t see Levi driving that, so he decided the old Toyota was probably his.

As if on some sort of cosmic cue, Levi pushed through the exit doors. Interestingly enough, Thane’s heart gave a little excited flutter at the sight of the auburn-haired temptation. His eyes stayed riveted on the man taking long, quick strides with his fingers stuffed into his jeans as he ate up the distance to the car. Thane had to rub his palms along his jeans to ease the tingle for how badly they wanted to take Levi’s hand in his own.