Play Along

“He won’t.”

I zip up my bag and Stace rings reception. “Hello, can you please tally up the bill and let me know the amount, please?” He waits for a moment. “Yes, of course.” He waits again and then scribbles down an amount onto the notepad next to the phone. “Thank you. My wife will be down shortly to settle the bill. We are checking out this morning.” He listens to the receptionist. “Yes, we have had a very pleasant stay.” He smiles. “We’ll be back.”

I watch him and feel myself swoon. My wife. How I wish that were true. He hangs up and sits down on the bed. I sit on his lap and kiss him gently. “How’s the face feeling?” I ask.

“Tight.” He screws his face up and I touch his eyebrow gently. It’s a dark shade of purple and his face is still swollen, the harsh bruising appearing. I can see a distinct shoe mark on his cheek.

“Tell me something,” I say.

He kisses me, distracted by me being on his lap.

“Do you think my ring would be ready to pickup today?” I ask hopefully.

“No, not for another four days.”

My heart drops. “Do you think we can—?”

“No, Rosh.” He cuts me off. “We can’t wait for it. We don’t have time.”

My face falls. “Oh.” I sigh sadly.

“I will get you another one.”

“When?”

He smirks. “When I can.”

“When do you think that will be?”

“I don’t know.”

Hmm, I don’t like that answer at all. I stay silent, still hoping to get my way.

He lifts me off his lap. “You ready to do this?”

I nod. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

He picks up my wig and puts it on my head. He then passes me the fake glasses and I slide them on. “I hate this fucking wig,” he mutters to himself as he adjusts it on my head.

“I thought fake blondes were your type.” I smile sweetly as I remind him of Chelsea.

“Not ones with horse hair,” he replies, distracted as he combs his fingers through it.

“Although horse heads are okay?” I tease.

A trace of a smirk crosses his face. “Do you need to be punished today?”

I smile broadly. “Probably.”

The cab pulls to a halt. “So you will wait here?” I ask the driver.

“Yes.”

I point to the road underneath us to make sure he understands me through the language barrier.

“Wait here?” I ask again.

He nods an over exaggerated nod. “Yes.”