“Hey, you,” I hear Easton croon through the phone.
“What did you do?” I don’t hold back, not even a little.
“Cam, I did what I had to do. I want more time with you, and there was no way I could get that. Besides, and don’t hate me for saying this, but your job as a housekeeper pays shit. I know how hard you work. You deserve the opportunity to make more money and not kill yourself while doing it,” Easton explains, and that makes me relax. I’ve never had someone watch out for me as much as he is.
“Well, when you put it that way, how can I dispute it?” I reply.
“I’m not trying to make decisions for you, Cam. I promise. I just want to spend time getting to know you better. Plus, you know this town better than anyone here.” He explains it like he knows me better than anyone, and maybe he does.
“Okay. First, I need to go home and change, and then I’ll meet you in the penthouse when I’m done. Is that all right?” I ask.
“Hell yeah, it is. Are bikinis an option?” I hear his laughter; something tells me he’d love that.
“That’s a big negative.”
“All right, then I’ll see you soon,” Easton says.
“See you soon.” We hang up right as I’m at my car. I leave the hotel on autopilot, making it to my house in a haze of confusion. This day is more than bizarre, and all I know is I was in Mary’s office in what seems like only minutes ago, and now I’m opening the front door to my house. I go inside, stripping out of my uniform as I make it to my closet. I know I need to wear business casual, and I’m thankful I kept my clothes from when I worked at a restaurant not long ago. There was a point in time when I was in a bind and needed to work two jobs to pay the bulk of my college courses.
I slip into my black pencil skirt. Then I find a loose-fitting blouse that’s deep purple with a pattern on it and button it, only leaving a couple of buttons undone to show a hint of cleavage, and slide into my only pair of black high heels.
I look down at my watch, which tells me I have ten minutes before I need to head back to the hotel, so with that, I go into my bathroom to swipe on some mascara and lip gloss. I contemplate letting my hair down, but that would take way too long to deal with, not to mention the humidity is ridiculous today. So, I decide to leave it up and fix my ponytail into a bun.
“That’s as good as I’m going to get,” I say to myself, turning off the lights. I head back to my poor little car I scrimped to buy. It’s seen better days, but it gets me from point A to point B. Plus, it’s paid off. Having minimal monthly payments is what I’ve always tried to do. Especially since I saw my parents struggle to make the bills, and when they died, they literally had nothing. That’s the one thing my aunt and uncle loved to rub in my face—how I was lucky that they took me in since my parents were never prepared enough. I wasn’t stupid; I knew they got some form of social security for me. They continued to rub it in my face daily, and I was done. Completely and utterly done. When I did leave, I wasn’t shocked when neither my aunt nor my uncle didn’t try to reach out to me. It was one of those things better left undone. When I left, I left that life in the past.
I’m back at the hotel in a flash, parking my car. I grab my purse and head back to the employee lounge. I’m so glad it’s empty in here now. I did not want to deal with the snickers and chatter. I stow my purse, take out the keycard Mary gave me to use while Easton is in residence, and head toward the elevator.
A shiver climbs up my spine when I think about what Easton could need or want. Is this more of a tactic for sex, or does he truly feel the same chemistry that I do when I’m around him?
The elevator dings as the door opens. There’s something to say about booking the penthouse suite; you don’t have to so much as see another soul if you don’t need to. Especially with a private elevator.
Easton is ready and waiting for me before I’ve even stepped out. “Cam, it’s good to see you.” Today he’s in another polo, this one navy blue, some khaki shorts, and a pair of sandals.