Rock Chick Redemption (Rock Chick #3)(19)

He charged in tossing everything on the bed.

I closed the door and walked back into the room.

“Tod, he’s going to be here in…” I looked at my watch.

Then I let out a little scream.

“Calm, calm,” Tod said, his hands out in front of him, palms down, pressing the air. “Let’s get crackin’. Finish your face, I’l sort through this.”

Then, without further ado, he started digging through my suitcases.

I didn’t have time to flip out that some guy I barely knew was digging through my suitcases. Hank was going to be there in twenty minutes and I hadn’t even moved to phase two of makeup.

I was shading and blending through phase four when Tod walked into the bathroom. “Outfit’s on the bed, I unpacked you because, girlie, you’re getting wrinkles in some of your fab-you-las blouses. So I hung them up, unmentionables and PJs in the drawers. You can return the belt and scarf to Indy and I’m borrowing those Manolo Mary Janes for my act this weekend if you’re stil in town. They fit like they were made for me.”

“Sure,” I said, even though it wasn’t a request.

We air-kissed and he took off.

I finished the makeup, fluffed out my hair and put on the black top, jeans, a black belt of Tod’s, the Manolo Mary Janes and looped once around my neck a thin, long rock ‘n’

rol scarf made entirely out of silver bugle beads stitched together. I put a wide silver cuff on my wrist, my Raymond Weil on my other wrist and some seriously long hoops dangling at my ears. I was spritzing with Boucheron at six twenty-nine and trying to breathe calmly and reach my zen zone (and failing) when my cel rang again.

It said, “Jet Cal ing.”

I flipped open the phone. “Hel o?”

“Hey Roxie, Daisy gave me your number.”

Daisy was a busy little beaver.

“How’s your Dad?” I asked.

Jet’s Dad had been shot, stabbed, beaten, then thrown out of a moving car on Broadway outside of Fortnum’s just days before. They moved him out of ICU that morning and Jet spent the day in the hospital with him.

“A lot better. Breathing, talking, conscious.” I smiled. “I’m glad.”

“I hear you’re going out with Hank tonight, you got something to wear?”

Cripes! I had four new best friends and I’d known them only a day. Next thing, Indy was going to be cal ing, asking me to a slumber party.

Before I could answer, the hotel phone rang.

I let out another little scream.

I heard Jet laugh.

“Hank’s there,” she surmised.

“Ohmigod, ohmigod,” I chanted.

“Deep breaths,” Jet said.

“Ohmigod, ohmigod,” I chanted.

“It might help if you answer the phone,” Jet suggested but I could tel it was through a smile.

“Hang on” I said to her, took the cel from my ear and picked up the room phone.

“Hel o?”

“Hey.”

It was Hank.

My legs gave out and I sat on the bed.

“Hey,” I replied.

“I’m at reception. What room are you in?”

I did not want Hank in my room. I wanted Hank nowhere near my room. In fact, Hank was already nearer to my room than I ever wanted him to be.

“I’l come down.”

He ignored me.

“What room are you in?” he repeated.

“I’l be right down,” I said.

His voice dropped low. “Sunshine, I’m gonna ask one more time. What room are you in?”

His voice shivered through me.

“Three thirty-three,” I replied.

Disconnect.

I put the cel back to my ear, “Ohmigod, ohmigod,” I said to Jet.

She was laughing. “Word of advice?” she offered.

“Anything.”

“Don’t fight it.”

Shit.

“Jet… there are things…” I stopped. Then I started again, “I can’t –”

She interrupted me. “I can’t either but I real y don’t need to because Eddie can. It, like, totally freaks me out,” she confided.

“Eddie adores you. I could tel that the minute I saw you two, and Uncle Tex said so,” I said to her.

“Yeah. I’m beginning to believe it. It stil , like, total y freaks me out.”

There was a knock on the door. My eyes swung to the door and I stared at it.

“Ohmigod, ohmigod,” I chanted.

Jet laughed again. “Get the door.”

I nodded, got off the bed and walked to the door. Then, to focus on something, anything that was not what was behind the door, I said, “Uncle Tex is taking your Mom out tonight.”

“I know,” she replied. “That works out, we could be related.”

I knew in an instant I’d like that.

I opened the door and looked at Hank.

He smiled at me.

My knees went weak and I wasn’t thinking about anything but Hank.

“Gotta go,” I said to Jet.

“Tel Hank I said hi.”

“Sure.”

She disconnected and I flipped the phone shut.

Hank’s eyes went to the phone.