Come on. Just get in there already! Didn’t he know how to close the deal? He just needed to tell her how pretty she was. Promise not to lie to her or pretend she was invisible. Basically just act like Matt minus the whole Isabella blackmail thing. I stared daggers at the happy couple.
“Hello?” Someone’s voice echoed in the stairwell. “Is someone in here?”
Shit balls!
I heard their footsteps getting louder as they made their way up to me.
I looked back out at the third floor. That stupid couple was still standing there. Damn it. I had to get to James’ room right this second before I got kicked out of the hotel. I could only imagine how many students would see me as I was dragged out kicking and screaming.
Close the deal already! I silently cursed at the couple who didn’t even see me.
The footsteps were getting closer.
God, it was now or never. I didn’t know either of them. At least it wasn’t one of Isabella’s minions. Hopefully they wouldn’t recognize me. Besides, I didn’t exactly look like myself. I reached up and touched my hair. My loose curls had transformed into a messy rat’s nest during my run. And I could only imagine what my face looked like. Justin’s promise of my makeup lasting until midnight probably didn’t take into account that I’d be crying and running around.
I took a deep breath and ran out onto the third floor, clutching my map dress to my skin. I ran as fast as I could, biting down on my lip so I wouldn’t scream from how much my feet hurt.
They stared at me like I was crazy.
“Oh my God, is that a prostitute?” the girl said in a disgusted voice.
There was so much wrong with her statement. First…slut shaming. What a jerk. And second…didn’t prostitutes look classy? I was literally bleeding on the floor with no clothes or shoes. I looked homeless. If anything, I was a beat-up prostitute. They should have been helping me, not staring at me like I was diseased. But if they thought I was a prostitute, at least they didn’t know I was a fellow student. My best bet was to play along so they wouldn’t recognize me.
“Yes, I’m a prostitute!” I said as I searched for room 315. “You caught me!” I glanced at the door next to me. 302. I was close. I picked up my pace. Fortunately room 315 was still pretty far away from them. I stopped in front of the door and pulled the keycard out of my bra. The map slipped again and I held it to my stomach, not even caring anymore. “I’m having sexy time with the gentleman in this room. So stop staring at me and let me do my job.”
The football player laughed and the girl looked disgusted. But neither of them seemed to know who I was.
“Isn’t that James’ room?” the girl asked.
I ignored them. But I was relieved that I’d remembered the number correctly. I didn’t waste any time knocking. Any second now they could figure out who I was. I slid the keycard into the door and shoved it open. I stumbled into the room.
But instead of breathing a sigh of relief for being safe, I threw my hand over my mouth at the scene in front of me. Kill me now.
Chapter 2
Saturday
Rachel was kneeling in front of James. His fingers were buried in her hair, guiding her head up and down as he lazily stared down at her. His shirt was still on, but the buttons were undone. He was basically fully clothed, his pants just unzipped enough for Rachel. But Rachel was completely naked.
My pain and exhaustion morphed to horror. I shouldn’t be seeing this. I can’t be here. But I stood there frozen. Where the hell else was I supposed to go? I opened my mouth, but no words came out.
The door closed with a thud behind me.
James looked up. For a second we just locked eyes and neither of us said a word. Rachel kept bobbing up and down.
James groaned, his fingers tightening in Rachel’s hair. He closed his eyes, as if he thought he’d just envisioned me and I wasn’t actually standing there. Which apparently just turned him on. Because his breathing grew heavier.
Oh God, why am I watching this? I backed up until my butt hit the door.
James opened his eyes. And then blinked. And blinked again. He suddenly didn’t look so relaxed. He lowered both his eyebrows. “Brooklyn?”
I was pretty sure Rachel said, “What the fuck?” But it was mumbled because her mouth was full.
“What the hell!” James yelled, as he pulled away from Rachel. He grabbed himself and stared down at her. “Did you just bite me?”
Rachel stood up and poked him hard in the middle of his chest. “You said her name. Are you freaking kidding me? You were thinking about her when I was…”