“Desta’s a nice woman, and I don’t want her involved in any of that.”
“Desta can handle herself just fine. You should take notes. Tomorrow you can make the bed. But not today.” He walked away like he’d broken her favorite toy and now reveled in it.
She understood now why it had been so easy for her to find this job when the market was tight and competition was fierce. Orbit was an unpredictable tyrant. No one in their right mind would choose to work here.
While cleaning, Fallen told herself repeatedly that Thursday would be okay. She would just have the date with Thomas in her own bedroom—which honestly, was safer anyway. By the time she got to room 514, she’d convinced herself this was a fortuitous turn of events. She hadn’t had to bend over for Mr. Orbit today, and she’d get to spend a limitless amount of time with her dream guy on Thursday.
She did check in with Desta in the supply closet on her way out.
“I’m sorry you had to make Mr. Orbit’s bed today.” She touched the older woman’s elbow to get her attention.
Desta coughed at the startle and had to finish her bout of hacking before she could respond. “You gotta snap your fingers or something. Damn near killed me to death right there.”
Fallen squelched a giggle. “Sorry again. I can’t get it right today. I didn’t want you to have extra work.”
“Don’t you worry yourself over it. He and I had to catch up anyway.” Desta topped off her cleaner bottle from the larger one before passing it to Fallen.
Fallen didn’t say anything more. They needed to catch up? She felt a little betrayed, though she had no right to. She’d only known Desta a few months, and perhaps she’d misjudged her. Could she possibly be close to Mr. Orbit?
The maids for 8 and 9 went past and dumped their carts. Desta went through and added the cleaner she’d taken back from Fallen to the women’s spray bottles and swapped out their rags for cleaner ones.
“Are you friends with those two?” Now Fallen was certain she didn’t have a clue which way was up.
Desta looked around and crossed to the door of the supply closet to close it gently. Then she came close to Fallen, who could hear the woman’s labored breathing
“Here, in this place? Keep your friends close and make your enemies your friends, too. You can never have too many people to watch your back. Even if they are unkind, always be nice.”
Fallen sighed. That wasn’t what she wanted to hear. Nor could she believe it. Those two were evil, and Orbit was a pervert.
“I see in your eyes that you think you know more than me.” Desta shrugged. “And you can be that way for sure. But take it from an old lady, every second you get to be with true love is worth all the shit you take elsewhere.”
“True love?”
Desta gave her a soft smile. “514.”
And with that, the supply door opened and a pair of maintenance guys rambled in, drying Fallen’s questions in her throat. Mr. Orbit poked his head in next, waving for Desta to join him in the hallway.
Fallen messed around with her cart for more time than it required. Then she freshened up Desta’s cart too. But she really was just stalling and hoping Desta would come back
When she could drag her feet no longer, Fallen got ready to go home. On the walk, she had to wait for Orbit’s car to drive in front of her at a crossroads. She thought he would get out and give her hell, but he didn’t.
Fallen tried to calm her racing heart. She would get to talk to Desta more tomorrow. She could wait for her at the end of the day, if that’s what it took. The old woman knew something. The ex-wife knew something. It all had something to do with room 514. Excitement bubbled up in her. If all these people knew about the room, surely her feeling that Thomas was not just imaginary was correct.
···
On Tuesday, when Fallen showed up for work—this time with her hair tied up because who knew what the hell Mr. Orbit wanted—Desta was nowhere to be found. Fallen had checked her email at the business center again with nothing in her inbox to show for her effort.
Every person she knew who might be a lead on the secrets of room 514 was inaccessible. And Mr. Orbit’s hotel room had a Do Not Disturb sign on it when she went up to make his bed after the morning meeting. Everyone pitched in and took a room on Desta’s floor, though no one seemed to know where she was.
Wednesday was the same: no Desta, no email, and no Orbit. Fallen saved 514 for last, like always, and she lingered, changing the sheets and dusting the light bulbs to add to her time spent in the room.
It panicked her to think the room might be the key to the dreams. She hoped her bedroom would work as well, that it was her mind that transported her to the dream. Otherwise it would be a whole other week of waiting.
In the supply closet, she topped off 8 and 9’s cleaners and replaced their rags. Desta’s unused cart was still stocked, so she had nothing to do there.
Fallen asked Melanny about a way to contact Desta, but the woman just shook her head. She didn’t try to bother to be kind as she added, “Can’t share employee records.
With no other options, Fallen left the hotel.
That night, she waited up until midnight to see if she could pop into the dream the instant it turned into Thursday. Fenn had gone to sleep long ago at 10, exhausted from practice. When the clock flipped over to 12:00, she closed her eyes.
She woke at 6 am and realized she had been dreaming of Thomas, but the regular weird, out-of-context kind of dreaming. Thomas had been more of a blob. And the hamster that had been her kindergarten’s pet was there, too. Nora had been in and out as well.
But, of course, the hyper-real, gorgeous, inside-a-painting type dream she was hungry for with Thomas had never happened in the early hours of Thursday before. She tried again to reassure herself. They had the whole day ahead of her.
Yet it had been a week since she’d felt his arms around her. Her desperation humbled her as got out of bed. And it choked her up when she realized she finally had something in common with her mother—the feeling of waking up in need of another hit more than anything else.
She went downstairs for Fenn and made him eggs and toast before he was picked up for school by an older teammate with a car.
The frustration Fallen had woken with continued throughout her day. She tried falling asleep everywhere. She went for a few laps around the block to tire herself out with no success.
She waited. She imagined. She brushed her hair out. Then she put on the black dress again. She wanted to greet Thomas in something other than her hotel uniform.
She waited. And waited. The clock was her punisher. She tried lying down again, arms crossed like they would be in her coffin someday, she assumed.
The afternoon dragged on. Fenn was home after practice and had a paper to work on that he’d apparently left to the last minute. He closed his door and played music while Fallen continued waiting.
But she couldn’t get to Thomas. It was room 514. Of course it was. She’d known it the moment Orbit gave her Thursday off. Why else would he have done so? Because of him, she was missing being wrapped in Thomas’ arms, and it was devastating.
Missing Thomas was what she did, but missing him on the day supposed to bring her joy was the worst.
And then it hit her—if she was missing him, he was missing her. He would have no idea why she wasn’t there. That took the breath from her lungs.
Fallen stood. It was 10:38 pm. She’d spent the whole day waiting, and now she felt an urgency she couldn’t contain. It came at her in a tremendous rush. She had to see him.
Fallen tossed on a denim jacket and black flats with the dress and ran. She took time to lock the door so Fenn would be safe and hopefully not notice she was gone. She went as fast as she could to the hotel, holding up her long skirt the whole time. When she arrived at the back door, she was thrilled to see it had been propped open by a smoker. The supply closet was also open for the night crew, so she slipped in, finding it empty. She went to her cart and lifted h
er master key, sneaking back out once she had it clutched in her hand.
Fallen rushed down the hallway and took the stairs up to the fifth floor. She didn’t have her watch on, so she wasn’t sure how much time her trip here had taken. After opening the door to 514 and closing it behind her, she thought to pull the antique desk over to the door, bracing it in such a way that she hoped would ensure complete privacy.
If there were a fire, she’d be a goner if she was still asleep. But she could already feel a blessed weight against her eyelids. She crawled onto the bed, the black silk of her dress spreading out to cover the white bedspread.
She closed her eyes and felt the rush of being transported. She opened them as quickly as she could and sat up in the woods, right where she’d first met Thomas. Sure enough, the campfire ring was still in place, though the embers were black and cold.
She sat on one of the logs and felt dejection. She was too late. This wasn’t going to work. Orbit had won. He had taken the night with Thomas away from her. It was such exquisite pain. She wondered if he knew what he was doing by denying her this pleasure.
The sun was coming up in the dream world. Dew glistened on the plants. Birds sang to welcome the sun and dispel the night. Fallen touched the tips of her shoes together and tucked her hair behind her ears.
Her skin needed his. The warmth from holding him was like nothing else.
And then she heard it—or she imagined it: a soft echo of her name.
Fallen stood and spun, searching for him. Her name was getting louder.
“Here! I’m here! Thomas?”
And then he came crashing through the woods at a breakneck pace. She jumped up and down, waving her arms.
He almost looked like he was running from something. Running for his life.
Her smile dissolved as she forced herself to look past him. She didn’t see anything.
Thomas grabbed her hand and pulled her with him. “Come with me, love. Come quickly.”
He half dragged, half pushed her, depending on the obstacles they encountered. When they’d run until she was out of breath, he pushed her against the thick trunk of a huge oak. He met her eyes and held a finger to his lips, telling her without words to be quiet.
Whatever they were running from, Fallen knew she should be scared. But all she could think about was Thomas—the dynamic, exquisite details of his chiseled jaw. His muscles were wickedly defined. He scanned the area over and over, listening intently.
Fallen fisted her hands in his white T-shirt, lifting it enough to see the strength in his stomach. She used the shirt as leverage to pull his face closer.
Maybe he was mad?
Maybe he was going crazy.
But she would play into his mania if that’s what it cost to be near him. He still watched for something, strung tight with anticipation of a danger she couldn’t see. He kept his finger on his lips to remind her to be quiet.
She kissed it instead, turning her head slightly so she could nibble up the side before licking the tip.
That brought his considerable attention to her, like he was seeing her for the first time. He took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply. She covered his hands with hers, thrilled that he was ready for the affection she desperately needed.
She took her hands from the front of his shirt and placed her fingers underneath it, sliding them to his back.
If he didn’t want to talk, she would be okay with that. She had other plans for his mouth anyway.
She’d picked up her dress, determined to sink to her knees, when she heard it too. A definite cracking of twigs and underbrush caused by something big. Thomas slid his hand around her waist and drew her close, reaching for his waistband with his other hand, then mouthing a curse.
Thomas was used to having a weapon, that much was clear. But instead of being scared, she was angry. Her time with him was not supposed to be spent running from an unseen danger.
And it didn’t have to be. She hugged him hard and pictured a different setting. When she opened her eyes, she clung to Thomas in her bedroom. It wasn’t the ocean, it wasn’t a four-poster bed, but she was selfish, and this was her ultimate goal: to have Thomas in her world.
He opened his eyes and shook his head. “Clever Fallen. My sweet dream girl. Just change the setting. I was worried about finding you. I was late. I’m sorry I was late. I had to be up all night, and when I went to bed I was scared. Is it okay that I was scared? To think that you were by yourself. That I would miss this time with you? It means everything. You’re everything. Is that too much? Am I too much?”
He overwhelmed her with his feelings and his racing thoughts, and she could only smile and steal kisses from him. “Same,” she murmured, laughing a little. “It’s the same for me. Same.”
“Tell me where we are.” He sat on her twin mattress and opened his arms to her.
She sat in his lap and stroked his hair. Fallen looked around. Her room was basic, but some of her things were missing—her cell phone, its charger, her clock-radio…
“A version of my bedroom, which is super lame.” She touched his face, feeling his scruff, watching him take in her space. “I was late, too. The hotel I work in, I was off today, and I tried to see if I could dream you here, in my room, but I couldn’t.”
“What did you do?” He ran his fingers over hers before taking off her jacket while she talked.
“I broke into the hotel.” She wrinkled her nose. “In hindsight, I should be more careful. If I get fired, how will I get to you? I’ve been looking everywhere. I can’t find you when I’m awake.” She straddled him, kissing his lips between her words. “I just want you in my life. How can I get more you? Once a week is going to be the end of me.”
“Dream girl, once a week is going to be the end of me, too. Does it feel like a click for you? When I see you, I feel a click in my chest, and then I finally have a hole filled. I’ve never felt like this before.” He twisted with her on him, laying on his back and pulling her to his side. They were nose to nose this way. “Did I put that dress on you?”
“No, you didn’t. It was in my real world, and I wore it to room 514.” She tried to burn the image of him in her bed into her memory. It was a mistake, she realized now. This night would give her memories, but the loss of him would be much more tangible now that she’d seen him here.
“Room 514? That’s funny. I stayed in a room 514 once too. I remember because it’s my mother Lucy’s birthday—May 14th. Before—” And then the white nose invaded. They covered each other’s ears.
She watched his face, thinking about that detail. Out of the corner of her eye she saw more of his bicep. As he covered her ears, his shirt had revealed the inside of his upper arm.
It was her name.
She reached out and touched it as the white noise tapered away.
“For you. So you know, and I know, you’re real.” He kissed her fingertips where she traced the letters.
“Thank you.” She burrowed into his chest, treasuring the feeling of his arms around her.
“You’re real, right? I mean, I’ve been telling my friend about you, and he says I’m just battle-weary, that I’m making you up.” He put one hand on her hip, running his other palm up and down the outside of her thigh.
“I’m so real. And waiting for you. And wishing for you.” Fallen waited for him, and he didn’t disappoint as he took her declaration and turned it into touches.
Thomas went for her zipper and slid it down quickly. He languished kisses on her mouth as he helped her shimmy out of her dress, freeing the buttons up top on his way. He kissed her neck and the tops of her breasts.
“How much time do we have left, Fallen?”
“Not enough. Not enough.” She went for his belt. This wasn’t how she wanted it to be for him, for their first time, but she was urgent to claim him. To be a release for him. To give him something to look forward to.
They moved from testing to frantic, each discarding the undergarments in the way.
“Fallen.”
“Thomas.”
She sensed his hesitation and ended that by angling her hips to take him.
“You’re sure?” He was inside of her, but had stopped.
She took control from underneath, accepting him deeper and deeper until she had the pleasure of watching him lose himself. A feral look bloomed in his eyes, and she sunk her fingertips into his shoulders.
“More.”
And then they became one. One purpose. The fireworks in her heart for him detonated. His arms held him strong above her, and she turned her head and bit his forearm lightly.
“Damn it.” He was struggling too, to stay inside her, to make it magic, but she wouldn’t give him the luxury, not knowing when she would be forced to wake up. His furious pace only allowed her to hang on. Her breasts heaved with every thrust, and his hands eventually had to take hold of her. He was rough now, forgetting himself, forgetting how big he was, how much weight he had, but Fallen accepted him with a welcome shout.
This, she wanted this with him so much, letting him into her body. To be this connected felt like a prayer answered. She wanted to be sore from him. She wanted to remember him, make him hers so when they met in real life, they would know each other like this.
“Oh my God,” she gasped.
With his pace, she knew he must be close, so she locked her legs in place and insisted on having him inside when he reached the peak of his pleasure. She watched as the pain of climax rocked through him, treasuring the sight of him.
He was cursing and saying her name, and it felt like victory.
Thomas moved to her side and cuddled her in. “I’m sorry.”
“Please don’t apologize. I got what I needed. When we do it again, we’ll take more time, but I can feel my eyes getting heavier.”
She kissed his chin as he kissed her forehead.
“I loved that. I hate that we can’t stay here.”
His hair was wet at the temples from their exertions. She kissed his tattooed bicep that he’d slipped under her head. He reached past her and nabbed something from the side table.