Emancipating Andie

  She was just on the verge of sleep when her phone beeped, signaling that she had a text message.

  She rolled over and grabbed the phone, checking the screen. The sender was a number she wasn’t familiar with.

  “Who the hell is this?” she mumbled to herself, pressing the button to open the message.

  I can see you.

  She sat up in bed, brushing her hair out of her eyes and glancing around the room before she lunged to turn the light back on. The shades were drawn, the closet was open, and she had been in the bathroom. There was no one in there.

  She gave the room one last scan before she looked down, her fingers moving over the keypad.

  Who is this?

  She hit send, realizing that if someone was messing with her, she had just made a stupid move by playing into it. She should have just ignored it. Her phone beeped again and she glanced down, opening it quickly.

  You’ll know soon enough. I’m almost to room 225.

  Her heart rate increased slightly as she slid off the bed, walking over to the door that adjoined her room with room 227. She knocked on it softly. “Chase?”

  “Yeah?” came his muffled reply.

  “It better be you texting me, or we are packing up and getting the hell out of Dodge.”

  She heard him burst out laughing and her shoulders relaxed a little.

  “Was it you?” she asked.

  There was some shuffling before the sounds of him unlocking his door, and she followed suit, sliding the deadbolt aside. They opened the doors at the same time, and she didn’t need to hear his answer. The look on his face said it all.

  “You’re an ass,” she said, and he laughed again. “How did you even get my number?”

  “Colin gave it to me when we made these plans,” he said, his eyes dropping to take in what she was wearing.

  She could feel the immediate blush burning on her cheeks as she remembered she was only wearing a T-shirt, and she brought her hands down to her sides, gripping the hem with her fingers and tugging it down.

  He brought his eyes back up to hers. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

  “No, I was watching a movie.”

  “What movie? Gone With the Wind?” he asked with a smirk.

  She tugged the shirt down a little further. What the hell, she thought, not like this moment could get any more embarrassing. “No. Dumb and Dumber.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. “Now that’s more like it. What channel?”

  “It’s not on television. I brought it with me,” she said, gesturing with her head to the laptop that was on her bed.

  His face fell slightly. “Oh. Damn.”

  The words were out of her mouth before she could even think about what she was saying.

  “You can come watch for a little while,” she said. “I mean, if you want,” she added softly, looking away from him and tugging her shirt down a little further, surprised that the seams on the shoulders weren’t ripping.

  His expression straightened until it was unreadable, and Andie watched his throat bob as he swallowed. “Um…yeah, okay,” he said, “maybe for a few minutes.”

  She turned, her fingertips still gripping the hem of Colin’s shirt as she scurried over to the bed, hopping in and quickly pulling the covers up around her waist. She slid the laptop down to the foot of the bed and scooted all the way over to the right, giving him ample space.

  He walked over to the bed, one hand rubbing the back of his neck, and Andie kept her eyes on the computer screen as Chase climbed on, staying above the covers. He propped a pillow up against the headboard and leaned back against it, crossing his arms over his chest.

  There was enough room between them to fit another person, which eased some of the tension Andie felt in her body since the moment the invitation had slipped from her mouth without permission. She settled back into the pillows just as Harry said to Lloyd, “What’s in the briefcase?”

  “Man,” Lloyd said, “I would have to be a lowlife to go rooting around in somebody else’s private property.”

  “What, is it locked?” Harry asked.

  “Yeah, really well.”

  A giggle escaped Andie’s lips just as a throaty chuckle fell from Chase’s, and they both looked over at each other, smiling.

  She turned onto her side, snuggling into the comforter and attempting to keep her eyes on the screen, but her blinking became more and more lethargic until finally, she couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore.

  The last thing she remembered was hearing Chase’s quiet laughter before she finally succumbed to sleep.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Chase lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. He had come back to his own room at around two in the morning, and at that point he was so exhausted he was pretty sure he fell asleep before his head hit the pillow. But now that he was awake, now that he was coherent, all he could think about was the night before.

  He couldn’t reconcile the girl from yesterday morning with the one who had been lying in bed next to him last night. She had fallen asleep almost immediately after they started watching the movie, and when he no longer heard her laughter mingling with his, he turned to look at her.

  And he was instantly and completely disarmed by what he saw.

  She was all innocence and vulnerability in that moment; her blonde hair fanned out on the pillow, her lips slightly parted, her fingers curled loosely around the comforter she had pulled into her chest.

  Throughout the day before, she had given him little glimpses of the girl behind the tough exterior, but to see her so totally unshielded did something to him that he hadn’t been prepared for.

  He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

  That should have been the signal for him to pull back again, but for some inexplicable reason, he felt like he needed to stay with her, to protect her while she was in such a defenseless state. It was completely unnecessary and ridiculous, he knew that, but he managed to convince himself it was the right thing to do. So he stayed there in her room until the movie was over, until he no longer had any viable excuse to be there. And then he pulled her laptop onto his thighs, closing out the programs on her computer one by one. After he had powered down her laptop, he gently eased out of her bed, careful not to jostle her, and turned out the lights before making his way back to his own room.

  He had left the adjoining doors ajar, and now he could hear her getting out of bed and turning on the shower.

  He shouldn’t have done what he did last night. It was messing with his head. And he didn’t like the feeling he had right now, almost like he couldn’t wait for the day to begin so he could get back in that car with her.

  Chase exhaled heavily as he dragged his hands down his face. Snap the fuck out of it, he thought, pushing himself off the bed and walking into the bathroom.

  He showered quickly, got dressed, and packed his things, keeping himself busy. By the time he was ready to go, he could still hear her moving around in the bathroom. It was already eight-thirty, and he knew she wanted to be back on the road by nine.

  Chase grabbed his key card and slipped it into his back pocket as he exited the room and took the elevator downstairs, making his way through the lobby and over to the conference area where they had set up a large buffet breakfast.

  “Good morning, sir,” one of the hotel workers said as he approached the food, and he nodded his greeting before sliding a plate off the large stack in front of him. He piled it high with two bagels, two muffins, and a handful of French toast sticks. At the end of the line, he slid the overflowing plate onto the table and filled two travel cups with coffee, leaving one black and putting cream and sugar in the other. After securing the lids, he scooped them both up in one hand, balancing the plate in the other as he walked carefully toward the elevators.

  Chase stopped in front of Andie’s door, taking a deep breath. The one sip of coffee he had managed cleared his head significantly. He was fine. This was fine.

  He used his knee to knock, quickl
y righting the plate as it started to teeter. A moment later the door swung open, and she smiled as she looked down at his hands.

  “Complimentary room service?” she asked, taking one of the cups from him.

  “Complimentary? I should at least get a tip for lugging this shit up here by myself.” Before she could react, he added, “Sorry, I meant for lugging this poop up here.”

  Andie pressed her lips together, suppressing a smile as she stepped aside to let him into the room.

  “That one has cream and sugar in it,” he said, nodding toward the cup in her hand. “That’s how you take it, right?”

  “Yeah,” she said, somewhat surprised. “How did you know that?”

  “That’s how you drank it yesterday morning. In your apartment,” he clarified.

  She raised her eyebrows. “Impressive,” she said, taking the plate from his hand and putting it down on the small table in the corner of the room.

  “There’s other stuff down there if you don’t like any of that,” Chase said. “Eggs, bacon, home fries.”

  “No, this is perfect, thank you,” she said, taking one of the French toast sticks off the plate and pulling a piece off with her fingers before popping it in her mouth. “I’m running a little late. I’ll be ready in like five minutes.”

  “Take your time.”

  She smiled softly, pulling another piece off the French toast. “Did you sleep okay?”

  He nodded. “You?”

  “Surprisingly. I don’t usually sleep well in strange places. Sorry I wasn’t much company last night.”

  He waved her off.

  “And thank you, by the way. For closing everything down.”

  He nodded, running his hand through his hair and looking away from her. You’re fine, he reminded himself. This is fine. “Alright, I’m gonna go pack my things. I’ll meet you outside in like five minutes?”

  “Okay,” she said, and he grabbed one of the bagels from the plate before walking into his room through the adjoining doors.

  And since he had already packed his things before he went down to get them breakfast, he sat on his bed for the next five minutes, picking the bagel apart while trying to pull himself back together.

  After checking out, they walked to her car and piled their bags back into her trunk. Chase slammed it closed and turned to get in the car, stopping in his tracks when he saw Andie getting into the passenger side.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  She stopped halfway into the car. “I’m tired of driving,” she said simply before she slid the rest of the way into the seat and closed the door.

  He stood there for a moment before a slow smile curved his lips, and he walked around to the driver’s side.

  This girl was going to make him crazy.

  And somewhere between his room and the car, he decided he was going to let her. For the next six hours, he was going to enjoy her company without questioning or chastising himself. There was no harm in allowing himself to have fun with her. And so what if he recognized the fact that she was beautiful? Lots of girls were beautiful. Acknowledging that didn’t mean anything.

  For the rest of the trip, he was going to stop overthinking everything. It was only six hours, after all. Not even a work day. Trivial and insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

  Chase slid into the seat and closed the door behind him, turning to look at her. “You’re sure about this? You don’t need a Valium or anything before we get started?”

  She kept her eyes forward but held up her hand, flipping him off, and he clucked his tongue as he started the car.

  “First a curse word, and now an obscene hand gesture? I’m appalled.”

  Andie sighed. “I know. You’re a terrible influence.”

  He laughed to himself before backing them out of the parking space, and as they headed down Route 17 back toward I-95, Chase noticed a large billboard on the side of the road, advertising some local news channel. There was a woman in a business suit with her arms folded, her hair perfectly coifed and her makeup flawless, smiling haughtily down at the cars that passed.

  “That annoys me,” he said as he gestured out the window, and Andie turned her head, looking in the direction he was pointing.

  “What, billboard advertisements?”

  “No,” he laughed. “Did you see that woman’s name? Daisy Richards.”

  Andie looked at him. “I don’t get it.”

  “Did that woman look like a Daisy to you? A Daisy should have pigtails and a teddy bear, not a career in broadcasting and a designer suit.”

  “So, the name Daisy pisses you off?”

  “No,” he said. “I think it’s a great name. For a five-year-old. Doesn’t really work when you’re talking about a grown woman. I don’t like it when names don’t translate.”

  Andie was quiet for a second before she said, “Kind of like Esther? It’s a great name for a grandma, but doesn’t really work for a baby. Or a teenager.”

  “Yes, exactly! Or how about Destiny? That’s a stripper’s name, not a baby’s name.” Andie smirked as he added, “Could you imagine having a grandmother named Destiny?” He shook his head. “Nope. Doesn’t work.”

  Andie turned to face him, looking thoughtful. “You know what, though? It seems like the ‘translation problems’ only happen with girls’ names. Most boy names automatically translate. Like you’d call a little boy Jimmy, and then he becomes James when he’s older. Or like Mikey. Adorable for a little boy, creepy for a grown man. But then he becomes Michael. Now, Michael? That’s a man’s name.” Andie wagged her finger at Chase as if she had just bestowed some great knowledge upon him.

  “What about Chase?”

  “What about it?”

  “What kind of name is it? A boy’s name? A man’s name?”

  When she didn’t answer right away, he added, “A ridiculously hot guy’s name?”

  Andie laughed under her breath. “Idiot.”

  “And I mean, the name Andie?” He trailed off, baiting her.

  “What about it?”

  “Well, for a boy it translates. Andy is the kid, and Drew is the man. But for you?”

  She turned toward him, her arms folded.

  “I can’t make the call, not knowing your real name and all. I mean, if it’s Andrea, that works. That’s versatile. Definitely translates,” he said with a nod. When Andie gave him no response, he said, “Not it, huh? Okay…how about…Andriana?”

  She smirked at him before turning back to face the road.

  “Not Andriana,” he said to himself. “Hmm, let’s see. Oh, I got it. Andrewina?”

  She threw her head back, her laughter ringing through the car, and he found himself fighting his own laughter just so he could listen to the sound of hers.

  A day ago he had thought that getting her riled up was enjoyable. But it was nothing compared to making her laugh, or seeing the way her entire face lit up when she smiled a genuine smile. When he could get her to let her guard down like that, even for a second, it almost felt like a reward.

  As her laughter died down, Chase looked over at her. She was looking out the passenger window, a small smile on her lips, twirling a piece of her hair between her fingers.

  “If you won’t tell me your name, tell me something else about you,” he said, the playfulness leaving his voice.

  She turned toward him again. “What, another favorite?”

  “No, not a favorite. Just something.” He thought about it for a moment before he said, “Tell me about your job. Did you always want to work for your father?”

  “No,” she said with a small laugh. “I majored in English when I was in college. But I practically grew up in that restaurant. I worked there part time as a waitress when I was in high school, and then during my breaks from college, I would come back and train other waitresses, and then that just naturally progressed into being the manager…and so here I am,” she said with a shrug, still absently twirling a strand of her hair.

  “So
how is that related to your English degree?”

  “It’s not.”

  He nodded slowly. “Do you think you’ll ever do anything with it?”

  She took a deep breath before exhaling in a rush. “I don’t know. I guess I could go back to school and get a teaching degree, teach some courses in language arts.”

  “Is that what you wanted to do?”

  “No. I wanted to be a writer.”

  Chase was quiet for a moment. “So why not do that instead?”

  She shrugged. “Because it’s unrealistic. Do you know how hard it is to get an agent, or a publishing house that’s willing to take on your project?”

  “I’m sure there would be a lot of rejection involved, but you only need one person to say yes, right?”

  Andie scrunched her nose, and he smiled.

  “What about self-publishing?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “You still have to get a fan base for your stuff. Figure out how to market yourself. Not to mention, I’d have to write an entire novel first. And a good one, at that. It’s just not as simple as you’re making it sound.”

  Chase pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, glancing over at her. He knew he had to be careful here.

  “Have you tried?” he finally said.

  “Tried what?”

  “Writing a novel.”

  She pulled her brow together as she turned to look out the passenger window again. “No.”

  Barely a second passed before she cleared her throat and added, “What about you? Colin said you freelance as a photographer.”

  He smiled resignedly, seeing right through her attempt at changing the subject, but he decided to follow her lead. He could sense that pursuing his line of questioning would only cause her to withdraw, and he didn’t want any of that today.

  “Yeah, I got into it right after I graduated. I’ve been at it for about four years now.”

  She tilted her head at him. “Can I ask you something?”

  “You just did.”

  She smiled softly. “I just don’t want to seem like I’m being intrusive.”

  “If I think you’re being intrusive, I won’t answer,” he laughed.