Our run-in was to be blamed on fate perhaps. But everything after that was all by choice. She might not appreciate it much, but I chose to stay beside her for the rest of the week. The thought of contacting her in New York rolled around in my mind as I pressed my lips to the side of her head. She groaned and lifted her face a little, pressing her nose to my neck and whimpering sensually.
I had to focus on the thugs around us not to get completely turned on by her simple nearness.
"Vivian Hall?" A large Hispanic cop called from the other side of the room while staring down at a clipboard. "Vivian Hall?"
"Viv. Is your last name Hall, baby?" I shook her a little as she came to and sat up.
"Huh?"
"Is your last name Hall?" I stood and pulled her up with me.
"Yeah. Is it our turn?" She got up and looked around in confusion.
"Yes." I moved toward the cop and held on tightly to Viv's hand. I wanted her to know that she wasn't alone, no matter how worried she might feel.
"I'm Vivian Hall." She walked up to the cop and squeezed my hand. "I need to report a missing person. My best friend disappeared from a night club last night, and I haven't seen her or heard from her since."
I released her hand and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she got a little choked up.
"Has it been twenty-four hours?" The cop pulled out a pen and flipped through several pages.
"No, only twelve, I guess." Vivian glanced over at me.
"Then I can take down the information, but you have to wait until your friend has been missing for twenty-four hours to file a report. Lots of people appear to be missing, but have simply gotten drunk and gone home with a lover for the night." She glanced at us. "Give me the info and if she's not back by late tonight, come back up here and ask for me. I'm Officer Milly. Okay?"
"Alright." Vivian let out a soft sigh and gave the officer the information.
After they wrapped up their conversation, we got back into the car and drove back to the hotel. Vivian was a bit shaky, her legs not seeming to want to hold her up any longer. I helped her sit down in the lobby and walked to the front desk.
"Hi. I'm Easton Parks. I wanted to see if the penthouse was open for tonight. I know I stayed in there Sunday night, but I'd like to revisit a few things if it's available." I hardly ever twisted the truth, but I wanted something nice to treat Vivian with as she waited to hear back from Casey. It was about all I had to offer.
"It's available until Sunday. We'll move you in there now, Mr. Parks. Would you like your things delivered from your previous room?" The woman gave me a caring smile.
"Yes. Thanks for your help. It's appreciated." I took the key she offered me, turned and walked toward Vivian.
She glanced up and reached for me, standing with my help as she let out a long, tired groan. "I feel like I've been beaten with a baseball bat."
"You're just tired, Viv. Come on. Let's go up to my room and rest. We can take a nap and get back some of your energy. I bet that we'll hear from Casey soon and can put this madness to bed."
"Okay. I guess I'm out of options anyway." She wrapped her arm around my lower back and moved with me toward the elevator. "I don't know what I'm going to do if something has happened to her."
"Nothing has happened. Stop thinking like that." We got into the elevator and I pressed the button for the top. "I'm back in the penthouse, so we can raid the mini-bar or order something if you're hungry. They have a special menu up there with extra goodies on it. A foodie like you will be in hog heaven."
"I'm starving, but I feel like an ass for eating when Casey could be lying dead somewhere." She shuttered, and I pressed my hand to her lower back, urging her to get off as the elevator opened.
"Let's check out the dessert bar they advertise all the time. It's the only thing I don't think I've tried. Sound good?" I typed in the code and inserted my key, pushing the door open and ushering in the beautiful girl beside me. Just having her close to me left my heart beating a little harder than seemed necessary, but I was falling hard. I prayed I wasn't the only one.
Her phone buzzed and she yanked it from her back pocket, lifting it to her ear as her eyes filled with tears again. She turned her back to me as her shoulders curled in tightly.
"Where the fuck have you been?" Her voice was tense and filled with hard emotion.
I moved to the phone in the living room and ordered a few dishes as well as the dessert sampler bar. She needed a few minutes of privacy with Casey, and I didn't want her holding back. It was a shitty move on Casey's part, though something told me that the girl would never willingly hurt Viv. It had to be a potent combination of liquor and sexual attraction to the right guy.
I glanced up as Vivian walked into the living room, her cheeks stained with tears, but an air of resolve to her. "She's okay. She got toasted and went home with some guy. She's headed back to the hotel now. I told her I would find her later this afternoon. She needs a shower and a nap."
"And a good ass whooping from what it sounds like?" I smiled. "You can go if you need to. I don't want you to feel any pressure from me."
"I don't want to, unless you need to be somewhere." She stopped in front of me and pressed her hands to my chest, sliding them up to cup my neck. "If you have meetings that you need to attend to, then go. I know I used up your whole damn morning. I'm sorry."