8
Faint knocking lifted me out of my deep sleep, and I jerked awake to find myself in a hotel room.
“Colby called Clay,” Asa said through the door. “She’s worried about you.”
“What time is it?” I craned my neck until I spotted the alarm clock. “Midnight.”
“I thought you would want to know.”
Muffled steps retreated before I could thank him. Fumbling my muted phone out of my pocket, I dialed Colby, who hit video chat, bringing her adorable face into full view.
“You didn’t call,” she accused. “You didn’t return mine either.”
“I had a rough first day. I’m sorry.” I shoved upright. “I should have called you before I crashed.”
“You should have.” Her antennae stood on end. “I worried about you.”
“I’ll tell Clay if I ever wipe out on the job, it’s his duty to call you to let you know I’m okay.”
“I’m not happy with you.” She used her mocking tone, aka her impression of me. “You know better.”
“Okay, twerp, you’re pushing it.” I chuckled. “I said I was sorry, and I meant it.”
“It better not happen again.”
“It won’t.” I crossed my heart. “I have learned from my mistakes and vow never to repeat them.”
I gave her a second to enjoy calling me out, which was deserved, before I returned the favor.
“It’s midnight here.” I spied her computer screen blazing. “What time is it there?”
“I couldn’t sleep.” She made her eyes bigger and rounder. “I had to know you were okay first.”
“Aww.” I mimed wiping a tear. “Now go to bed.”
“This is the thanks I get for worrying.”
“Night-night.”
“Sleep tight.”
“Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”
The call was the exact medicine I needed to get back to one hundred percent. Feeling guilty, I texted Asa an apology for Colby bothering them. Clay didn’t sleep, but he zoned out to binge shows on his phone. It was my fault both of them were wide awake and plugged in at this hour.
>>You didn’t interrupt us. We’re going over the pictures from today.
>I’m wide awake now. Want to come over?
Rereading it—after I hit send, of course—I cringed.
>To work?
>>We’ll gather the files and join you.
The guys had left me in my clothes, which meant I only had to roll out of bed to be ready.
Clay, I wouldn’t have minded undressing me. Bodies were bodies. As far as he was concerned, I had nothing new or interesting to see. Plus, when we worked together, we often posed as a couple and shared a room. He had seen it all, many times, and didn’t give a fig.