It’s not long before the sun’s higher over the city and the phones I’m sure we switched off or at least to silent start to buzz.
The hotel suite phone starts to ring as well, plus there are increasingly heavier knocks at the door despite the ‘do not disturb’ sign I made sure to hang over the handle when we got in so late.
Lucy groans and I can read her mind.
She’s tired and wants to sleep, we both do. Maybe only half-waking so we can have repeat performances of all we did last night once again.
But I kind of knew this would happen, especially after our little public show of affection as well as what went on in private.
“It pays well,” I murmur into her ear, giving it a playful nibble. Not surprised when she groans sleepily and finally growls with annoyance at me trying to keep her up.
“What?” she asks me, irritated until my hand slides between her legs.
“This life. This job, writing” I tell her again. “Writing and living with Nathan Cartwright. It pays very well. More than compensating you for the pain in the ass early wake-up calls when we promote stuff…”
The pounding at the door is more insistent and the phone rings out for the third time before she sits up, fully awake now.
“No wonder you kept to yourself,” she says loudly, trying to sound interested but giving me the look of someone who definitely needs their sleep.
I kiss her gently on the lips, and taking the phones out of the room, pulling the door closed behind me after I slip into a robe, I sigh to myself with a smile.
Ready to take on the day for the first time in a long time. Not annoyed or upset I haven’t had a wink of sleep myself, but deliriously happy, almost drunk with joy knowing what I have waiting for me in the next room.
Today, and I’m assuming, every other day after that from now on.
Ignoring the phones, for now, I head to the door of our suite and half-hope its breakfast.
My belly groans when I pull the door open, met only by my newly re-hired agent Shaun who has a take-out coffee ready in one hand and a bundle of newspapers in the other.
“Room service is on the way up,” he tells me, bustling past before checking himself, asking if it’s okay if he comes inside.
“It’s fine.” I let him know, motioning him towards the balcony, grateful when he hands me the coffee cup.
“It’s like… It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen,” he announces, sitting down in the crisp but golden air of the outdoor patio fifty stories up.
A shiver runs through me, a mixture of early morning air and what tastes like a mouthful of triple strength, muddy take-out coffee.
“How so?” I ask, disinterested. Ignoring the papers he’s tossed in front of me.
“How soon can you be ready to go?” he asks, making me groan. Wishing I’d been a little clearer in the new terms of his re-employment, but he’s holding a finger up.
“Not you so much, but Lucy?” he says again, making me frown.
As if she’s got anything to do with him.
“Your publishers,” Shaun chimes knowingly, smiling. “They can’t wait to meet her. Whatever stunt you pulled last night has made waves. Big waves, right up to the top and they want to meet, greet and sign your latest acquisition,” he gushes, rubbing his hands together but making my own tighten.
My lip turning up at the corner of my mouth.
“I dunno,” I say offhand, not wanting to speak for Lucy, but knowing she needs at least eight hours before she’s bothered by anything.
“Tomorrow then?” Shaun asks, looking desperate, giving me the feeling he’s already made promises he can’t keep without my say so.
I just shrug, wondering if it’s the coffee or my lack of sleep or just the thrill of my life now that has me feeling a new buzz inside.
“Oh, I heard from the hospital too. Her dad’s fine and waiting to see her. Big stink there with all the press too, almost gave him a heart attack you’d think, the way they’re carrying on,” he says, making his own face.
“Hospital? Heart attack?” I gasp.
“Oh, he’s fine. Just a stent thing. Like a balloon in a valve or something, but gee-wiz, if he isn’t anything like his daughter. Complete A-hole when it comes to talking to the press, by all accounts so far.”
I fight the urge to laugh.
“Oh, I dunno,” I challenge him. “I don’t think Lucy’s fallen too far from the tree. Let me tell her about her dad and for god’s sake, get the press out of all this, it’s embarrassing.” I order him firmly, reminding him with a look that I can change my mind as much as I can make it up.