Love in All the Wrong Places

by Audrey Harte

“Good morning, Mrs. Thomas. I have your breakfast here for you. I trust you had a comfortable night’s rest?” he asked pleasantly as he rolled a cart into the room. After setting out a plate, silverware and napkin, he pulled a chair over to the table, gesturing for her to sit and snapping a white cloth napkin open with a practiced flourish before placing it across her lap. Then he set down two covered plates in front of her.

  He removed the lids from the plates, revealing scrambled eggs, bacon, breakfast potatoes and fresh fruit with Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey. He pulled the plastic off the top of a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and set it down in front of her as well. “Is there anything else I can get for you, Mrs. Thomas?” he offered, lifting an eyebrow at her.

  “No, everything looks wonderful. Thank you so much.” Annie smiled warmly at him and accepted the bill he handed to her. Gabe had said to charge it to the room, so she added on a tip and signed his name. She was proud of herself for not gasping out loud at the astronomical figure listed on the bill…$65.00 after gratuity…just for breakfast for one person!

  She was also proud that she hadn’t reacted to the waiter calling her Mrs. Thomas until he left the room. Although once he was gone and she was alone again, she couldn’t stop the ear-splitting grin and did a little boogie dance in her seat as she reached for her knife and fork. A girl could definitely get used to this life.

  Her breakfast was delicious and she had definitely worked up an appetite with Gabe the night before, so she didn’t feel too guilty at the enormous amount of food she inhaled. When she couldn’t eat a single bite more, she pushed back from the little breakfast table and leaned back in her chair, patting her full tummy.

  She took a quick shower before dressing for the day in a pair of skinny jeans and a flowy black top. Not wanting to spend time drying her hair, she pulled it back into a tight bun and applied a light coat of make-up. Her flat sandals were a welcome relief after wearing her “hooker heels” for six hours the previous day. Grabbing the keys to the Bimmer and her purse, she made sure she had a copy of their room key in her wallet and left the room.

  Once she was sitting in the car, Annie used her iPhone to look up directions to the closest mall, which turned out to be the Scottsdale Fashion Square. It was easy enough for her to find and ended up being only about ten minutes from the hotel. “Siri, you are pretty damn cool sometimes,” she mused out loud to her phone as she pulled the Bimmer into a parking space.

  Strolling into Macy’s, she headed straight for the women’s fragrance section. It didn’t take her long to locate her current favorite scent, J’adore by Dior, and picked up the tester to spritz a bit on herself. Sniffing delicately at her wrist, she closed her eyes and hummed her approval. It smelled so decadent and always made her feel ultra-feminine and sexy.

  Shopping was one of her favorite pastimes when she had money to burn, and since Christmas was a little over a week away, she had the perfect excuse. She found a pretty sky blue blouse for her mother, a leather money clip for her father and a sparkly little clutch purse for her younger sister.

  Her quandary was what to get for Gabe. They’d only been seeing each other for a little over two weeks and she wasn’t quite sure what an appropriate gift might be. After strolling through the mall for over an hour, she finally settled on a bottle of Lucky You by Lucky Brand for Men. If she was being honest, the gift was as much for herself as it was for him. She loved the scent and couldn’t wait to smell it on him.

  On her way back to the hotel, she took a detour along East Camelback Road, giving herself a reason to cruise around in the Bimmer a little longer. Annie had never driven such a nice car before and was thoroughly enjoying the feel of the engine which purred to her like a kitten as she accelerated up to sixty miles in less than six seconds. It was an exhilarating feeling and she couldn’t help cranking up the radio when she heard Florence Welch wailing about “such sweet loving”.

  Speeding down the road, she sang along and bobbed her head in time to the music as the beat picked up in the chorus. All too soon, she arrived back at the hotel and carried her purchases back to the room. Gabe was still gone and she had a few hours to kill, so she decided to take him up on his other offer of entertainment and called the concierge.

  “Good afternoon, Mrs. Thomas. How can I help you?”

  Annie blinked and hesitated, trying to savor the moment as she again heard someone call her those two perfect words: Mrs. Thomas. “Ahh, yes, I’d like to request a massage therapist be sent to my room this afternoon, if possible.”

  “Certainly, Mrs. Thomas. What time would you like them to arrive?”

  “The first you have available would be great.”

  “I can have Steven there in about half an hour. Would that be alright?”

  “Perfect, thank you so much.”

  “Would you like me to charge this to the room?”

  “Yes, please. Can I also add a tip to that or do I need to pay that in cash?”

  “You can just add it to the total and have it billed to the room.”

  “Wonderful.”

  “Is there anything else I can do to help you today?”

  “No, that’s it. Thanks again.”

  “You’re welcome, Mrs. Thomas. I hope you enjoy your massage and the rest of your stay here at Sanctuary. Don’t hesitate to call us again if you need anything else.”

  “Thank you.” Annie hung up the phone and smiled. The service at this place was definitely top-notch, which she thoroughly appreciated.

  Exactly half an hour later, the doorbell rang and she opened the door to find the most gorgeous young man standing in front of her. Thank God, she thought silently as she tried not to let her mouth fall open.

  “Hi there, I’m Steven. Mrs. Thomas?” he asked as he arched an eyebrow at her. Heaven help her, he had the sexiest southern drawl she’d ever heard.

  “Yes, please come in,” she said, beckoning for him to come inside.

  “Thanks, how are ya doin’ today, ma’am?”

  “Great. I got the rest of my Christmas shopping done earlier and now I get to pamper myself with a massage. Couldn’t ask for a better day,” she said with a smile.

  “Oh I know, I need to finish my own Christmas shopping before I go back home next week.” He chatted amiably with her, immediately putting her at ease. She had never gotten a professional massage before and wasn’t quite sure what to expect. But he didn’t seem to notice and went about his business, setting up his table while he talked about visiting his family for the holidays. Once everything was set up, he excused himself to use the bathroom, giving her a few minutes of privacy to take off her robe and get under the towel on the massage table.

  Steven returned and switched on some new age sounding music and rubbed his hands together briskly so that they weren’t cold when he touched her skin. Pouring some eucalyptus scented oil into his palm, he again rubbed his hands together before sliding them down the middle of her back. He pressed firmly but gently as he moved up and down her back, keeping his motions smooth and slow as he worked out the kinks in her muscles.

  Annie couldn’t help but groan into the massage pillow as she felt all the tension and stress from the previous week drain away bit by bit. It was heaven. She was literally in heaven on earth and she never wanted the feeling of pure bliss to end. Her hour flew by and all too soon, Steven was gently tapping her on the shoulder, waking her as she had fallen asleep during the last few minutes of the massage when he’d been working on her hands.

  He headed back to the bathroom again to give her time to sit up and pull her robe back on. She added a generous tip to his pay slip and signed Gabe’s name before handing it back to him. She wished him an early “Merry Christmas” and waved as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

  It was still only three o’clock and she was feeling pretty relaxed and sleepy from her pampering session, so she decided to crawl into the massive bed and snuggled into the soft pillows, quickly falling into a deep sleep. Gabe found he
r like that two hours later when he returned to the room. Smiling to himself, he sat down on the bed next to her and leaned over to place a light kiss on her sweet lips which were slightly parted as she slept. Moaning softly, her eyes fluttered open, crossing slightly as she tried to focus on his face in front of her.

  “Mmm, you’re back,” she murmured. “I missed you today.”

  “Missed you, too. Feel like getting up now so I can take you out to dinner?”

  “What if we just ordered room service tonight?”

  “Sure, we can do that.” He smiled and kissed the top of her head. “Why don’t you look at the menu while I change?” Reaching for the room service menu, he handed it to her and got up to change out of his work clothes, pulling on a pair of faded jeans and a white t-shirt. He stripped off his dress socks and wiggled his bare toes as he sighed. “I hate dress shoes,” he complained.

  “Try wearing ‘hooker heels’ for six hours,” she laughed.

  “Ha, that’s okay,” he said with a smirk before rejoining her on the bed, lying next to her as he propped himself up on his elbow and looked over her arm at the room service menu. They both chose the Braised Short Ribs with the Truffle Mac & Cheese and Crisp Kale & Parsnip Salad and Gabe called the order in, also adding a Roasted Apple Tart with Sour Cherries and Toasted Almond Gelato and a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon for them to share.

  Dinner arrived promptly in thirty minutes and they decided to eat out on the patio with the candles lit and soft music playing. One Republic serenaded them, singing about the good life. The food was to die for and Gabe finished inhaling his food well before she was halfway done. He then proceeded to steal the rest of her Truffle Mac & Cheese to which she only protested for a moment before he slid the plate with the Roasted Apple Tart in front of her.

  “Mmm,” Annie hummed appreciatively as she closed her eyes and sniffed deeply of the warm apple scent, stolen pasta completely forgotten.

  Stuffed and sleepy, they decided to crawl into bed together and rent a movie. Halfway through the movie, she had to stifle a giggle as she heard him start to loudly snore. Poor guy was exhausted and looked so adorable sleeping next to her with his head sunk back into the pillows, one arm resting on his forehead as his chest rose and fell with each deep breath. She couldn’t help but smile as she snuggled closer to him, feeling his hold on her heart tighten even more.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Gabe drove Annie back to the airport late the next morning after grabbing a quick breakfast at a diner down the street from the hotel. He hugged and kissed her goodbye, thanked her for flying out to see him, and promised he would call her as soon as he got home that night. It had been an unbelievably perfect weekend and she was already dreading going back to work in the morning. On the bright side, Alex was coming over for dinner and she could gush to him about her super romantic weekend with Gabe.

  Taking a cab from LAX, she picked up her car at the office and stopped at Trader Joe’s on her way home to get the ingredients for a simple chicken stir fry with vegetables. She was exhausted from her trip and would have rather ordered take-out, but she knew Alex would be disappointed if she did. The stir fry didn’t take a lot of effort and it was always delicious. Pulling out her phone, she quickly texted him, asking what he was making for dessert so she could get a wine to match. It took him less than a minute to respond, saying he just finished making a double chocolate mousse cake and asked her to pick up a few things for him.

  When she got home, she stumbled in the front door and dropped her purse and carry-on bag from one hand, continuing to the kitchen to put the groceries away. Unpacking her carry-on, she set the Christmas gifts she’d bought for Gabe and her family on the coffee table, tossed her clothes in the laundry hamper, and returned her toiletries to the bathroom.

  She laid down on the couch and flipped on the TV, searching through her list of DVR recordings. Selecting an episode of House Hunters International, she watched for a few minutes before her eyes started drooping. Another minute passed and she was out cold, snoring softly as she slept dreamlessly.

  Annie felt like she had barely closed her eyes when the doorbell rang three hours later. Alex called out to her as he rang the doorbell again and knocked on the door. “Woman, do not tell me you fell asleep.”

  Her eyes flew open as she woke in a panic, instinctively flipping to the side and falling off the couch with a thud. “Ouch,” she complained, wincing slightly. “Why am I such a klutz?” she muttered as she pushed herself up and stood to open the door to an impatient Alex who was carrying a cake platter and looking slightly annoyed. “Sorry, sorry…I just closed my eyes for a minute and the next thing I knew, you were ringing the doorbell.”

  “Mmmhmm,” was all he said as he gave her the once-over. “Well, are you going to invite me in or what?”

  “Sorry…still half asleep,” Annie mumbled as she shuffled backwards to let him through the door.

  “So, how was your trip?” he called as he carried the cake into the kitchen and set it down on the counter. He poured himself a glass of wine and returned to the living room, sitting down on the couch next to her.

  “Too perfect for words.”

  “Well, try anyway,” he said, raising an eyebrow at her. “I need details and distraction right now. Pilates boy isn’t going to be coming around anymore.”

  “I thought you met him in Yoga?”

  “Whatever,” he sighed, rolling his eyes and taking a deep drink from his wineglass. “Anyways, I want to hear more, keep going.”

  “Well, he picked me up at the airport and took me to dinner at this great Thai restaurant. We stayed at this resort called Sanctuary at Camelback and check this out: our room was attached to an enclosed outdoor patio with a bathtub and we took a bubble bath together in the moonlight under all the beautiful stars. He had even sprinkled rose petals around the patio and there were candles and soft music playing. It was super romantic.”

  “Wow, sounds like he pulled out all the stops.”

  “He totally did. And there’s something else…we finally did it without a condom.”

  “You what? You just started seeing this guy,” Alex said as he wrinkled his nose at her, looking slightly appalled.

  “I know, but it’s been a couple of weeks and we’ve both been tested.”

  “So he says.”

  She laughed. “I trust him.”

  “Mmm.”

  “I do.”

  “Mmmhmm.” He still looked skeptical, but she didn’t say a word and just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense. How was it?”

  “Amazing, like I knew it would be. He’s completely ruined me for anyone else. Once you’ve tried pierced, well…you know,” she said, sighing dreamily.

  “No, honey, I don’t know.”

  “Well, trust me, it’s just…wow! He had meetings all day yesterday, so I drove myself to the mall and did some Christmas shopping and then I went back to the hotel and had an hour long massage by the cutest southern boy with magical hands and a sexy accent. He transported me to a special place.”

  “Uh, you aren’t talking about a ‘Happy Ending’, are you?”

  Annie smacked his arm and rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t that kind of massage.”

  “Ow, why are you always hitting me?”

  “Did I hurt you?”

  “No, I’m just giving you shit.”

  She smacked him again and stuck her tongue out, making him laugh. “Come help me make dinner. You can chop vegetables.”

  “Oh goodie. So what’d you guys do last night?” Alex followed her into the kitchen and waited for her to grab the cutting board from behind the sink and set the vegetables on the counter for him to chop. “Knife?”

  “Oh, sorry. Here you go,” she grabbed a big pink knife from her utensil drawer and handed it to him.

  “Pink?”

  “It was an early Christmas present from my aunt. She works in this high end kitchenware store and says it’s top of the line.�
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  He looked dubiously at the knife, then shrugged and started to chop carrots, broccoli, bell peppers and onions for the stir fry. He had just started cutting into a carrot when he raised his eyebrow, looked at the knife again and nodded. “Your aunt has good taste in knives.”

  Annie laughed and nodded in agreement. “That she does. Oh and your groceries are right here, by the way. Don’t forget to take them with you.” She patted the Trader Joe’s paper sack that was sitting on the edge of the counter and he nodded his thanks. “Anyway, so last night we just decided to stay in and order room service, so we overstuffed ourselves on dinner and dessert and then we cuddled in bed and watched a movie, but he fell asleep about halfway through.”

  “Ah…well, that’s nice and boring.”

  “No! It was sweet and perfect and I loved being there with him all snuggled up together.”

  “Mmm…girl, you’ve got it bad.”

  “You know it,” she agreed readily with a dreamy smile. “He said he’ll call me when he gets back from Phoenix tonight, but it won’t be until late. I’ll keep you posted,” she promised with a wink.

  ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

  Gabe didn’t call her. Annie waited until almost midnight before finally deciding to send him a text, telling herself it was just to see if he was okay. She hated herself for being so pathetic and clingy, but when a woman spends the best night of her life with a guy, she still needs some reassurance that it really happened and wasn’t just a dream or figment of her imagination.

  Annie: Hey baby, getting ready for bed and thinking about you. Thank you for flying me to Phoenix and giving me the most incredible weekend of my life. Everything was wonderful and I had a great time.

  Two hours later when he still hadn’t responded, she finally shut off the TV and dragged herself to bed, her mind running through a hundred different scenarios as to why he hadn’t bothered to call or text her as he had promised. No matter how it ended up playing out in her head, it didn’t look good. She told herself that it was probably nothing and tried to get some sleep before having to be at work bright and early the next morning, but it was almost four before she finally drifted off to sleep out of pure exhaustion.