The elevator ride was quiet with tension. Ari wondered if her frayed nerves were sucking all the oxygen out of the air. Shoving back the urge to cling onto Jai’s wrist as they headed down the hotel’s plush corridor, Ari tried to walk like she belonged there. Two guys standing outside the hotel room door nodded at Brian as he knocked and waited to be allowed entrance.
The hotel suite was out of this frickin’ world. Not quite the penthouse but still. Ari didn’t know where to look, eyeing the plush sofas and huge fireplace, the enormous flat screen TV pinned to the wall, and of course the row of floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the city. Wow.
“Ms. Hadley, this is Ari and Jai, your security for this evening.”
Ari’s gaze swung back to Brian and to the couple he was standing with. Holy macaroons, it’s Jennifer Hadley! Laughing inwardly at how absurd it was to find meeting a famous person surreal when she’d met the immortal Sultan of all Jinn, Ari tried to control her expression as she reached forward to shake Jennifer’s hand. The short blonde actress grinned widely at them, her famous dimpled smile so friendly and so surprised.
Jennifer nudged her boyfriend and then laughed. “These two don’t look like security. They look like film stars.”
Ari blushed at the compliment and threw a look at Jai. His expression hadn’t changed. Ari grimaced. He was so stuffy when he was on a job.
“I assure you, Ms. Hadley, you’re in good hands,” Jai replied, his gravelly voice cutting into the room and drawing all eyes to him.
Jennifer’s eyes widened a little. “Good to know.”
Charlie hit end call and sighed. His mom was still pissed at him for taking off with Ari. At least she was answering his calls. Although, the conversation couldn’t really be classed as such since it mostly consisted of them responding in grunts and mumblings. He threw his phone at the coffee table, eyes watching the film playing across the small home cinema. It was funnier on mute. Groaning, Charlie ran his hand through his hair and felt frustration burn when he didn’t feel the usual mass of shaggy locks. Why did he cut it off again?
Why was he even here? Left behind. Ignored.
You’re here to learn, he reminded himself. And so far that wasn’t going great, but it’d go even crappier if he went it alone right now. Plus… there was Ari. He had to make sure she was OK. The image of her in the red dress made him groan again. She was out in that thing. With Jai.
For a moment he just sat there trying to think about anything but Ari with her guardian.
He glanced around the room, feeling the echo of the quiet of the mansion ring inside it. Jai hadn’t been kidding when he said people scattered when he came home. Surprisingly, Charlie actually felt bad for the guy. Knowing what it was like to be ignored by the people who were supposed to take care of you, Charlie winced sympathetically every time someone talked to Jai without looking at him or called him ‘boy’. OK, maybe he didn’t feel sorry for him about that. The guy did insist on calling him ‘kid’ after all.
“Knock, knock,” a familiar voice said and Charlie twisted around to see Trey standing in the doorway. “Can I come in?”
Ari’s teasing voice shot through his mind. This guy had a crush on him. Uh, how did he act around him now? Trey was a funny guy and Charlie liked him despite his status as Jai’s best friend, but he’d never been around a guy who had a crush on him before. How should he talk? What shouldn’t he do? Should he make eye contact or was that some kind of signal that he was flattered by his attention? Crap.
“Hey. Of course.” He nodded, trying to act cool. I can do this. He’s still Trey.
“Ah.” Trey nodded thoughtfully as he took a seat across from him. “Ari told you. I thought so earlier but I couldn’t be sure, however that nod just gave it away.”
Feigning ignorance, Charlie frowned. “Told me what?”
Glancing back at the door first to make sure it was closed Trey then shot him a teasing look. “That I like dudes as well as dudettes.”
“Oh right, yeah that. Whatever.”
Trey snorted. “Dude, chill. I’m too lazy to try to convert guys. Anyway, I’d say you were a goner.”
Ignoring that, Charlie checked the clock on the wall. “Thought you were on assignment tonight?”
“Yeah, it got cancelled. Singer is sick, which is code for ‘feeling too fat to go out in public’.” Trey shrugged, his expression saying ‘What can you do?’ “You mind if I hang out here? I’m kind of dodging someone.”
“A guy?” Charlie blurted out without thinking. He winced. God, he was so uncool at this.
The Ginnaye only smirked at him though. “Yeah, a guy. Seriously, man, I can leave if you’re uncomfortable.”
Feeling instantly guilty, Charlie waved him off. “No, don’t do that.”
“Cool. Also… can you keep what Ari told you to yourself? About me?”
“People don’t know?”
A bitterness Charlie wouldn’t have expected Trey capable of entered his voice as he replied, “My father specifically. He’s a bigot.”
“Christ,” Charlie breathed. “That must suck.”