A Night With A Stranger novel · Chapter 6 of 24

Chapter 6: The Chair at the Foot of the Bed

We argued the terms in the elevator down to the lobby.

"Rule one," I said. "You don't pay for anything of mine. Not my rent, not my bills, nothing."

"Agreed."

"Rule two. When we're alone, you don't touch me."

He looked at me for a moment.

"Agreed."

"Rule three. When this is over, I walk out and nobody gets to tell me what I was worth."

"Jada." He said my name carefully. "I'm not going to put a number on you again."

The doors opened onto the lobby, and a bellman nodded to Evan, and then to me.

By evening, I had moved into the guest suite on the twenty-second floor.

It was Evan's idea, and it made sense.

Margaret's driver would be watching my building by Friday, and Dennis already knew where I slept.

I carried my one duffel bag past the door of the suite where I had woken up, and I didn't look at it.

The guest room was smaller than the suite, with a bed so soft it made my back ache with relief.

I lay there at two in the morning and stared at the ceiling.

Down the hall, a glass clinked.

I got up in my socks and followed the sound.

The main suite was dark except for one lamp.

Evan was sitting in the armchair at the foot of his own bed with his shoes off and his tie gone.

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