London Dusk (A Dawn to Dusk Novella) by Leigh K. Hunt Read Free Book Online Page B

in his full hotel uniform and glasses.
    " I'm meeting someone," I said, trying to sound confident under his stare. "At the American Bar?"
    He nodded . "Ah yes, right this way." He smiled politely, but his eyes didn't – causing me to instinctively tense. I never would have set foot in this place in my normal life. I knew from Luke and his constant work trips of how hotel staff could sometimes treat guests if they weren't dressed in the right way. He never took me away with him – I guess I never looked the part. I had to wonder how many other women he may have slept with at all those hotels, or if it was only Nicole. I followed the man inside. "Have you ever been here before?" he asked.
    " No, not here," I responded. "It's lovely though."
    He snickered . "Yes. The American bar is a very nice place to meet with people. It has a huge selection of cocktails to choose from, and they always have a pianist." Leading me down a wide corridor, he opened a door for me, and ushered me through. "And, here we are."
    The melodic sound of the piano met my ears , as well as quiet chatter of the patrons currently enjoying the bars atmosphere. It was busy, but not rowdy. In fact, as I took in the beautiful black and white photographs of 1930s New York set in framed mirrors, I longed to have enough money to travel there.
    I saw the sign for the bathrooms , and glancing at my watch, I noted that I was a few minutes early. I crossed the room, and found myself standing in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. I was almost unrecognisable. I looked so completely different. I gripped the edge of the hand basin, and took a deep breath, my hair falling around my face.
    " You can do this, Mack," I said with determination. It was in that moment, when I met my eyes in the reflection, that I wished I had taken one of Jax's magical pills. Instead I pulled out the rescue remedy, and squirted a decent amount on my tongue and swallowed. Then I took another hit of it for good measure.
    Before I could start talking myself out of this , I straightened my dress, rearranged my jacket, brushed my hair, and reapplied my lipstick. My hair shone in the bathroom lighting, making me smile. It never ever did that at home, no matter how much I tried to get it to look good. I spritzed some Ralph Lauren perfume on my collarbone and at my wrists, and took another deep breath.
    Now I was ready to face the world. Well… as ready as I was ever going to be anyway .
    Before I knew it , I found myself standing at the bar. As I waited for the bartender to notice me, I took in my surrounding with more detail. The place was decked out in shiny chrome, plush seating, lots of wood, and in all honesty, it did actually remind me of New York a bit ... well what I had seen in the movies, anyway. Low lighting lit intimate areas, giving the bar the feeling of warmth. Combined with the man seated behind the white Steinway grand piano, playing soulful jazzy tunes that sounded as though they were from the 1930s period, I was starting to relax.
    " Good evening, what can I get you?"
    I turned to the young , surfer-looking American bartender and ordered a martini. I wasn't one for cocktails generally, and even though they had a selection of wines, I didn't really know what my ‘date' had planned for us this evening. So a martini was made, and placed in front of me on a fabric napkin. I handed him my credit card, and winced at the price.
    I shook the thought from my head. It didn 't matter. What mattered was that my accounts would soon be flush with money and I could afford to splurge just a little for the sake of the greater good. I made myself comfortable at the bar and had a few sips of my drink, feeling the icy liquid slide through my insides, with the alcohol instantly hitting my nerves and relaxing me even more. Jax was right. Drinking helped.
    A hand brushed my shoulder , and I looked up to see my client, Darren, standing there. "Oh, hello," I said shyly, letting him shake my hand