I rolled up my window and locked the doors like he’d asked. There wasn’t a soul around, though, so I wasn’t sure whom I was keeping out. After five seconds, I grew bored. Without my phone to play on, or people to watch, I had absolutely nothing to do. I bent over, trying to find a halfway decent song on the radio when a sharp knock on my window scared the shit out of me.

I sat up, glancing over as I did. The man on the other side of the door glared in at me. His face was wrinkle free, and even though his dark hair had a few strands of silver gray mixed in, I would have bet he was younger than me. When his lips twisted into an angry scowl, it made him look much older. I glanced around the parking lot quickly, wondering where he had come from.

“Can I help you?” I asked, not even reaching for the window switch.

“You can’t park here.” The agitation in his voice sent a nervous whisper down my spine.

I nodded. “I’m not parked. My friend is just checking us in, then he’ll move it.”

He glanced over his shoulder, as if looking for Mike, and then crossed his arms as he turned back to me. “There are a few empty spots out back. You can move it and then meet your friend inside.”

“I can’t move it, I don’t have shoes on.” I held up my shoes so he could see, as if that was a good enough reason to stay put.

He shook head and rolled his eyes. “Look, we’ve got a big party coming in and I can’t have you parked here. If you want, you can get out and I’ll move it and leave your keys with the girl at the desk.”

I felt bad for him. The big party he mentioned must have been us—two buses, numerous SUVs and vans, and a few tractor-trailers clogging up parking lots tended to irritate hotel staff. Plus, this guy obviously hated his job, or maybe he’d have a little more patience with the guests. Been there, done that. But it didn’t matter how much I understood his irritation, I was not unlocking the door until Mike was the one about to open it.

I shook my head. “Sorry, I can’t.”

His eyes narrowed at me briefly and then glanced back over his shoulder toward the hotel. Before I knew what he was doing, he’d crossed in front of the car, heading straight for the driver’s side, reached out and pulled on the handle, as if testing to see if it was really locked.

“Hey!” I hollered. “Stop!”

“Get out.” He growled as if I would actually listen to a thing he said. When I didn’t move, he went to the back door, testing that handle. And then the trunk door.

“Get away from me, now!” I screeched back, wrenching myself around in the seat and climbing into the back, hoping he couldn’t see me through the tinted windows.

It didn’t work. He stepped up to the passenger side rear door, cupping his hands against the glass, and leaning his face close. “You’re going to get me fired. Is that what you want?”

I was going to get him fired? Was he for real? His behavior was going to get him fired. This place looked like it charged a few thousand a night, and somewhere that high end should not have employees that talked to, or treated, guests like this. I didn’t care what time it was, as soon as Mike came out, we were going straight to the manager on duty.

I’m not sure what happened. Suddenly, he dropped his hands and backed away from the car. I watched him cross the driveway and around the side of the building. When Mike knocked on the passenger window, I shrieked.

“Mols? Where are you?” His low voice, filled with humor, instantly calmed me.

Moving from my crouched position in the middle of the back seat, I stumbled back to the front and hit the lock key so he could get it. He only opened the door, moving himself into the opening, and reached for my face, concern covering his.

“What’s wrong, babe?”

“I just had the weirdest run-in with the valet.”

His brows crinkled in confusion, but as I explained the last few minutes to him, he started to tense. Glancing the way I pointed, the way the man had gone, he took a deep breath.

“Next time, you’ll come in with me. I didn’t know they had a valet on duty this time of night, or I’d have just let him park for us anyway.” He got me turned around in my seat, shut my door, and then climbed into his own. He circled the stone pillars of the entry way and pulled the suburban into the first spot he found—one of at least a dozen that were in the front, but I hadn’t seen because of the shrubs that stood between them and the entryway.

“Weird. He said the only open spaces were out back.”

“That is weird.” Mike shifted into park and turned to me. “There aren’t a lot of guests here right now. Lee rented almost the entire place for all of us, so there wouldn’t be many rooms left.”

Right? I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of that before. I rolled my eyes at myself.

“It was probably a fan who recognized you and wanted to get your autograph. Somebody pathetic who panicked. Let’s go talk to the concierge.”

The hotel clerk, a very handsome man named Kenneth, listened to Mike retell the things I had just told him, looking more appalled as each second passed. When the story was over, he swallowed nervously and shook his head. “I am so very sorry. That is absolutely unacceptable!” He glanced down at his computer, fingers swift over his keyboard as he looked something up. “I will bring the employee in immediately and address the issue. Please know that I will take care of it.” He made eye contact once more. “Is there anything I can get for you, Ms. Ray? Anything at all?”

I shook my head. My feet had been screaming in protest as soon as I put my shoes back on. I just wanted to get out of these shoes for good, stick my feet—and the rest of me—in a hot bath, put on some comfy clothes, and crawl into a warm bed.

Kenneth nodded. “Please let me know if you change your mind. Again, I apologize.”

Mike steered me to the elevators, his hand never leaving the small of my back. I couldn’t handle it anymore, and as soon as the doors were closed, I turned, bracing my hand on his forearm, and slipped out of my shoes. I almost cried in relief.

I didn’t look up again as I followed Mike to our room. As soon as we were through the door, I glanced around the space, not paying attention to how beautiful the room was; I could appreciate it later. Mike moved into a room on the left, flipping on an overhead light, and making almost no noise as he moved around the space.

He smiled at me as he came out. “All set, brat.”

I nodded, not having enough energy to thank him. The bedroom was just as gorgeous as the common room had been, but I headed straight for the bathroom and started to fill the giant garden tub. Once steam started to drift up, I headed back into the bedroom to get my clothes.

It was then that I realized my bag wasn’t on my bed. Usually, when we stayed at hotels, the roadies moved our luggage to the room while we performed. Mike and I had left right after the concert, without my cell phone or purse, so why in the hell was I surprised that I didn’t have any clothes? I shook my head, irritated at myself.

A quick look in the bathroom, behind the door, and then the closet, proved that while this hotel was beautiful, they didn’t provide comforts like robes. Normally I’d be happy to stay somewhere the hot water never ran out and the bed was bigger than a twin, but tonight, the lack of posh extras disappointed me.

Hurrying back to the bathroom, I shut off the water and debated stripping and climbing in anyway. After a soak, I’d never be able to get these pants back on, not that I’d want to considering how sweaty and smelly I’m sure they were, and my top barely covered my boobs, let alone anything else, so I couldn’t wear just that. I could crawl into bed naked, but I shook my head, laughing off the idea as soon as I thought it…my luck, there would be a fire drill, or some other emergency, and Mike would have his hands full trying to hide all that from the prying eye. I giggled at the image of him trying to hold a towel in front of me, sheltering me from photographers.