Room 702 (51 page)

 
“I’m sure I’ll come up with something else,” Dani winks and smiles at her husband, her dark eyes glittering.

 
Nancy, feeling this session has worked out with the best outcome she could’ve imagined, says, “I know I might have left too early last time, but I feel the rest of this conversation should be private and between the two of you.
 
Dami, I want thank you for agreeing to meet with us here today and for listening to your husband.
 
I know it was not an easy decision to come here.”

 
“It wasn’t.”

 
“And I also want to let you know I appreciate your approach to this situation with an open mind.
 
Oscar is lucky to have you in his life.”

 
“Thank you.”

 
Nancy collects her bag and says, “Good bye for a little while then.
 
I hope to hear from you from time to time.”

 
Oscar stands up and surprising her with a big hug says, “Thank you, Doc.”

 
Nancy returns the embrace, then steps back, smiles and says, “Let me know if you need anything else.
 
Oscar, I’ll see you again soon.”

If it were up to James and Penny, they would be anywhere else than Suite 702 of the Winchester.
 
In fact, at this very moment, they are supposed to be meeting a large group of college friends in Canada for a well earned and much looked forward to week of skiing.
 
Instead, because of a delay and major snowstorm in Banff, James and Penny find themselves stuck in Los Angeles where their connection was supposed to take place.
 
After the sixth hour and no updates, Penny took charge of the situation and checking TripAdvisor, found the Winchester, got a car to come pick them up and had somehow talked their way into a suite, while paying for a regular room.
 
Apparently, the couple meant to be in the room had cancelled last minute.
 
And, to be fair, the front desk was in a generous mood as it was Christmas Eve.
 
The Winchester had generous compensation for those who volunteered to work holiday shifts.

“What if our luggage doesn’t make it here?”

“It will.”

With his girlfriend worried about their baggage, James is also a bit nervous, but glad he shifted a very important object at the last minute.
 
Unknown to Penny, James has planned on proposing to her at some point during the trip.
 
The friends are all aware of his gesture and could not be more excited.
 
Fortunately, the ring – a beautiful sapphire precisely the color of his intended bride’s eyes, is tucked away in his backpack.

“We’re supposed to be by a fire right now – hanging out with everyone, drinking heavily nogged egg nog, playing Celebrity, and watching
Elf
.”

Walking up and rubbing her shoulders, he says soothingly, “The airline said they would call us as soon as the next flight opened up.”
 

Secretly, James is glad things have happened the way they have.
 
There is much less pressure and it will be a private moment between the two of them.

“So, how shall we pass the time?”

“I can think of a few things…”

Penny smiles and says, “After all we wouldn’t want this fabulous room to go to waste.”

After a memorable lovemaking session, the pleasantly exhausted couple lounges in the late afternoon sun.
 
Kissing her boyfriend on the cheek, Penny says, “I’ll be right back.”

She makes her way to the bathroom, and James decides this is the right moment.
 
He rummages through his bag and finds the jeweler’s box.
 
He’s only had the ring a week, and for a couple that tells each other everything, the small object has been weighing heavily in his pocket.
 
Realizing he doesn’t have any clothes on, James does a covert ninja move to retrieve his boxer shorts and is caught mid-roll as Penny emerges from the bathroom.

“James?”

“Yes?”

 
“Can I ask what you are doing on the floor?”

Tucking the box behind his back, James tries unsuccessfully to stand and pull his boxer shorts on at the same time. When the frustrating garment comes only up to his knees, he tries to take a step forward and falls immediately back down.
 
The ring box tumbles and lands at Penny’s feet.
 
Also wearing nothing, she bends down to pick it up.
 
James smiles sheepishly and says, “I wasn’t planning on it going this way, but…” He finally is able to put his boxers on correctly and walks over to her, then bends down on one knee.

He asks politely, “Can I have the box please?”

Holding back a smile, Penny says, “Of course.”

“Since we met in the break room at Barnes and Noble three years ago, I instantly felt a connection between us.
 
After you finally agreed to go on a date with me I was over the moon.
 
I can’t imagine sharing my life with anyone else.
 
You’re my best friend and I always want to be there for you.
 
Penny, will you marry me?”

He opens the box and thrusts the ring forward.
 
With tears in her eyes, she nods and says, “Yes!”

Sealing their decision with a kiss, James asks, “When we retell this story, can you leave out the part of me rolling around and falling down naked?”

“Absolutely not!
 
That’s what makes it ours!”

James asks, “And you had no idea?”

“None.
 
I mean, maybe I thought New Year’s, but I was thinking you would wait until Valentine’s Day or something.”

She looks at the ring in the light of the lamp, genuinely impressed with James’s ability to pick out something perfect.
 
The sapphire gleams with two diamonds tucked on either side.
 
She smiles at the ring again and asks, “Who helped you?”

“Stephanie.”

“Really?
 
I would’ve thought it would be Caroline.”

“Caroline had to work a bunch, so I called Stephanie.”

“I’ll have to thank her.
 
Does anyone else know?” Penny grins, because for all James’s wonderful qualities, keeping a secret is not near the top of his list.
 
He has spilled the beans on a number of occasions, both for minor events and major ones.

“A few people.”

“A few people like my family?”

“Maybe.”

“A few people like all of our friends?”

“Only
most
of our friends.
 
You’re not mad, are you?”

“No, honey.
 
Are they all waiting for me to call?”

“Not tonight.
 
I sort of jumped the gun.”

“I’m glad you did.
 
Although, if you want to pretend and do it again when we finally get to Banff, I would be okay with that.”

“No, I can’t wait to get up there and introduce you as my fiancé!”

 
“Still, I’m going to call my parents and wish them a merry Christmas and we can tell them together.”
 
James looks over at the radiant young woman in front of him and says, “I love you.”
 
“I love you too.”

“Are you sure we have to go downstairs?” Ethan asks the young woman.
 
“Are you sure we’re allowed to be here?” his date counters.
 
“I’m the new General Manager – I’m allowed to do whatever I want.”
 
 
“New title aside, shouldn’t you be working?
 
Isn’t this one of the busiest nights of the year?”
 
“I could ask the same of you – haven’t you recently got a lot of press, Miss DJ Golightly?
 
Aren’t you booked?”
 
Jennifer lifts an eyebrow and answers, “Too bad I absolutely adore hanging out with my boyfriend.”
 
“And as wonderful as your boyfriend is, fortunately, I’m technically only ‘on call’ this evening,” and with that he wraps an arm around her, pulling her close.
 
Jennifer allows herself to remain in Ethan’s embrace, but after a moment, asks, “Did you mean to choose this room?”
 
With a sigh, Ethan releases her and says, “Yes and no.
 
We’re running close to full capacity tonight, so it was between this and another room.
 
I thought about it and I think it’s time to think of this suite and all the new memories it’s capable of.
 
We’ve had plenty of guests stay here since May and they never knew.”
 
Ethan walks over to the bucket of ice where the Veuve Clicquot is chilling and pops the cork.
 
After pouring the bubbly liquid into two glasses, he brings her a flute and says, “Here’s to a new year and new possibilities.”
 
They both drink deeply and Jennifer walks through the room.
 
She comments, “You would never know, would you?”
 
“No – it’s like this room has a reset.
 
In fact, it’s not all bad.
 
Yes, someone died here, but it’s also where I started falling in love with you.”
 
“You did?”
 
“Yes.”
 
“When?”
 
“You won’t believe me.”
 
“Try me.”
 
“It was when everything was going on with Brendan…”
 
“But that was well before we started dating.”
 
“It was.”
 
“And?”
 
“You had to already know that I had a crush on you then.
 
But when we spoke to you, you were so polished and calm.”
 
“I did a good job of covering the fact that I was freaking out.” Jennifer takes another sip and asks, “Ethan?”
 
“Yes?”
 
“About resetting.
 
Do you…
 
Have you…?”
 
Her words come out stilted.
“Have I what?”
 
“What I used to do in here, in the Winchester…”
 
Although they’ve been dating since May, they’ve never specifically spoken about what she used to do.
 
Ethan hasn’t asked, but he does know what the requests were, how often she would visit, the age and genders of her ‘dates.’
 
Setting his glass of champagne down, he leans against the sofa and takes her smaller hands in his own, “Look, I don’t know where things are going to go with us, but all that was in the past.
 
Anyway, how about how I used to treat you?”
 
“You weren’t that bad.”
 
“Wasn’t I?”
 
“Okay, you were kind of a dick.”
 
“I liked you.”
 
“You certainly had a weird way of showing it.”
 
Ethan gathers her close, cuddling her smaller frame against his own, pulling her flush against himself.
 
She feels right.
 
“Ethan?”
 
“Yes?”
 
“That night – when you first approached me, what made you think I wouldn’t be insulted by your suggestion?”
 
Ethan sighs, but keeps his arms around his girlfriend.
 
He has been dreading this question.
 
Unsure what to say, he replies, “You have every right to ask.”
 
“And you should answer.”
 
“I’m not sure there’s a way to answer without sounding like an asshole.”
 
“I don’t know.
 
Just be honest.”
 
“Why now?”
 
“Let’s just say I want to start this year from a place where we’re not hiding anything.”
 
“Fine – that night, I had nothing to lose and I thought you might be in the same situation.
 
I’d been looking for someone.”
 
“Were there others?”
 
He steps away from her and crossing his arms across, says, “We’d tried various escort services, but the whole arrangement was a bit unreliable.”
 
“So you thought outside the box?”
 
“I guess you could call it that.”
 
He sips the champagne and asks, “What made you say yes and not slap my face and storm out?
 
I was fully prepared for that reaction.”
 
“I really couldn’t tell you.”
 
“I wasn’t taking advantage of you, was I?”
 
“Not entirely.
 
After all, I certainly wouldn’t sell my body if I didn’t want to.
 
Nor would I continue to do it if it wasn’t right.”
 
“Why did you come that first time?”
 
“I didn’t have a lot of options.
 
Rent was due.
 
You know how things were back home, I didn’t want to return to that.”
 
He’s amazed by her strength and resilience.
 
Screw what other people might think or say, it’s something he’s come to respect.
 
Not wanting to dwell on where she’s come from, he asks, “So, if I hadn’t called at the end of the month, you might not have shown?”
 
“I don’t know, maybe.
 
Why is this important now?”
 
“It’s not.”
 
“Are you really past…what I did?”
 
“I am.”
 

 
“Then let’s toast to it.”

 
“To what, a new start and a new year?”

 
“Something like that.”

Ethan says, “How about something more?”

 
“What do you mean?”

 
“I love you.”

 
Jennifer is shocked by his admission and is surprised to find tears in her eyes.
 
After all she’s been through, she doesn’t doubt his sincerity.
 
She answers, “I love you too and I’m not trying to get of ourselves, but what are we going to tell the kids one day?”