Ding. Ding.
I heard it twice. Whoever it was clearly thought I'd missed it the first time.
I stared at Raymond on my screen. He stared right back at me.
We were wearing the exact same expression.
Who could be knocking this early in the morning-
I paused.
Afternoon. Right. My bad.
Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.
"Ughhh, okay! I'm coming," I called, rolling my eyes toward the door.
I glanced back at Raymond. "I need to get that. Can you hold?"
"Sure," he said casually.
I tapped the screen and headed for the door, opening it without hesitation.
Standing there was a woman-tall, elegant, and impossibly put together. She looked like she had model potential, with her blonde hair neatly tied back and warm hazel eyes. A housekeeping cart sat beside her, stacked with fresh towels and neatly folded sheets.
"Oh-hi," I said, slightly caught off guard.
"Good afternoon," she smiled. "Housekeeping. I just wanted to check if you'd like your room serviced."
"Oh," I blinked, instantly relieved. "Not right now, sorry. I just woke up."
She laughed softly. "No worries at all. I can come back later if you'd like."
"That would be great," I said. "Thank you."
"Of course," she replied warmly. "Enjoy your stay."
She turned the cart and rolled it down the hallway, her footsteps fading as she moved on to the next room.
I closed the door and leaned my forehead against it for a second.
Vegas really had a way of keeping me on edge-even over nothing.
I walked back toward the bed and picked up my phone, tapping Raymond off hold.
"Okay," I sighed. "Where were we?"
"What? Hell no!" he exclaimed. "Who was at the door?"
"Relax," I said. "Just housekeeping. They wanted to service the room."
"Oh..."
He deflated instantly.
"Hey-why that face?!" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"I thought maybe it was Luke," he admitted. "You know, unreal blue eyes. The one you definitely have a crush on."
"Come on, cut that out," I groaned. "I can't have a crush on him."
"What do you mean can't?" he asked, suddenly serious. "Why not?"
"Do I need a reason?" I said, my voice softer now.
"Well... yeah," he replied.
I sighed. "I just don't see the point. It never lasts. It's complicated. And I don't want that."
He studied my face. "You're telling me you've never had a crush before? Now that's clearly a lie."
"How would you know?" I challenged.
"I've been your best friend for a bazillion years," he said. "And there were guys-plural-you used to go on and on about."
I rolled my eyes. "Okay. Fine. You're right."
"No kidding," he said smugly.
"I've had crushes," I admitted. "Plenty. I just never told them. And that includes Luke-if this is a crush. I'm not saying anything. I'd rather let it fade."
He opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off.
"End of discussion," I said firmly. "I'm going to shower and take a-morning? No. Afternoon walk. Now that just sounds wrong, but whatever. Byeee."
He laughed. "Bye, sweetie. Take lots of pictures and send them to me, okay?"
"Okayyyy."
I ended the call and headed straight for the bathroom.