Melissa Good - Thicker Than Water

lots, Dardar.”

“Um.” Dar’s eyes twinkled sheepishly. “I use the valet.” She escaped to the bedroom, taking her yuppy confessions with her.

Andrew merely chuckled and got up to put the dishes in the sink.

AT LEAST THE lobby was quiet. Kerry brushed past the tastefully decorated Christmas tree, causing the ornaments to tin-kle softly, and sidestepped a heavyset man intent on gaining the bar. The Marriott tended to attract business travelers, and the lounge seemed to be full of them, bending forward in intent conversation as a ball game played mutely in the background.

The front desk was devoid of guests, and Kerry gratefully set her bag down and fished for her wallet as the clerk looked up and gave her a friendly smile. “I have a reservation. Under Stuart.”

The young clerk, a well scrubbed boy with short blond hair obligingly tapped a few keys on his computer, then smiled. “Yes, ma’am, Ms. Stuart; we certainly do have it.”

God bless you, Dar. Kerry leaned wearily on the counter, hoping she’d taken her painkillers in time. She handed over her credit card.

“Do you need help with your luggage, ma’am?” the clerk asked, ignoring the card and presenting her with an envelope.

“Your key’s in there. It’s the twelfth floor, turn right, first door.”

Kerry took the envelope. “Thanks.” She put her credit card back into her wallet, too tired and sick to argue about it. Dar’s planning, she was sure, but there would be time enough to change it when she checked out. She shouldered her bag and trudged to the elevator, wishing the perkily playing holiday Musak tape would break and leave her in peace.

But no. The music continued in the elevator, which climbed leisurely to the twelfth floor and finally released her into a cooler hallway. “Turn right, first door,” Kerry muttered, following the instructions and finding herself unsurprisingly in front of a hotel room door set in an alcove by itself. She fished in the envelope and pulled out the electronic key, slid it in and listened for the click, then pushed the handle down and shoved the door open.

It took her three steps before she noticed something unusual—the door slammed shut behind her as she stood and simply stared.

“What on earth?” Kerry whispered. The room was huge, roughly three times the size of a regular room, and laid out as though it was a… She stuck her head into the bathroom and saw the heart shaped tub. “I’m in the honeymoon suite. What in the 54 Melissa Good hell am I doing in here?”

She walked to a plush, leather chair and sat down and took in the fully stocked bar, plates of pretty good-looking fruit, and the half-sized refrigerator.

Exhaustion overtook her. She slumped forward and leaned her elbows on her knees, too tired even to care. Feeling the pain building, she cradled her head in her hands and decided that if she was going to be sick and miserable, it might as well be in such luxurious surroundings. She hadn’t eaten anything all day, but the thought of food almost made her gag. With a groan, she pushed herself to her feet, dragged her bag over to the bed, lifted it up, and unzipped it.

The soft smell of home wafted out. Kerry’s fingers stilled, then she pulled out her sleep shirt and buried her face in it, detecting Dar’s scent faintly around its edges. As the tears rose in her eyes, she dropped onto the bed and just let them out, the moisture soaking into the cotton fabric.

It only lasted a few moments. She sniffled and dried her face, debating whether to just stay where she was, fully dressed, instead of expending the effort it would take to get up and get undressed. Finally, she rolled over and got up. She shrugged off her jacket and tossed it onto the chair, and then pulled off her shirt and unfastened her jeans.

A chill made her shiver, and she pulled her sleep shirt on and sat down on the bed, unlaced her sneakers, and pulled them off.

She flexed her toes against the carpeted floor and sighed, then tossed the scuffed Reeboks over near the chair, as well. “Brr,” she muttered, rubbing her arms as she got up, wandered into the bathroom, and paused when she was confronted with her reflection in the mirror.

Disordered blond hair framed a pale, haggard face with bloodshot eyes and lines of tension across the forehead. Kerry grimaced, then ran water in the sink and splashed some onto her cheeks, causing another chill to almost make her teeth chatter. She straightened, dried herself off, then walked back into the main room and headed for the bed. Just as she reached it, her stomach rebelled, and she sat down quickly, and reached for the garbage can as she half convulsed.

It was mostly dry heaves, save for the bitter taste of the aspirin she’d taken. But it made her head pound all the more fiercely and she uttered a soft oath as she leaned against the nightstand, breathing hard. The nausea increased, and she dropped the basket and stumbled into the bathroom, just making it to the toilet before her stomach heaved again.

She truly saw stars. Her vision blacked out from the pressure, Thicker Than Water 55

and as her body was gripped in a convulsive spasm, all she could see was sparkles. Her legs buckled and she dropped painfully to her knees onto the tile, holding on to the basin for dear life. At last it eased, and she slumped, shivering and gasping, against the tub.

It was the absolute worst she’d ever felt in her life. Even her dislocated shoulder hadn’t been that bad. Kerry felt like her head was going to split right open, and she whimpered softly, holding her temples with both hands. Her whole body was shivering, and she grabbed the bath towels, and pulled their scant warmth around her as she crouched there in agony.

She didn’t know what else to do. She moaned softly as her stomach twisted again, and her body convulsed, forcing nothing but bile up out of her guts. Oh, God. Her teeth chattered uncon-trollably and made her headache even worse.

IT WAS ALMOST midnight as Dar got off the elevator and emerged into the hallway. She paused as she collected her thoughts and tried to figure out what she could say to Kerry that would excuse the disregarding of her wishes.

Then she simply shrugged and faced the door, hesitating before she knocked. There was no sound coming from the room, and Dar realized that on top of everything else, she’d be waking her partner up. Well , she glanced at the key she’d been given, might as well get this over with .

Gingerly, she slid the key into the lock and opened the door.

She slipped inside and closed the door behind her. At once, she realized something was wrong. The lights were on and the room was empty, Kerry’s clothing strewn about with uncharacteristic sloppiness.

Dar heart started to pound. She glanced around, then pushed the door to the bathroom open and froze for a shocked instant before she jumped across the tile and dropped to her knees beside the pathetic figure curled up in the corner.

“K...” Dar could barely speak as she carefully lifted the disordered towels off her lover and turned her over. Kerry had been throwing up, she could tell, and crying, and Dar was a split second from calling 911 when Kerry’s eyes fluttered open and tracked to her in dire confusion. “Hey…easy.”

“D…Dar?” Kerry whispered hoarsely. “Oh…dear God…I was…praying you’d come.” She reached out a shaking hand. “I hurt so much.”

“Easy.” Dar fought down the panic with difficulty. She sat on the cold tile floor and gathered Kerry clumsily into her arms, unsure of what to do to help her. “Where does it hurt, sweet-56 Melissa Good heart?”

“M…my head.” Kerry moaned. “How long…have I been here? It’s tomorrow already?”