frantic footsteps, but the pounding in her chest was a deafening drum against her rib

ss doors lit up, descendi

34..

ing?-made her jump. Her heart leaped into he

i

side, her back hitting the far wall as she

he whispered, her voice

king gap, the hallway remained empty. Finally, they sealed her in. She let out a shudderin

fted to her

ged into dark, raccoon-like circles around her eyes. Her expensive blowout was a t

et of wet wipes and began to scrub furiously at her face, trying to erase the evidence

ey caught on the knots. The sharp tug on her scalp

essed for a day of sightseeing, stepped in. The woman's kind

ded to be searching for something in her purse, her hair falling forwar

ator finally chimed its arrival, she shot out of the doors

enched lobby. The click-clack of her heels, which she'd apparently had the foresight to put back on before

r. Just get outside. Don't loo

se of the anonymous Manhattan s

familiar flash of color in the lobb

ach. She tried to swerve, to chan

la

my god, is

ht, cheerful, and

scle in her body tensi

coffee cup in one hand and a look of p

voice cracking. She forced a smile th

They took in the wrinkled dress, the still-damp hair, the scrubbe

piratorial whisper. Her gaze then locked onto the base of Elaine's neck, where the colla

neck, clutching the coll

osity. "Okay, you have to tell me everything. Who is he? Do

was too quick, too sha

Was he cute? Where did you meet him? He must have been s

rantic, white-noise b

avoiding Courtney's piercing ga

t. That's not a hickey, Elaine, that's a brand. Was he an artist? A musician?

Alaric that a hysterical laugh threaten

mumbled, seizing the idea.

e, anyway?" Elaine aske

unge. "My uncle has a permanent suite here for when he's in town. I was

d to drop out f

ice. She grabbed Courtney's arm

d, her voice tight with

n't even gotten th

lancing at her bare wrist.

y towards the exit, her mov

digging in her heels. "Elaine, what i

Her eyes darted nervously towards the bank of private elevators at the far end of the lobby. S