Jennifer laughed, raising an eyebrow. "Are you and Tall, Dreamy Twinkie dating? Or maybe even more than that? I know I would be if I had the chance."
I blanched at her words. I liked Jennifer, but the idea of anyone else doing something with Alec I hadn't done made me cringe. "You don't think Kevin would mind?" I asked dryly as we left the stage together. Kevin and Jennifer had been married for almost ten years and had the kind of relationship I wanted.
"I think he'd give me a free pass if he saw Alec. Where did you two meet?" She held the ballroom door open for me so I could exit behind her.
Glad to leave the loud music and flashing lights behind, I rolled my shoulders, trying to ease the tension that had gathered into a knot behind my neck. "I can't take the credit for discovering him; Olivia found Alec."
"Why am I not surprised? That girl has an eye for talent. I'm shocked she's not here with you."
"She wanted to, but her client list has almost doubled in the last six months. She was too busy," I said, stopping in front of the bank of elevators.
"Good for her. Her talent is off the charts. Hopefully she won't get too busy for us though." She winked at me as the elevator doors dinged open.
I waited for the elevator to empty before stepping on. "She better not. Are you going up?"
Jennifer shook her head. "No. I'm going to the bar. It's definitely time for a little liquid recuperation. Do you want to join me? Kim and Malory are supposed to meet me there."
"No, thanks. My head is ready to declare mutiny if I don't find a little quiet and some Advil. I plan on taking an extra-hot bath and climbing into my sweats for a little HGTV and room service." Just saying the plan out loud made the introvert side of me happy. A little alone time was exactly what I needed.
Jennifer shook her head. "You know you're twenty-two, not forty-two, right?" she called out as the doors clicked closed.
Her words followed me up the five flights to my floor. The throbbing in my head that had been a dull pounding became a fully fledged marching band. Jennifer was right and I knew it. She wasn't telling me anything I hadn't heard from Olivia a million times. Many single women my age would likely prefer a night of partying, drinking or sleeping with guys over my good time of a hot bath, room service and Property Brothers.
The doors opened on my floor, revealing an empty hallway. Disgusted with myself, I trudged off the elevator unenthusiastically. I should have gone back downstairs with Jennifer for a little fun. If Olivia had been here, she wouldn't let me hole up in my room all night. Should have and could have were two different things with me as usual. I shuffled down the long hallway toward my room.
I heard the sound of a door opening behind me, but gave it no thought until a loud voice startled me by calling out for my attention.
Jumping about a mile out of my skin, I turned around clutching my heart that was beating erratically. A middle-aged man with a freakishly hairy gut, who had no business being shirtless, stood leering at me. He was holding a half-empty beer bottle. Judging by the way he leaned against the doorway, it wasn't his first drink of the evening. "Hey, sweetheart. You looking for a party?"
"No, thanks," I answered, edging backward. Standing in a quiet hotel hallway, I suddenly realized just how alone I was. I was surrounded by rooms on both sides, but I had no idea if any of them were occupied. Most normal people were probably out eating or enjoying the nightlife, not sitting in their rooms. I silently berated myself for being in this position. If I had stayed downstairs, I wouldn't be trapped in a hallway with some drunk who was looking at me like I was a treat delivered by room service.
"Come on, baby. I'll give you the goods." He swayed slightly on his feet, watching as I took another step backward. His lack of steadiness gave me hope that he was too drunk to comprehend much of anything. I took another half step backward as he lurched toward me. For somebody who'd been drinking, his reflexes were surprisingly quick. He reached out and grasped my wrist, holding me in place.
A knot of dread twisted in my stomach as he pulled me toward him. "Come on. Don't be like that," he belched out, making me gag. I dug my heels into the carpet as he dragged me toward his room where the door was still ajar.
I shook my head, tugging on my wrist. "Fucking let go!" I said, yanking harder to free my wrist. "Let go!" I was on the verge of panic before I remembered the self-defense moves Tony and Zachary had drilled into my head when I was thirteen. At the time, I thought they were being too overprotective and that I would never have to use any of it, but as the asshole in front of me tightened his hold, I knew I had to try something.
He tilted the beer up and took a long pull. Most of the beer went down his chest rather than into his mouth. Swiping a hand across his lips, he tossed the empty beer bottle into his room and pulled harder on my wrist. "Come on, sweetheart. You don't know what you're missing." My hand scraped along the wall as I fought to keep him from getting me into his room. I opened my mouth and let out a piercing scream that echoed down the hallway.
With a final jerk, he pulled me into his meaty arms, wrapping them around my neck. I tried screaming again, but his grimy hand covered my mouth. He held me tightly against him, anticipating a fight.
This couldn't be happening. It was every woman's nightmare, but I never thought it would happen to me. If he got me into his room, nothing would ever be the same again. My screams could no longer be heard, coming out as a muffled grunt against his hand. My teeth cut into the inside of my lip, filling my mouth with the iron taste of blood. I welcomed the pain as it cut through my panic like a knife, clarifying my senses.
His rancid breath blew into my face and I felt his free hand snake around my waist, creeping up toward my breast. The idea of his nasty paw touching me made tears spring to my eyes. I would not let that happen.
Finally recalling some of my brothers' training, I let all the fight leave my body. It went against everything inside me to let myself go slack in his arms, making his job easier. His surprise and approval were evident. "I knew you wanted to party," he growled in my ear, bringing his face exactly where I wanted it. Knowing I only had one shot, I reared my head back into his face with all the force I could muster. The blow smacked soundly into his nose as a ringing filled my ears. He released his hold immediately, stumbling back into the wall with blood streaming down his face. I raced down the hallway, screaming as loud as I could while I fumbled to get the key card into my door.
A woman and a burly gentleman opened the door to my left at the sound of my screaming. It wasn't hard for them to figure out what had happened when they spotted my tattered appearance and the blood gushing from the nose of my assailant.
The large man stepped from his room, standing between my attacker and me. "What the fuck is going on? Are you messing with this little lady?" he growled, taking a threatening step toward the drunk, who was now cradling his broken nose while fighting to stay on his feet.
"Hey, man, I ain't looking for any trouble."
"You may not have been looking, but you sure found it." He reached my attacker and forced his hand around the scumbag's throat, pinning him to the wall. "Sally, call the front desk and tell them to get the cops. I got this perv."
She stepped closer and wrapped an arm around me. I thought by the way her body shook she must have been frightened—until I realized the shaking was coming from me.
"Is this your room?" She reached for the key card that I still gripped in my fingers.