Miami Hot: #1 (Miami Heat Series) (21 page)

“
You know I am on your side, but I think you still need to talk to him. Just hear him out, that’s all I am saying,” she told her.

“I don’t know Sere. He really hurt me. Well that message did. And I am not sure I am strong enough to see him and not want to sleep with him. I mean he just looks at me and I want to jump him.”
Moira sipped from her wine glass and looked at her friend. “You know, the best sex I have ever had, and will ever have for as long as I live,” she added wistfully. “But you know what, today I just want to have some girl time with my best friend. Put on some music and dance into the night. Maybe get a little drunk,” she said with more enthusiasm that was warranted. “Tomorrow will come soon enough,” she added.

“
’Kay,” Sere responded. “That works for me too. George won’t be back till late. He is have a boys night out,” she explained to Moira.

Lack of sleep from the previous night and wine had
Moira falling asleep a couple of hours after dinner was over. Sere laughed at her and made up her bed on the pull out sofa bed. She didn’t hear the disturbance later that night nor hear George come in. She would have slept through a hurricane if one had come through.

The next morning, she woke to little men pounding hammers in her head. She lay silently hoping to wait them out, but it was no use. She
could hear someone in the kitchen and the smell of coffee was strong. She opened her eyes by fractions of an inch until her eyes got used to the light, then she lifted her head and saw Sere moving around the kitchen.

“Morning sleepyhead.”

Moira groaned. “Why are you so chipper this morning?” She lifted her upper torso and grabbed her robe then went to join Sere in the kitchen. “I need to make some of Lucas’ concoction. Arg! Why didn’t you tell me it was a bad idea to get drunk?”

Laughing she told her, “Yesterday you were not in a listening mood. You needed to get drunk and bitch. So I was a good friend and helped you do that.”

“Okay, makes sense. I should probably thank you for that. I’m glad I wasn’t alone in Miami,” she said and hugged her.

“That’s what friends are for,” she said and hugged her back. “As as a
your best friend, I need to encourage you to talk to Conrad.”

“Oh, no, no, no,”
Moira said shaking her head, before she cried out in pain and held her head between her two hands.

Sere didn’t know how to tell
Moira that Conrad had come looking for her last night. After almost half an hour of arguing she had finally convinced him she would try and convince her to talk to him, but he needed to give her space. Men being men, he couldn’t understand why she needed space when he could just explain the misunderstanding. Finally he agreed to spend the weekend in Orlando and be close by in case she agreed to talk to him. He, however told her he would take matters into his own hands if by Sunday she still refused to talk to him.

“Okay, listen. Think about it a little then we can talk about it again later. George should be done with the bathroom shortly then you can shower and we can be on our way,” she told her.

Moira agreed, then drank the horrible hangover concoction. But the instant relief was well worth it. She grabbed her clothes and went into the bathroom when George was done. By the time she was done, Sere had breakfast ready.

“Hey George,” she greeted
him as they hugged. “Been a long time. How are you?”

“Since September or October, I believe. And I am doing good.
I miss Miami a lot though. But I am slowly getting used to Orlando, although the vibes are totally different,” he said to her and took his seat.

Moira
followed suit. “Miami is definitely ‘The Life’. Maybe you should come back and bring my friend back with you.”

“We’ll see how the job goes. But I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to moving back to Miami in the future, just not now,” he said looking at Sere.

Moira cleaned up after breakfast while Sere cleaned and tidied the apartment. Moira helped her with the vacuuming part, despite her refusal for help. “Nonsense,” she said. “It’s not like I am a guest guest. You wouldn’t hesitate to do the same. And isn’t that what friends are for?” she asked.

“Yes. I just didn’t want you to do this when this is supposed to be a fun weekend,” she clarified.

“The sooner we are done, the sooner we can have fun. And I can’t wait to go to the Disney Parks. It’s been more than a decade since I was last there. And to think I live only an hour’s flight away,” Moira said shaking her head. “The weather is great. Last time we were here, it was the middle of summer, and boy was it hot.” Moira moved a few pieces of furtniture. “Anyway, It’s just what I need. Uncomplicated fun.”

It being a one bedroomed apartment, it didn’t take long for them to be done. George had already left to meet up with his friends.
Moira and Sere left and drove the short distance to the parks. They settled on the Hollywood Studio’s theme park.

Chapter
Twenty Three

“You know I had so much fun this weekend. I felt like a kid again. Thanks for the weekend,”
Moira said to Sere as she finished packing her bag. “Tell George I said thanks for putting up with me. I hope I didn’t spoil any of his plans.”

“No, are you kidding me,” Sere said. “He was glad to spend so much time with the boys without feeling guilty about leaving me alone. I’m not very comfortable with some of his friends, so I tend to pick and choose when to join him. That couple we met yesterday at the park is one of the ones I can enjoy being with.”

“Well, thanks anyway. And now I get to treat you to a late lunch at The Orlando. I can’t believe Lucas agreed when I first gave him that proposal.”

“That’s neat. You get to eat great food, for free, then get to review the desserts.”

“Today it’s we, you and me. And anything goes. So make the most of it,” she told her. “Let’s leave. I don’t want us to rush through our food before I have to catch my flight back,” Moira said as she pulled her bag on its wheels.”

“Ah, okay,” she mumbled back. But they left soon after.

“So what are you having?” Moira asked when they sat. She giggled at Sere. “I swear I have worked in lot’s of hotels, but I don’t know half of what’s on this menu.”

“That’s because your head is always buried in pastries,” she smiled back.

“Well, I think I’ll stick with something I know. So maybe a soup and then the t-bone that comes with roast potatos and a vegetable, or should I get the ribeye?” Moira asked herself.

“I’m thinking of
soup as well, but pork chops with the roast potatos and sauteed mushrooms,” Sere said.

When they placed their order,
Moira opted for the t-bone. The service was great and within a short time their soups were served.

“Sere are you okay? You keep fidgeting and looking around.”

“Umm, nothing, I just got the feeling that someone was staring at us, but I think I was mistaken,” she replied biting her lip. “Sorry, I guess I’m just afraid that everyone knows that on a normal day we can’t afford a meal in a place as this one.”

Moira
laughed. “I agree. I think they all think we are fraudsters.” Moira swung her fork in the air saying, “Did you see the price of the wine we ordered? I’m not even sure I like it, but hey, it’s fun.”

“You think maybe it’s because we just don’t have the palate for the finer things in life?” she asked laughing.

“Could be, or just that expensive wine doesn’t necessarily all taste good,” she sipped and made a face. “Guess it’s a good thing I’m not doing a review of their wines. Although I think I’ll let that slip in there and see what Lucas says. It would be interesting to see his face when he reads that little comment,” she snickered. “Oh God, I wish we didn’t live in different cities. I really miss you Sere.”

“I know, me too.”

Moira sighed and pushed her plate to the side. If she didn’t stop eating, she wouldn’t have space for dessert.

A few minutes later their server
, Jorge brought them the dessert menu. They picked three desserts to share. They laughed when he raised his eyebrows in question.

“Okay, this was great. Now I have to pay the bill then you can drop me off at the airport. I should be in Miami before dark.”
Moira took the bill and they laughed at the total before she slipped her credit card inside.

“Now that you aren’t tied down to your job, we should visit each other every couple of months,” Sere said. “I
could come to Miami sometime in April, then you come back here June as so on. What do you think?”

“I like. And you know I get a few free hotel stays so we
could make the most of it, maybe meet up at The West Palm Beach. I hear that it’s very nice too. You know his hotels are easy to remember because he only builds one in each city, and name it after the city,” Moira said.

“I like that idea…”

“Excuse me, Ms Peters,” Jorge said and came closer. “There is something wrong with your credit card.”

Moira
and Sere looked at each other and wondered what it could be.

“What kind of problem?”
Moira asked.

“I’m not sure, but I’m afraid your credit card company said to keep the card,” he responded.

“What?” Sere said. “I have never heard of that.”

“It certainly is strange. It’s not like there isn’t any available credit. I know because I hardly ever use it and I pay it off every month,” she said.

“Are you sure Jorge?” Sere asked.

“Well you need to come to the office and speak with my manager. He was the one who called them after they had sent an error message,” Jorge replied.

“Well, this is embarrassing, but I can always use my debit card, but I can’t leave my credit card here. Unless I call my bank directly and they tell me the same thing,” Moira said.

“Or I can use mine,” Sere said.

“No, this was on me. Let’s go and hear what the manager has to say. I hope I don’t end up missing my flight,” she said as she stood up.

They followed Jorge to the office behind th
e front desk, and found the manager on the phone. He indicated that they take a seat. He quickly hung up and got up to greet them.

“Ms Peters?” he asked.

“That’s me,” Moira said taking his hand. “Please call me Moira. And this is my friend, Serenity Segal,” she told him pointing to Sere.

“Okay, thanks for coming.
I’m Phil Bell, the manager on duty today. Let me get some papers from the front desk. I’ll be right back,” he told them and closed the door on his way out.

Moira
was glad when the door opened a few minutes after that. She needed to straighten the mess and be on her way home. If she missed her flight she may end up having to be put on standby and who knew if the later flights had any empty seats available. She turned when the door opened, and stared in shock when she saw Conrad standing there, instead of Phil.

“What the hell? You’ve got to be kidding me. There never was a problem with my card was there? You set this up,” she told him furiously. “Let’s go Sere,” she said as she took her hand and made to move towards the door and past him.

“Here is your credit card,” he said handing it to her. “You are not leaving until we talk. I’ve given you enough time to call me, but since you are being stubborn, I thought it best we hash it out now,” he told her smoothly.

“Excuse me. Since when did you start making decisions for me?” she prodded his chest with her fore finger. “And why
couldn’t this wait until I was back in Miami?” she asked.

“If I remember correctly, you ran away from Miami and have been ignoring my calls since,” he told her.

“Well, that should have told you that I wasn’t interested in talking to you. And now I have to leave. I have a flight to catch,” she told him. “Out of my way.”

Ignoring her, he looked at Sere. “Thanks Sere. I’ll make sure your friend gets home.”

Shocked Moira looked at her friend who had the decency to not look her in the eye. “I’m sorry Moira. He came looking for you on Friday. He was upset and worried about you. He just needs to say his piece.”

“You knew all along?”

“Yes, I mean not exactly. All he asked was that I find a way for the two of you to meet, and when he found out we had made plans to come here, he said he would take over once we were here,” Sere said and bit her lip. “Please just listen to him. I know you still care for him.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. No wonder why you were all nervous during lunch.
”

“I’m sorry. Forgive me?” she asked.

She smiled. “Nothing to forgive. I’m sure you didn’t have a choice,” she said and they hugged. “Just do me one favor?” she asked and turned to look at Conrad. “Call the police if I don’t make it to Miami.”

His mouth twitched. Serenity laughed.

Moira walked behind Sere as she walked to the door. Conrad took her wrist to hold her back. She looked at his hand and sighed, “I need my bag.” And maybe find a way to disappear, she added silently.

“Don’t worry, someone will bring it in for you. I’m not letting you out of my sight until we talk,” he told her. “Let’s go upstairs. I’m booked here.”

He interlinked their fingers and guided her out of the room. Moira was glad she didn’t get to see Phil as they walked out. She was sure he had been coerced too, and poor Jorge too, but he could have chosen not to participate.

They took an elevator all the way to the penthouse floor.
Moira got out wondering how much the penthouse at this hotel would cost. And as Sere said, he had showed up at her apartment on Friday and it was way past check out time, which meant he had booked it for three nights. She followed him inside and took her time looking around.

“Would you like a tour?” he asked her.

She nodded.

“You are still not talking to me?”

She nodded.

He chuckled. “That’s alright because I can do all the talking.” He took her fingers again and showed her the kitchen,
dining room, sitting room and two bedrooms on the first floor, then took her upstairs to the second floor where the master bedroom was.

“It’s very nice,” she said. “Does The Miami also have the same floor plan?”

“Mostly yes, but Lucas tried to implement a few slight differences. Ask him to show it to you when it’s not being used. Which is rare, though.”

When thet got back downstairs he asked her if she wanted something to drink. She declined. She needed to keep a clear head. Maybe something non alcoholic later on, she thought. A knock sounded on the door. When
Conrad opened it, she saw a man holding her bag, but he didn’t seem to be a hotel employee.

“Mitch, meet
Moira Peters. Moira, this is Mitch.”

“Ms. Peters,” he said and took her hand.

“Hi Mitch. It’s Moira,” she said. “Do you work here?” she asked.

He smiled at her and looked at
Conrad.

“Mitch is my protection,” he
sighed as if it was a hardship telling her.

“Protection from who? Me?” she laughed.

Mitch tried to stifle a laugh, but it escaped. Conrad’s lips twitched before he lost the battle and laughed too.

“Thanks Mitch. I’ll take it on from here. Just drop the bag over there,” he said pointing.

Mitch said goodbye to her as he left and shut the door.

“Come,”
Conrad said and took her hand , then directed her to a sofa. He sat and directed her to sit beside him. He pulled her closer until she leaned against him as she pulled her feet beneath her. Even if she wanted to pull away, she couldn’t. Conrad moved his hand around her and held her to his body. In his other hand was a beer bottle.

“Mitch and his team are my protection, as in bodyguards
,” he told her.

“I didn’t know you needed bodyguards as in more than one. Is that for when you travel? Or did someone threaten you?” she asked.

“Always,” he said. “In Miami they try to keep to the background, and blend in, but they are always there somewhere. But when I leave Miami, then they are more open.”

“I see.”

Conrad put his bottle down, and took Moira’s hand. “Are you ready for us to discuss about what happened Thursday night?” When she remained silent, he went on, “Fair enough, I said I would do all the talking.”

Moira
thought he seemed to take a deep breath before he continued.

“That voice mail was from an old friend of mine. Her name is Veronica de Beers.
We met in college and became friends, including with Lucas. So I should say she is a friend of ours. We were never anything more than friends. A couple of years ago she had to go to her home and take care of her ailing mother. We lost touch after that, until Thursday when we attended the same benefit. We talked for a while until I had to give a speech then we were both occupied with greeting other people. So the message you heard was of her saying she was glad we had reconnected as friends, and she wanted us to meet and catch up some more. That’s it. I promised you exclusivity, and I won’t go back on my word. Besides, I’m not about to take up an old girlfriend when I have a great thing going here,” he said.

Moira
smiled at that last statement. But felt crappy about the rest. She had jumped to a conclusion that may have seemed valid, but was not true. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I just jumped to the most obvious conclusion.” She shrugged. “I guess I didn’t think I stood a chance against someone as sophisticated as her.”

“You think I am looking for someone who is sophisticated?”

“I don’t know. I’m just not the usual type of female you go for. I don’t know. It’s just so confusing sometimes. You know.” She raised her hand to gesture, “You are you and I am me. Just average Moira.”

Conrad
lifted her and let her straddle him. “Never call yourself average,” he told her angrily. “You are beautiful. The most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Inside and out.” He lifted her chin. “Granted I have been with other beautiful women, heiresses, models, actresses, singers and the like. But most are just selfish jerks out to look out for themselves. Some are not so bad, but none of them hold a candle to you. None of them make me feel as crazy for them as I do for you. I hate being away from you, this weekend was torture in itself and I never want a repeat of that. So the next time something weird happens, you come to me and we discuss it. No more jumping to conclusions. Okay?”