A Road to Let Go (Fallen Tuesday #4) (13 page)

“
Yeah,
well, that
’
s where I sort
of run dry here. Seems that trail goes a little cold.
”

“
What
does that mean?
”

“
I
have the last place he
’
s
known to be,
”
Jon said.
“
I have an address.
”

Address?

Mel flickered a smile. Her heart was
racing again.
“
An address?
”

“
Yeah.
You won
’
t like this part
though.
”

“
What
part?
”

“
The
address is in Washington.
”

“
Shit,
”
Mel said.

“
I
’
m sorry.
”

“
We
have to go to Washington?
”

“
I
’
d like that. I can give you the
address and you make the decision. I can go there and dig around.
”

“
That
will cost a ton of money, won
’
t
it?
”

“
Of
course it will.
”

“
Maybe
I should just stop this,
”
Mel said.
“
Maybe this is my
sign.
”

There was a long pause. Jon let out
a sigh.

“
I
won
’
t force you into
spending money, Mel. I always try to be honest. If you want this to be the end
of the line, then so be it. Okay? I
’
ll
give you the address and you decide what to do.
”

“
It
’
s Washington. That
’
s just
…
I don
’
t
have that kind of money. I can
’
t
…”

Mel caught herself choking up. She
paused and tried to collect herself. She couldn
’
t
break down on the phone with Jon.

“
I
know, Mel,
”
Jon said.
“
Take a day or two and think
about it. I can make some calls but it
’
s
hard. It costs money. I could fly out there. I
’
ll
book the cheapest flight possible.
”

“
Or
maybe I
’
ll fly out there,
”
Mel said.
“
Visit my aunt. Ask questions.
”

“
That
’
s an option.
”

“
Thank
you, Jon. For everything you
’
ve
done so far. I just
…”

“
Take
some time,
”
Jon said.
“
I
’
m
sorry, Mel. This part of my job sucks. It
’
s
not always easy. It
’
s not always
cut and dry.
”

Mel ended the call with Jon and she
closed her eyes to hold the tears back. She had purposely tried to keep her
mind off the subject. Now she was stuck in the middle. She could go to
Washington or she could pay Jon to go to Washington.

Or she could just forget about it.

Mel turned and let out a gasp.

“
Whoa,
are you okay?
”

Mel stared in disbelief.

Jake was standing right next to
her.

(11)

Jake wanted to have fun. Leaving
the hotel and facing reality didn
’
t
seem like an option right now. He wanted to see Mel again. He wanted to talk to
her. Flirt with her. Enjoy himself a little more.

When he ran down the hall and cut
the corner, he saw Mel talking on her cell phone. He smiled and took a few more
steps before he started to hear her conversation. He told himself to just back
off and not listen. It wasn't his business.

But then he heard Mel say something
about Washington.

Washington? The state?

He wondered what was wrong with
her. Family issues? Friend issues? Maybe a boyfriend, fiancé, or husband issue?

“
It
’
s Washington. That
’
s just
…
I don
’
t have that kind of money. I can
’
t
…”

Jake froze in his tracks. No matter
how hard he screamed in his mind to just turn around and walk away, he didn
’
t. He couldn
’
t. He wanted to help Mel if he
could. She had helped him, even if it was for something stupid. But this could
be serious. It didn
’
t make
sense that Mel would work in a hotel like this. She seemed out of place. And if
this was all a money issue, Jake could take care of that with ease.

“
Maybe
I should just stop this. Maybe this is my sign.
”

Stop what? What was Mel looking
for.

“
Or
maybe I
’
ll fly out
there. Ask questions. Visit my aunt.
”

Jake swallowed hard. He considered
cutting right into the conversation and offering to help. He could show Mel
that he wasn
’
t just some
asshole rockstar looking to score and party. There was more to Jake than that.
What happened last night was a fluke.

“
Thank
you, Jon. For everything you
’
ve
done so far. I just
…”

Jake closed his eyes and nodded for
a second. There was a man involved. That made perfect sense. A woman like Mel wouldn't
be single. That much at least made sense. The rest didn
’
t, but that was expected with a stranger, wasn
’
t it?

The call came to a sudden end and
Jake felt like he had just been caught stealing. He tried to take one step back
but by then Mel had already turned around. She gasped and her cheeks turned a
deep shade of red.

With her hair pulled back there was
no hiding her face, her eyes, or her red cheeks. And then a tear fell from her
eye.

“
Hey,
”
Jake said.
“
I, uh, just wanted to find you
and thank you again.
”

“
Oh,
yeah. Sure thing.
”

Mel looked left, to the cleaning
and supplies cart. Jake knew she had to get back to work but he still lingered,
not wanting her to walk away for good.

“
Everything
good?
”
he asked, knowing
damn well it was none of his business.

“
I
’
m alive,
”
Mel said.
“
If
that
’
s what you mean.
”

“
I
see that,
”
Jake said and
offered a smile.
“
It
’
s none of my business here, but
what time would I be able to see you outside the hotel?
”

“
Depends
on the work,
”
Mel said.
“
And if a certain rockstar
’
s room is trashed or  not.
”

“
You
’
ll be done early then.
”

“
I
’
ll still stay. Extra hours,
extra pay.
”

“
For
your trip?
”
Jake asked.

It
’
s none of your business, man
…

“
My
trip?
”

“
Sorry.
I overheard a part of your conversation. Washington? I take it you meant
Washington state?
”

“
Oh.
That. Yeah.
”

“
Beautiful
state,
”
Jake said.
“
We toured through there last
year. Going to Seattle?
”

“
Maybe.
Maybe not. I have to get back to work.
”

“
I
know. Sorry. I
’
m stalling
you. On purpose, for the record.
”

“
Why?
”

Mel stood a little combative. Jake
looked over his shoulder. He knew that down the hall there was a room he had
paid for on his own that had enough wrong things happen in it the night before.
The last thing he needed to now was to muddle in Mel
’
s personal life.

“
Just
curious,
”
Jake said.
“
Sorry for bothering you. My
offer still stands. Breakfast. Coffee. Whatever. I appreciate your help this
morning.
”

“
Like
I said before, it wasn
’
t a
problem.
”

Jake nodded and awkwardly put his
hand out. He was nowhere near close enough to allow Mel to shake his hand or
touch his hand or whatever the hell he had in mind. In all honesty, he wanted
to grab Mel and give her a big hug. Why, he didn
’
t
know. Her face looked sad. The tear on her face had dried, but Jake could see
the wet path in his mind.

“
You
’
re still standing there,
”
Mel said.

“
Yeah,
I am
…”

Jake smiled and then turned to walk
away. He made it to the end of the hall and turned the corner. He found himself
shaking his head. He was a damn rockstar. Rockstar
’
s didn
’
t
walk away feeling weird. They didn
’
t
walk away feeling confused or wondering
what if?
.

“
Rockstar,
”
Jake whispered.

That
’
s
what got him into so many problems in his life. He had wanted to be a rockstar
the first time he was with Chloe. And now the second time around, he was a
rockstar but he managed to dig that hole deeper.

Hell, what was the harm in flirting
with Mel a little more?

Jake turned back around the corner
and walked toward Mel. She stood at her cart, her hands in place to push but
she didn
’
t move.

“
Hey,
Mel
…”

She turned and Jake saw her eyes
were puffy and more tears had fallen.

“
Oh,
shit,
”
Jake said.

He put his hands out, ready to
apologize with his life if need be, but instead of getting angry, Mel fell
toward him. She fell into his arms and Jake held her.

She let out a whimpering sound and
then cried.

One of Jake
’
s hands were at her back, the other finding comfort
in the tight, black curls of her hair. When he moved his hand, he noticed the
scent of something fruity. Obviously it was Mel
’
s
shampoo, but it smelled great.

After a few seconds, Mel sucked in
a breath.
“
I can
’
t believe I just did that.
”

She started to move, but Jake held
her still.
“
It
’
s okay. You helped me. I
’
ll help you. It
’
ll be our secret.
”

Mel looked up at Jake.
“
I bet you don
’
t get many women falling into
your arms crying
…
or
clothed.
”

“
Very
funny,
”
Jake said.

Mel smiled and closed her eyes.
More tears started to fall.

Jake
’
s
hand shook as he moved it from her hair to her face. Gently, he touched Mel
’
s cheek and wiped away a tear.
She then opened her eyes again and Jake knew he was just a second away from
kissing her. From kissing a stranger. From kissing the woman who was sent to
clean his hotel room. From kissing the woman who had helped him ditch a woman
that had been in his bed the night before.

Instead, Jake put his hands to her
shoulders and moved her away.

“
Are
you sure you
’
re okay?
”
he asked.

“
I
’
m probably as okay as you are,
”
she said.

“
That
’
s not good to hear
…”

Mel smiled again.

Damn, what a pretty smile. Thin
lips. Cute, little dimples
…

Stop, man, just stop.

“
It
’
s okay,
”
Mel said.
“
This
is
…
this is just weird
right now.
”

“
What
is?
”

“
I
don
’
t know, you tell me.
The fact that I
’
m crying in
front of a stranger, or the fact that the stranger is a famous person.
”

“
Famous?
”
Jake asked and laughed.
“
I don
’
t like that word.
”

“
That
’
s what you are. Anyone in this
hotel would know you.
”

“
Fair
enough then, Mel.
”
Jake had
nothing else to say because if he did, he would dig another hole deeper.
“
I
’
ll
let you get back to work then.
”

“
Seriously
though, I am okay,
”
Mel
said.
“
I
’
d hate for you to worry about
me.
”

Mel gave him a little flirty smile
and Jake shook his head.

“
It
would bother me,
”
Jake
said.
“
To leave knowing
someone so beautiful was upset. Unless I did it. Then I
’
d probably just run like hell.
”

Mel laughed.

Yes, keep going. Waste more time
with me.

Silence came between them and Jake
finally decided to do the right thing and just succumb to the scene in front of
him. Mel was with someone and he had a disaster waiting at his apartment.

And then Mel spoke again.

“
I
’
m done here soon,
”
Mel said.
“
If you
’
re hungry.
”

“
Tell
you what,
”
Jake said,
pouncing on an opportunity,
“
I
’
ll check out that rockstar
’
s room with you. Anything trashed,
I
’
ll clean.
”

“
Sure.
”

*

Mel found herself in different
states of shock. The first, of course, was that this quest to find her father
was probably going to come to an end. She couldn
’
t
go to Washington and chase more dead ends. It didn
’
t work that way at all. The only real option would
be to send Jon to Washington or pay for help in Washington.

That was a whole lot to take on at
once.

The other state of shock ran
through her body as she pushed her cleaning and supplies cart, walking next to
Jake. She couldn't believe that she had fallen into his arms crying. Now she
was going to take care of his hotel room while he was inside it. Because he
wanted to get something to eat.

Mel glanced over at Jake.

Like a date or something?

A date with a rockstar. It just
seemed so far off the map.

At the room, Jake opened the door
and held it for Mel. She hated the idea of having to work right now, especially
in front of Jake like this.

Once inside, Mel looked around and
nodded.

“
What?
”
Jake asked.

“
The
room is clean. Like
…
really
clean.
”

“
Well,
I didn
’
t come here to party
and trash the place,
”
Jake
said.
“
Those days are long
behind me.
”

Mel thought of saying something
silly, but then she saw the bedroom. The door was slightly open. That
’
s where Jake had been. That was
the purpose for getting the room. He wanted it so that he could spend all night
with someone.

Mel couldn
’
t believe it actually started to bother her. To
imagine Jake touching and holding someone, to imagine someone touching Jake. But
then she remembered that the woman told her nothing had happened.

“
I
’
ll clean up the room,
”
Jake said.

“
No,
”
Mel said.
“
I have to do it. There
’
s company policies on how it has
to look. Sorry. My boss is an ass.
”