There were just too many questions, and not nearly enough answers.
I didn’t think I’d ever get to sleep, but I must have at some point, because I woke up the next morning groggy from my nightmares. Fortunately I rarely remembered them for long, but in this one, I was being chased by a long line of letters and numbers. They’d formed a perfect line and were holding hands as they chased me through one of my own puzzles.
The image had been enough to jolt me awake.
Zach was still sleeping, so I slipped out of bed and decided to take a shower. The multiple jets helped a little in bringing me fully awake, but I could feel the lack of real sleep, and I knew I’d pay for it through the day. When I’d been in my late teens and early twenties, I’d been able to pull all-nighters writing papers or studying for exams, but the older I got, the more I felt missed minutes of slumber, let alone the hours I’d lost last night.
I wasn’t a coffee drinker by nature, but I loved sweet tea. After my shower, I placed an order just for me; a pitcher of sweet iced tea, and a stack of cinnamon sticks.
I tried to be quiet as I got dressed, but I heard Zach’s voice from under the covers. “You had a rough night, didn’t you?”
“Sorry if I woke you,” I said.
“Which time; now, or when you shouted out the sequences were after you?”
“Oh, no. Did I actually say that out loud?”
“You did. Care to share your nightmare with me?”
I shook my head. “Not before I’ve had something to eat.”
“Savannah, you know it’s just superstition, don’t you? Your bad dreams really won’t come true if you tell them to someone else before you’ve had breakfast.”
“I know it’s irrational, but I won’t do it, so stop asking.” There was a knock at the door, and Zach popped out of the bed like he was on springs.
“Easy, tiger. I ordered some sweet tea to perk me up, and some cinnamon sticks just because I could.”
“Not breakfast for me? I’m starving.”
I laughed and threw a pillow at him as I walked to the door. “I’ll order you something as soon as I answer that.”
“Yes, but will you share with me until mine gets here?”
“We’ll see,” I said.
“WHO IS IT?” I ASKED AS I WALKED TO THE DOOR.
“Sweet tea and cinnamon sticks,” the voice said.
I was surprised when I opened the door to find Garrett standing there. “Wow, I didn’t realize the manager of the hotel delivered room service.”
He smiled at me. “Not normally, no. But I’ve been told you are to receive VIP treatment during the rest of your stay.”
“Funny, I thought I already was.”
As he pushed the tray inside, he said, “No, ma’am. You got Important Person treatment before. The Very was added sometime last night.”
“Trust me, there’s no need to go all out. I’m sure you have other duties to perform around here.”
“Until you check out, that’s not the case. If there’s anything you’d like, all you need to do is ask.”
“Well, for starters, could we have a repeat of yesterday’s breakfast order? My husband’s a little peckish this morning.”
Garrett smiled then retrieved a radio from his pocket. After a whispered conversation, he said, “It’s taken care of.”
“I need to get one of those,” I said with a grin.
“That’s not a bad idea,” the manager said.
Zach came out wearing a bathrobe. “I smell something delicious.” He looked surprised to see that Garrett was still there.
“If you’ll excuse me,” he said.
“Was that really the hotel manager just delivering your breakfast to you?”
“I wouldn’t call it breakfast. It’s more like a snack.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I’m guessing Barton had a chat with him last night. It appears that our level of service just went up a notch.”
“Where do you go from platinum?”
“That’s what I wanted to know. You have to give Barton credit for one thing. He doesn’t do anything in half- measures.”
Zach reached for a cinnamon stick, and I decided not to smack his hand away. “What about me?”
“I’m sure you’ll be taken care of, too.”
