Chapter 5b: Confrontation

I ran into Roderick just on the other side of the door. It looked like he was rushing to get to our private room. I pulled out some of the 100 dollar bills Helen had given me and stuffed them in his hands. "I'm so sorry, Roderick. This is for the mess. Just wait till she's gone and then take care of it. Let me know if you need more than this. Oh, and the wagyu beef tenderloin looked good. Could you send it up to my room?"

Roderick looked a little worried, but then nodded. He glanced down at the bills in his hand and the tension seemed to ease out of his shoulders. "Alright Mr. Upton. Thank you, and I'll have it taken care of."

I immediately left the private room behind, headed to the front desk of the lobby, and picked up my key to the room. During the elevator ride to the top, I tried sorting through my mixed feelings. I was disappointed in myself that I hadn't gone through with it. For Christ's sake, she'd even mentioned sex!

Part of me felt good about my decision. It didn't matter how horrible Bobbi was, she didn't deserve to be forced into sex against her will. No one deserved that. Something about the way I'd treated her this afternoon hadn't set well with me, nor how Helen had acted after Bobbi left, and deep down, I felt a little bit of relief that I'd proved I was still a decent human being. By the time I got to my hotel room, I'd come to the realization that Bobbi was either going to find some way to skip town, or she would end up going to prison. Whatever fantasies I had in my head would remain there... I'd never get to fulfill those things in real life.

The room itself was massive, with a full king-sized bed, sliding glass doors opening to a large patio, and a bathroom with a large claw tub that could easily fit two people. The man at the front desk had informed me that I'd reserved the honeymoon suite for the next two weeks, and that he hoped I enjoyed my stay while in New York. A large bouquet of roses was in a vase on a full dining table with a card that also wished me a pleasant stay.

I stripped off the jacket of my suit and sighed, suddenly feeling alone and a little disgusted at myself. At least the bath looked inviting.

Just as I finished removing all my clothes, there was a knock on the door. I sighed, picked up the robe draped on the bed and slipped it on. I cinched the belt tight as I made my way over to the door to get Roderick's delivery.

"That was quick," I said as I opened the door.

Standing in the doorway was Bobbi. She was looking up at me with those big grey eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks and causing her mascara to run.

"Can I come in," she asked with a light quiver in her voice.

I simply stared down at her in complete silence and hoped she couldn't see the shock I was feeling. After a moment of recovery, I stepped aside and held the door open. Head hung low, Bobbi walked inside, and I shut the door behind her.