What Now? Read Online Free Page B

bed and pulled on the dresses over their heads.
    The
voice in her ear jerked her out of her shock. “Would that be a pot of coffee ?”
    “Um,
yes, coffee. Thank you.” She hung up the phone as they passed the living room
without acknowledging her and headed for the foyer as if they were strolling
down the Strip and not out of Nick Badley’s bedroom, or what she assumed was
his bedroom. Both of them! Her mouth hung open in disbelief and her brow furrowed
as she sought to process what she was seeing. Nick Badley had slept with not
one, but both of them? Actually she’d be surprised if much sleeping had taken
place. She was a journalist so she wasn’t oblivious to what went on, but this
was the first time she’d seen it with her own eyes. This was what she’d be
dealing with for the next few weeks? Lord, is this really where I’m supposed
to be? I think you made a mistake.
    About
ten minutes later, Nick sauntered out in jeans, a black T-shirt (she wondered
if he wore any other color) and sporting bare feet. He looked refreshed, with
his hair still wet from the shower and his face clean shaven. All signs of the
debauchery of the night before were washed away.
    “Is
my breakfast here yet?” he asked, looking around.
    Do
you see it here? She thought sarcastically. No ‘sorry to keep you waiting’? No embarrassment
that two women dressed in last night’s clothes just walked out of your bedroom?
The reports about him were seemingly accurate, for once.
    “No.
I ordered it less than fifteen minutes ago.”
    He stopped by the
couch and picked up his guitar, strumming it idly while he strolled unhurriedly
towards the booth.  She had to bite her tongue to hold back from asking him
what she really wanted to ask. Instead she said: “Would you say that your
reputation as Nick Bad has been unfairly exaggerated by the media?”  She
didn’t know how she managed to keep the sarcasm from her voice.
    “You
know how you people exaggerate everything.” 
    “Would
it be exaggerating to say that you slept with two women at the same time last
night?” she asked.
    “For
the record, at the same time would have been an impossible feat,” he corrected
without missing a beat. “However, what I would say is that it’s really none of
your business.”
    “Since
I’m here to document your life, in a way it is my business.”
    A
knock at the door announced room service.
    “You
better be careful what you document or your TV station may need a good lawyer.
I need a cup of coffee and something to eat,” he said, heading for the door.
    Great
start, thought Shari.
    As
soon as the waiter left the tray on the dining room table and departed with
what must have been a huge tip, judging by the smile on his face, Nick started
uncovering dishes.
    “Have
you had breakfast yet? You’re welcome to share mine.” Shari was surprised by
the offer. He seemed to have lost his animosity towards her, at least
temporarily.
    “I
had a late breakfast.”
    “At
least have some of the fruit. There is more here than I can eat. Everything is
oversized in Vegas, even the portions.”
    “That’s
very generous of you. Thank you.” Shari pulled out a chair and accepted a small
plate with fruit piled on it.
    “I’m
nothing if not generous.” He smiled.
    “With
yourself as well, apparently,” she muttered around a strawberry.
    He
laughed. “I have more than enough to go around so why not share?” 
    She
choked. She hoped that he did not mean that the way it sounded.
    He
laughed. “I can’t believe that you’re shocked Shari Goodwin.” The stress was
back on the ‘Good’. “You’re a reporter, nothing should shock you.”
    “I
think a threesome would shock most decent people.”
    “So
are you saying I’m not decent?” he asked, putting a forkful of pancake into his
mouth.
    She
diplomatically said nothing. She couldn’t believe that he didn’t see anything
wrong with how he’d spent the night. Maybe it was a common practice with