The reception room/hall was every bit as luxurious as the hotel in San Diego had been. The sitting areas were comfy-cozy, also, but no one was sitting in any of them. Perhaps the lovely white sand and the sparkling waters of the ocean had called to all the hotel guests. Maybe they were all out digging sandcastles and swimming in the what Bob had assured me was warm water. I hoped I’d at least get the chance to test that. A warm ocean???
We all piled into the elevator, heading up to the top floor. And yes, it was labeled Top Floor, not thirteenth. That cracked me up. Would all the bad luck of thirteen leech out when it was called something different? Couldn’t the king of bad luck count the number of floors?
Timothy smiled down at me, catching the thought. “We could still change our room,” he said.
I shook my head and started reading elevator notices. One advertised a restaurant, another posted the hours of the gym, and a third showed a map to find the business room where it said that computers, printers, and copy machines were available.
“Penelope’s afraid of being on the thirteenth floor?” Bob asked. “We get to add that to the long list: airplanes, dancing, necklaces . . .”
A Terry elbow in the ribs followed that particular Bob aside, along with a shake of the head from Ben, and a ferocious scowl from Timothy.
“If you’d rather not go on a luxury cruise with us and stay in top tiers hotels, say the word, but there will be no verbal assaults of my wife. Understand?” Timothy thundered.
“Sorry, Boss. I was just . . .”
Another rib shove and Bob cut off whatever he’d been about to say.
I loved Bob. I loved his quirkiness. It was really okay with me if he wanted to do some mocking, but I didn’t say anything. Defending Bob had gotten me in trouble before. It is Bob’s job to guard you, not to babble a series of unwelcome remarks, Timothy had said in San Diego.
I glanced over at Daniel. He was the quiet one, never adding his thoughts to any conversation. I wondered if he, too, thought I was afraid of everything. Would he send me back to the circle of young men doing their chants around the smoky, wood-stacked campfire in the middle of the sweet-smelling forest so they could chase away my numerous doubts and fears?
Perhaps the thundergod felt my eyes on him. His soft voice soothed my worry. “To be aware of danger is to be alert and ready for challenge,” Daniel assured me.
The elevator door opened before I had time to filter that through my fatigued and jetlagged brain.