Harder Than It Seems

Chapter 3: Catching Feelings

Josh had circled the block so many times now that he had stopped counting. Mya was probably wondering where the hell he was since he had been gone for two hours. That’s if she had even bothered to rest like he had suggested or stayed in his room at all.

“Thanks” He took the change from the cashier and slipped it into his pocket. He hoped Mya liked Chinese food, even though he knew he would gladly go back out to buy her the food that she liked if she didn’t.

On instinct Josh looked up and caught Mya’s gaze. She was standing at the window looking down at him with a slight smile on her face.

She stayed! He was ecstatic that he would at least have someone to keep him company even if it was only for a few hours.

Josh smiled back and waved, but when she didn’t return the wave he wondered if she was looking at him to begin with. Was her smile directed at someone else?

Who else could she possibly be thinking about while staying in his hotel room?  Josh figured he would find out when he got back to his room.

When he entered the hotel through the revolving doors he noticed cops were everywhere. Why hadn’t he seen any of the distinctive cars outside? He needed to get some answers.

“Excuse me can you tell me what’s going on?” Josh asked a bystander.

“Some asshole trashed one of the suites on the second floor and they made everyone clear out when gunshots were heard.”

Gunshots! Wait I’m on the second floor! “Did they say which room was trashed?”

“No.”

Mya is still upstairs! “Why is she still upstairs?” He mumbled to no one in particular.

Josh looked around for her in the crowd just to make sure, but there was no sign of her.

“Excuse me…sorry excuse me.” He quickly pushed his way through the crowd much to their dismay.

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going young man?” The officer stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

“This girl I left her upstairs-”

“Look sir she’s probably already down here.” The officer signaled toward an outraged man in the corner trying to get past security.

“Martinez!” When the officer’s name was called he bolted through the crowd leaving Josh alone.

Josh quickly disappeared from sight through the double doors before anyone could see him. Taking the stairs two at a time, he made it to the second floor.

All the doors to the room were left open, but as he made it to his own room he noticed his was the only one that was closed. Across the hall Mya’s suite was the worst of them all.

Curious, he poked his head into her room. Everything was scattered all over the place and her personal belongings were almost nonexistent. Josh noted her purse and a few undergarments and stuffed them into the pocket of his coat. He tried to gather whatever he could find that might be of some use to her. When he was done he returned to his room.

Pulling out his card he let himself in. “Mya?” Josh called out to her; she was no longer standing by the window where he had previously spotted her.

“Yes…” A voice mumbled. Mya stepped out of the kitchen with a strawberry in her mouth.

Josh sighed in relief and without thinking he quickly walked toward her. He picked her up and spun her around in a circle as if he had never been happier to see anyone in his life.

The food had fallen to the marble floor allowing a heavy dull sound to reverberate throughout the room.

Mya yelped with sheer delight, but now she was starting to get dizzy. “Please put me down!”

Josh obeyed her request but not before embracing her in a tight hug. He was so happy that she was okay; he didn’t want to think about her possibly being harmed.

“What was all that about?” Mya asked as soon as her feet had hit the floor.

It was obvious that Mya knew nothing about what went on outside the room. “You didn’t hear? There’s police everywhere downstairs.” He opted not to tell her that her room had been robbed or the fact that gunshots were fired.

“No. I didn’t. I was sleeping remember. I just woke up not to long ago.” She said finishing off the rest of her strawberry.

“Oh. Well here’s your purse.” He handed her the small black purse that could’ve been mistaken for an oversized wallet.

“How did you get it? My room was locked.”

“Well not exactly. Someone trashed all the rooms on the second floor. Yours got hit the hardest.” Josh watched her expression change from confusion to shock.

“I was able to pick up some of your clothes and stuff that were scattered all over the place.” He took the undergarments and feminine hygiene products out of his pocket and placed them atop of the counter.  

“Thanks.” What would someone gain from robbing the whole second floor? And why hadn’t they touched Josh’s room? Why her? Was someone out there trying to destroy her life? First her mother, then her grandmother, and now her…

“Hey you alright?” She nodded at his question, but Josh thought differently. Especially, when she turned away from him and took a seat in one of the cushioned chairs in the dining room.

Even in the darkened room Josh could tell that she was on the brink of crying. He didn’t like to see people cry because it meant that they were sad and being sad never helped anyone. It just made it hurt worst.

“What happened?” He questioned if he should go to her, but he didn’t.

Mya shook her head indicating her refusal to share her most painful memories. No one knew about her grandmother, not even her best friend Tangi Hamilton.

She pulled her knees up to her chest, shielding her face from his view. There was no need for him to see her humiliate herself.

Josh picked up the bag of food from the floor and proceeded to ration it off for him and Mya. He figured maybe he could at least get her to eat a little something even if it was just a spoonful.

“Mya I brought us back some food. Do you like Chinese?” He slowly started toward her.

She didn’t respond.

“I got shrimp fried rice and an egg roll.” Josh placed the plate before her. When she still didn’t look up at him, he knew that getting her to eat was going to be harder than he thought.

“Come on you have to eat something.” I spent my money for this. She was gonna eat it, even if he had to feed it to her.

Josh gently placed both of his palms on each side of her face and lifted her head so he could meet her gaze. “This is what we’re gonna do…” He paused to wipe away some of her tears.

“We’re gonna sit down and eat this food, then me and you are gonna talk okay?” Why did it sound as if he wasn’t leaving her with the choice to protest?

“There’s nothing to talk about.” Mya mumbled. Couldn’t he see that she was upset?

“You and I both know there is. How about you tell me what happened to make you upset and I’ll tell you my story? Deal?” If the only way to get her to confess was by sharing some of his own unpleasant recollections; then so be it. He would do whatever it took.

Mya nodded her head, agreeing. He was too persistent for his own good. She thought silently.

Josh lifted the spoon to her mouth, but she refused to eat it. What now?

“You taste it first.” She demanded.

Josh smiled.  “Only if you feed me.” He stared at her intently.

“Okay.” Mya returned the smile, taking the spoon from him and positioning it in front of his lips.

Josh savored the taste on his tongue, making sure nothing was leftover on the spoon. He kept his eyes on Mya the whole time, observing her reaction to his playful flirtatiousness. If she was affected by it she didn’t let it show on the outside that is until he saw her gaze drop to his mouth just as his tongue licked the flavor from his bottom lip.

“Was it good?” She asked a few seconds later, lifting her gaze to meet his again.

“Delicious. Now you.” Relieving the spoon from her grasp he scooped up a spoonful of shrimp fried rice and lifted it to her mouth.

“It is good.” She didn’t get to eat Chinese food as often as she would like to have.

They finished off the carton of shrimp fried rice before the hour was up. However Josh ate more than she did because every time she lifted the spoon to his mouth his stomach managed to accommodate it.

Mya took the last bite of the egg roll and held it out for Josh to take, but he held her hand and brought it to his lips instead. He treated her hand just as if it were the spoon, making sure to leave no food behind. Even when the duck sauce had dribbled off his chin onto her hand; he wrapped his lips around her finger and dissolved all flavor from it.

Mya’s breath caught in her throat at his behavior. She tried to retract her hand, but he continued to hold it in his own even after he was done worshipping it.

“That was even better.” Josh licked his lips again.

She eyed him speechless. This man was full of surprises. And even though she was taken back by what he had just done she couldn’t deny that he was attractive. Not to mention that he made her feel…different. For a brief moment she wondered how his lips would feel against hers.

Josh stood from the table pulling her up along with him. “Hey where is Whiskey?” Hearing his name, Whiskey entered the room. He went straight to Mya.

“Why do I have a feeling that my dog doesn’t give a shit about me anymore?”

“Yeah I guess you can say that. What can I say he adores me?” Mya laughed bending down to stroke the puppy as he circled around her feet wanting attention.

“He’s not the only one.” He said seriously.

There go those damn eyes again. Whenever he would stare at her intently her stomach would do a flip-flop.

Mya looked up at him bashfully.

“How bout I fix us both a drink?” He held out his hand to help her up, but Mya refused standing up on her own. She couldn’t risk what he might have tried to do next if he had the chance to touch her again.

Mya leaned her elbows against the counter watching him as he swiftly moved around the kitchen gathering all the necessary ingredients. Whatever he was making looked as if it was going to be delicious.

Josh turned the blender off and poured the frozen drink into two cups. “Here taste it.”

Mya obeyed his request and took a small sip of the drink. “Mmm…it’s good. I can only taste a little alcohol.” She continued to take more and more sips.

Suddenly Josh took the glass from her and placed his own down on the counter. “Wait a minute you are of legal drinking age right?” She looked as if she was around his age which was 24, but he wanted to be sure.

 Mya rolled her eyes and reached for her drink, but he pushed it away. “Yes I’m 23. You need to see identification?” She moved away from the counter to go retrieve her wallet, but Josh grasped her hand to halt her movements.

“That’s alright I believe you.” He intertwined her fingers with his, pulling her toward him.

“Don’t do it.” Mya protested.

“Do what?” Josh smiled using his thumb to stroke the back of her hand.

Mya closed her eyes then quickly reopened them. “That!” She removed her hand from his grasp and sat atop the counter.

“Can you put a tad bit more rum in this for me?” She needed something to stray her mind away from Mr. Surprise.

“Sure darling.” Josh drawled and took the glass from her hand, but not before he touched her fingers again.

Mya eyed him knowing he had done that on purpose. When he returned with her drink she snatched it from him before he could try anything. Even though she had took the drink from him he had yet to move from in front of her. In fact now he was standing in the space between her legs.

He was going to try something again. She just knew it. The look in his eyes said it all. Couldn’t this man take no for an answer? But she had never actually said the words no and she didn’t know if she actually wanted to when she saw his lips lifting towards hers.

Her head slowly moved down to his meet him halfway…it was too late to say no now.