5
400words
Soon, the feed came back.
Too bad the jerk had some shame left. The curtains were drawn!
The hotel windows were good at blocking sound too.
We couldn't hear anything, but we could clearly see two shadows moving around inside.
And they were clearly… overlapping, moving together rhythmically.
Even though I already knew he was cheating, seeing those two shadows moving as one felt like a knife to the heart.
My mind immediately supplied the visuals.
I knew exactly what that jerk looked like in the throes of passion.
But right now, I wanted to know: Who was this other woman?
Someone who knew his real situation, and was local?
I couldn't think of anyone who fit.
Looking back, it seemed like his last few visits were half-hearted, getting worse each time.
He blamed work stress. Now it made sense.
He was tired, probably from running a marathon with two different people.
I pushed the thoughts away. The priority now was to catch the cheating pair red-handed!
Barging in wasn't an option.
Without a key card, we couldn't even get into the elevator.
Leo had a better idea.
"Hey, most buildings have a fire escape stairwell. We can take the stairs!"
I had Harper stay in the lobby as a lookout. Leo and I ducked into the stairwell.
Thankfully, the jerk's room was on the 5th floor.
We got up there fast.
Just as I was about to kick the door in and catch them red-handed, Leo stopped me.
"Whoa. These doors are solid. You won't kick it open. We need a plan."
I held back, then pressed my ear against the door, trying to hear what the pair inside was doing.
I desperately wanted to know who the other woman was.
I could only catch muffled, fragmented sounds. It didn't even sound like talking.
Just as I was stewing uselessly outside the door, my phone chimed: Bluetooth Connected.
I immediately opened my phone, put in my other earbud, and connected.
Because my earbuds had a microphone feature, the conversation inside came through crystal clear.
But when that familiar voice hit my ears, I was stunned.
If she'd been talking normally, I might not have recognized her immediately.
But that particular, breathy moan was one of a kind.
How could it be her?
But then again, thinking about it—it could only be her!
