Free Emancipating Andie by Priscilla Glenn Page A

Andie said through a yawn.
    “Very well,” she said through a wide smile, clicking away at the computer. Andie looked over at Chase, tilting her head when she took in his rigid posture, his uneasy expression. He opened his mouth only to close it again, running his hand through his hair.
    And that’s when she realized what she had just said.
    “Wait, no, no!” she said, shaking her head. “I meant one bed for me . And one for him. Two beds. I mean, two rooms! One bed in each room,” she said with a frustrated huff, rolling her eyes at herself.
    The woman glanced back and forth between Andie and Chase. “Very well,” she said again, this time more demurely as she went back to her computer. “I’m going to need a credit card, please.”
    Chase and Andie each handed her a card, and the woman adjusted her glasses as she went back to manically clicking the keyboard.
    “Okay,” she said after a minute, “You guys are in two twenty-five and two twenty-seven. Checkout is at eleven, and there’s a complimentary breakfast each morning from seven to ten. Have a wonderful stay with us,” she practically sang, handing them each their credit card and a room key.
    “Thank you,” Andie said softly, taking her things and following Chase to the elevators. He pressed the button for the second floor and the doors immediately dinged open.
    He gestured for Andie to go first and she stepped in, hoisting her bag to a more comfortable position on her shoulder. As the doors slid closed, Andie said quietly, “Sorry about that.”
    “About what?”
    “The whole room/bed fiasco. I wasn’t really paying attention.”
    The corner of Chase’s mouth lifted in a tired smile. “Well, next time you plan on propositioning me, you could at least buy me dinner first.”
    Andie looked down, fighting a smile as she shook her head, and the doors opened. Once again, he gestured for her to go before him, and they walked down the hall, both stopping in front of Andie’s room.
    “Well, good night,” she said.
    “Yep,” he said through a yawn, turning toward his door.
    Just as Andie slid her card into the slot, she heard him say, “Hey, Andie?”
    “Hmm?” She lifted her head to look over at him.
    He stared at her for a second before he said, “When did you want to leave tomorrow?”
    “Oh. Well, right now we’re about six hours from Tampa, give or take. So, like nine? Is that okay?”
    “Whatever the itinerary says,” he said with a salute before he opened his door and disappeared inside.
    She smiled softly, opening her door and dropping her bags near the bed. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been this tired. It took every bit of energy she had just to brush her teeth and undress. She put on one of Colin’s T-shirts and crawled into bed, leaning over the side and taking her laptop and phone out of her bag. She fished through her bag again, pulling out the DVD she brought with her. It was one of her favorites, something she knew would make her feel at home while trying to sleep in a strange bed.
    She put the DVD into her laptop and laid back against the pillows, grabbing her phone and dialing Colin.
    “Hey babe!” he answered, shouting over the voices and music in the background.
    “Hi,” she said, smiling to herself.
    “Sorry, it’s loud in here! Hold on, let me go outside!”
    “No, it’s okay, stay with your friends,” she said, knowing he was at Justin’s bachelor party. “I just wanted to call and tell you we’re stopping for the night. We’re in South Carolina.”
    “Alright. What time do you think you’ll be here tomorrow?” he said, still raising his voice over the background noise.
    “Probably around four if all goes according to plan.”
    “I can’t wait.”
    She closed her eyes. “I know. I miss you.”
    “Miss you too, babe. How’s it going with Chase?”
    “It’s been fine. It’s nice to have someone to talk to.”
    “See, I knew you’d have a good time. He’s funny, isn’t