Free Eternal Hearts by Jennifer Turner

let out a loud laugh. “I think you’d soon find the routines of an old man like me rather boring. Besides, given the violent nature of the situations you’re often placed in, and the expectations heaped upon you by your employer, I think you’ve done rather well for yourself.”
    “If by well you mean filthy rich, I won’t argue.”
    “That’s not at all what I meant, and you well know that,” Robert said as he plucked a tissue from the gold encrusted box on the edge of the counter and waved it like a surrender flag. “Now, if you’d kindly remove your soiled boots from my antique cocktail table and clean up whatever residue you’ve tracked in, I would greatly appreciate it.”
    Drake reached out and snatched the flag. “No wonder why Locke always looks so neat and tidy,” he grumbled as he set his feet back on the floor. “You probably bust his balls every time he spills something on one of his million dollar suits, don’t ya?”
    Robert couldn’t have looked any more offended if Drake had stood up and pissed all over his antique whatever table. “I do no such thing.” He cracked a telling grin right before he snapped his fingers and motioned for the tissue back. “Besides, his suits are handled by the dry cleaners.”
    Drake finished wiping the melted snow off the polished mahogany then handed the dirty flag back to him. “I need another one.”
    “One wasn’t sufficient?”
    “Yeah, but I figure you’re just gonna give me another one when I put my feet back up there, so I thought I’d save you the trip.”
    Robert rolled his eyes as he dropped the tissue into the trashcan behind the desk. “I do hope you intend to stop being an assjack when the young lady arrives. It’s not an attractive quality.”
    Drake could only stare at Robert for a second before laughter completely overtook him. Of all the modern phrasing slipups he’d heard over the years, that one was, by far, the best.
    He sucked in a deep breath and wiped the tears from his eyes. “I think you meant jackass, Rob. Not assjack .” He could barely even say the damn word without laughing again.
    Robert muttered something under his breath then waved a hand at him. “Either way, I think you understood my point perfectly well. I can only imagine this night has been very difficult for her thus far, and I’m sure the last complication she needs is you channeling your inner Odin.”
    Drake started to explain why there was nothing wrong with channeling Odin sometimes, but paused when he heard the whooshing sound of the lobby’s frosted glass doors opening. He leaned forward just as Toni stepped inside, looking like she’d been deposited in the middle of an enemy mine field. Her brown eyes darted across the expansive room, growing a little wider with each pass until he was sure they’d fall out of the sockets.
    He stood up, hoping to give her something else to focus on. “Over here.” When her eyes fixed on him, he smiled at her. “I told you I’d beat you. You owe me fifty bucks.”
    She didn’t smile. She didn’t blink. She just stood there, like someone had slathered the floor with some special mixture of glue that only stuck to her brand of well worn boots.
    He moved to stand in front of her. “Are you all right?”
    “I didn’t know it was this nice,” she whispered. She clutched the tattered canvas duffle bag hanging at her side in one hand while she adjusted the olive green shoulder strap closer to her neck with the other. “I mean, I thought it would be fancy…but not Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, fancy. I can’t stay here.” Panic darkened her fine features. “I shouldn’t even be here.”
    “Sure you should.” He turned into her and draped an arm across her shoulders. “See that guy standing behind the counter over there?”
    She nodded slightly. “Yeah.”
    “He runs the place. And I bet if you ask him real nice, not only will he let you sit down, but he’ll even let you put your feet up on his