Free The Crossover by Larry Kollar

out a lot. Maybe it’ll be more than a fling. I hope so.”
    “I can’t promise much beyond this night, Annie. But not because I have anyone to go home to.”
    “Hell, at least you’re honest.” Annie laughed. “Maybe we can have room service bring us breakfast in the morning.”

Chapter 4 – Bomb Threat

    Lodrán woke to a warbling noise. “Mmmf?” Annie rolled over and draped an arm over him, stroking his chest and lower down. “You gonna answer that?”
    “Answer what?” At first, Lodrán thought she was talking about what she was doing… and how he was responding. Then the warbling noise came again. “Oh. That thing.” He leaned over the edge of the bed and fumbled through his clothes, remembering something Chuck had said yesterday: These gadgets are pretty cool, yeah. But you don’t own them so much as they own you . He pulled it open, not getting it upside-down only by luck. “Unh?”
    “Hey.” Chuck’s tinny voice felt like a sword through Lodrán’s skull. “Where are you?”
    “Uh… the hotel. Am I needed?”
    “Yeah. It’s almost ten, time for you and Freddy to make that phone call.”
    “Oh. That late?”
    Annie looked at the clock on the nightstand. “Yuck. Ten till ten. So much for room service.”
    “Yeah,” said Chuck. You might wanna shake your silent tail and get on down here.”
    “Okay. Give me a few minutes.” He closed the phone and sighed. “Duty calls.”
    “I gathered that.” Annie climbed out of bed, keeping Lodrán’s full and undivided attention. “Let’s get some coffee started. It’s no fun to start work with a hangover and no coffee.” A moment later, the device began its chuffing noise and she slipped back into bed with a big smile. “I know what we can do while we’re waiting.”
    After a few minutes of contentment to end their time together, Annie nudged him out of bed and pulled some clean clothes from a dresser. “You want my number?” She sounded hopeful.
    “I do. But—I hope you don’t think less of me for this—I don’t know how to put it in my phone. I’ve never had one until the day before yesterday.”
    “No problem.” Annie grinned and picked up Lodrán’s phone, poking at it for a minute. “Done. Just hit the address book, find my name, and hit the call button.” She showed him what to do, and the phone on her side of the bed began playing music. “All set. I’ll save your number, too.”
    “Good. Annie, I really hope we can meet again. But promise me something.”
    “Sure.”
    “If there was anything you wanted to do away from this place while you’re here, do it today. This afternoon. If you don’t have any plans, make some. For my sake?”
    “Why?”
    “I can’t talk about it. If we’re successful, there won’t be any problems. But I don’t want to… to take that chance. With you.”
    “What’s gonna happen?”
    “I hope nothing. But trust me. Please.”

    With Annie’s promise, Lodrán breathed easier as he jogged through the portal between the hotel and auditorium.
    Freddy was waiting for him near the exhibit hall entrance. “You dog,” he said with a grin. Seeing Lodrán’s puzzled look, he continued, “That’s just something we say when a guy gets lucky.”
    “What?”
    “You no speak-a de English? Gettin’ lucky is… you know. Gettin’ the girl. Hope you let her know how it is.” Freddy cocked an eyebrow.
    “Um, yeah. She let me know how it is too. I think she’s leaving already.”
    “Huh. I guess you told her everything then.”
    “Not everything.” Lodrán marveled at how well Freddy fell into role-playing. He could be born to the Silent Art as much as Chuck was born with the talent for magic. Or more. What this world has thrown aside , he thought, as they talked about his supposed conquest. Two companions, making the wind, who seemed to not realize they were straying away from the venue itself and into the office area. As for the subject matter, Lodrán thought he himself might have