Page 12 of Bad Luck, Hard Love
“Just some idiots who think they can take advantage of women,” Thor replies with a shrug. “They probably took off after they got what they wanted from other girls. I’d have handled it myself, but getting you back to your room safely was more important.”
I take a deep breath, trying to calm down. “I just don’t understand how this could happen.”
“I used to be a bouncer. I’ve seen it more than I care to admit. I saw them eyeing you two at the bar and figured I should keep an eye out. Turns out my gut feeling was right.”
“And you brought us back here?” I ask, trying to piece together the timeline of last night.
“Yes, I made sure you got back to your room safely, but you got sick on yourself when we got back. I cleaned you up the best I could. I didn’t expect to end up in your bed, but I didn’t want to leave you alone, either. Your friend here claimed the couch before I could.”
I watch him, studying his expression, trying to figure out if this is just a ploy to get into my bed for real. But then his eyes meet mine, and there’s something genuine in them—concern, maybe even a flicker of protectiveness.
I feel tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “Thank you for watching over us.” I pause. “Should we call the police?” The thought of those men getting away with what they did leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I knew things like this happened at bars, but I never thought it would happen to me at my age.
“It’s not worth it. They’ll likely be long gone now.”
“But they could do it to someone else. We should at least alert security.”
“Already done,” Thor says, gesturing to his phone. “I called them last night after I got you both back here safely. They’re looking into it.”
I breathe a sigh of relief, feeling grateful for Thor’s quick thinking. The anger still lingers. “They can’t just get away with it.”
Thor looks at me, his expression softening. “I understand how you feel, but unfortunately, justice doesn’t always work out the way it should. All we can do is take care of ourselves and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
I know he’s right, but it doesn’t make me any less angry. Last night could have ended very differently had he not stepped in. I’d listened to a couple of true-crime podcasts the last few months, and when things like this happen, horrible, unspeakable acts by the monsters usually follow. Minny and I are fortunate Thor was there for us.
“I… well… we both owe you a serious debt of gratitude. I’m sure Minny would say the same if she weren’t sawing logs.”
He smiles at me. “I’m just glad I saw it and stopped you before it went any further.”
A pang of guilt hits me. He gave up his night to babysit two strangers. A true, good Samaritan. “But we robbed you of your evening,” I reply.
“I got to spend the night with two beautiful women. It’s not exactly a hardship.”
“Is there something I can do to say thank you?”
“How about dinner?”
My heart skips a beat at his suggestion. “Dinner?” I repeat, feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves.
“Yeah, dinner. Tonight, if you're feeling up to it.” He pulls his shirt over his head, and I'm disappointed to see those muscles disappear beneath the fabric. “I know a place that's not too far from here. Nothing fancy, just good food.”
I hesitate, my mind racing. This gorgeous stranger just saved me from God knows what, and now he's asking me out? Part of me wants to say yes immediately, but the rational side of my brain is screaming warnings. I don't know anything about him except his name and that he apparently has a good moral compass.
“I don't really date,” I blurt out, then immediately want to crawl under the covers. Way to sound like a complete loser, Charlotte.
He raises an eyebrow, that amused smile returning. “It's just dinner, princess. Not a marriage proposal.”
“Right. Of course.” I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, feeling foolish. “It's just...I recently got out of a long relationship. I'm not looking for anything complicated.”
“Who said anything about complicated?” He sits on the edge of the bed, close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating from his body. “Look, you've been through hell in the last twelve hours. You probably need to eat something decent, and I know you won't want to venture out alone after what happened. Consider it a thank you dinner for letting me crash in your bed.”
When he puts it that way, it doesn't sound so terrible.
Yeah, I know we don’t know much about each other than that we’ve slept together, but I’m here alone, and having someone to eat with sounds pretty fucking good.”
I feel a flutter in my stomach at the thought of spending more time with him. Despite the unusual circumstances of our meeting, there’s something about him that draws me in. Maybe it’s his rugged good looks or the way he exudes confidence without being arrogant. Or maybe it’s the fact he saved us. Whatever it is, I find myself nodding eagerly.
“I’d like that.”
