See You at the Bottom✔️

Chapter 06: Ghosts

TJ didn't know what to think as he watched the rain-streaked, dark city roll by beyond the windows of the expensive limousine he rode in the back of. He was alone. There was a driver, obviously, but there was a tinted window separating them. TJ was utterly alone. There were amenities in the limo: he found a mini-bar, a compartment stuffed with snacks, and a TV. But he didn't do anything, didn't enjoy any of it, he just sat there, looking out the window, unable to shake that sense of impossibility.

He was riding in the back of a limousine, on his way to a hotel to have sex with his best friend's wife. Could Menlo even be called his best friend anymore? Did he have a best friend? There were some guys from the office he hung out with, and James was his roommate and they hung out sometimes, but...did he even have friends anymore? When did that happen? The realization that he no longer had real, true friends in his life, the full brunt of that knowledge, made his stomach roll and a wave of despairing, almost crippling, loneliness wash over him.

How had he come here?

What had he done to himself? To his life?

He supposed it was moving away and buckling down hard first to get through his degree, then get into his field, finding a job, busting ass to make sure he maintained that job. Got raises, got promotions, got bonuses. Was it worth it? TJ felt like these were depressingly cliched questions, the old career versus social life thing. A lot of people would tell you a few different things, and he figured it was something everyone had to figure out for themselves. What did he value? What mattered to him? If he decided that friends mattered...

Was he even capable of making friends in the same way he used to be?

Were those halcyon days of yesteryear truly gone forever? Locked behind the wall of time? The thought made him ill.

The limo rolled to a stop and now he was looking at a twenty story, fancy-ass hotel. The limo then turned into the parking lot and drove up under the covered area in front of the main entrance. TJ undid his seatbelt and got out of the car, then hesitated as he realized that the limo driver had also gotten out of the car and was halfway around it, because he'd been coming to open it. Both of them stared at each other awkwardly.

"Um...thanks for the ride," he said finally.

"You're quite welcome. Is there anything else you will require?" the driver replied cordially.

"No, that's fine. I'll be good here by myself."

"Then I shall leave you to it. Goodnight, sir."

"Goodnight."

TJ watched the man go back around the long black car, get into the front and drive off. And then he was alone in the covered area, the rain coming down around him. He realized, all at once, that he had no idea what room Ashley was going to be in. He pulled out his cellphone and prepared to call Randall, to get Menlo's number, but saw that he had a text message. His heart skipped a beat, as he thought it might be Spinelli, but it was an unknown number.

He read it.

Hi TJ. Ashley here. Menlo gave me your number.
I'm in room 875.
See you soon.

And there was a little heart symbol at the bottom. TJ felt a strong wave of desire and longing and intense, powerful lust ripple through him, and he stopped worrying or thinking about anything else. Replacing his phone, he walked into the hotel, through the lobby, found the elevators and stepped onto the first one.

Riding it up to the eighth floor, he got out and quickly began hunting for Ashley's room. It only took about one minute, but it felt like much longer.