Nox had nothing more to say for the time being. He knew any attempt he made at easing the tension and putting Ana in a better mood would fail, so he kept his mouth shut. Surprisingly, it made the ride pass by quickly. It wasn’t long before they were parked in a garage, with Ana getting out in a hurry.
Climbing out of the car himself, and moving to get his overnight bag, Nox had to jog across the concrete to catch up to Ana. Good thing the elevator was taking its time, because he wasn’t quite sure she would have waited for him.
When it opened and they stepped inside, the awkwardness of silence got to be too much for him. “Thank you again for introducing me to Barbara. If there’s anything I can ever do to repay the favor, please let me know.”
---
There was nothing anyone could say right now to make Ana feel better. The only way this feeling would pass was to give it time. Though she was being impatient about the elevator, she wouldn’t have left Nox standing in the garage. He had no idea where he was going. Ana may have been upset, but she wasn’t going to be completely rude by abandoning him.
Ana had no problem with remaining in silence, but apparently Nox did. Why was it that all the men she encountered had this inane need to fill the silence? “It’s fine. You don’t have to do any favors for me.” Pressing the button for her floor, the doors closed and began a fast, yet smooth ascent up the building.
---
Nox nodded and shut his mouth again. He preferred awkward silence over snipping remarks. He’d done his best to help her out when Saul showed up, but it still felt like he was being blamed for the way things transpired. Yes, he was the reason they were in the city, but surely Ana made other trips to New York. Running into her sire was bound to happen from time to time, and Nox doubted this was the only time she’d been spotted with another man at the time. He wondered if she’d ever allow Adam to escort her to the city.
The elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened. He half expected to be inside the penthouse. He knew there were some residences like that, where the elevators went to one address only. But they were deposited into a hallway with two doors on opposing sides. Nox stepped out and stood quietly.
---
Ana had made countless trips to the city before and she’d even been spotted with other men, but this was entirely different. Her pets and the dolls she had been seen with were expendable so she didn’t care what happened to them. And as for allowing Adam to escort her to the city... it only happened once, back when all she wanted from him was sex. Things were different now and she wasn’t so sure she wanted to run the risk of an encounter like tonight’s with Saul. She was a good liar, but she doubted she’d be able to convince Saul that Adam was nothing to her.
Once the elevator doors opened, Ana stepped out and turned right to her penthouse. Keys quickly unlocked the door and she pushed it open, letting Nox inside as well before throwing the keys on a small glass table by the door.
Walking inside past the foyer, she passed the kitchen and a closed door to her right before arriving at the guest room. Opening the door, she turned on the light to let Nox through. “The bathroom is right through that door,” she motioned toward a door on the right. “If you need anything, feel free to go through the kitchen. Our housekeeper keeps the food stocked fairly well even though we don’t eat.”
Pausing for a moment, she looked out the window of the guest room before looking back at Nox. “Well, good night.”
---
Nox followed in silence, letting Ana lead the way. But when she suddenly said good night, he tilted his head in a questioning way. “Oh. Right. Is there anything else I should know?” He felt awkward sleeping here, especially with Ana upset right now. He was tempted to say he’d call a cab and find a hotel. He felt like a stranger, an unwelcome one. “I, uh.. I usually get up early and run. Would that be alright?”