Mary left the night light on in the bathroom and the door cracked to allow some light through. He would probably be sleeping it off for some time, but just in case he got up in the middle of the night she didn’t want him to panic. Making sure that the guest bathroom had all the essentials a man might need – soap, shampoo, towels, toothbrush, toothpaste, disposable razor, toilet paper - she gathered his wet clothes and closed the bedroom door behind her.
Her washer and dryer were located in the pantry just off the kitchen. She started the water and added a little detergent, then proceeded to empty his pockets and set the contents on top of the dryer. Wallet. Keys. Monogrammed handkerchief with the letters ACH. A small comb. She held each one of them out to Max and let him sniff them. She wasn’t sure what, if anything, she expected, but his hackles didn’t rise and he didn’t let out a warning growl or anything, so she figured that was a good thing.
Then she placed his shoes near the heating vent, quietly appreciating the fine Italian leather and hoping, for his sake, that they weren’t ruined. She wasn’t quite sure, but she thought Bruno Maglis like these averaged several hundred dollars a pop if not more.
Checking on Aidan once more and finding him sleeping peacefully, she shut off all but a few dim nightlights and went to her own bedroom. Max curled up next to her, and they drifted off to sleep.
*
Aidan woke up feeling disoriented. His mouth felt like it was stuffed with wool and just the slight opening of his eyes resulted in the very unpleasant sensation of someone sticking knife blades into his corneas. It wasn’t his custom made bed, but it was very comfortable. The sheets felt smooth and cool against his naked – naked? – body. The pillows that cradled his aching head were soft and smelled faintly like jasmine and vanilla.
Scrubbing at his face, he took a deep breath and tried to remember something, anything. He recalled talking to Faith at her and Kieran’s wedding, then ditching before Lexi found him feeling sorry for himself. Stopping at his condo, changing out of his suit and tugging on some jeans and long-sleeved shirt (presents from Lex in an attempt to get him to relax). Driving away from Pine Ridge in search of someplace he could anonymously drink himself into oblivion.
Apparently it worked.
Turning his head to the side, he spotted a glass of orange juice and a bottle of OTC painkillers. With great and deliberate effort he managed to sit up and down both.
He took a moment to acclimate himself. The room was on the small side. Besides the bed, there was a nightstand table, a small chair, and a chest of drawers, none of which looked even vaguely familiar. The walls were a soothing dark shade of cream that was very easy on his searing optic nerves, and trimmed with an upper border of simple geometric patterns of dark blue and hazel that reminded him of the Greek tapestries in his mother’s drawing room. There was one window on the side wall; but thankfully the draperies were drawn tightly enough that only a fraction of light was visible.
On the far side of the room, the door to the bathroom was open slightly. Feeling oddly at peace and in no hurry – despite the fact he had no idea where he was – he headed there first to take care of his most urgent needs.
After relieving himself, he took further advantage of his mysterious host’s generosity and took a long, scalding shower until the pain relievers kicked in. After brushing his teeth and shaving, he felt almost human again.
He found his clothes freshly washed and folded on the dresser, with all of his personal effects on top. Peeking inside his wallet, he was relieved to find his platinum cards and cash untouched. He dressed carefully, desperately searching back into his foggy mind for answers.
Going to Tommy’s had been an impulsive, spur of the moment decision, but his overindulgence had been a gross lack of judgment. He knew better. Just thinking of what might have happened made him that much more anxious to find and thank his mysterious guardian angel.
The house was on the small side. Quiet. Simply but tastefully furnished, more for comfort than show. The light scent of lemons and laundry detergent hung in the air as he made his way out to the main living area.
A soft thumping drew his attention. Aidan looked over to see a huge yellow Labrador easing himself off the sofa and coming to greet him. Aidan was not, by nature, particularly fond of pets, but this dog seemed exceptionally well mannered. He approached Aidan at a relaxed pace, stopping before him to sit and look at him expectantly.
“Hey, big guy,” Aidan said, holding out his hand, palm down, to allow the dog to sniff it. That’s what his sister, Rebecca, had instructed him to do when he first met her gigantic hairy monster, Angus. The dog leaned forward and sniffed, then sat back and panted softly in what Aidan took for acceptance.
“Think you can help me out?” Aidan said quietly, wondering why, exactly, he was talking to a dog. The dog swished his tail back and forth a few times and regarded him with intelligent brown eyes. “I’m looking for your owner.”
The dog blinked and rose, trotting softly away. He looked over his shoulder and paused, waiting for Aidan to follow.