The water had been blissfully hot, and she felt clean and relaxed. As she padded down the hallway, her footsteps echoed in the hush. The Sunday night crowd at the restaurant and bar had dispersed a while ago. Upstairs, only a handful of guests were staying the night, and they seemed like a quiet bunch. As she entered her room, a cool breeze struck her damp skin. Earlier in the day, she’d opened the window to air out her room and had forgotten to close it. Now, brisk night air streamed in, raising goose bumps on her arms. She hurried to the sash window and grabbed the brass handles of the raised pane. It wouldn’t move. She tugged and wrestled, but the window only screeched down a few inches before jamming again. “Come on, you stupid thing,” she muttered as she tried to wrench the window down. The air around her swirled as a warm presence materialized behind her. “Here, let me get that for you.”
