by Nikki Chase
“We’re not going to miss the start, are we?” Emily looks worried. Cute, considering nothing interesting ever happens in the beginning anyway. She’ll learn that on her own soon enough.
“Don’t worry, we still have a lot of time.” I watch Emily as she scans the place, her gaze lingering on the crystal chandeliers and the intricate artwork hanging on the walls. “Hey, why don’t you take a look around? There’s no point in both of us waiting in line.”
“Really?” Her eyes widen. “Do you want to take turns?”
“No, I’ve been here lots of times.” I have to smile at the offer. “Just leave your suitcase and let me take care of everything.”
“Thank you so much! You're the best boss ever. I’ll just be around here,” she says before she walks away to admire the interiors.
While I wait for the line to slowly move forward, I pull out my phone and check my emails. Between meeting Linda and talking with Emily, I haven't had much time left to work. By the time I get to the end of the line, I’ve finished replying to all the urgent emails. With those taken care of, I should be able to enjoy just being here with Emily for the rest of the day.
It turns out the line moves more quickly than I expect, thanks to their integrated check-in system. I should have a quick chat about the reservation software with Craig, the CEO of Trident Hotel, at the conference. Maybe there are some things I can learn from him.
As I walk away from the front desk, I wish I could just do the same thing I did at the San Francisco airport this morning: have Emily moved to a spot beside me for the night, on my bed in my room.
We can even keep our clothes on and just talk all night, and that would be more than enough to make me happy. But I know that's the worst thing I can do, considering the circumstances.
I look around, but I can't find Emily anywhere in the big sitting area by the lobby. With her room key card in my hand, I check the hotel common areas. I'm sure she's nearby because she told me she would be.
And that's when I see them, hugging each other by the swimming pool. Who the hell is that guy?
The thought of some oily fucker's dirty paws on Emily's skin burns a hole in my chest.
I need to put a stop to this, I think to myself as I step onto the wooden planks of the pool deck and walk past neat rows of wicker lounge chairs.
Ugh, they're showing each other their phones now, probably exchanging numbers. Son of a bitch.
“Emily,” I say, tapping her on the shoulder. “I’ve been trying to find you.”
“Hey, Cole,” Emily says as she turns toward me. “Sorry. I was just checking out the lobby and then I saw Marco by the swimming pool and I had to come and say hi. Where are the suitcases?”
“Someone’s already taking them up to our rooms,” I say.
“Awesome,” she says. “Thank you for taking care of that. I was just going to tell Marco that you’re here too.”
“Hi, I’m Marco,” the guy smiles and extends his right hand to me.
I quickly appraise him. About five-eleven, athletic build, Hispanic. He’s wearing black dress pants and a black fitted shirt. Judging by the excited flash of recognition in his brown eyes, he obviously knows who I am, which means he’s probably here for the conference.
“Hi.” I grab his hand and give him a firm handshake. “Cole Foster.”
“I know who you are,” Marco says. “I’ve read a lot about how you built Foster Hotels from nothing to a successful boutique chain in only three years. I’m really glad to meet you in person.”
“Thank you,” I say. Maybe the guy is not so bad, although I still don’t like the overly familiar atmosphere between him and Emily. It’s making me feel like I’m the third wheel.
“Wait a minute,” Emily says. “You guys don’t know each other?”
I take another look at Marco. I’m so bad with names I always have Lily remind me who I’m about to speak with before every appointment. But I’m quite good with faces, and I don’t remember Marco’s olive skin and angular features.
“I’m pretty sure I’d remember meeting Cole Foster, Em,” Marco says as he chuckles.
“That’s weird,” Emily says.
“Why is it weird?” Marco frowns, but his lips and eyes are still smiling in amusement. “I’m probably not the big shot you seem to think I am.”
“Um, it’s not about that.” Emily laughs a little, but she still looks confused. “I swear Alice told me you’re the one who recommended me for my job.”
“Really?” Marco pauses to think. “Maybe she’s mistaken. Maybe it’s one of her restaurant friends.”
As both Emily and Marco turn to look at me, I feel like everything’s happening in slow motion.
I think I know what’s happening here.
I need to shut this down or it can end up unraveling everything.
For now, it’s probably best to play the fool. I’ll think about my next step when we reach that bridge.
“Don’t look at me.” I shrug. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“But…” Emily starts to protest, yet she lets her voice trail off, unsure of how to continue her line of questioning now that she’s hit a dead end.
I take the opportunity to very noticeably check my watch and look toward the lobby, where more people in business suits have filed in.
“Looks like the conference is about to start soon,” I say, prompting them both to turn toward the main building of the hotel. “We should probably get ready.”
“I have a booth to babysit, so I should get going before everybody gets pissed at me,” Marco says. He looks at Emily and smiles. “It's really good to see you, Em. You look really good.”
“Thanks. It's really good to see you too. It's been a while,” Emily says, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks. Ugh.
“Yeah. Come visit me at my booth, okay? It’s called InstaRoomies. Don't be a stranger.” Marco waves as he rushes inside, leaving me alone with Emily.
Finally. If he had stayed any longer or made Emily blush any more I’d have to shove him right into the swimming pool. Something tells me Emily wouldn’t look too kindly on that.
“Should we go too?” I look at Emily and gesture toward the hotel lobby. “After you.”
“Thanks,” she says. She gives me a polite smile, then silently walks in front of me.
Women think men let them go first for their benefit, when in reality we just love watching them from behind. It’s a great view, and they rarely look back to catch us checking them out.
“So, it looks like we’re on different floors,” I say as we stop at the elevator waiting area. I press the button to go up.
Emily turns the little cardboard pouch that holds her room key card in her hand. “One-one-zero-three. Looks like I’m on the eleventh floor.”
“I’m on the twentieth.” We walk into the elevator and I push the two buttons for our respective floors.
I wish I can tell her to just stay with me. We have so little time here and I want to spend every minute with her. Instead, as she steps out of the elevator, I simply say, “Meet me at the entrance to the conference room when you’re ready.”
Business-like. Professional. Because we’re just two people who happen to work together.
The elevator takes me to my floor. I walk through the dimly lit hallway with the plush carpeting underfoot. This hotel is nice enough, but after staying in hundreds of upscale places they’re all starting to look the same.
I feed my key card into the slot and wait for the beep before I open the door.
Just as I expect. Another soulless-yet-impeccable room with white linens on the bed.
I sit on the bed and lean back until I’m looking up at the ceiling, my legs hanging down over the edge of the mattress.
There are too many thoughts swirling inside my head for me to come up with any elaborate plan. Everything looks fine and normal from the outside, but the way I feel about the events that have transpired today is anything but fine or normal.
I need to keep dodging her questions about the interview. That shouldn’t be too difficult.
And I have to keep her away from Marco and any other man who dares to touch her. My blood boils with possession. I know I’m no good for her, but all I want is to stake my claim on her and make it clear to everyone that she’s mine. It’s a primal urge that comes from a place deep within me. I can’t explain or defend it.
Fuck. My thoughts are all fucked up.
I wish she were here on this bed with me.
14
Emily
Sitting on the edge of Cole’s bed, I take a sip of champagne and repeat my lines.
“We’ve seen the data, we’ve seen the research. Luxury travelers are voting with their dollars and, as industry professionals, we should listen.”
I look up from my notes at Cole, who’s sitting at the desk by the bed with his laptop, which is displaying the PowerPoint slides for tomorrow’s presentation.
“That’s pretty good,” he says, raising his eyebrows. “I think you’ve nailed it.”
“Awesome,” I say. “I do feel like I’ve nailed it, but then I think I’m also drunk so that may not be my best judgment.” I raise my champagne glass and laugh. I still don’t see how it’s different from a regular wine glass.
“Yes, you may have had too much to drink,” Cole says. He looks so good. Such a gorgeous specimen of a man, alone in a hotel room with me. I wonder if it’s just the lighting from the desk lamp that makes him look so good. So damn good.
“Maybe.” I shrug, completely forgetting about the champagne glass in my hand. I shriek as I almost spill the bubbly drink onto the plush beige carpet.
“It’s alright,” Cole says. “You already know your stuff. If you didn’t I wouldn’t have let you drink.”
“Cool,” I say, raising my glass. “You’re a cool boss, Cole. But, I mean, you’re hot too. Cool and hot. Have I told you that?”
“No, you haven’t. And I appreciate you telling me that.” He chuckles, causing dimples to appear in his cheeks and lines to show up around his eyes.
“Well, you are. You’re awesome. Appreciation is so important,” I say. “Appreciation is the key. You have to appreciate what you have now, or you’ll regret it when it’s gone.”
The smile disappears from Cole’s face. “Okay, fun time is over.” He sighs.
He gets up from his chair and I look up to see him rise to his full height. He looks so tall. I mean, he is tall. I know that from seeing him at the office every day.
But he looks different today, with those khaki slacks that show off his long legs and that blue fitted shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He looks taller, more masculine.
I feel the mattress sink as Cole sits beside me.
Hell, everything’s different today.
Of course I’ve always noticed how hot Cole is, but I’ve never seriously entertained the thought of being romantically involved with him. And then today happens.
I was excited to travel because I don’t get many opportunities to do it, and I was excited to attend the conference because it’s good for my career. I never expected my boss to become the reason I enjoy the trip, but he has. I’m actually having more fun than I’ve had in a long time.
First, there was the First Class seat and the funny little encounter with Linda. And then, there were the many big names Cole introduced me to as he kept me by his side the whole time we were at the conference. After that, we had a nice quiet dinner at the hotel restaurant, and now I’m even having fun as we revise the presentation material in his hotel room.
It has been a strange day. In a way, I feel like we’ve had a very long first date.
Maybe that’s not an appropriate way of thinking about my boss, but I’m starting to believe he feels the same way.
He doesn’t have to spend the entire day with me, but he chooses to. He hasn’t left my side at all since we met at the airport in San Francisco this morning, except for when we went into our separate rooms to change our clothes before the conference.
And there’s also the way that he’s looking at me right now. He gazes deep into my eyes, concern reflected in his dark irises. He places one big, masculine hand on my cheek. He feels warm, safe. I feel like I can just melt into his touch.
“Your skin is hot,” he says. “Your cheeks are all flushed.”
I nuzzle my head into his palm and look up into his eyes, and that’s when I see it. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it in a man’s eyes, but I can still recognize it. I feel concern and tenderness in his touch, but there’s also hunger within him.
And right there and then, I forget about everything, all my reasons not to date Cole Foster. All I see is that flame in his eyes. At this moment, I just want it to consume me.
I smile, my gaze softening. He leans a little closer and I close my eyes.
This is it, I think to myself.
“Emily.” Cole breaks the tense silence. I blink my eyes open to see him looking at the floor. He pulls his hand away and says, “It’s late. And you’ve been drinking. Maybe you should go back to your room.”
What? You have got to be kidding me.
I frown at him, confusion and anger churning in my head.
“I’ll see you just before the presentation tomorrow, okay? Right by the conference room entrance,” he says without looking up from the floor. He sighs and turns toward me, his lips upturned but his eyes empty. “Just like we discussed, you’ll do the presentation and I’ll handle the questions. Don’t worry. You can do this.”
“Okay.” I place the champagne glass on the desk and walk toward the door. He doesn’t have to tell me twice. And if he doesn’t want to talk about it, that’s fine too. We haven’t done anything and he doesn’t owe me anything. I’m a big girl.
“Emily,” he says. “Do you need help getting to your room?”
“No. I said I’m okay.” I walk back to grab my bag from the desk. Damn drunk brain. I look straight at Cole and give him the politest, most formal, most business-like smile I can muster. “See you tomorrow.”
I march toward the door, eager to get out of Cole’s hotel room, which suddenly feels so constricting.
“See you, Emily,” he says softly as I close the door behind me.
What was that? What on earth was that?
He was definitely about to kiss me, right? It has been a while for me, but it hasn’t been that long. And yes, I’m tipsy, but not to the point where I can’t recognize a man who obviously wants to kiss me.
The beautifully decorated hallway, with its mood lighting and its textured wallpaper, passes in a blur. When I reach the elevator waiting area, I mash both the buttons to go up and down. I just need to get out of here before Cole sees me, not that I’d expect him to come chasing after me after that display of indifference in his room. But just in case. I don’t want him to catch me in distress, or worse — crying.
I don’t actually feel like crying right now, but I’m definitely in danger of doing just that. It was just so embarrassing, what just happened. And it happened with my boss, who I still have to work with. It’s not like I can just quit and find another job either, considering how long it took me to find this one.
I hurry inside when the elevator arrives. I feel suffocated, like the walls are closing in on me. I don’t think it’s a good idea to go to my room. I need some fresh air.
I press the button for the ground floor and head straight to the swimming pool.
It’s quiet, now that it’s late and all the conference attendees have gone home. There’s just one couple relaxing on the lounge chairs on the deck, three empty cocktail glasses resting on the small table between them. The swimming pool looks so inviting, the water glowing bright blue in the dark.
I drop my bag onto the wooden pool deck and sit down. I take my ballet flats off, then dip my feet into the pool. The cool water soothes my skin. It feels
a little chilly out here, even though I’m wearing a cardigan. But a part of me is grateful for the cold. It wakes me up a little.
Maybe that was nothing? Could it have all been in my head? I have been drinking.
But then why would Cole suddenly act so aloof and distant? And why would he ask to meet just before our presentation? That’s right after lunch. Based on how things have been today, I was hoping to spend all day with him again.
But maybe he’s legitimately busy tomorrow morning? He is the CEO of a hotel chain, after all. Maybe there’s a secret CEO meeting that underlings like me aren’t invited to.
God. I can’t believe I almost kissed my boss. It’s just what Alice told me not to do. Well, she’s right. Again. I should’ve listened to her.
I take my phone out of my bag. Maybe chatting with Alice will make me feel better. I definitely don’t plan on telling her about almost kissing Cole, but it would be nice to just talk. I’ll decide how much to tell her when I’m sober. I’m not really in the mood for listening to one of her lectures.
When I open the messaging app, there’s already one message from Alice.
Alice Webb: How’s Seattle?
Emily Webb: Dunno
Emily Webb: Spent the whole day indoors at the conference
Alice Webb: Oh good you’re ok
Alice Webb: I haven’t heard from you since you landed
Alice Webb: Got a bit worried
Alice Webb: But there’s no plane accidents on the news
Alice Webb: So I know you should be fine
Alice Webb: :D
I smile to myself. Oh, Alice. She annoys me sometimes and I’ll never admit this to her, but there are times when it’s nice to know someone cares that much about me.
Emily Webb: Don’t worry
Emily Webb: I’m still alive
Alice Webb: How was the presentation?
Emily Webb: That’s tomorrow
Alice Webb: Good luck!
Emily Webb: Pffttt
Emily Webb: Don’t need luck when you’re this good
Emily Webb: XD
Emily Webb: What are you up to?