by Krista Lakes
Marco pulled his baseball cap down onto his head and slipped his sunglasses on. It was his attempt to look like an average tourist. He replied to Valetta with a thumbs up and Sabrina felt compelled to give her a hug and offer a sincere thank-you, but Valetta waved quickly before turning and beginning her ascent back into the jet.
The driver pulled up to Marco and Sabrina. He lowered the passenger window and gave a business-like nod. He was a middle-eastern man in a black suit and white dress shirt. His sport coat was buttoned over his crisp black tie and Sabrina could smell his cologne even though she was standing outside of the car.
“Good afternoon,” Marco greeted him.
“Good afternoon, sir,” the driver said. He hopped out of the car and opened the trunk. Then he took Sabrina and Marco's luggage and placed it gently inside, before returning to the driver's seat.
“Do you want to take shotgun, Marco?” Sabrina asked.
“Shotgun?” he replied, with a confused expression.
Sabrina giggled. “Yeah, sorry. I hadn't considered the fact that you've probably never heard that phrase. It means the front seat of the car. Do you want to ride in front?”
“No, no,” Marco said, as he opened the real door for Sabrina. “I'm happy to ride in the back with you.”
Sabrina nodded and climbed inside, followed closely by Marco.
“We appreciate the ride,” Sabrina told the driver as she buckled up. “Do you know where you're headed? I really hope so because this is our first time here. I wouldn't even know where to start.”
“Yes, ma'am,” the driver replied, as he brought his gaze up to the rear view mirror. He looked at Sabrina. “Your travel agent, Valetta, told me where you were staying when she called this morning. I know this city like the back of my hand. I'll get you there, no problem.”
“But sir, before we go to the hotel, can you take us somewhere nice to eat?” Marco asked. He tucked his sunglasses into his pocket and put his hat in his lap.
“Of course, sir,” he said. “Where would you like to go?”
“I'm afraid I don't know the city,” Marco admitted.” Any recommendations?”
“Do you like Italian food?” the driver asked, as he pulled onto the main street that led into the heart of the city.
“I love Italian food,” Marco said, turning to face Sabrina. “How does that sound to you, Sabrina?”
She'd been too excited and overwhelmed to even think about how hungry she was. But since he'd mentioned it, she noticed a rumbling in her belly. To be honest, she couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten other than her tomato juice, which didn't really count as a meal.
“Italian sounds perfect,” she said with a smile.
“I know a great little spot,” the driver said. “I'll take you two there. It's just a few minutes away.”
The driver stepped on the gas. He zipped through the city with a controlled urgency that impressed Sabrina at every turn. The way the driver wove in and out of lanes and between cars made her think he was avoiding a hundred invisible obstacles between every block. Her gaze darted between his hand viciously jerking the stick shift and the passing scenery out the window, sights that Sabrina had only ever seen in movies.
I can't believe I'm actually in New York City, she thought.
She rolled down the window and stuck her head out, looking straight up to try to see the tops of the high rise towers. She'd of course seen pictures, but being there was completely different. When she brought her gaze back down, she noticed the crowds of people on the sidewalks, all busily moving forward, as though every one of them was about to be late for something very important.
I don't think anybody walks that fast where I'm from, she thought. I wonder where they're all going. Probably someplace fashionable and incredibly New York.
But it wasn't just the people who were looking busy. The traffic on the street was just as chaotic and everyone drove with an aggressive sense of urgency that she wasn't used to. Still, though, the intense energy excited her. She could feel it buzzing throughout everything, like electricity. She could understand now why it was called the city that never sleeps. It felt new and different. And even though she had only been there a few minutes, she was positive that she was going to have a great time over the next couple of weeks.
While she took in the city’s features, Marco made casual conversation with the driver, their accents intertwining into a musical conversation. At first, Sabrina listened in on bits and pieces, but as it didn't pertain to her, she began to tune out and just enjoy the scenery.
This is going to be the best trip ever, she thought. I wish my parents could see what I'm seeing right now.
They drove for fifteen minutes before the driver pulled the car out from the heavy traffic and pulled to an abrupt stop beside the curb. Without a word, the driver flung open his door and walked around to the right side of the car to open Marco’s door. Marco stepped out and then turned and offered his hand to Sabrina. His touch made her heart speed up for a moment.
“Thank you, Marco,” she said. “But isn't helping you my job?”
He chuckled. “We can take turns being the gentleman,” he said and shot a sideways grin back at her.
She squeezed his hand as he helped her out of the car. She couldn't believe how wonderful Marco was. She didn't feel like an employee when she was with him. Even as her boss, he still treated her more like a princess than anybody ever had.
Once Sabrina was standing, Marco released her hand and then pulled out some cash to give the driver. Meanwhile, Sabrina smiled and soaked up the experience surrounding her. There were horns honking, people talking and the sound of feet scurrying against the concrete. She drew in a breath, letting the smell of at least five different kinds of food enter her nose. She was overwhelmed, but in a good way. It made her feel alive.
“Shall we go see if we can get ourselves a table?” Marco asked, as he gestured toward the building in front of where they'd stopped.
It was a quaint little yellow building, with a small sign over the top that read Voir. On either side of it were massive high-rise towers. It looked like the kind of place that had been there forever and had refused to leave, even when the major construction came along.
Sabrina took a step before saying, “Wait, should we get our bags out of the car before we go in?”
“Oh, no. I asked the driver to wait for us while we eat,” Marco said, as he slipped on his hat and sunglasses back on to try to disguise himself. “Don’t worry. Our luggage will be safe.”
Sabrina walked into the restaurant, with Marco right behind her. She greeted the hostess and requested a table for two, preferably something near the back. They were seated at a small table in the far corner. It was the perfect spot, with enough privacy so that Marco could comfortably remove his sunglasses without having to worry about being recognized.
While the waitress ran through the lunch specials, Sabrina’s eyes wandered about the restaurant's breathtaking interior. Colorful modern art was hung on every wall, and standing randomly throughout the restaurant were welded metal sculptures of different animals. She raised her eyes, admiring the details of the ceiling. Everything was painted white, reflecting the shine from the lights on the wall and illuminating the restaurant under one glow.
“This place is incredible,” Sabrina said. “The outside of this building doesn't do the inside any justice at all.”
The waitress chuckled. “I hear that a lot. It's kind of surprising for people when they walk inside. The owner has talked about remodeling the exterior, but somehow he always gets talked out of it.”
“It's beautiful,” Sabrina whispered, finally bringing her attention back.
For the first time since landing in New York, Marco removed the hat and sunglasses he’d been wearing. He’d looked cute in his attempted costume, Sabrina thought, with his tightly fitted cap and reflective blue Ray-Bans. Still, she couldn’t deny it was refreshing to see his undisguised face again, especially with the way the resta
urant’s lighting seemed to highlight his every feature.
“I’ll give you two a chance to look over the menu while I go get some water. I’ll be back shortly,” said the waitress, her voice high-pitched but pleasant.
“Perfect,” Marco said, running his hand through his hair to tousle it out of the matted appearance leftover from his hat. The gesture made Sabrina’s heart skip and she quickly glanced away.
“Thank you for joining me for lunch.” He leaned in as he spoke and Sabrina felt the room shrink around her until it was just the two of them.
“I’ve gotta say, you have an odd way of speaking to your employees,” Sabrina said. “I imagined much more of a, ‘fetch me a table for lunch, and be quick with it,’ kind of deal.”
“What would be the fun in that?” Marco said. “This is much more pleasant.”
Sabrina's heart skipped again and stuck high in her chest.
“I didn’t know I was getting paid to be your company, though,” Sabrina said, playfully. “I must have missed that in the job description.”
“You must have. You should read a little more closely next time.” Marco smirked at her, his dark eyes were lit up and gleaming.
“I’ll make sure to study the fine print moving forward,” Sabrina said, giggling. “Per Valetta's instructions, I am going to check us in under my name using the credit card Valetta gave me earlier. Everything is set up and ready to go.”
“What about housekeeping?” Marco asked.
“I'm going to take care of everything,” Sabrina said. “I'll be the one cleaning the room so that the housekeeping staff won't have access. Valetta said the last time hotel staff cleaned your room, the maids auctioned off some of your clothing, so I won't let that happen.”
It wasn't the first time that Sabrina wondered exactly who her employer was, but she was determined to hold up her contract. She wouldn't look him up and she wouldn't pry. Her payment depended on it. When this was all over, she would find out everything and be amazed. Until then, she was keeping her curiosity in check as best as she could and purposefully staying away from the search feature on her phone.
“Sounds like you're on top of everything,” Marco said. His smile lit up his face and she felt her heart skip a beat when he looked at her. “Thank you for doing such a good job. Out of curiosity, are you staying in a different room or are there two beds in mine? Just wondering how you arranged your own stay.”
“I'll be in the adjacent room,” she said. She hoped he didn't notice the blush starting to heat her cheeks.
While she spoke, Sabrina pulled a small notebook out of her purse. Valetta had made her a list of tasks for each day, and for the entire week. Everything was organized, including check-in times on hotels and pick-up times for transportation.
Marco laughed when he saw the notepad. “What do you need notes for? Did you forget to tell me that you’re really just an undercover journalist or something?”
“You caught me.” Sabrina shrugged dramatically. “They're actually from Valetta. She says the most interesting things about how you want your socks folded.” She tried to replicate the smirk he’d shot at her.
Again he chuckled. “I bet there's nothing in there about that.”
She flipped through the book and held open a page. “Client prefers socks to be folded lengthwise with minimal wrinkling before being paired,” she read aloud. “Valetta was incredibly thorough. You should see what she says I should do for meals.”
Marco laughed again. It made Sabrina smile without even thinking and she found herself hoping he'd do it again.
“How about instead of worrying about all that, you try to enjoy yourself? I want you to have some fun on this trip as well,” Marco said, as he unfolded a cloth napkin and placed it in his lap. “If you do that, I’m sure your other duties will fit in naturally.”
“I am enjoying myself,” Sabrina said.
“Good. Then what would you be interested in doing tonight?” he asked.
“What do you think we should do tonight?” Sabrina said. “It’s your vacation, Marco. I'm just here to make sure it goes smoothly.”
“What if I'd like to take you out to see the city?” He crossed his arms and leaned back. “It's more fun to explore a city with someone than by myself.”
“Are you sure?” Sabrina asked, hesitant. “I'm just your employee.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “But right now, you are the only person I know in this city. I'm supposed to meet some friends here later this week, but they aren't here yet. I'm enjoying your company, but if you'd rather stay in the hotel alone all night, that's fine too.”
Sabrina wasn't quite sure what to say. She was definitely enjoying her time with Marco, but she didn't want to intrude upon his vacation. His flirting on the plane was charming, but she’d assumed it to be in-flight boredom, nothing to read into. Though now that they’d landed nothing in his tone had changed.
“You're sure?” she asked. “This is your vacation, not mine.”
“I'm sure,” he assured her. “I enjoy your company.”
“I'm up for anything, I think,” she said, scrambling for a response. His charisma had taken her somewhat out of her comfort zone. It would have been easier to reply with, ‘yes sir,’ ‘no sir,’ but this was some sort of gray area between flirting and working. It was uncharted territory and Sabrina was still learning exactly how to navigate. But, he was the boss, so she would adapt.
“Would it make you feel better if I officially added it to your job description?” he asked. His dark eyes sparkled as he grinned at her.
“Add what, specifically?” she asked confused.
“From now on you’re my assistant/maid/tour guide/company for the trip.” He extended his hand for a shake. “Do you accept the position?”
Sabrina laughed. “Only if it's official.”
“Of course,” Marco assured her. “I'll have the paperwork drawn up right away. You are to be my company when agreeable.”
“That does lead me to ask one question. Since it's official and all now.” She grinned at him. “Does that mean I get a raise?”
Marco threw back his head and laughed.
Chapter 6
Sabrina
“Reservation for Sabrina Wise.” It was her first time ever checking into a hotel, but Valetta had instructed her exactly what to say. Still, Sabrina felt nervous, but she was determined not to show it.
“Certainly, Ms. Wise.” The hotel receptionist's fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard in front of her. “I see here that you have reserved our suite, as well as an adjoining room. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that's right,” Sabrina replied.
There was another flurry of keyboard tapping behind the desk. “How many room keys would you like?”
“Just two will be fine,” Sabrina said, stumbling slightly. “Or, one for each room, I guess.”
The girl behind the table nodded.
After paying with the credit card Valetta had given her, Sabrina turned around to admire the rest of the lobby. It was immensely grand and spectacular, looking more like the inside of a castle than a hotel. From the ceiling hung an elaborate chandelier that reflected brilliantly off the marble floors. At one end was a massive staircase, covered in red velvet carpet. On the opposite side, was a fifteen-foot-tall fountain. It was made of white stone that spiraled upward toward the ceiling. Next to it were three large windows, covered by heavy drapes. Beneath those windows was a lounge area with plush chairs and a few glass tables. That was where Marco was seated. His sunglasses were on and he looked as relaxed as could be. His legs were crossed and his head was leaning back into the cushion behind him.
“All set?” he asked, as Sabrina closed in.
“Yep. Everything’s ready to go.”
The two of them made their way to the elevator. Their luggage was being brought in from the car and would be brought up by the bellhop. Sabrina had the cash in her pocket ready to tip him so that he would never see Marco.
“We
’re on the fifteenth floor,” Sabrina said, as the elevator doors opened.
They rode up in silence. Sabrina stared forward, but she could have sworn that Marco was looking at her. She liked it, but she didn't want to acknowledge it. Instead, she just kept her gaze straight ahead on the ascending elevator numbers.
“After you,” Marco said when the doors opened once again and the elevator chimed to signal the fifteenth floor. “Seriously, though, Sabrina. I wasn't joking at lunch when I said I needed your help. I need you to brainstorm something fun for us to do this evening.”
“Can you give me an idea of what you'd enjoy?” Sabrina asked. She checked the numbers above the hotel doors and pointed down the hallway.
“I'd be interested in anything that involves relaxation, good alcohol and proper entertainment. The one thing that is not an option tonight is staying in and doing nothing.” His eyebrows playfully arched when Sabrina didn’t respond.
Sabrina wanted a chance to exhale, settle in and unpack, but it was her job to cater to Marco and escort him wherever he wanted to go.
“I’ll try my best to think of something,” she promised. She pointed to a door. “This one is your room.”
She held out a key card which Marco snatched from her hand as if he were stealing candy from a sibling. He slid it into the door before pushing it open.
“Start thinking,” he advised and opened the door to his suite and went inside.
Sabrina shook her head and went to the next door and slid her key card in just as she'd seen Marco do for his. Inside, the room was cool and comfortable with a soft light coming from the window.
The windows were draped with pale curtains that let in a comfortable light. She stepped in and let the heavy door swing shut behind her.
Oh, my God, she thought, as she looked around.
The lights revealed a hotel suite that was twice the size of the trailer she'd grown up in. She gasped and walked straight to the curtains at the far end, letting her fingers dance over the expensive-looking furniture as she moved. Everything looked brand new. Even the carpet, though light in color, was plush and looked as if it had never been walked on.