by Swan, T L
“Hmm.” He groans.
I smile, because I know I’ve got him. “I love you.”
“Fine, but I’ll organise their rooms at the Four Seasons myself. And I’m calling Alexander to keep an eye on you.”
I smile. Alexander York is his best friend from school, and he just so happens to live in London. “Fine,” I reply.
“And if I hear of you in London running amuck, I’m coming straight home and dragging you back to Nottingham.”
I chuckle. “You’re so dramatic.”
He exhales heavily. “See ya, Lottie.”
I grin with victory. I can’t believe this plan is actually working out.
“Goodbye, Edward, I love you.”
“Yeah… I love you, too.” Then he hangs up. I stare at my reflection in the kitchen window and smile. How the hell did I just pull that off?
* * *
The convoy of cars pulls into the Four Seasons at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
I’m in Beth’s car, the black Mercedes with the two security guards inside it trailing silently behind us both.
I look over to Beth as she bounces in her seat. “My fucking God, can you believe you are doing this?”
“No.” I hold my stomach. “I feel sick. What if I get caught?”
She shrugs as she pulls the car to a stop. “Who cares? What’s the worst that could happen? Edward flips his lid, like he doesn’t do that once a fucking week anyway.”
I smile. It’s so refreshing having a friend who doesn’t give a damn.
Beth hands the keys to the parking attendant once we’re parked, and we get my bags out of the boot of the car. I’ve warned the boys that they’re to keep their distance. I don’t want anyone to know that they are with me or are my security team. I want to appear normal. I am normal… it’s just my life that isn’t.
I walk up to the reception in the foyer with Beth by my side.
“Hello, I’d like to check in, please,” I say timidly.
“Into the penthouse.” Beth smiles proudly.
The girl types on her keyboard, and then frowns and types something else in instead.
Oh God, don’t tell me they messed up the booking. This plan could all turn to hell before it has even started.
“Is your reservation for six weeks?” she asks with surprise.
“It is.” I slide my credit card across the reception counter.
She scowls at the screen. “Just a moment, please?” She calls someone and turns her back to me, thinking that I can’t hear her. “I have someone here for the penthouse for a six-week booking. Do you know anything about it?”
She glances over at me and her eyes widen. “Oh. Oh, yes, I see. Sorry, sir. Thank you.”
She turns back to me and smiles an exaggerated fake smile. “Good afternoon, Miss Prescott. Welcome to the Four Seasons. It’s our honour to have you stay with us for your time in London.”
My shoulders sag as I stare at her. How does she know who I am?
“Your brother Edward has been on the phone with management all morning making sure your arrangements are all in order.”
He would have been going through their security with a fine toothcomb.
Beth frowns, already unimpressed with my family’s interference.
“The account has been settled in full. Welcome to the Four Seasons. I’ll personally show you up to your room now.”
I take my credit card back, feeling dejected. Edward would have paid my account without even looking at the amount.
Great.
“Can you issue me with three keys, please?” I ask. I want one for Lara and Beth so they can get up to my suite at any time.
“Certainly.” She organises everything on her desk, and then hands them over.
I glance at Wyatt and Anthony who are walking through the front doors.
“Are those gentlemen with you?” the receptionist asks, already knowing the answer. She would be aware that we have two other rooms booked as well.
“Yes,” I reply, embarrassed. There’s no mistaking the two huge men dressed in black suits who are staring at me.
“They are staying on the floor below, is that correct?”
“Yes. Thank you.” I give the boys a small dejected wave. I guess they may as well come up and inspect the room now instead of later. She already knows who they are to me. So much for flying under the radar.
Damn it.
I turn to them. “Do you want to come up now and look at the room?” I ask.
“That would be great,” Anthony replies without hesitation.
The receptionist, my two bodyguards, and Beth and I make our way into the lift.
I am silent and annoyed, sick of this fuss wherever I go.
As we ride up through the floors of the hotel, I stare at the floor, a sense of heaviness weighing over me. Don’t let this ruin it for you, I try and remind myself.
It’s okay, it’s okay. I repeat the mantra over and over in my head. I hate to admit it, but when I’m with my family and the guards are with us, it doesn’t seem to bother me at all. It’s as if it’s completely normal because they have it, too. But when I’m alone with my friends, I want to be alone with my friends, and it becomes glaringly obvious that they have all this freedom while I don’t.
The kind receptionist opens the door to the suite, and all of us tentatively walk in. “Holy shit!” Beth cries, her eyes flying around the room.
I smile at her reaction. There is nothing better than being with her when she experiences something for the first time. She can’t hide her excitement at all.
The receptionist smiles as she walks through to the living area. “It’s quite lovely, isn’t it?”
“Yes, thank you.”
I’ve stayed in some beautiful places before and this is up there with the best of them. We walk into a large living area, and I glance up to the ceiling to see a mezzanine level with a cascading, ornate staircase.
“The apartment is two levels.” She points upstairs.
The furnishings are complementing shades of coffee and creams. The space is filled with huge luxurious, aqua velvet sofas, as well expensive curtains, with the room lit by beautiful, free-standing lamps. We walk through to a large white kitchen. It has a large black marble island in the centre with stools lined up in front of it. The cupboards and cabinetry are black to match the island.
Wow, this is nice.
We continue on our tour, venturing into a large dining room, a bathroom, and a laundry room on the same level. We head upstairs to find three smaller bedrooms and another bathroom, and then to the end of the hall where the huge master suite happens to be.
I smile when I see it.
It’s exotic and sexy, decorated and furnished with different shades of grey velvet. The bed has an oversized padded headboard, as well as a couch with a chaise lounge at the foot of it. The en-suite bathroom is tiled in black and white marble. The feel of it is sheer luxury.
I turn to the receptionist, suddenly embarrassed that I can afford this place for six weeks. “Thank you, it’s lovely.”
She nods, realising she is being dismissed. “If you need anything, please call down to reception at any time.”
“Of course.” My eyes flicker to my guards. “Please look after the boys. I’ll be fine.”
She glances over to them. “Are you coming down to check in now?”
“Yes,” Anthony answers. “We’ll just perform our checks of the suite, and then we’ll be down in a minute.”
With one last smile, she disappears down the stairs and back to her job.
Beth starts to run up and down on the spot, and then she jumps up on the bed and begins to bounce. “Holy fucking shit, Lottie.” She squeals in excitement. “This place is off the Richter.”
The guards chuckle at my over-animated friend. She doesn’t hide who she is from them. The guys check the wardrobes and the bathroom. They pull the curtains back to inspect the windows, and then disappear to check the rest of the suite.
I flop onto the bed, dejected from my super privileged check in.
“Who was I kidding, Beth? I can’t escape who I am. Just look at this stupid apartment.” I sigh sadly.
She falls down to lie beside me, and we both look up at the ceiling. “It’s going to be so much fun sneaking guys in here,” she says casually.
“What?” I look over at her.
“That cherry of yours… it’s going down. In a big popping fashion.”
5
Charlotte
I sit at the kitchen island with my glass of wine. I’m staring at the Google images before me. Beth will be here any moment to take me out to dinner. We decided that it’s best if we play it safe this weekend and behave. The guards are on full alert, and we will get busted if we try to pull anything sneaky too soon. Even the thought of just going out to dinner with Beth is enough for me—something I don’t normally get to do.
I click to the second page of images of Spencer Jones, studying photo after photo of him laughing and joking… kissing beautiful women, too. I think back to my place that night, when I straddled his lap and we were making out.
His perfect kiss.
His hard body up against mine. His hands all over me.
It felt so natural. With his classic good looks and his sense of humour, I’ve thought of him often over the last ten days, and always with regret.
I wish I was experienced enough to please him. Lord knows, I wanted to.
Beth is right; I need to change my life, and I need to start living. My plan is to ease my father and the guards into this different lifestyle, and then when they get back into the country, I’m not going home.
I don’t care about the consequences anymore. It is what it is, I’m not doing anything wrong by wanting some independence.
I’m staying in London to find myself, whoever she may be. I’ve done my time being a good girl and toeing the Prescott line. My pining for Spencer has shown me exactly what I’m missing out on:
Fun.
I would look for an apartment to rent permanently, but I know it will only entice a panic, and Edward will be here in an instant to drag me back to Nottingham.
I’m going to ease myself into it to—see if I even like living in London.
I hear the door open, and Beth comes into view. “Are you ready to hit the town?”
I snap my computer shut. “Sure am.”
She holds her hands up in the air.
“What?”
“Anthony just checked me out on my way in.”
“He did?” I smirk.
“He told me I looked gorgeous.”
“Well, it’s true, you do.”
She narrows her eyes. “Do you think he has a girlfriend?”
“No idea. Edward would know.”
“Next time you speak to Edward, ask him for me.”
“Okay. You ready to go?” I ask.
“Sure am.” She rubs her hands together in delight. “I’m going to prick-tease Anthony tonight ‘til his balls fall off.”
I grab my keys and bag. “That will be traumatising for me to watch, but whatever.”
“This time tomorrow, he’s going to be jerking off to the thought of me,” she brags as she reapplies her lipstick.
I burst out laughing. “Beth.”
“No, it’s, Oh, fuck yeah, Beth,” she says, feigning a man’s voice as she pretends to wank herself off.
“Where did I pick you up?” I cringe.
She bats her eyelashes playfully and links her arm with mine. “From the Fun Friend Lottery. Now, let’s go.”
* * *
“So, you won’t let anyone see you, will you?” I ask Wyatt for the tenth time. It’s Monday morning and I am freaking out about my new job. The two of us are walking down the bustling street towards my new office building.
He raises his brows with exasperation. “I told you ten times… no, but I don’t understand why anyone can’t see us. They all know you have guards.”
“It’s just weird you know, I don’t want to seem odd to my new colleagues.”
He rolls his eyes.
“And there are guards in the foyer of the building, so you don’t need to hang around, Wyatt.”
“Well, we sure aren’t leaving you here.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I scoff. “Go and do your thing for the day and I’ll text you half an hour before my lunch break. Then you can come back and take me to lunch.”
We arrive outside the tall building. We peer through the glass to see a metal detector and three armed guards.
“See.” I smile. “This place is like Fort Knox.”
One of the floors upstairs is the home of the American Embassy. I couldn’t have planned it any better myself.
Wyatt looks around and exhales heavily. “Fine. Call me half an hour before your lunch break and I’ll meet you back here.”
I bounce on the spot as I grab his big arm and squeeze it tight.
“Thank you.”
I take off through the large glass doors and hop into the lift, my nerves really beginning to rise.
The elevator is full, and people are all staring straight ahead. I clutch my handbag tightly, flinching when my phone beeps with a message. I scramble to read it.
It’s from Beth.
Good luck today, Lottie Preston xxx
I bite back my smile and reply.
I’m so nervous, I’m about to throw up.
See you tonight.
xoxo
The doors open on the twenty-fifth floor, and I tentatively walk out and look around. There are people and desks everywhere. This place is a hive of activity. Where do I go?
I see a girl sitting at a desk, and I walk over. “H-hello. I’m starting today, would you know where I should go?”
She looks up at me and fakes a smile. “Hey, sure. Back office on the farthest wall.” She gestures to the other end of the space. “Ask for Veronica.”
I grip my handbag tightly. “Okay, thank you.” I make my way to the office and stand by the door.
“Listen, if you continue to be lazy and not get through your work each day, I don’t have a position here for you. Do you understand me?” I hear a woman chastise.
“Yes, Veronica,” a man answers.
I swallow the lump in my throat and stand still. Shit, she sounds mean.
“Why weren’t these reports done on time?”
“I’ve been doing three people’s jobs, and I haven’t had time.”
“Then you make time,” she snaps. “Get back to work right now, and don’t make me call you in here again. I don’t have the time or the energy to follow you around doing your work for you, Marcus.””
“Yes, Veronica. It won’t happen again.” He turns and scurries past me, too rattled to even say hello.
The blood drains from my face.
“Yes?” she barks at me.
“Oh.” I pause and step into her office. “My name is Lottie Preston. I’m meant to be starting here today,” I whisper nervously.
She frowns. “Just a minute.” She dials a number on her office phone, looking me up and down as it rings.
I shrivel under her glare.
“Yes. I have a Lottie Preston here, says she’s starting today.” She listens for a moment. “Okay.”
I glance over at the door wondering if it’s too late to run.
She takes something out of her top drawer. “You’re in the mailroom, follow me.”
She stands and storms past me, and I swallow the lump in my throat. God, this woman is a rude pig. Not even an introduction? She’s short and stocky with a strawberry blonde bob. I follow her as she powers through the office.
Who was I kidding? This was a stupid idea.
“You’re on the tenth floor in the mailroom.” She passes me a security card. “This is your key to get around the building.”
I take it from her. “Thank you.”
We get into the elevator and she hits the button hard. “I’m your manager. My n
ame is Veronica, obviously, and as you probably just heard, I don’t tolerate laziness.”
My eyes widen.
“You’ll be on time, you will work hard, and you won’t gossip with colleagues and waste my valuable time. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes,” I murmur with wide eyes. “Of course.”
The doors open on the tenth floor and she storms out again. This floor is different. There are huge conference tables everywhere, and over in the back corner I can see five small desks. Only one woman and a man are sitting at them working on their computers.
“What are you doing, Paul?” Veronica snaps.
He spins on his chair, obviously not having heard us coming. “Hello, Veronica.” He smiles cheerily.
“This is Laurel,” she says to Paul, introducing me incorrectly.
“Lottie,” I whisper.
She frowns and looks me up and down again. “Lottie.” She rolls her eyes like I’m an inconvenience. “Lottie is starting in the mailroom today. Sarah, you can train her, please?”
The pretty girl smiles, and it’s the first genuine smile I have seen aimed my way since arriving here. “Hello.”
She has long dark hair and looks like a sexy penthouse pet with her huge boobs, silicone lips, and fake eyelashes. I feel so dreary in my sensible clothes.
“Hi,” I croak.
“Back to work,” Veronica says. “Laurel, if you need anything, come and see me in my office.”
I frown. “It’s Lottie.” But she doesn’t hear me—she’s already power walking back to the lifts.
“Fucking slut,” Paul groans once Veronica has disappeared.
My eyes widen.
“I swear to God, one of these days I’m going to stab that bitch in the eye with this letter opener.” He pretends to stab something repeatedly.
Sarah smiles warmly and stands from her seat. “This is your desk, Lottie.” She pulls out my chair. “Don’t worry about Veronica. She’s just a massive cunt.”
My eyes pop. “Oh.”
“Yeah, Cunty McCunt Face.” She sighs. “I keep telling Paul to fuck her so she’ll be in a better mood, but he won’t.”