“Hey bro, you’re late.” Travis greets me as I walk into the kitchen where everyone is gathered around the heavily laden dining room table.
“Did I miss anything?” I ask, shrugging nonchalantly.
He shakes his head, “Nah, mostly just Faye and Xavier getting acquainted. We do know who the big guy was yesterday.” I can’t stop my eyes from raking over Faye’s battered and swollen face. The bruising that had already started yesterday is fully evident now, blackening her eyes and spreading down her cheeks. He’s talking about the man on the roof, the one who did that to her. “I did the world a favor by taking him out.”
I nod my agreement, because seriously, who would even argue that fact? She looks even worse this morning than she did yesterday, and I know that Travis kept ice on her and anti-inflammatories in her system all night. There’s no way he wouldn’t have.
“I’m going to be making a trip to New York with Faye so we can settle things there with the house. After Faye witnessed her mom and my uncle Brad bring executed, neither of us want it, and if we can find the Cerelli book of horrors, that would help X out.
I know that I should be paying more attention, but I can’t stop replaying the previous day in my mind and without meaning to I wander into the kitchen where Ana and X are talking about a doctor’s appointment.
“Hey, Xavier, got a second before you go?”
He nods briefly and pats Ana on the ass as she walks toward the foyer to wait for him. He looks at me expectantly. “I just wanted to bring a problem with one of your restaurant managers to your attention.” Lowering my voice, I continue. “I think you have a potential lawsuit on your hands if you let him stick around. He’s bullying and probably sexually harassing the female staff members under his authority.”
His face grows dark and serious, “Swing by and see me later. I want all the details. I don’t want bad people on my payroll, and I don’t want the good ones being abused.”
He reaches out and we shake hands. I know that we’ll get to the bottom of this and then Ellie, and everyone else, will have a more pleasant work environment. I stop in the dining room and take a bagel off the table and follow X toward the door and into the small foyer outside of the penthouse. Raising my hand in farewell to Travis and the girls, I push the button on the service elevator. I’m going to go snoop around housekeeping for a while and see if I can find Ellie. It’s a good thing that Xavier got us cleared with his security team, so no one should question me poking around.
The first thing I notice as the doors on the service elevator slide open is the heat. Followed by the steady rumble of washing machines. It’s still early, only a little before seven, and the few people who were working the night shift are heading out while the incoming shift is bustling around checking their supply carts. A middle-aged woman, clearly in charge of things, is writing room assignments on a large whiteboard on the wall.
I can see the name Elinor L. written down to clean the rooms on the twelfth floor, so I know that Ellie is supposed to be here, but she isn’t. When she notices me standing in the doorway, the head housekeeper approaches me, frowning.
“Can I help you, sir?” Her voice is stiff, and the tight lines around her mouth show her displeasure at my unexpected presence. I can be charming when the situation warrants, and right now it does. I don’t want to cause any problems for Ellie by looking for her.
Extending my hand, I introduce myself, “Excuse me for interrupting, ma’am. I’m Blake Stone from K&S Securities. We have recently been retained by Mr. Cerelli to evaluate the security of the hotel and casino. I was just taking some time this morning to give myself a tour and get a feel for the layout of the building.”
I give her a genuine smile. I’m not lying. This is something I would have been doing, regardless of meeting Ellie last night. I just might not have been doing it today. Or this early in the morning. I’m surprised when her already slightly sour expression worsens, and she doesn’t take my proffered hand. Her behavior seems odd, so I let my hand drop to my side and wait.
“Is there something in particular that I can do to assist you, Mr. Stone?” she asks sharply.
“Yes, ma’am. Just a brief tour of your department, as well as your name and position here?” I pose it as a question, but there is no doubt that I’m making a demand.
“Of course, Mr. Stone. I’m Margot Smith. I’m the head housekeeper. Please give me a moment to complete assigning duties for the day and I will be happy to assist you.”
I nod my acquiescence and lean against the wall to wait, watching as she returns to the board and writes names into blank spaces. I notice that Ellie is not only assigned to the twelfth floor, but also to several bathrooms on the casino floor, giving her more to do than any other employee. I don’t like that, but now I know where to find her today. When Margot finishes up and coolly motions for me to follow her, I do, knowing that I will be able to find my girl as soon as I get some work done.
Chapter Six
Ellie
I’m late. Dang it, I’m late! Ms. Smith is going to kill me! Not literally, but still she’s sure to assign me to bathroom duty in the casino! It’s the worst! It’s not that she’s unfair, but she does demand that we are all punctual and that we do our jobs well. Since I’m already late I will just have to hope that she is in a forgiving mood and will understand, since she is the one who sent me to help the kitchen with the delivery.
The housekeeping room is empty when I get there, which is the last thing I wanted. I really lost track of time talking to Ana. My eyes land on the assignment board my heart sinks. I was the only one who was late today. There is no way I’m getting out of here on time. Ms. Smith has me on the twelfth floor alone, and I made enough room service deliveries up there yesterday to know that there were several groups of college students on the twelfth floor, and the rooms were trashed. That alone would have been punishment enough for being tardy, adding the bathrooms is overkill. At least I’m not waitressing this afternoon. Thank goodness for small blessings, I suppose.
Blowing out a frustrated breath, I gather up the necessary supplies and make sure that my cart is well stocked. I don’t want to have to come back here to fill it up if I don’t absolutely have to. If I get to the bathrooms now, they won’t need much more than a quick once over at the end of the day, plus there’s no reason to even step foot up on twelve before people start checking out.
I’ve missed the darn bus again. Watching its tail-lights pull away from the curb with a rumble and a cloud of black exhaust, my shoulders slump under the weight of another long day. As I expected, the college students left a disaster behind in most of the rooms they were in. It was a good thing that I did the bathrooms early, otherwise they may not have gotten done during my shift at all. As it was, Ms. Smith finally took pity and sent me home two hours late when I came to restock my cart.
Lowering myself onto the cold metal bench I pull my cardigan tight around me. It’s getting cool tonight and I didn’t grab a jacket because I didn’t think I would need one. Guess I was wrong. I won’t forget tomorrow. At least waiting for the bus means that I can finish eating my lunch. Mom boxed up what was left of last night’s dinner. Huevos Rancheros is usually one of my favorites, but not so much when it’s a day old and cold. I pick at the food in the small container disinterestedly, pushing the chunks of avocado that have turned completely brown to the side and taking an unappetizing bite of cold eggs and beans before putting the container back in my purse.
I’ll eat when I get home. Mom always has dinner waiting for me, no matter what time I get in. It’s just lame that I won’t get there for at least another hour now. Opening the e-reader app on my phone I settle in to read the romance novel I’ve been trying to finish for a couple weeks. At least missing the bus means that I can have some uninterrupted reading time.
“Ellie?” A vaguely familiar voice saying my name startles me and I look up into the striking face of the man from the bar last night. Geez, he’s amazing looking.
“Oh, hello.” I say, mustering up a tired smile. It’s hard at the end of the day to pretend to be cheerful when I’m beat and heading home to who knows what. It all depends on the kind of day everyone had while I was gone.
“You don’t have to do that.” He offers.
“Do what?” I ask, genuinely confused. What was I doing?
“Act like you aren’t dead on your feet.”
I arch an eyebrow at him, skeptical about him making that kind of assumption. Even if it is true. “I’m okay.” I tell him, forcing myself to smile a little more brightly. This is the guy who left me a fifty-dollar tip for serving him pie and coffee. I can pretend that I’m not exhausted for a few minutes and make polite conversation. What I don’t know is if I should acknowledge his generosity or not. I think about it for a second. Probably not. It would embarrass me and might make him uncomfortable as well.
He’s just standing there, waiting for me to say more. At least I think so. “Are you enjoying your stay in Vegas?” I ask, injecting enthusiasm I’m not feeling into my words. I figured that he would launch into some tale about the shows he’s been to see, or whatever five-star restaurant he’s been to like most guests do when I ask that question.
But not him. Nope. He bursts out laughing. “I haven’t seen any of Vegas except for the lounge last night and the inside of Xavier’s penthouse.”
“Oh.” I squeak nervously. He’s a friend of Mr. Cerelli’s. Sitting straighter, I tuck a strand of hair that has come loose from my braid behind my ear.
“I also had a tour of the housekeeping department this morning from Ms. Smith.”
Why is he telling me that? Am I in trouble for being late? The thought makes my cheeks burn and my stomach churn with worry. “I was late this morning.” I blurt, apologetically. Better to fess up than to hide it. That’s what Dad always told Lizzie and me when he knew we’d done something wrong. I’m not about to lie to this man. He seems to be the type that would have influence and I’m not willing to jeopardize my job by being anything less than truthful.
He shrugs one broad shoulder nonchalantly and takes a step closer to me. I can’t help but notice he’s limping slightly. Scooting to one side I pat the seat, offering him a place to sit.
“I’m sure that you had a good reason if you were late, Ellie.” He says, stretching out his bad leg and taking the offered spot beside me. The bus stop is small and his massive bicep brushes against my shoulder. I can feel the heat of him radiating off his big body in the small space.
“I really did,” I tell him earnestly, “I was actually early this morning, so I stopped in and Ms. Smith told me that the café had asked if I could deliver breakfast to Ana… I mean, Mr. and Mrs. Cerelli.”
He chuckles again, shaking his head. “The reason you were late to work was because you were delivering breakfast to the penthouse?”
I nod. That’s exactly what happened. “I’m not in trouble, am I? I did everything Ms. Smith assigned to me…” I take a deep breath, “except I didn’t get the casino bathrooms cleaned again before she sent me home.” I admit, dropping my eyes to the tips of my scuffed white sneakers.
His wide, warm hand cupping my shoulder makes me look up at him again. Our eyes meet and hold. They really are so pretty. Like nothing I’ve ever seen on a man before, such a bright green, with the thickest, darkest lashes. I’d be jealous of them, but I know that my own eyes are fringed with pretty amazing lashes. I bet our babies would have the most beautiful eyes.
Where the heck did that thought come from? I shake my head slightly, trying to remove the idea. What is wrong with me? A good-looking man makes simple conversation with me and now I’m having his babies? The thought is ludicrous! I don’t even know his name! Which makes me wonder…
“How do you know my name?” I just keep blurting out whatever crosses my mind. This is so not my usual behavior. Where is the darn bus? I peer down the block, trying to see if it’s coming yet. I blow out a ragged breath. Thank God it is! I need to get away from this man before I say or do something even more stupid than I already have.
The rumble of the bus and the hiss of brakes stopping in front of us distracts him for a moment, and I jump to my feet.
“This is me.” I say lamely, “It was nice talking to you.” I add with a relieved smile.
“Good night, Ellie.” He says, pushing to his feet and taking a step toward me. I still didn’t get his name.
Lifting one foot up onto the step, I look back at him. I really wish I knew his name. “Good night.” I offer him another smile. This one genuine. I sigh and take another step up, swiping my bus pass through the reader.
“My name’s Blake,” He calls out, just as the doors swish shut behind me.
Blake. It’s a nice name. Taking the first available seat I look out the window. He’s still standing here, watching me. Lifting my hand, I give him a little wave with my fingers as the bus rolls forward with a lurch, but not before I see him wave back.
Dropping my head back onto my seat with a small thunk, I close my eyes. If only he wasn’t friends with the man who ultimately is my boss… or if I wasn’t just a housekeeper. That’s just the way it is I guess, but it was still nice talking to him. Even if I did act like a total dork.
Chapter Seven
Blake
That was interesting. She’s scared of something. Scared of me, I suppose. Of the influence she believes that I may have over her employment. I should have cleared that misconception up as soon as I realized what was going through her pretty head. When she made room for me to sit, I’d hoped that we would have more than just the few minutes until her bus arrived. She looked engrossed in whatever she was reading when I first noticed her sitting there, so she must have been there for a while.
The whiteboard in housekeeping indicated that her shift should have ended at three, so I can’t help but be curious about what she had been doing between then and her catching a bus at six-thirty. What she said about being sent home, even though she hadn’t finished doing everything, made it sound like she had been working the entire time.
Xavier seems to run a tight ship, even though there is room to improve on his out-of-date security system, so I’m having a hard time believing that he wants his staff being held over into other shifts. I’m going to have to ask around a bit. It’s not exactly my business, but… to hell with it. I’m going to make it my business. The idea of that perfect angel of a girl being treated like shit by one manager, and worked ragged by another, sits poorly in my stomach. I’ll be damned if I’m going to see a problem like that and not say or do something about it. For half a minute I think about heading up to the penthouse to talk to Xavier about it but decide it’s not the right time. He’s barely reunited with his wife and they deserve some alone time after being separated for so long. Blowing out a frustrated breath I look down the road in the direction the bus went. I can’t help but wonder what the chances are that I could get to the SUV and catch up to it so I can make sure that she gets home okay. I can still see the lights on the bus in the distance and impulsively flag down a stopped cab before it pulls away from the curb.
“Hey,” I say to the driver, sliding into the back seat, “Can you catch up to the bus that just left?” He meets my eyes in the mirror with a curious look on his face. I shrug a shoulder, shooting for more casual than I’m feeling. “Just want to make sure my date gets home safely.”
I’m not sure if he believes me or not, but he pulls into traffic and catches up with the bus a few blocks later when it makes a stop. When we pull up alongside, I can see her Ellie on her seat reading on her phone with a small smile quirking her full lips. I like seeing her with a real smile on her face. Yesterday her pretty face was pinched and red from crying, and tonight she just looked plain worn out. Neither look is okay in my book. I want to see her relaxed and happy and plan to do whatever is needed to see that it happens sooner, rather than later.
The cabbie follows the bus until we are just on the outskirts of the city. It sto
ps in what looks like a nice enough neighborhood. The houses are older and could use facelifts, but they are all neat and tidy with tiny front yards.
“Stop here for a minute.” I say to the driver when I see Ellie step off the bus, tucking her phone in her sweater pocket as she continues walking up the sidewalk.
He does as I request with a sigh. “You know stalking’s illegal, right man?” He laughs, but it sounds forced. I know following her home was messed up, but I couldn’t shake the compulsion to know that she made it home safely. Even though logically she makes this same bus ride home every day she works.
Ignoring him, I roll down the window and watch as she walks up a narrow concrete path toward a house with lights shining in the windows. The front door opens, silhouetting her against the yellow glow, and the sound of a crying child carries to my ears. Her slim shoulders slump slightly, as if the weight of the world is suddenly on them.
“He’s not feeling any better yet, Mama?” Her voice calls into the house just before the door closes and the porch light goes off leaving the small porch and walkway in shadows.
“She’s home safe,” the driver says sarcastically. “Back to where I picked you up, or you got somewhere else to go?”
“Back is fine.” I mumble, resting back against the seat and putting the window back up. Now I know where she lives, and that she lives with her mom and a child. Lawrence’s words about her having a baby with no father pop into my head. I never thought about kids before, but suddenly the idea is front and foremost in my mind. I like kids… at least I think so.
Embracing Ellie: K&S Securities Series Page 4