After the Climb (River Rain #1) - Kristen Ashley Page 0,10
infuriated me) I’d planned to stay the evening, booked a late facial in their spa, and after, intended to get room service, relax and read that night.
The next day was all about Heddy, shopping, tapas at El Gato Azul for lunch, and dinner with Trisha and Scott at Farm Provisions.
In fact, I always enjoyed a visit to Prescott, even knowing Duncan lived close.
It wasn’t exactly a remote, low-population town. It was relatively large in and of itself, and a favored destination for Phoenicians to go for a day, or a weekend, to avoid the heat in the summer. And others to buy properties up there, again to avoid the heat (something, once Trish and Scott moved up, Tom and I had considered…but then…Duncan).
But it wasn’t Flag. It didn’t have ski slopes to attract greater masses.
It had lakes. Hiking trails. The Dells. Shopping. Whiskey Row. And for a week in the summer, Frontier Days.
Mostly, it was pretty sleepy, and partly because it was beautiful, but undoubtedly because it was laidback, slower-paced and the people less harried and more friendly than in the city, it was enticing.
I should not have been enticed.
Not this time.
I should have headed home, to the condo, holed in, made myself a pitcher of gimlets, and contemplated how I’d gone so very wrong for so very long when it came to Corey.
Instead, I took in the interior of the lobby of the hotel, which was decidedly Victorian in a rather close, heavy, dark, fabulous way, with its green-and-gold scroll wallpaper. And the tall desk behind which stood a stylish young woman wearing a slim-fitting, dark-pink dress that had an attached scarf artistically tied at the side of her neck.
I unconsciously braced as her eyes fell on me, ready by rote to handle however this proceeded.
Fortunately, as I stopped in front of her, Rodney unnecessarily at my side, rolling my Tumi that I could roll myself, but also cutting me off from view of the bar that was also on this floor, she simply smiled before she spoke.
“Ms. Swan. We’re delighted you’re staying with us at The Queen. And I’m happy to report, your suite is ready for you.”
“Thank you,” I replied.
Her eyes shifted to Rodney, and back to me, and she asked, “Would you like us to help you upstairs with your bag, or—?”
Rodney butted in. “I have it.”
“Of course,” she said to him. But to me, “Your PA’s instructions for check-in have been understood.”
Translation: I was booked under the name Virginie Forbes.
Even now, semi-retired, precautions had to be taken.
“And the manager of the spa has been alerted to your appointment,” she went on. “Just so you’re aware, when you arrive at our facilities, a member of staff will escort you to the locker room, and make sure it’s cleared so you can change. And phones have been banned in the lounge, though we encourage that anyway. Regardless, you’ll be escorted straight to your treatment room, once your valuables have been secured.”
“That wasn’t necessary,” though it absolutely was, “but thank you.”
“Ms. Sinclair believes it is,” she replied, referring to the owner of the place. Having been fiddling with things at her desk, she handed me my key card. “You’re on the top floor. Room four-oh-one. With a view to the square. We have your cell number on file in case of emergencies, and your credit card in case of incidental charges, so all is well. The elevator is behind me, to your right.”
“Again, thank you.”
“My pleasure, and should you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to ask any member of staff.”
I nodded.
After she gave me a thankfully non-obsequious smile to end the equally thankfully non-obsequious check-in process, she busied herself with something at her desk.
Rodney continued to shield me from the bar as we moved beyond it toward the elevators.
When we’d stopped at them, and he’d shifted in order to shield me from the lobby, I looked up to him.
“Honestly, I can take it from here.”
“I’ll see you to your room, Ms. Swan.”
I was sensing from his demeanor that he would.
I gave in. We entered the tiny elevator. And we were silent on the way up, the short walk to the door to my suite, and through it after I touched the key card to the pad.
Rodney moved directly to the sizable, antique, free-standing wardrobe as I looked around.
The room was large, as it would be, considering it was their deluxe suite, taking half the top floor and spanning the entire front of the hotel.