The Rivals - Vi Keeland Page 0,30
weeks old, or the one where your mistress was nineteen when she got pregnant?”
“Don’t be a smartass, Sophia. It’s very unbecoming of you.”
As per usual, trying to have a professional conversation with my father proved fruitless. I had better things to do than stand here and argue with him, so I gave in…for now. He could win this battle, but I knew exactly what I needed to do to win the war. Plus, the valuation of this hotel was going to take weeks, and my father’s wife would never tolerate him being gone that long. I’d outlast him for sure.
“You know what? Why don’t you work with the valuation team? I have plenty of other stuff to keep me busy.”
He gave a curt nod. “Good. I’m glad we understand each other.”
I extended a plastic smile, though my father had never spent enough time with me to understand my sarcasm. “Oh, I understand you perfectly, Dad. I’ll see you later.”
***
“I saw Billy Boy is back.”
I’d been working behind the counter at the lobby reception desk when Weston walked up behind me. He stood a little too close, so I moved to a computer three spots over and hit the space bar to wake up the operating system.
“You seem to have a lot of free time to wander around the hotel and check out what my family and I are up to,” I said. “It’s too bad you don’t use that time to do something helpful. While Louis is working on filling the open positions, the staff is short-handed. I’m sure they could use you to clean some toilets, if you have nothing to do.”
Weston followed me over to where I’d moved and leaned one elbow on the counter, facing me while I typed. “Doesn’t look like you’re too busy yourself, moving around from computer to computer.”
I sighed and motioned with my hand. “Do you see anyone else here? I’m helping out so Louis can do interviews upstairs for the assistant manager positions. One of the two reception clerks is in the back working on assigning rooms for new check-ins, and the other is at lunch.”
“Trying to win employee of the month already?” He chided. “Such a kiss ass.”
Renée, the woman who worked the reception desk, came out from the back. She looked at the two of us and said, “I’m sorry. I can come back.”
“No, no. It’s fine,” I assured her. “You’re not interrupting anything. What can I do for you?”
She held out one of those little cardboard room key holders with a plastic swipe card inside. “I switched your room. Would you like me to have housekeeping go up and move your stuff?”
I shook my head and took the key, slipping it into my pocket. “No, that’s fine. I’ll pack it up and move later. Thank you, Renée.”
Once she walked away, Weston squinted at me. “Why are you changing rooms?”
“I wanted a bigger one. When I checked in, no suites were available.”
“They weren’t when I checked in either. Where are you moving?”
I knew my answer wasn’t going to go over well. “One of the presidential suites.”
“I asked for a suite when I arrived, too. How many are available?”
“Just the one.”
“So why do you get it?”
“Because I’m the more diligent employee and followed up first thing this morning. Where were you? I saw you disappear bright and early out the front door.”
“I had a meeting.”
I perked a brow. “Another meeting? Let me guess. This one is secret, too?”
Weston’s lips pressed into a straight line.
I offered a knowing smile before walking down to the other end of the counter. “That’s what I thought.”
He followed yet again. “If two guests checked in and both requested an upgrade, how would you decide whom to give it to?”
“I’d give it to the one who requested it first.”
“That’s right. So that’s what we should do here.”
I’d had to wait for my checked luggage after our flight while I’d watched Weston breeze right out the door at JFK. I didn’t see him again after that until the next morning, so it was safe to assume he’d checked in first. He was technically right on what should happen here. But I’d had a lot of trouble falling and staying asleep the last week, and I thought having separate rooms to work and sleep in might help my mind relax better. Every time I looked over at my growing pile of work or my laptop, it made me think of ten other things I needed to jump out of