over. “I heard what happened in the bar last night.” He smirks and adds, “News travels fast in this place.”
Er, which part is he referring to?
Good God, it seems like last night went on forever. I raise my eyebrows to indicate he’ll need to let me know what the hell he’s talking about.
“Good thing you’ve got lots of skirts, eh?” Jon raises his eyebrows with a wiggle. “Charlie certainly loved retelling that bit over and over.”
Oh, my ass on display. Great.
I shrug my shoulders. “Glad to be a constant source of amusement for the ex-lumberjack.” My face remains neutral. In the big scheme of what has happened in the last fourteen hours, that part seems inconsequential. “Rafe, would you mind filling him in on all that has happened? I want to clean up and get ready for the day.”
Rafe nods and digs in to his food while it’s still steaming hot. I leave the men and contemplate what I'm going to wear. I'll be meeting Asa today and will have to give him a tour of the place. Plus I’ve got a tea scheduled with Olivia, and a nooner tour with Liam and his mate on the fun floor.
Dressing in layers today sounds like the best approach. I strip everything off and take the fastest shower I can. Good thing I blew out my hair yesterday morning. Vampire hair grows so damn slowly that to keep my long hair healthy, I don’t style it every day.
I pull on a black lace Merry Widow with matching thong panties, pairing both with sheer black stockings to complete the first layer. Next, I choose a snug, soft gray, turtleneck cashmere sweater with a below-the-knee charcoal, pinstriped suit skirt. The nice part about the skirt is it will hide most of the thigh-high, patent leather black boots I’ll be wearing.
Zipping the second boot up into place, I take a last look in the full-length mirror before heading back into the kitchen. It’s a fine line between sexy, intelligent innkeeper and a moment’s transformation into a sexual dynamo, but I think I did a good job this morning. I fluff up my hair and give it a good shake, ready for whatever rolls my way in the next few hours.
Grabbing my cell phone and the notebook containing my thoughts on the crime, I then check my watch as I stroll into the hall. I’m happy to see that it is almost eight and I’m right on time. Being late drives me nuts. The sounds greeting me as I head back to Rafe and Jon are of plates clanking and chairs scraping back.
“How was breakfast, boys?” I call out, feeling cheerier than when I went in to change.
“Great.” Rafe pats his full stomach. “Paul is one of the best additions we’ve made to this place. When is his contract up?”
“His latest two-year contract expires the end of next season. You worried he’ll leave us?”
Jonathan snorts at that. “Where else can a chef earn two hundred K to cook for a max of thirty people a day? For that matter, who the hell pays the basic ground crew and maids a hundred? No worries on that front, Viv. They’ll stay as long as you want them.”
I look over and raise an eyebrow. “You complaining? You earn more than both of them put together. If you want a salary adjustment, just say the word.”
Jon holds up both hands in a stop gesture. “Nah, don’t get hasty there, lady. No complaining, simply pointing out the employees have plenty of incentive to stay. Loyalty through excellent pay and great working conditions can go a long way in today’s economy, and you two provide both.” He winks. “And then there’s the perks the guests add. Never a dull moment here, that’s for damn sure.”
Rafe stands, pushing in his chair. He glances over his shoulder to the slumbering Sheba on the couch. “How long is she going to be out? I don’t want her in our suite when we’re not here.”
“Can you give the front desk a call and have someone bring her back to her room?” I answer. “She’ll be out for about six more hours.”
Jon surprises me and says, “I'll bring her up. She’s staying on the second floor where we’re going, right?”
He walks across the room and gently slides his hands under the voluptuous curves of the cocoa-skinned beauty. “You did the right thing, Viv. Rafe filled me in. There was no other way you could have gone.”
I grunt