Stop worrying about him.
If anything, she should be glad for the chance to see him again.
But right now, she had aloton her plate.
Not only was she expected to perform miracles at work, but once the holidays ramped up, the onslaught of family get-togethers would begin. The Gonzalez clan loved any excuse to celebrate. Which wasn’t a bad thing, except for the part where she’d be under more scrutiny than usual since she was still single at the ripe old age of twenty-nine. Worse yet, she’d have to endure more of her family’s awkward matchmaking attempts.
Best not to think about that now.
She walked through the lobby, which was painfully empty for a Friday night. Though the plush gray couches offered an inviting place to sit, they were unoccupied, as were the matching armchairs clustered around the tiled fireplace along the south wall. At the front desk, two clerks stood on duty, looking bored. She greeted them, then made her way to the Gilded Lily, the hotel’s cocktail lounge.
The 1920s-style bar was one of the hotel’s best features, decorated with green glass pendant lights, a tin-tiled ceiling, and brown leather club chairs. One wall displayed framed newspaper articles and photos from the twenties, along with vintage Art Deco posters. Unlike the lobby, it was half-full, mostly men and women in business suits who were probably attending the nearby convention on risk management.
Two of the Damsels—Charlie and Selena—were perched on leather stools beside the bar top, chatting with Knox, the head bartender. The two women made quite the contrast. Charlie was a petite, bubbly white woman with wide green eyes and an ash-blond pixie cut, whereas Selena was tall and shapely, with sleek black hair and a sharp wit. Like Rosie, she was of Mexican descent, fluent in Spanish, and had gotten her start at the Duchess by working as a front desk clerk. She now played an integral role as the hotel’s food and beverage manager.
Charlie’s brow furrowed as she greeted Rosie. “Are you okay? How was your review? Was it bad? You have those little stress lines on your forehead.”
“Is Preston going to fire you?” Selena asked. “Is he going to fireallof us? Please, no. I have to pay off my credit card debt.”
“No one’s getting fired,” Rosie said. “Not yet.”
Knox nodded her way. “Need a drink, Rosie? Shot of tequila? You look like you could use one.” He always spoke with a growl in his voice. The gruff, bearded bartender wasn’t known for being warm and fuzzy, but his mixology skills were unsurpassed. And it was no secret—at least not to Rosie—that Charlie had spent the past year pining for him.
“Thanks, but I’ll wait until we get to Pepe’s,” Rosie said. “I’ve already spent enough time at the Duchess this week.”
“Fine,” Knox grumbled. “First, tell me if I’ve still got a job.”
“Everyone’s okay for now, but the next two months might be kinda stressful.” She wished she could offer more reassurance, but she didn’t want to lie. She glanced around the bar, looking for the fourth member of the Damsels. “Is Laurel coming? It’s not like her to miss out.”
“She went home early to get ready for her cousin’s wedding.” Selena slid off her stool. “Let’s go. I told Drew we’d be there around five thirty, and it’s almost six.”
“Hang on,” Rosie said. “When did you decide to invite him to happy hour?”
“It was a last-minute thing,” Selena said. “This morning, I had a training session with him at Northlife. My regular trainer had to cancel, so he filled in for her. I told him we were going out tonight and suggested he join us. It’s no big deal.”
Maybe not to Selena. But to Rosie, seeing Drew again was averybig deal.
Last year, in her role as assistant manager, she’d negotiated an agreement with Northlife Fitness, the mega-gym located just around the corner from the hotel. Since the Duchess didn’t have an in-house workout room, the hotel’s guests received courtesy passes to the gym. As part of the deal, she’d also wrangled a discounted membership rate for the hotel staff.
Eager to take advantage, she’d signed up for ten weight lifting sessions with Drew Richardson, the club’s most popular personal trainer. Despite wanting to respect their boundaries as client and trainer, her attraction to him had grown into a full-blown crush.
She still wished she’d been open with him about her feelings.
Maybe if she had, he wouldn’t have gone after Evelyn, the stunning blond woman who taught the advanced spin classes. Once they’d started dating, Rosie had let her gym membership lapse rather than risk running into them. Not exactly a mature decision, but at the time, she’d also been dealing with an increased workload and a hefty dose of family drama.
Following Selena and Charlie, she left the Gilded Lily, then walked with them out of the hotel’s entrance. Outside, the air was brisk, and a light drizzle was falling. She shivered, pulling her wool peacoat tighter around herself.
Charlie placed a hand on her arm. “Are you upset Drew’s joining us?”
“Not upset. Just surprised,” Rosie said. “I wish I’d had a little more warning.”
“And given you a chance to bail?” Selena said. “No way.”
“I wouldn’t have bailed,” Rosie muttered. “Happy hour means too much to me. Besides, it doesn’t matter if Drew’s there or not. He’s taken.”
Charlie grinned. “Not anymore. Selena told me he’s totally single.”
“He is?” Rosie demanded, then cringed at how desperate she sounded.
