She cursed under her breath. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”
“Nope. The reception’s being held in the ballroom of the Grand Duke.”
“But Evelyn and Jared work at Northlife. How can they afford it?”
“Her parents are loaded.” Even so, when he’d first received the invitation, the reception’s location had come as a surprise. But Evelyn had grown up very privileged, the daughter of a wealthy real estate developer who’d given her everything except his love. Her status-conscious mother wasn’t much better.
Seeing that his ride-share had arrived, he waved it over, gave his name to the driver, and helped Rosie get in.
Seated beside her, he continued explaining. “Evelyn told me she didn’t want an extravagant wedding, but she’s their only child, so they insisted on it. Their compromise was a small ceremony this morning, followed by tonight’s big event. Sorry to put you squarely in the middle of the enemy’s camp.”
“It’s fine, especially since I’m not paying a dime to be there.”
He placed his hand on her thigh, smoothing his palm over the soft velvet. Given that the Duke was her hotel’s biggest rival, he’d feared she might be irritated. But maybe she was just happy for a break from the Duchess. She’d been so busy that he’d only gotten one night with her this past week. But he hadn’t complained. With three days left until Christmas, she was under pressure to fill the hotel to capacity.
The car pulled up outside the Grand Duke, which looked as imposing as ever, ablaze with thousands of white lights. On either side of the path leading to the entrance were evergreens decked out with Christmas lights, interspersed with tall pillars and giant nutcrackers. Adorning the pillars were wreaths made of bright silver and gold ornaments.
“Fuck me,” Rosie muttered. “This is ostentatious as hell.”
“A little over-the-top if you ask me. It’s so bright you can probably see it from outer space. And those giant nutcrackers look like the stuff of nightmares.”
“It’s like they’re trying too hard, right?” she said.
“Way too hard.” Maybe he was biased, but the homespun décor at the Duchess was more his style. “It feels so corporate.”
“That’s because it is. Royal Host runs this place. They’re a Canadian hospitality company known for managing upscale properties. I guarantee you all their five-star hotels have the exact same decorations, right down to the scary nutcrackers.”
When they reached the grand ballroom, he stood motionless, taking it all in. A galaxy of twinkling white lights illuminated the ceiling, and at the center was an enormous, glittering chandelier. Around the room were more ornamental pillars and fully decorated Christmas trees. The tables were draped in crimson, each bearing a large holiday centerpiece complete with candles, holly, and poinsettias.
It brought to mind the reality show he’d been watching with Rosie—the one where people competed to spruce up their homes for the holidays—except this décor was more tasteful than the stuff he’d seen on the show. There wasn’t a Santa, reindeer, or elf to be seen.
“This is…a lot,” he said.
“Have you never been inside the ballroom before?” she asked.
“Never. When I was a kid, we visited the Duke’s lobby once, but that was it.”
He’d been eight, and his family had driven down to Victoria for the day. They’d toured the Parliament Buildings, visited Miniature World, spent hours at the Royal BC Museum, and walked through the Grand Duke’s lobby. His parents had been planning to indulge in the hotel’s famous High Tea, but once they saw the price, they’d left in a hurry. Instead, they’d taken him and Kate to a cozy teahouse nearby, where they’d ordered pots of Earl Grey tea and scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. It was one of his favorite memories, belonging to a time when his parents hadn’t been at war with each other.
“When I interviewed here, I got the full tour,” Rosie said. “I’ve also been to a couple of their events.”
“Do you wish you’d gotten the job?”
She shook her head. “At the time, I was gutted, but I’m glad I ended up at the Duchess. I love my team, and I wouldn’t have risen as high in the ranks if I was stuck at a big corporate hotel like this one.”
All the more reason she deserved to keep her job. So she could continue doing what she loved, infusing her passion and energy into making the Duchess the best hotel it could be.
Since the bride and groom had yet to arrive, most of the guests were at the bar, clustered around small high-top tables, chatting and drinking. As Drew and Rosie lined up behind an exquisitely dressed couple, he noticed the woman’s ring, which contained a massive pink diamond. Definitely not his usual crowd.
Standing beside the bar was a tall, suave-looking man with dark, wavy hair and light brown skin, impeccably dressed in a tailored navy blue suit. His eyes lit up at the sight of Rosie.
“Rosalina. This is a surprise. What are you doing here?”
She beamed. “Alejandro. Are youworkingtonight?”
Drew relaxed his grip on Rosie’s arm. This had to be the infamous Alejandro who’d sent all those guests to the Duchess.
Alejandro gave a dramatic sigh. “Our banquet manager is out with the flu—or so she claims—so I’m overseeing this event. You still haven’t told me why you’re here, querida.”
