In the elevator to the executive floor, I look over and smile. If my smile is filled with love and every other feeling I’ve ever possessed for Tyler—well, that can’t be helped. It’s what he brings out in me.
A heated look fills his eyes, sending a spark through my belly.
The elevator doors open and I mumble something resembling “I’ll see you later,” as I take off toward my office, trying to stifle the lunatic grin on my face.
This tension cannot go on much longer. I will combust.
An hour passes, and I let out a heavy sigh at my desk, forcing my mind off Tyler for the millionth time in the last thirty minutes. I run my finger down the schedule of events and the vendors linked to each. A knock sounds at my office door. And by office, I mean closet, because my space has no windows and is barely large enough for a desk and chair. But hey, it’s an enclosed area and it’s all mine, so I’m thrilled.
I glance up. “Hi, Hayden.”
Hayden’s been pulling fourteen-hour days these last couple of weeks. I’m not far behind her. We’re both looking drained, but Hayden seems particularly stressed.
“I have a huge favor to ask. Jessie from hospitality called in sick with appendicitis.”
“Jessie?” I say, my voice high-pitched. “As in, Jessie who is saving our asses by running hospitality with minimal help from me while we’re short-staffed? That Jessie?”
“Yeahhh.”
Oh, no. “What can I do?”
I mean, I’m booked for the night with human resources tasks, but this is an emergency. And I’m Hayden’s right-hand woman. I like the little team we’ve formed. It feels good to be a part of something outside of family and friends.
“We’ve got people coming in from all over, and every celeb has special requests. I need you to check the suites to make sure they’re stocked with the appropriate items. Gummy bears, Roberto Cavalli bath towels in zebra print, rubber duckies?—”
“Whoa, seriously?”
She rolls her eyes. “Celebrities. What can you do? Jessie supposedly stocked everything before she left yesterday, but I want to make sure it’s all there. She wasn’t feeling well.”
“Sure, I’ll take care of it.” I calculate in my head the other items I have left to manage. It’s massive, but this is important to Hayden, so it’s important to me. “Should I leave now?”
“If you don’t mind? Here’s the list.” She hands me a ten-page document.
I blink, but hold it together. This list will take me hours. “I’m on it. Anything else?”
“No, but maybe just—be careful?”
I frown.
Hayden shifts her feet nervously. “Drake’s here.”
“What?”
“And there’s a weird energy among the executives tonight. It’s making me nervous.”
What the hell? I love my job, but sometimes this place sucks.
“Why did they allow Drake back?” From the rumors I’ve heard, the CEO is no longer confident of Drake’s innocence.
“No idea. My boss has been tight-lipped on the subject.”
“Okay,” I say, leery. “I’ll be careful.”
Hayden leaves, and I shoot out one last email before slipping on my heels from under my desk. I exit my closet/office—and stop in the hallway, the hospitality list and other paperwork clutched in my hands.
Male shouts filter down the hall, escalating with each word, as if whoever is yelling is also rapidly approaching.
Drake turns the corner, headed my way. “We had a deal, Joseph,” he yells behind him, pacing closer, papers hanging out the unzipped sides of his briefcase. “I sacrificed for you.” He stops as if to turn and go back the way he came. But then he catches sight of me.
