“Wow. Anything else you’d like to share?”
“Don’t be mad.”
“I’m not mad.”
“I’m just worried about you overextending yourself. You can’t run three casino hotels and party into the wee hours with Hollywood actors who don’t have to worry about waking up at dawn.”
“I appreciate what you’re saying, but you don’t need to worry. I’m a big boy, Marissa, and I’ve been doing this a long time. I have it down to a science. If it gets to be too much, I’ll take a break.”
Marissa scrunched up her mouth the way she did when she was concentrating. She took a deep breath. As her face relaxed, her professionalism was restored. “Okay. I’ve said my piece. I’ll get back to work.”
“I leave it in your capable hands.”
“I won’t let you down, Alex.”
“You never have.”
“Covet will be special.”
“If you tossed broken peanut shells on the floor and put up a mechanical bull and called it ‘fresh and exciting,’ everyone would still buy it becauseyousaid it. Once word gets out that you designed the new club at Vice, everyone will want in.”
“You flatter me.” She started to walk away but turned back. “We’re okay, right?”
“We’re okay. And thanks.”
She nodded. “I promise you, by the time we’re done here, even the ghosts of the Brat Pack will be trying to get in.”
Ghosts.
He could do without those.
One was more than enough.
Chapter Three
If Dana had to repeat herself one more time, she would scream. Swallowing her outrage, she looked the blond hotel desk clerk in the eye and forced a smile. “Yes, I understand Vice is fully booked. What I needyouto understand is that I booked two double rooms months ago.”
Even though every one of her hairs was in place, tucked into an elegant chignon, the clerk smoothed a hand over her updo. She clicked the keys on her keyboard one more time. “I’m sorry, Ms. Hamill. I don’t know what to say. I can’t find your booking anywhere in the Vice database. Are you sure you didn’t book some other hotel on the Strip?”
Dana’s pulse sounded all through her head. “No. My sister wanted Vice for her divorce party so I booked Vice. I have a confirmation number.”
“But your confirmation number doesn’t pull up anything in our system.”
“That’s unfortunate. I also have a confirmation email.” She pulled up the reservation on her phone and showed the clerk the email. “See? I’m not making this up to get a free room. I’m not a scammer.”
“I never suggested you were making it up. I just want to get to the bottom of this little issue.”
Little issue?“With all due respect, this isn’t little to me. My sister and her friends are on their way from the airport as we speak. You’re asking me to tell them there’s no room at the inn. This is unacceptable.”
“Of course, and I do apologize if the error was on our part.”
Ifthe error was on their part?Stay calm, Dana.
Her temper had been getting the better of her ever since the day of the hospital fiasco. Tommy hadn’t called once, not once, to see how she was coping with her diagnosis and his ignorance infuriated her.
What did she expect? The man called off the wedding. He was out there somewhere, rejoicing in his freedom.
She still hadn’t told anyone what happened, and she knew it was wrong, but every time she opened her mouth to tell a friend or family member, the words wouldn’t materialize. When a couple of friends had recently announced their pregnancies, it had taken everything in her just to congratulate them.
