Nothing like being a total downer by mentioning her condition.
As for her parents, they were starting to show signs of concern. Her mom asked why Tommy hadn’t come to recent Sunday dinners, and she’d fobbed her off with excuses about his work and new projects. Although her mother often peered at her, questions in her eyes, she hadn’t pushed the matter.
Yet.
Luckily, her dad was a little more oblivious. And then there was her sister Anise. Dana had managed to keep the topic at bay with her as well.
There was only one other person in the world who knew about Tommy dumping her. Alex, the stranger from the tiki bar. She doubted he’d blabbed it to anyone.
Alex of the sexy cat eyes and the amazing core body strength.
Damn, she’d taken that image to bed with her several times.
Maybe she shouldn’t have bolted that day. It hardly mattered. There was nothing she could do about it now.
“Let me check again,” said the clerk. “We have had a lot of calls lately. Ever since Mr. Markov opened Covet, it’s been insane here. Everyone wants a room.”
Dana had heard about the new club and had even told a few clients about it. It was supposed to be like something out of a dream. A contact in the industry had visited once and hadn’t stopped talking about it.
You should see it, Dana. At the end of the night, everyone jumps into the big pool. They have floaties made for couples and the best drinks in town. People line up around the block to get in.
She had to admit, she was curious to see it, and clearly so was the rest of the world. Still, it wasn’t her issue if Vice was having trouble coping with the demand for rooms. She had booked her room way before the new owner showed up.Not my problem. “You’re telling me you’re sold out because of a new nightclub.”
“We sure are. It’s an amazing place. It was designed by Marissa Flores. She does outstanding work.”
“Wonderful.”
“Now everyone wants a room.”
Dana was in no mood to discuss the design. “Please, check again.”
Just then, a child’s cry caught Dana’s attention. Over to her right, a young couple was checking into the hotel. Hopefully, they were having more luck than she was.
A squirming toddler clung to the mother’s leg, wanting to be picked up. “Mommy.” The little girl did a dance of impatience. When the child realized she wasn’t succeeding at getting her mother’s attention, she reached for her father’s leg. He paid her no attention, too busy focusing on the desk clerk’s description of the buffet.
Waiting for resolution on her reservation, Dana kept an eye on the toddler.
The parents continued to ignore her. The girl began to back away from the check-in counter. She moved by degrees, with the sneaky concentration of any toddler who’d just decided to make a break for it. As she continued to back away, she almost bumped into a group of rowdy men passing through the lobby. Too busy drinking beer from enormous glasses, the men didn’t even notice the child and didn’t seem to realize they were about to plow into her.
Dana scurried forward and directed the little one back to the desk. “Come this way, honey. You don’t want to get lost.” She tapped the mother on the shoulder. “Your child almost ran off.”
Neither of the parents said a word of thanks. The mother just rolled her eyes and grabbed the girl by the arm. “Lily, how many times do I have to tell you to stay put?”
Sure. Blame the child.
“Ms. Hamill?”
Dana bit her tongue. It didn’t seem fair that some people who had babies ignored them, while others couldn’t have them at all.
Stop that. She’d been living with her diagnosis for three months now. The key word wasliving. She’d moved on. The diagnosis of infertility might break some people, but she wouldn’t let it break her.
“Ms. Hamill?”
“I’m sorry. What were you saying?”
“Just that we do work closely with a number of the other hotels on the Strip. It’s a busy week in town, but I’ve heard there might be openings at the Flamingo and Excalibur. I would be happy to see if we can find you something at one of those properties.”
Okay. The time for calm was officially over. “Excalibur, huh? We booked Vice, the most sophisticated hotel on the Strip, and you want to send me to a place that has a fire-breathing dragon in the lobby?” Dana checked the clerk’s name tag. “I’m sorry, Cecilia. That just won’t do.”
