“And what do I get from it?” she asked, though it seemed more like she was teasing me than actually asking. I took the bait, and moved closer to her; so close that I could touch her.
“Whatever you want,” I said, lacing my tone with a promise.
“Fine. Where do I go?”
I gave her a small piece of paper before finishing my lemonade in one fell swoop. It gave me the opportunity for a dramatic pause, one that I knew would build some tension between us.
“This is your contact,” I finally explained. “Have the bottle in my private lounge at 8 PM.”
Adriana nodded, and finished her own lemonade before getting to her feet. “You’ve got it.”
I watched her leave a little more closely than I should have, but anyone would have to admit that she was just as much a treat to the eyes from behind as from the front. This was her chance to really prove herself, and I had the feeling that she was going to surprise me.
Later that evening, I was seated in my private lounge with Chef Nolan talking about the appetizers that he’d prepared for me. I checked the clock. It was about ten minutes to eight. Adriana was running out of time.
“I’ve paired it with—” Nolan started, and I held up a hand to interrupt him.
“I’ve got my own wine coming,” I answered with a sly smile. “Let’s see if it gets here on time for the main course.”
“Certainly, Sir, whatever you prefer,” Nolan said with a small bow. I’d heard him yelling in the kitchen before. I found it pretty entertaining to see how subservient he was around me.
At the same time, there was a part of me that wished more people would react to me the way that Adriana did. She acted asif I was on the same level as anyone else in the hotel, and aside from that being sexy, it did make me feel more human. But it also made me more eager to put her in her place.
I ate the appetizer slowly, savoring every flavor that Nolan had expertly put together. By the time I was done, it was just after eight, and Nolan had run off to get the main course.
Before he returned, there was a rapid, but polite knock at the door. The porter standing beside it opened it.
“It is the concierge, Sir,” he announced over his shoulder, and I smiled.
“Let her in.”
I heard Adriana’s heels clicking on the marble tiles, but I didn’t turn. I only faced her once she stood beside me with a package in her hand. She seemed a little dazed, as if the task had taken her absolute all to complete.
“You’re three minutes late,” I pointed out, even though my smile didn’t falter. “I’m impressed, of course. I wasn’t entirely certain you’d pull it off.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, looking like she was getting ready to leave.
But I didn’t want her to go. “Take a seat, please. I insist.”
Adriana did so, placing the package in front of her. I studied her closely. Even though she seemed like she’d had a tough day, not a single hair was out of place, and she still had that defiant look in her eye.
“So, how’d you do it?” I asked curiously, leaning over the corner of the table toward her.
It was a request that I’d made of other employees before, but only one had ever been successful, and it had taken that guymore than a week. Adriana had gotten far closer to my requested deadline.
“I had it delivered to a contact in Carmel,” she said simply. “And a friend brought it here. She wasn’t very happy with me, but I’ll deal with it.”
“Well,” I said, tapping my fingers on the table before I started opening the package. “You deserve a reward for your excellent service.”
Inside was the exact bottle that I had asked for. Nolan had appeared at the far end of the dining room, and he peered at the wine with a frown, but he said nothing. He didn’t attempt to serve the main course either; rather, he turned and promptly left.
I had to give it to the man—he knew how to read the room.
“I’m not supposed to—” Adriana started, but I pointed up at the clock.
“I believe you should have stopped working at eight,” I said smoothly. “Your shift should be over. I know you spend late nights here, but you really should be more focused on a work-life balance.”
She shook her head. “My job is important to me.”
