Page 40 of Winning Her

I managed to do a quick read of the document as I listened to my PA, and by the end of the hour when the secretary came for it, I handed the signed document over. I was getting back to what I’d been doing before, only for my phone to ring again. I had to pick it up, and it was nearly a whole hour of chatting over the phone so I could help fix a situation on the other end.

After a few more minutes of working, my phone rang again. Only, it wasn’t my PA this time. I vaguely remembered it as some woman’s number. I’d probably given her my number at some party, and she was calling because I hadn't made the first move.

Dammit. Can't you people just leave me alone? I’m busy!

I was almost to the point of tearing my hair out. I rejected the call, but she called back a minute later. I let out a low growl, then sighed.

“I’m taking a break,” I declared to my empty office, glaring at my phone as I picked it up and turned it off. Then I turned to the computer and logged out of the hotel’s database before turning it off. I got up, pulled on my jacket, and left.

The secretary looked up as I walked out of the office, surprised. I didn’t blame her. I might have only been at my dad’s office for a week, but this was the earliest I’d ever come out of it.

“Sir?” she said, a slight frown of confusion on her brow.

“I’m taking a break,” I told her. “If anything comes up, please take care of it for me. I’ll be completely out of communication for the rest of today, but I’ll be back tomorrow. I have something important to take care of.”

“Yes, sir.”

Good.

I all but strutted down the hall to the elevator, feeling total relief to be free of obligation for a few hours. Jessi’s shift should have ended already, so it should be easy to track her down. Hopefully.

Once the elevator doors closed between me and the hallway, I pulled out a piece of paper I’d been keeping with me since I’d had the secretary look into Jessi for me. It was her complete schedule and the number of the room where she was staying.

I went to her quarters first, deciding I’d go looking for her down in the staff room or the kitchens if I didn’t find her there today. I wondered idly where she’d been staying when she wasn’t at home, and if I should be worried she was finally looking for some new guy.

The thought didn’t sit well with me.

At her door, I paused before knocking. I’d come here over the past week, only to go back when there was no reply to my knocking. I didn’t want the same to happen today, even though I had more determination, and more time, to properly track her down this time.

I’d never been on the inside of her room, but being the owner had a few perks. I knew her place was little more than a living room, bathroom, and bedroom. There was a tiny area to cook in, but it wasn’t really impressive. Her place was about half the size of mine at the hotel. My kitchen area was bigger, not that I used it to cook much.

After some minutes to muster up some courage, I knocked on the door, then held my breath as I waited. To my complete surprise, the door opened, and Jessi stood on the other side of it. She was just as surprised to see me, and we stood there for a minute, staring at each other.

“Um, hi,” I said after a minute, my eyes drifting away from hers. I noticed she had a lot of boxes in the apartment, and my eyebrows shot up. “Are you moving or something?” I asked, joking. “Or is the room so small it’s the only way you can store your things?”

Either she wasn’t into humor, or my brand of humor was terrible because her expression didn’t change at all. It was probably the latter, but I clued in that she was acting particularly serious. There was a slight frown on her face as she looked up at me, and I couldn’t help but mirror it.

“What?” I said defensively. Was she mad at me after all?

“It’s true,” she said.

It took me a minute to understand what she meant. And then I was shocked again.

“You’re leaving?” I blurted out. “Why?”

She arched an eyebrow, giving me a strange look.

That was a stupid question, I thought to myself. Fuck. Could there be any other reason? Jessi wants to leave because of me.

“Stay.” I winced, wondering where I was getting this urge to start blurting shit out. I didn’t take it back. “You don’t have to go anywhere,” I continued. “Just stay at the hotel. If the place is too small, I can find someplace bigger for you to stay, something with a better kitchen. You’ve been working here long enough that you deserve it, anyway.”

Words were falling out of my mouth, words I didn’t have the time to think on before blurting them out. Jessi’s expression had fallen blank in shock, but I couldn’t stop. I needed to stop her from leaving, whatever the means, even if it meant making a fool of myself. I didn’t understand the sudden panic, or where it came from. I couldn’t let Jessi leave.

“About what you said before, you being a good chef? I agree. The hotel needs you here, so there’s no need for you to go anywhere. Would you like a raise? I can approve it if you go through the proper channels, trust me when I say you’d deserve it. I’ve had some of your creations over the past several days. They’re some of the best I’ve tasted, Jessi, and I get around.”

I knew I was going to regret this at some point. After the way I’d been treating her over the years, I was suddenly singing her praises. Shit, I hadn't even apologized for how I talked to her the last time yet! I had a lot to be sorry for where she was concerned. At the very least, I should have snuck in a sorry in there.

“Trent.”