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  “Just the drinks!” I said listing off the orders.

  She took the hint and backed off. “I’ll have it all sent to your table, sir. Please wait a few minutes.”

  I nodded, then turned to head back.

  Laura…

  Last night with her had been full of surprises in several ways. While Laura giving into me was one of them, there was more than that. Now that I was away from her, I couldn’t help wondering…

  All she’d told me was that she had been sick, but it wouldn’t need a genius to know that she’d likely had breast cancer at some point. I knew all about it because it was one of the causes my mom donated to over the years, and the couple times I’d helped her out in her fundraisers, I’d learned bits and pieces.

  Just hearing the word cancer was bad enough. Laura was lucky to be alive. I knew some of the statistics, and how they weren’t all that reassuring for someone in that position. It was difficult to connect the perky, sassy maid with such an illness. She didn’t act like someone who’d been through something like that, because I knew it couldn’t have been simple, considering the extent of the surgery and the lingering scars I’d seen on her body.

  I made it back to where the group was, and not long after the drinks followed. Not long after that the women came, but every time I looked at one of them, all I could see was Laura in my mind. In particular, the look on her face when I made her explode, feeling her body shaking under mine as she shuddered in orgasm. Fuck, I could still taste her on my tongue.

  Some time passed, and I noticed some of the men in our group getting up to join the women on the dance floor. A few of them stayed behind to enjoy the drinks, and I decided to pay some extra attention.

  “You’ve been quiet, Mason,” one of the men said and I hated that someone else had observed my behavior. I just wanted to be left alone. A drink or two and then I was out of here. I wasn’t going to win the deal in this place.

  “I’m not particularly in a partying mood, I suppose,” I said, surprised at my own honesty.

  “Ah, yes. I heard the rumors that your father isn’t well? Who’s managing the business in his place?”

  “My brothers and I are looking after things, but Trent is at the forefront of it all.”

  Fuck! I hated to use my Dad’s illness as an excuse, but it was better than telling him what was really on my mind.

  “Ah, yes. The oldest Thompson son. So he’s back to work for your father?”

  “He’s always worked for the family, really. We all have. Dad just likes to get most things done on his own. My brother would have come but he told me he’d be in meetings for the whole day, so I came in his place.”

  He nodded his head and shared looks with his associate.

  “I’m going to assume you came here to make a deal then?”

  This was it. While the VIP section of a club wasn’t exactly a convenient place to make deals, it didn’t matter. The others were off having fun, and I stayed back to make my case for the deal. The others might have had chances throughout the day, before I joined the group when they were playing tennis, even on the drive to the club. I wouldn’t know who got the deal until tomorrow, but I was fairly confident in my abilities.

  It was the one thing Dad had to be proud of when it came to me.

  Laura was still in my thoughts, but I pushed them aside. As much as I wanted to go back to her, I needed to focus on closing the deal.

  By the time the others came back to join us, I was done negotiating. I didn’t last long after that, before I was impatient to be away from all the noise and smell of alcohol.

  “If you’ll all excuse me,” I said, getting up. “I’m going to be heading back.”

  No one tried to get me to stay. In fact, some of the competition grinned when they heard I was leaving. Not that I cared. I made my way back to the hotel where I took a shower then lay down on the bed. It was a while before I could fall asleep.

  The next morning, I got the good news just before I checked out of the hotel. We got the deal. I was grinning all the way back home because I finished my task, and I would get to see Laura. I was in a hurry to relay the news to Trent, then I could find Laura and get back to my own life. When I arrived at the hotel, I had my suitcase taken to my room for me and took the elevator all the way up to the office. Trent was always in there. He even ate lunch in the office, so it never occurred to me that I wouldn’t find him there.

  “What?”

  I looked up at the secretary; my hand paused on the door handle. She stood up from her desk and rounded it to stand in front of me. I backed up for a moment.

  “Is my brother busy somewhere else? A meeting?” I didn’t quite believe her when she said he was out.

  She shook her head, her hands clasped together in front of her stomach and a small furrow in her brow.

  “Mr. Thompson left, I’m afraid.”

  An eyebrow jumped up. “My brother left? The hotel? Is it for work, or what?”

  I was getting impatient and hating all this fucking cloak and dagger treatment. Just tell me what’s going on and be done. Why is everyone always so fucking secretive?

  “Your sister came to meet him, and they spoke. Afterward, he checked out of the hotel.”

  I frowned, glanced at the door, then turned back down the hallway, pulling my phone out of my pocket to call my sister. It took so long for her to pick up I almost thought she’d ignore me. She picked up just before the call cut off.

  “What is it?” she asked, her voice subdued.

  It was enough to give me a moment’s pause. I wanted to ask what was wrong, but I had something much more important to deal with.

  “Emily, I heard Trent took off after you said something to him. What the hell happened while I was away? And where’s Kevin?”

  She sighed. “I think Kevin is still busy, but Trent’s gone back home. To his home, not the mansion. If you want to know why, you’ll want to ask him, but he dropped everything and left.”

  That had me freezing again. Fuck, there was still work to be done, wasn’t there? Especially with this new deal coming in. I couldn’t call Trent and ask why he’d just left, he and I weren’t nearly that close. But he’d pretty much left Kevin and me in charge without a word. It wasn’t like him and it meant I’d be busier now, instead of taking some time off. I let out a groan, looking at the folder I still held in my hand where I’d the signed documents for the deal.

  “I’ve gotta go, Emily. I need to get some stuff done here. I’ll call you later so we can talk.”

  I would have liked to ignore all responsibility and play hooky, but I knew better. The hotel would survive without someone working in the head office for a day but work still needed to get done. Damn our father and his stupid work ethic. I turned around and walked back to the secretary.

  “Is there anything important Trent was supposed to do before he left? I’ll do it myself.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said, getting back up. “Please come this way, and I’ll show you.”

  I sighed as I followed her into the office, knowing my schedule would be packed for the rest of the day. I could call Kevin later to let him know so we could divide the work up equally.

  It was evening by the time I sat back in the office chair, done with… not everything but enough that I thought I could get some rest and continue with everything else later. Laura immediately came to mind, and I jumped out of my seat.

  I’d spent most of yesterday and today just thinking about her, wanting to see her. I’d turned down all the women who’d come onto me on my trip, very tempting women at that. Not one of them had been able to make me stop thinking of Laura just by looking at them. They also didn’t have that spark that attracted me to Laura so much in the first place. That something that made my toes curl every time she was in my vicinity.

  After I’d had her in my bed, my interest in her had increased rather than waned. Instead of summoning her to my room again, because she very clearly didn’t like it, I went out to look for her. />
  13

  Laura

  I finished my last room of the day and sighed as I rolled my trolley of supplies back to the elevator. I was so darn tired today. It was probably because I knew Mason was around, even though I hadn’t seen him yet. Since he’d called me to his room a few times, my work schedule had been moved around so I was working on his floor permanently now.

  No way was I going to tell him that. As if he wasn’t the reason I’d been reassigned in the first place. I knew the day he got back from his trip, and I couldn’t help feeling anxious about it. That was three days ago and still, I couldn’t help the anxiety every time I went into work and I blamed it all on that boy.

  I hadn’t seen him. Not once. I figured he was busy. It hadn’t taken long after it happened for the rumor about Trent leaving the hotel to spread around. No one knew why though. I imagined Mason was filling in his brother’s work.

  I should have been relieved not to have to face him yet, so why did I feel so disappointed? After I went to his room to do my job, only to see his suitcase already in there, the same one I’d seen him leave with, I’d been super jumpy about running into him in the hall as I worked. I really should consider myself lucky that he wasn’t searching me out, because I needed to nip what I’d started with him in the bud before I fell in too deep.

  I couldn’t help the way I was feeling right now, it was kind of crazy. A few days ago, I didn’t want any man near me. I was happy living and just enjoying life. The one I thought I wouldn’t have ever again after the cancer struck. I never in my wildest dreams imagined being with someone. Especially someone as hot as Mason.

  I sighed again as the elevator doors opened to the first floor, and wheeled my supplies to the storeroom where all the cleaning stuff was kept. I left it all there, then went to the lockers to get changed quickly. It was past time I clocked out already, and even with the disappointment, I wasn’t going to stick around in case Mason came looking for me.

  I headed out of the hotel, quickly, like I was running from something. My walk home was a bit more subdued than usual. I kept picking up speed when I remembered to, or when I crossed the road, but for most of the way, I was preoccupied. I’d been preoccupied ever since I woke up to find myself in Mason’s arms after our night together. I kept thinking about how I hadn’t wanted to move from the bed, but I’d done it anyway because I had to.

  The fiasco between Trent and Jessi came into my mind, and it was enough to get me running. Something I rarely did—I wasn’t the type that loved to exercise, even though they said it was crucial to my recovery to get exercise, slowly at first and then increase it. It was on my to-do list but lately, the only thing that was on my mind was Mason and now Jessi. What happened to Jessi?

  How could I possibly forget my friend? For the one night, sure, it was part of what pushed me to accept Mason’s hand when he held it out to me in the first place. It hadn't been the whole reason, but still.

  Jessi was gone.

  Even worse, if the rumors of her setting up a transfer with the manager hadn't become a rumor, she might have left without letting me know beforehand. She didn’t even say goodbye, I just got into work that day, and when I looked for her I couldn’t find her.

  She hadn't explicitly stated it, but I knew the reason she felt she had to leave was because of Trent. She hadn't told me exactly what happened between the two of them that changed things, but that was my mistake. If I’d asked her and prompted her to tell me at least we would have talked before she left. Heck, I might have talked her out of transferring to a different hotel branch. I knew where she’d gone, and it wasn’t like I couldn’t visit her. That would have to wait because any trips would have to be when I had the time to spare, and the trip would have to be more than one day because it was so far away. She wasn’t close by anymore.

  Even worse was knowing that her move was prompted by Trent, Mason’s brother. I couldn’t say I knew the guy; we’d only met that one time after all. Not that I was sure he even noticed because his eyes had been all for Jessi. Yet, now that Jessi was gone, even without knowing the reason, I resented him a little. As unfair as it was, I resented Mason by extension for sharing the guy’s blood. Only a little bit though.

  More than anything, watching how things went down between them made me realize I didn’t want the same for myself. So while I might have had a moment of weakness when Mason showed up at my most vulnerable moment and started acting nice to me, I couldn’t allow it to happen a second time.

  Mason was hot, young, and rich. Women threw themselves at him because they were attracted to one or a combination of the three. I knew eventually he’d want someone younger and closer to his status, not a lowly maid.

  Someone that could have children, something I didn’t think would be for me. Not that I lacked confidence in my body to carry to term, as long as the cancer didn’t come back, I was entirely healthy. I just lacked enough faith in Mason to have that kind of relationship.

  With Jessi gone, there wasn’t anyone else that I was nearly so close with at the hotel, or in the area that I could talk to about this sort of thing. I missed my friend, so the moment I made it home and into my apartment, I was whipping my phone out and settling comfortably into the couch, hopefully for a long conversation.

  She answered on the second ring.

  “Laura, hey!”

  My eyebrow jumped up at her tone of voice. It was strangely perky, especially considering she’d almost sounded miserable the last few times I called her.

  “Jessi?” I said tentatively. “Is everything all right?”

  “Oh, everything is perfect! But tell me, did you want to talk about something? Your voice sounds a little strange.”

  I was surprised but only for a moment, then I broke into a little giggle.

  “You know me better than anyone else, don’t you?” I quipped, already feeling better just hearing my friend’s voice so upbeat.

  “And you know me best, too,” she chirped. “I’m pretty sure you know me even better than my parents. They pretty much had to focus more on work than me growing up, so I’m really glad we’re friends.”

  My eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Okay, something is up. Why are you suddenly waxing poetic about our friendship?”

  “It’s not waxing poetic! I’m just telling the truth.”

  “Yeah, but it’s also not quite like you, and I’m feeling a little worried here. Seriously, did something happen?”

  “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” she pointed out. “Your voice sounds heavy, like you have something important to tell me. Did something happen at the hotel? You can talk to me, you know? You’re always telling me that, let me do it for a change.”

  I wanted to tell her all about Mason’s sudden interest in me, how I’d found myself cleaning up his room daily while trying to avoid him at the same time, about the two of us sleeping together. Instead, a sigh escaped my lips, and I leaned back in the chair. She sounded pretty excited, and it had been a while since I heard her sound so happy. I didn’t want to ruin it over something so minor when I could always tell her some other time.

  “Nothing much,” I said with a sigh. “Things around here are just a little dull without you.”

  “You could always use the opportunity to make more close friends?” she said, sounding exasperated. “Hell, there’s always Emily to keep you company!”

  “I think she’s a little busy these days, and I just don’t click with any of the other staff like I do with you,” I said honestly. “I just wish you were still here. I’ve missed you.”

  There was a short pause, then the sound of giggles and my eyebrows shot up. Something definitely must have made her happy for her to sound like that.

  “Hey,” she said, tone slightly teasing. “Guess what?”

  “What?” I asked, a little suspicious and impatient because I hated guessing games. “Something good happened, but what was it?”

  “You won’t have to miss me anymore!” she said, laughing.


  My mind blanked, and it took me a minute to understand what she meant. Then my eyes widened, and I let out a gasp.

  “Don’t tell me…!”

  “I’m on my way back!” she squealed. “Trent came to the beach hotel to ask me to come back, and I said yes.”

  My eyes went impossibly wider. “He did what?!”

  “I have no idea why he even did it, it was such a surprise to me too, you know? Anyway, don’t worry, I will be back home soon, so you won’t have time to miss me for much longer, all right?”

  “Jessi, that’s wonderful! Surprising and completely unexpected, but I know it’s what you want, right? You’re giving this guy a chance?”

  She went quiet for a moment, and when she spoke again she sounded pensive.

  “It’s weird, isn’t it? Even after all those times I told myself there was no damn way anything could happen between him and me. I just called it a miracle and decided to roll with it. It feels kind of like getting an old friend back. Did I tell you that Trent and I grew up with each other?”

  “Hmm,” I hummed, thinking back. “Come to think of it, did you? You didn’t give me many details about the two of you.”

  “Oh, yeah. I didn’t feel like talking about him before, but if there’s something you want to hear, I’m all for it right now.”

  “There’s one thing I’ve been curious about,” I said, once she gave her confirmation. “Tell me all that happened between you and Trent from the day you found out he was coming back, to the two of you meeting for the first time in years.”

  I shifted so I lay back on the arm of the couch with pillows cushioned under me, settling in comfortably for what I felt would be a long talk with my best friend.

  14

  Laura

  Jessi was back! In spite of everything, even with how anxious and depressed I’d become since she’d left, now she was back I was my usual self once more. Happy and bubbly, carrying both emotions wherever I went.