Must Like Dogs

Trent

I held up my hand, stopping Richie’s boasting about his bedroom habits before he could get started. “Linens. Are they ordered?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Are we set for the happy hour tomorrow?”

He nodded again. “Yes. We have extra servers on hand and a shitload of champagne. I hope this extra expense is worth it. You’ll see the invoice for the champagne in that stack. I suggest you be sitting down when you look at it.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “You have to spend money to make money. I want people to feel like they are getting luxury treatment. I want them to feel like their hard-earned money is appreciated and we’re not only a reasonably priced hotel, but we also have all the little extras that the five-star places offer.”

He didn’t look convinced. “We’re not exactly running a dive here. We’re right up there with the five-star places.”

“Yes, but we’re not there. My goal is to be at the top. I want people waiting to get into this place. I want them settling for the others. Right now, we’re probably second or third best. I want that top spot.”

He nodded. “Noted. We’ll get there. We’re making huge strides.”

“Couldn’t have done any of this without you,” I said sincerely. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. This is a win for both of us. I get to put that business degree to good use and make some serious money doing it.” He laughed.

We talked a little more, cementing the plans for the meet and greet tomorrow and making sure we were ready for anything. There was always some emergency that arose. We planned and strategized and planned some more, but experience had taught me that nothing ever went according to plan.

It was the adapt, improvise, and overcome training that had kept my head above water during some of those freak situations, like the toilets overflowing last year. That had been nothing short of a disaster. I shuddered, thinking back on the situation.

Richie left me alone to take care of some work stuff while I focused on the acquisition I was hoping to make. My small enterprise ran fairly smoothly, but I had to pay attention to every detail. The devil was in the details. That was my motto. I always studied and analyzed a situation, contract, proposal—anything and everything—looking for the tiniest detail that could rise up and become a huge issue.

“I’m going to make my way over to the restaurant and check with the chef to make sure he has everything,” I said, stopping at Ashley’s desk.

She smiled. “Okay. I’ll see you Monday.” 

Talking to the chef was a good excuse to stop in the restaurant. I was hoping to see my mystery woman from earlier. I had been trying like hell to get her out of my mind, but there was no stopping the visions of her from popping into my head.

I wanted to know more about her, like her name for starters. I wanted to have a real conversation with her and see if her personality matched what I pegged her for.

I made my way through the dining room, scanning the faces of the happy people eating and drinking and enjoying themselves, but I didn’t see her. I was a little disappointed, but they had said they would be staying for a week. I was confident I would see her again.

Hopefully, she and her friends would stop by the little meet and greet tomorrow. Few people, especially those on vacation or celebrating something exciting, could pass up free champagne and hors d’oeuvres.

Disappointed but not totally down, I made my way out to my car where Bentley was leaning against the front passenger door and reading the paper. He was a good-looking guy and tended to attract a lot of attention from admiring women, but he only had eyes for his wife.

“Anything interesting?” I asked, walking up to the car.

He smiled, putting the newspaper under his arm and shaking his head. “Nope. Just reading about the coming heatwave.”

He opened the door for me, insisting on acting like a professional driver.

“Thank you.”

“Home?” he asked before closing the door.

“Yes,” I said, anxious to get home and get the suit off. And to hang out with Leia.

I probably had an unhealthy attachment to my dog, but she was my best friend in the world. She was always happy to see me and was the best listener—as long as I was scratching her ears or rubbing her belly. I wondered if my mystery woman liked dogs.

That was a deal breaker for me. Leia and I were a package deal. I had tried to date one woman, and I thought we got along well enough, but she hadn’t been fond of Leia. I trusted Leia’s judgment, and when she turned and walked away from the woman without letting her pet her, I knew something was off.

I really hoped the woman that had occupied my thoughts for most of the day was going to be Leia friendly. I smirked, shaking my head as I realized where my thoughts were going.

I was already dating the woman in my mind, and I didn’t even know her damn name.

But I was that sure she was supposed to be in my life.