Bet Of Love

Chapter 13

Bria

The next morning, Valen shows up in the lobby dressed in his usual black suit, white shirt and red suit vest — the same one from the masquerade party at the bar.

"Good morning, Mr Hayes."

"Morning, did you sleep well last night?"

"The bed was very comfortable. I slept great." I imitate his dazzling smile with a bright one of my own. On the inside, I'm more vigilant with any of his sudden actions from now on after that move he pulled last night. Embarrassment, irritation and seething rage bubbles up within me all at once whenever I remember how effortless I made it for him to kiss me.

"What's the matter? You've got your gorgeous face all screwed up into a frown."

I feign indifference, "What do you mean? I'm fine."

"I see how it is. Well, I can't say I dislike that aloof, unaffected expression of yours either. Even though I'm personally partial to the way you were yesterday." His satisfaction couldn't be more visible on his face.

We wait at the lobby then the entirety of the staff, everyone from bellhops all the way to the head chef, who will be working at the hotel arrive and they are lined up in rows.

He greets them, then he stands forward before the gathered staff members with an engrossed look and declares in a clear voice, "First, the rooftop deck chairs. They're made of bamboo. If we keep them that way, someone wearing a bathing suit could get hurt and it's too easy to slip when you're getting out of the them. Change the materials used and the location. Next, the gift shop needs to have more fitting rooms added. I don't want to make our guests wait. Plus, the seats at the bar are a little high. It'll be difficult for women in skirts to sit comfortably. So change out the seats. Also..." Valen continues on without ever pausing, without even needing any notes whatsoever.

I'm just as speechless as the staff members are just listening to the list of attentive details and changes he compiled in a day. The other places he continues to mention were all spots we visited with Rei yesterday.

When he finishes talking, the staff members seem anxious and I whisper to him, "You were actually working yesterday... you weren't playing around at all."

"Naturally. Pretending to be a guest and relishing the hotel is the best way to spot problems. If you noticed anything that could be improved upon, do let me know." I had no idea this was what he was up to. I didn't think of a thing...

A male room service server speaks out from the crowd, "Mr Hayes, I don't think we're going to be able to pull that off in such a short period of time..."

"If you start now you will." His reassuring words are powerful enough to assuage everyone's worries. "However, it'll be too late if you do it once we're open. The hotel has to be paradise. People will be coming here expecting heaven. Any glance of reality will ruin their experience."

A worried female receptionist also voices, "You're right Mr Hayes. But we don't physically have enough time..."

"That would be true if this were a normal hotel. But the people in the room were personally selected by yours truly, you are the best in the world. I won't just be making your jobs harder of course. I'll make it my personal responsibility to make sure you're provided with the finest quality materials possible. Feel free to ask if you need anything else to improve the hotel."

It only takes a moment for the mood in the room to change completely, from anxiety to motivation and confidence.

He's infuriatingly good at getting people to do what he wants and refuses to compromise when it comes to the quality of his hotel. I can't help but be astonished as I stand beside him, gazing up at his placid smile.

🃁

I'm back in my hotel room, talking on the phone with my assistant to see how the progress is with the sapphires, and just as I get off the phone, there's a knock on the door. "Room service." But I didn't order anything?

I go to open the door and it turns out to be the same male room service server who spoke out earlier today at the meeting, "Good afternoon, Miss Auden I have a delivery for you." In his hands is a tray with a carton of my favourite 'Paradis Du Sucre' ice cream on top.

"Thanks... Lewis." I peek at his name tag before taking the ice cream from him; he leaves with a cheerful smile.

No sooner does he leave then Valen, who's passing by my room, pauses in his tracks. "Where'd you get that?" Eyes fixed on the ice cream in my hands, he comes over to me, forming the look of amazement. I immediately hide it behind my back, but he cranes his neck to look over my shoulder. "Paradis Du Sucre..." his eyes light up when he catches glimpses of the carton.

I take a few steps back, this causes him to step foot into my room and take slow steps towards me, causing me to take another few quick steps back. He continues chasing after the ice cream as I switch the carton side to side, but still he fails. Then he inches nearer and nearer to me, steadily backing me up against a wall until I'm left with nowhere to run; he takes that chance to successfully snatch the ice cream out of my hands behind me.

"You were seriously going to keep all this to yourself? You're unbelievable." He checks the cover of the lid, "The flavor available exclusively in London..."

"What did you just say?"

"You can't get it in New York, and all the stores here are sold out. Where did you get this?" He conveys, frowning like a child.

"Lewis gave me it..."

Out of nowhere, a post-it stuck to the carton flutters to the floor. He picks it up and reads it, "Miss Auden, take this and make up with Mr Hayes." I shoot him a questionable look. "Since when were we in a fight?" He's just as clueless as I am.

A lightbulb suddenly goes off in my head, "Do you think it was the housekeepers who assumed that we were fighting, so they told the other staff and they came up with a plan like this?"

"I guess so. They probably could tell you didn't sleep in my room. Plus, they must've seen the pissy mood you were in yesterday. Of course they would think that we were fighting."

I was too weirded out by the hearts to sleep in the bed so I slept on the couch instead.

"I wasn't being 'pissy' and even if I was, it would be your—"

That smirk of his appears and he wraps an arm around my waist. "The kiss was so good you couldn't even sleep?"

"Wha— no!" I defiantly deny.

"I hadn't intended to give you anything more than a peck but you made such a tempting noise... are you really still that sensitive?"