Three massive chandeliers occupy the ceiling in the lobby. Plush, antique-looking couches are spread throughout the room. Tables with huge flower-filled vases sit incrementally throughout the room, and large, soft rugs fill up much of the floor space.
As I walk toward the front desk I also notice paintings on the walls, each probably worth more than me.
“Hello. How can I help you?” the lady sitting at the front desk asks me.
I bring my eyes to her, noticing the slight disdainful look on her face. “I’m looking for Karl Young,” I tell her, keeping my voice neutral.
She looks over at her screen and types a few things in. “He’s busy at the moment and can’t see anyone,” she says tightly, turning to give me one of the worst fake smiles I’ve ever seen.
“I’m his boss,” I say simply, shifting my weight.
She blinks a few times in quick succession and turns back to her screen. She frowns slightly before dialing a number into the phone sitting next to her on the desk.
I glance behind me at the front entrance to the hotel and frown as Bucky enters, walking over to stand beside me.
“Hello. Mr. Young?” the woman asks into the phone.
“Yes, what is it?” I hear Karl’s voice snap from the other end.
“There’s a woman here who says she’s your boss. She’s looking for you” the woman murmurs, glancing nervously at me. She notices Bucky and her eyes go wide before she looks away.
I hear Karl scoff from the other end. “I highly doubt it’s actually her.”
“She has dark red hair and green eyes…” the woman murmurs hesitantly.
There’s silence from the other end for a few seconds. “Shit,” Karl whispers.
“Could you please just tell me where I can find him?” I ask, my patience starting to wear thin.
The woman looks up again, her eyes flicking nervously over to Bucky. “Down that hallway, near the end, there’s a room that should say something along the lines of Meeting Room,” she says swiftly, hanging up the phone and pointing to a hallway to my left.
I give her a brief smile. “Thank you,” I say. I walk to where she directed and find the room she had mentioned. The doors swing in and I lay eyes on a handful of men hurrying around, trying to put things away.
“Astrid… What are you doing here?” Karl asks nervously, smiling charmingly at me.
“What the hell are you doing,” I snap.
All movement in the room halts as everyone looks at me. “Business stuff,” Karl says sheepishly, refusing to hold eye contact with me for more than a second.
“Then why is everyone hurrying to put things away?” I ask lightly, my voice still stern.
“Uhh…” Karl looks desperately around the room, pleading for someone to help him.
“We were just finishing up,” someone says quietly.
My eyes land on who spoke and he shrinks back. I look around the room again and recognize a few of the men. My eyes circulate back to Karl and they narrow. “Why are you talking to Mr. Moore and Mr. Davis about our company’s business?” I ask him, referring to the only two men still sitting.
The pair exchange an uncomfortable look before looking back at me, their expressions turning a bit dangerous. “Well… seen as they’re looking to-”
“He’s your CEO. Let him do his job,” George Davis says, standing and taking a threatening step toward me.
I match his step with one of my own. “He still needs to run things past me, seeing as I’m the founder, and the owner, of my company,” I say, widening my stance slightly.
George doesn’t back down and takes another step toward me, getting in my face. “You hired him, you should trust him to do his job,” he mutters darkly, jabbing a finger in my face.
I press down the fear starting to well up and lean a bit closer to George. “Don’t tell me how to run my business,” I murmur, relieved my voice stays steady.
“Well you can definitely use the help,” he responds, smirking. “All that beauty must take away from what’s up here.” He pokes my forehead and it takes everything in me not to flinch.
He leans in further, our noses nearly touching before he gets shoved back. “Keep your filthy hands off of her,” Bucky growls, taking a step toward him.
I quickly place a hand on Bucky’s arm, stopping him in his tracks. Karl looks like he’s about to faint and George looks like he may have shit himself with fear.
I glance at Bucky out of the corner of my eyes to see him absolutely seething, his eyes still trained on George glowing with bloodlust. “Both of you, get out,” I snap, glancing between Moore and Davis.
They both don’t need to be told twice and nearly fall over one another in their haste to leave. Of course. As soon as an intimidating male comes into the picture they’ll listen to me, I think bitterly.
I turn to Karl who’s trying desperately to hide the tremors in his hands. “You’re fired,” I say simply.
His face drains of color as he stares at me. “My dad’s gonna kill me,” he whispers.
“Sounds like a you problem,” I respond. “Everyone else. Finish cleaning this up,” I order, looking around at all the papers covering the table.
“Astrid, please,” Karl mutters, shuffling toward me, his eyes wide.
“No. You’re fired. Now get out of my sight,” I snap.
He opens his mouth to say something else but Bucky takes a threatening step forward and he quickly shuts his mouth and scurries past me and out of the room.
Motion resumes as everyone else rushes around, cleaning things up. I stay a moment longer to watch before turning and walking out and back down the hallway, Bucky close behind me.