Page 20 of Faking It With My New Boss

“You didn't tell me exactly where you are planning on hosting the event,” I said. “You mentioned a new hotel. Was that your plan for the venue?”

“Yes,” Bryan said. “I want to highlight the new hotel and bring more attention to it. Fundraising events like this tend to be more successful when the guests feel like they are getting something out of it. Even if it is just a glimpse at the newest hotel in the list.”

“I think that sounds like a good idea. It will also help to put over the different theme and approach to the party. It will be more impressive for the guests when it's something totally new also set against a new backdrop rather than just the same old thing they're used to.”

He let out a breath. “That just means I've got to figure out something to do with the boutique space. I can't exactly have a construction zone happening during a gala.”

“And there's another thing you don't seem thrilled about.”

“Definitely not. I just hate the idea of a cheesy gift shop in my hotels, even if it is presented as being high-end and unique. In the end, it still feels shallow and transparently money-grabbing. There is already a branded shop designed right into the hotel. It specifically carries the robes, toiletries, and some of the bedding used in the rooms. That's it. No collectibles. No art. None of that. Just the items found in the rooms so that guests can recreate the experience in their own homes if they want to. Not so they can snag a souvenir for Aunt Sally on the way home from their vacation.”

I laughed. “Alright, well what do you think should be in that space? If not a boutique, what would enhance the hotel?”

“I don't know,” he said.

His eyes met mine and I felt the tension growing between us. The heat there was obvious, which I found confusing. We didn't know each other, we didn't even like each other. So, why did he make me feel a little breathless when he was sitting that close and looking at me that way?

There was a brief moment when the draw between us got so strong I thought he might lean in to kiss me. But almost as soon as I noticed it, the feeling passed and we got back to work.

We stayed at the office for a couple more hours before calling it a night and heading home. When I got back to my place, I couldn't stop thinking about him.

Chapter Fourteen

Bryan

My workout ran late that morning and when I got to the coffee shop, I impulsively let somebody step in front of me to order their drink first. It threw off my entire schedule for the start of the morning, so I decided it wasn't going to be a normal day at all.

When I got to the office, it was considerably later than I usually arrived and Courtney was nowhere to be seen in the lobby. I figured she had already made her way through. The thought briefly flickered through my mind as to whether she had hesitated outside the doors or if she waited inside for me to get in with her.

Hopping in, I rode up to the right floor, went for my shower, then headed directly to Courtney's office. She looked up at me with a surprised expression when I walked in.

“Good morning,” she said. “I thought you had decided you put in enough hours last night and weren't going to come in today.”

“Grab your stuff,” I said.

Her expression fell. “Are you firing me? Just for that comment? Because I have said and done a lot worse. Is it like a cumulative effect?”

I shook my head and rolled my eyes at her. “I'm not firing you. Good lord. Just get your stuff. We're leaving.”

“Where are we going?” she asked, pulling her purse out of the drawer at the bottom of the desk and closing her computer.

“You'll see when we get there,” I said.

I was surprisingly excited as we got into the back of my car. I'd already told the driver where I wanted to go, so he didn't wait for me to give him any instruction before pulling out and heading across town. Courtney sat by the window, her head tilted so she could look at everything as we passed. I remembered she told me she had just moved here recently so it seemed she was absorbing everything as we went by.

When we arrived at the hotel, she looked over at me.

“Here we are,” I said.

“Is this your new hotel?” she asked.

“Yes, it is. Come on inside. I want to show it to you.”

The driver opened the door for Courtney and she stepped out as I walked around from the other side. I thanked the driver and we went into the building.

“It's beautiful,” Courtney said, looking around.

I shrugged, following her gaze. “If nothing else, it will be. It's not done yet. There's still a lot to get done, but it will be ready for the party. Come this way, I want to show you the retail space.”

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