Page 15 of Locking Down Qetesh

"That's my cue to go inside," I said.

Tesha laughed. "I'll come with you and leave the lovebirds to it."

"Good idea." I dragged my suitcase behind me as we entered the hotel. It was small and cosy, more like a country home than a hotel, but that made it perfect for the event that it was supposed to be. "You should go first," I said, gesturing to the check-in desk.

She nodded and exchanged a few words with the person behind it, taking a key on a small wooden keyring. Despite the fact she could go off in search of her room now, she hung back, waiting for me to talk to the receptionist and get my key too.

"What room have you got?" she asked.

"Ten. What about you?"

"Twelve. What's to bet your meddling sister has something to do with that?"

I chuckled. "My sister, your best friend. Which is the most meddlesome?"

"That question would only work if they were different people," she responded. "Do you really think she's trying to set us up?"

"Definitely. I've seen her do this before. And she's only going to get worse," I said. "Don't be surprised if she tells us that she wants us to dance together at the wedding."

"Are you a bad dancer?" she asked.

"Is that important?"

"If you're going to step on my toes all night, then I should find myself a date in time for the wedding. If you're a good dancer, then I don't see the need."

I pushed open the door and held it open for her. "I'm fine at dancing."

"Then that saves me a lot of time finding the perfect fake date."

"Could it not be a real date?"

She shrugged. "Seems like a lot of effort just to get out of dancing with you. It would probably be easier to try and find you someone at one of my Lock and Key parties."

A strange feeling came over me that had nothing to do with thinking about a relationship. I pushed it to the side and got into the lift alongside Tesha. It was strange how quickly it had become comfortable to call her that, especially when she was a goddess, but there was something about her that put me at ease. Maybe it was just that I knew something about her that most people didn't, but I wasn't convinced.

"I'm looking forward to hitting the spa," she said. "It's been too long."

"I know what you mean. I spend a lot of my work time on my feet, it'll be good to relax."

"You know the Jinx hotel has a spa too, right?"

"I do," I said.

"And that you get to use it?"

I chuckled. "Yes, I know that too. But there's something weird about getting a massage from someone when you're their boss."

"Okay, fair point."

"Do you use it?" I asked.

"I haven't had a chance to yet."

The lift came to a stop with a ding, announcing that we'd arrived on the floor with the bedrooms. It wasn't a huge corridor, and it appeared as if there were only a dozen rooms on this floor.

"All right, so I'm going to head in here," Tesha said, gesturing to door twelve. "I guess I'll see you down in the spa."

"Is there nothing else on?"

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