Page 18 of Royally Knocked Up
“Right, well, the resort managers have always lived here,” Hailey said.
“How do you know that?”
“I asked. You’d be surprised what you can find out if you ask.”
“You asked who had lived in my room? Why’d you ask that?”
“No,” Hailey said. “I asked why there wasn’t a manager living on property, since so much of the rest of the staff seems to. And Isla told me that historically, managers used to live in the suite you’re occupying now, but when they decided to start living off-property that suite was left empty until you came along. Then it was given to you as a sign of respect for the royal family.”
“I’m willing to bet my father doesn’t know that,” Enzo said.
“You don’t think so?”
“He wouldn’t think much of me getting any sort of special treatment.”
Hailey hesitated. “You don’t think you’re already getting special treatment?”
He looked at her. “What do you mean?”
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “It’s really not any of my business.”
“No, I want to know what you meant by that,” he said. “What special treatment am I getting?”
“Well, it’s just that most of the people working on the team here have some sort of events planning education or experience,” she said. “You’re the only one who’s here with no qualifications, and it’s just because your family owns the place. That seems like special treatment to me. I’m not saying that you haven’t been doing the job as well as anybody else, but I do think your father didn’t have a problem with you receiving special treatment. It’s the only way you’re here in the first place.”
“Wow,” he said. “You really don’t have a problem with saying whatever you want to me, do you?”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m really not trying to be rude.”
“No, I asked,” he said. “It would have been ruder to deny me the answer after I insisted on it. I’m just not used to people speaking up to me like that. It must be an American thing.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” She blushed. She was pretty when she blushed. Enzo filed that away, wondering if he might be able to bring that color to her cheeks more often. “I think my family would be pretty appalled if they heard me speaking to a member of the royal family like that. My mother would die.”
He laughed. “If that’s not the way you were raised, where did you learn to do it?”
“I’ve got an older brother too. You and I have that in common.” She smiled at him. “You probably know as well as I do how it teaches you to stand up for yourself, and not to be afraid of speaking up to people who are more powerful than you are.”
“I think I learned that from being related to kings,” Enzo said.
Hailey nodded. “I guess you would.”
She uncorked the bottle of champagne. “Do you have glasses for this?”
“Sure.” He went to get a couple of them and took the bottle from her so that he could pour. “I still can’t believe you were able to get this. Isla usually controls the alcohol with an iron fist. I’m not even allowed to order from the bar.” A thought occurred to him. “Are you?”
“No,” she said. “I think Isla was just feeling celebratory tonight because the event went so well. You should try asking her after the next time we have one of these things. Or rather — maybeyoushouldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Oh, you had a lot of attitude today.”
“I did not!”
“Please. I saw you scowling at the football players.”
“You were complaining about them too. You had nothing good to say about that goalie.”
“Yes, but I had the sense to wait and talk about him behind his back,” Hailey explained. “Everyone could see on your face all day long how above it all you felt, how you didn’t think you should have to be there or be doing what you were doing.”
