Page 2 of Best Laid Plans
She glared harder at him to combat how giddily unnerved she felt.
Something flashed in his eyes and the corner of his mouth lifted fractionally. Was he amused by her determination to win this staring contest?
Frustration pricked at her, and she opened her mouth to restate her case – but he beat her to it.
‘You’re right,’ he said bluntly. ‘You must have the room.’
Indigo blinked at him in surprise, snapping her mouth shut. This, she had not expected.
‘Oh! Okay.’ She frowned, a little dazed by how easy that had been. ‘Really?’
Sighing, he ran a hand over his clean-shaven jaw. ‘To be honest, mademoiselle, I’m too tired to argue. It’s been…’ He winced, his expression turning troubled. ‘…an intense day for me and I want to unwind before starting my walk tomorrow.’
‘Wait – you’re walking the coast too?’ she asked in surprise. Looking at him, standing there in his expensive suit, with his designer bags sitting prettily at his feet, she’d imagined he was here to do some upmarket sightseeing in the town, or perhaps conduct a high-powered business meeting in the hotel.
His eyes crinkled at the corners as he half-frowned, half-smiled. ‘Is that so unlikely?’ he asked, his voice tinged with playful irony.
The bottom fell out of her stomach. ‘No! No, I guess not.’
‘Anyway, what kind of a man would I be to leave a lady stranded in a strange town in the middle of the night?’
Something about the way he said this, with a twist of wry humour, stopped her from telling him she didn’t need a man’s help – that she’d managed perfectly well on her own for the last three months without one, despite the challenges she’d faced.
‘But signor, there will be no other rooms available in Amalfi!’ the receptionist cut in before Indigo could form a reply. ‘It’s a busy time and all the hotels in the town are booked up. I know this because I’ve already phoned around for another traveller.’
The Frenchman turned to face her. ‘You’re telling me you can’t find me alternative accommodation for the night?’ he stated with unnerving calm.
She shrank away from his gaze, suddenly seeming a lot less self-assured than she had a few minutes ago. ‘Yes, signor, I’m so sorry,’ she said, her swallow appearing to catch in her throat. ‘I’ll be able to give you the suite you booked from tomorrow, but tonight there aren’t any other rooms available?—’
‘This is unacceptable,’ he said quietly, but with a girder of steel to his voice. ‘I do not expect this level of incompetence from an establishment like this. Fetch your manager.’
The receptionist’s shoulders tensed and her eyes widened. ‘I can’t. He is busy right now and has given strict instructions not to be dist?—’
‘I don’t care. Get him.’ He leant forward, pressing his hands against the desk. ‘Now.’
‘Please, signor, I’ll lose my job,’ she whispered. ‘I’m new here and I can’t afford to make any mistakes.’ Her brow tensed as her eyes took on a look of abject panic.
The desperation in her voice made Indigo’s stomach tighten as a wave of pity washed over her. She could see by the way the young woman’s eyes had pooled with impending tears that she was both terrified of her boss and totally inexperienced in dealing with this level of cold assertiveness from a customer.
‘Describe the suite to me,’ Indigo blurted to the receptionist before the Frenchman could respond.
The receptionist turned to stare at her in surprise before recovering quickly, using the question as a lifeline to pull her professional-self back to safety. ‘There is a beautifully appointed bedroom with a super king-sized bed and an en suite bathroom with a whirlpool tub?—’
‘Does the bedroom door have a lock?’ Indigo asked.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw the Frenchman turn to stare at her in baffled disbelief. She ignored him.
‘Yes, signorina,’ the receptionist replied, looking confused to have her patter broken into with such an odd question, ‘and the separate living area has the latest entertainment system?—’
‘And a large sofa?’ Indigo cut in again.
The receptionist blinked hard and frowned, then her expression softened with a mixture of relief and gratitude as she realised where Indigo was going with this. This time she didn’t falter with her answer. ‘Absolutely! It is very comfortable – large enough to fully stretch out on. There is also an additional bathroom with a waterfall shower.’
Indigo nodded decisively. ‘Okay then, we’ll share it.’
* * *
‘What?’ The word jumped from the Frenchman’s mouth as if he’d not been able to stop it.
