Page 2 of Lilly
Chapter One
Lilly
“Roxanne’s been sackedfor unacceptable behaviour, so…” my boss says as she looks at all ofus.
I glance to the side to see the same apprehensive look on my colleagues’ faces that I’m sure I have. No one wants their name to be saidnext.
“Lilly, you’ve been here the longest, so you get to clean the King’s lair. Stay behind and I’ll go through everything withyou.”
I say goodbye to my usual work mates, Imogen and Eve, and await myfate.
I’ve been working mornings cleaning at the hotel since I started uni and discovered most days I don’t have to go in until the afternoon. It’s the perfect opportunity to earn some money so I’m not sponging off Mum and Dad. They’ve done enough, buying the flat Taylor and I live in. I don’t want to take any more fromthem.
I mostly love it. I say mostly, because you wouldn’t believe the state we find the rooms in some days. And some of the things people bring to a hotel and leave out for the cleaners beggars belief. That being said, it does mean we have some very entertainingmornings!
I watch everyone else leave and follow Hillary towards her office. I spend the next ten minutes listening to what I already know. Mr. Dalton, the hotel’s manager, has very particular tastes and expects things not only to be done his way but also to perfection, hence so many cleaners have come and gone before me. I think the longest one has lasted since Mr. Dalton took over here is two months. I’ve got no hope. I’ll be the first person to say that my cleaning standards aren’t up to scratch for hisrequirements.
“Can you just read through this and sign please,Lilly?”
I look down at the paperwork Hilary has just pushed over and my chin drops. I always thought it was a rumour that any cleaner that entered the King’s lair, as we’ve all nicknamed it, has to sign an NDA. I mean seriously, what are we likely to find? Let alone tell the worldabout?
I quickly scan over the paperwork and sign without much thought. I have no intention of spreading whatever gossip Mr. Dalton is worried about around the place. All I really want to do is my job, although that job has just got a million timesharder.
“You could look a little more excited, Lilly. You get to work in the best room in the hotel,” Hilary says, trying to focus on thepositives.
“Yeah, but how long for? Denise was the best cleaner we’ve had for years and she was gone after two months. I don’t stand a chance.” Not only does Mr. Dalton have immaculate taste—I would say bordering on OCD where cleaning’s concerned—he is young and drop dead gorgeous. Not my type, but still gorgeous. Add his obvious wealth to that and his reputation as a ladies’ man, and some of the women around here have issues containingthemselves.
Like I said, he’s hot, butsonot for me. He always looks perfect, not a single slicked back piece of hair out of place and not a speck of dust on his sharp suits. I like my men a little more rough around the edges. I want a tattooed bad boy who is actually the biggest sweetheart ever under all the ink and the scruffy, broodingimage.
I let out a huge breath as I follow Hilary to the penthouse. I thought I’d found all those things in Jake, until he found drugs andalcohol.
I try to shake off my depressing thoughts as we wait for the lift to take us higher. I promised myself I was going to fight it. I’m moving on with my life, putting that waste of space behindme.
It takes over an hour for Hilary to go through everything: exactly how he prefers his towels to be folded, the order he expects the bottles on his vanity unit to be in, and the perfect little point on the toilet roll…and that’s just the bathroom. Apparently, I’ve even got to line the remote controls up a certain way on his coffee table. It’s utterly insane. By the time she leaves me to it, my head is spinning with everything I’ve got to remember so I still have a job this timetomorrow.
I clean everything in the bathroom twice then triple check everything is in the correct position before attempting the rest of the suite. The chances of me making it to uni this afternoon are slim to none. I’m going to be here for hours. I just hope I get used to his quirks fast so I can speed this whole process upslightly.
I’ve dusted the coffee table and arranged the remote controls exactly as I was shown when my phone rings. I shouldn’t really have it on me, but after everything that happened with Jake, I like to have it to hand at all times. It’s like my security blanket. I also shouldn’t really have black jeans on either, but there we go. Typical that today of all days is the one I forgot to wash my usual black trousers. I’m just hoping the King doesn’t appear while I’m still here because being out of the standard uniform is sure to push hisbuttons.
I pull it from my back pocket as I fall back on the sofa. The second I see it’s a text from Connie, my stomach does a little flip. I immediately unlock my phone and open the message. My eyes start to well up immediately, because staring back at me is not only my smiling friend but a tiny baby wrapped in a blue blanket. Under the photo it saysNoah Fredrick Willis, 7lb 6oz, born at 06.33 on 14thFebruary.
I’m so happy for Connie and Fin, I really am, but as my first tear hits the phone screen I can’t help feelinghollow.
I zoom in on his little face. His eyes are shut tight, he’s got a cute little button nose and full lips. He’s Fin’s son, that’s forsure.
I drop the phone into my lap and rest my head back on the sofa. I’m so jealous of Connie right now and I hate that I feel that way, but I can’t help it. I’m desperate to experience what she is right now. I’d give anything to have thechance.
My phone ringing interrupts my depressing thoughts. I pull my head up and look down at thescreen.
It’s Molly, my unofficial sister. She knows I’m at work, so wouldn’t call unless it wasimportant.
“Hello,” I say as cheerfully as possible when I put the phone to myear.
“Lilly, what’s wrong?” So that was successful,then.
“Nothing. Connie just sent me a photo of her and the baby and I got a littleemotional.”
“Oh my God,” Molly squeals, “Connie’s givenbirth?”
