Page 25 of Room Service
“Him,” I reiterate, and her eyes widen.
“Oh, him, mystery guy.”
“Bingo.”
“Fuck, Elise, he’s hot as hell,” she comments.
“Yes he is.” I have no time to say anything else as Hayley appears from around the corner and marches towards us. I suddenly feel empowered, like a new kind of energy is buzzing through me, and I have no doubt it’s to do with the man I never thought I’d see again.
Chapter Twenty-Two
ELISE
I’m back in the penthouse, serving drinks to the board members and trying not to let my eyes roam the room for Dorien. I mean, I don’t know why he would even be in here, he’s clearly not a board member, so it’s totally pointless. But still, I can’t seem to stop myself from hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
“Champagne?” I ask as I stop by a group of four people, none of which I know the names of. Two of them take a glass each, while the other two ignore me, not even pausing their conversation.
“How much longer do we have to be here?” Celeste whispers as she comes to stand beside me, a fresh tray of hors d’oeuvres in her hand.
“Until the end, and then we get to clean everything after,” I whisper back, keeping a smile on my face.
“The three-hundred pounds isn’t feeling like it’s worth it right now,” Celeste mutters, and I can’t help but chuckle.
“It totally is, and you know it,” I reply before I move forward and offer out more champagne. Once my tray is empty, I make my way back to the kitchen area to grab some fresh glasses and pour some more.
The kitchen is less chaotic than the service one downstairs, with the head chef lovingly preparing the best food and the staff working with him seeming to be in complete sync. And they’ve all been pleasant, nothing but polite to me, and I wonder if this could somehow be a path to a better job than cleaning up after guests?
“If I could have your attention, please,” is spoken through a microphone in the main room, and I quickly finish filling the glasses and carry the tray back out there, because if this is some kind of toast, then I need to be on hand for the snooty fuckers to grab a glass if they need one.
I stand near the back, off to the side but in direct view of anyone who wishes to take a glass from the tray. I watch as Hayley appears at the front of the room, thanking whoever the guy was that just spoke into the microphone as she takes it from him with a smile. God, she really can turn on the charm when she needs to—just not around us workers, obviously.
“Firstly, I’d like to welcome you all here tonight. I know how valuable your time is, and we appreciate you coming at such short notice,” Hayley says, and the room seems to titter around me. “I’m sure you’re all keen to know why you are here, but let me introduce the man who will be confirming the reason for tonight’s impromptu get-together. Please welcome the owner of The Blue Diamond hotel chain, Mr Hunter Ryley.”
Hayley claps, the room claps, and I stand here and wait to see what he’s about to announce, suddenly having an interest in what is going on.
Hunter Ryley walks out and stands by Hayley, who he proceeds to air-kiss on either cheek before she hands him the microphone and takes a couple of steps back. Celeste was right, he sure is a silver fox. Not bad at all. I know he’s in his late forties, he’s not married, and he’s got no kids… and now I can see that he rocks the peppered grey-haired look, his strong jaw clean-shaven and his light green eyes having a charm about them. His body looks to be in reasonable condition too, the dark blue shirt he’s wearing seeming to hug his biceps. I take a quick glance at Hayley, who is stood on the opposite side of the room to me, and I can practically see her drooling from here. His voice is rather smooth too as he begins to talk about his reason for why he and the board members are here tonight, and I zone back in, listening as he explains about a merger that’s been happening for a while. There’s complete silence as he speaks, each person enraptured by what he has to say.
“I’ve had my time, and now, it’s up to someone else to take these hotels to the next level. I have no doubt that it will continue to climb in status with this next man at the helm. Board members, please welcome, Mr Dorien Dukes, the new owner of The Blue Diamond Hotels.” Hunter Ryley starts to clap, as does the rest of the room, as there are various gasps to accompany the clapping, but I stand here absolutely stunned as Dorien walks out and stands beside Hunter as he hands the microphone to him and shakes his hand.
My Dorien.
No, not mine. Christ, Elise, he was never yours.
Dorien Dukes. The man I had the most incredible night with. The one who made me feel free as he fucked me ruthlessly. The new fucking owner of this hotel. Of all the hotels in the chain. And ultimately, my goddamn boss.
Oh fucking hell.
Chapter Twenty-Three
DORIEN
I fucking hate these things. Board members kissing my arse and waiting for the next big cheque to come in. Unluckily for them, in due course, I’m going to give them news they’ve not been expecting. I’m sure their egos will allow them to think they’ll be kept on as directors, but that’s not how I work. I have a small team behind me that have been with me from the start and who earned my trust over the years. They do as I say and when I say, but they have no control over any final decisions. That’s all on me.
“I’m not sure how many of you were aware of this deal taking place, but I’ll keep it brief and say that we have been negotiating for the last few months on this merger with my own hotel chain, Classico Royale, and I am pleased to confirm that I signed on the dotted line this morning, so The Blue Diamond hotels and the Classico Royale hotels will become part of one powerhouse.
“This means that I will control fifty percent of the hotel revenue around the globe.”
The claps come quickly, the smiles on the faces of the board members beaming. It also means I have a shit ton of extra responsibility added to my plate, but with work fuelling me since I can remember, I’m ready for the challenge. I built the Classico Royale hotels from the ground up, and I’ve worked towards this goal for what feels like forever. I don’t need the money, I have more than enough to make sure I’m comfortable for the rest of my life, so this is about more than boosting my bank balance—not that the same can be said for the board members. They’re all about the cash and status. It’s a shame they have no idea that my next step will be to pull the rug out from underneath them and take back any shares they may have, because I don’t fucking need them. Ruthless? Yes, but I fail to care. They’ve all served their purpose for Hunter Ryley, but I don’t like to share, and I have already started the process of taking everything back from them. I don’t want to consult them on my plans or have them trying to push me to make deals they see as profitable, when in actual fact, they can’t see anything past the nose on the end of their face.
