Page 43 of Tasty Cherry

“Wow,” Brooklyn says.

“It’s not unusual,” I tell her. “People who pay for secure floors don’t want just anyone to access their rooms, even among the employees.”

The next space is circular with four doors, three for the rooms and one for the stairwell, plus a narrow elevator taking up a big chunk of space. It has silk on the walls, and a huge crystal chandelier hangs above us.

I pull up my phone to hook into the application that runs housekeeping to ensure that the room we enter is empty. Only one of them has a family inside.

I pop open the door to the room next to the elevator.

About seventy-five percent of the princess rooms are pink, but this particular one is pale blue. It’s set up as a Cinderella room, and a huge mural with the pumpkin chariot is painted on the back wall. The space that is the door on the pumpkin is actually a short door to a tiny balcony overlooking the side garden. All the rooms with this view have this feature, since they aren’t on the mountain side.

“It’s beautiful,” Brooklyn says, her voice breathy. She turns in circles in the open space.

“All the princess rooms in the tower have themes. Havannah did her research. There are lots of Belles, several Cinderellas, and Moana is also quite popular.”

“What does she do when a new princess comes along?” Brooklyn asks.

“We will devote a couple of the rooms of the regular wing to that. I expect, as the hotel ages, some of the tower rooms will get redecorated to newer princesses. The big suites have multiple themes.”

“Can we see one?” Brooklyn asks. “How many princess suites are there?”

Mila speaks up. “Most of the floors have a suite and one or two regular rooms, but the top floor is completely open with a large suite and a party room.”

She’s done her homework. “That’s right.”

“Is the top floor occupied?” Brooklyn asks.

“It is. In the other tower, of course, is the private restaurant.”

“Do we get to see that?” Brooklyn asks.

“That’s a tour Raya has planned,” I tell her.

I watch Mila take in the space, hoping she’s impressed. I’m not sure why it matters to me. I’m only the manager, and I had nothing to do with the hotel’s design or interior decorating.

But I want her to like it. To be proud to be here.

I want everything about her time at the Castle Hotel to be perfect.

And hopefully soon that will include me.

17

MILA

Iswear I did not just think about having sex with my boss in a princess bed.

But it’s big and heart-shaped. I know it’s meant to be cute for the kids, but I can picture him on it. Me on it.

Is this what it’s like? After you’ve done it once, you want to do it over and over again?

Heat rises from my belly.

Sebastian’s phone buzzes. He frowns. “You’re in luck. We got a call from the party suite at the top of the tower. They need a manager.”

Brooklyn and I silently squee at each other. We get to do real hotel stuff!

We head to the elevator, and Sebastian calls it with his ID. “Yours won’t work on this elevator,” he tells us.

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