Page 23 of Judging Duke

She looked very much like the cat that had got the cream, and I admired her figure as she walked away, her hips swaying seductively.

I shook my head, not believing what we’d just done. Sex happened here often, more than anyone thought. When the guests and the management disappeared, many of the staff took advantage of the facilities. The hot tub was definitely a favourite, as were the massage beds.

Nothing like a long, hard massage, followed by the proverbial happy ending.

I usually avoided interactions at work, but Holly had blindsided me, and she wasn’t the first to do that today.

I tucked myself away and made my way back to the staff room and my locker. I had a spare set of clothes and took advantage of the showers, cleaning myself off before my meeting at three.

If I’d thought my day had started bad, it got worse. Carr was not impressed. He’d never really liked me. I’d heard him say more than once he thought I was arrogant, but living on thestreets for all those years, I’d developed a thick skin and took no shit from anyone.

Call it arrogance. Again, I called it confidence.

Show any hint of weakness, and you’d end up much the same as Ziggy had all those years ago. I’d no wish to end up that way.

“So, Mr Anders. Care to tell me why you were scrapping like a common hooligan earlier with Mr Fletcher, no less? He’s a very important client.”

I sat in the chair facing his desk, watching the pompous ass as he steepled his fingers, glowering at me, one eyebrow raised.

How I’d love to say what I thought, but this job was important to me.

“I’m sorry, Mr Carr. It was a misunderstanding. It won’t happen again.”

“It’d better not. I’ve a mind to suspend you for a week.” I opened my mouth to speak, but he glared at me again, his pencil-thin moustache twitching, daring me to say a word.

Pretentious prick with his well-fitting, elegant three-piece suits and wing-tipped shoes. He looked like a throwback from the twenties.

“However, Mr Fletcher has informed me he’ll be leaving tomorrow, which is unfortunate. We’ve offered to refund him for the remainder of his stay in view of what happened, but he refused. So luckily for you, the hotel won’t be losing out.”

Unsure of what he wanted me to say, I apologised again.

“I’m really sorry, Mr Carr.”

“Yes, well, that may well be, but if I hear of any further infractions, consider your position here terminated. Do I make myself clear?”

I clenched my jaw, not believing the words out of his mouth. Seriously? I’d never been in any trouble and hadn’t even hit the guy back, knowing it wouldn’t look good.

That bastard was fucking with my life again.

“Mr Anders. Do you understand?”

“Yes. I understand.”

I stood, debating telling him to shove the job up his tight arse, but I held my tongue.

“You may go.”

He turned to his computer and tapped away on the keyboard. Guess I was dismissed.

I used to love working here, but since Carr had taken over twelve months ago, the hotel had become more akin to a prison camp. All his rules and regulations had taken the fun out of the place.

I knew it was a place of business, but having Ivan the Terrible as your boss was nothing if not demoralising.

Perhaps it was time for me to move on. I’d never stayed in one place over eighteen months, and it was coming up that time now.

I’d moved around a bit since leaving home. First to Liverpool, where I’d stayed the longest, then to London, Oxford, and now to this place. It was quiet, and I was missing the city life. Maybe I could move back to Liverpool, closer to my parents in Chester.

Isla’s earlier words about me visiting more often sprang to mind. I wasn’t getting any younger, and neither were my parents. Not that I’d move back in with them. I couldn’t face doing that.

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