Page 8 of Hotel Mallois

"What a nosy woman," Mike says when they get back in the car.

Katherine bursts out laughing and fastens her seatbelt.

"She's that typical busybody neighbor who knows not just where you work, but what time you get home and even what you eat," Katherine says and smiles at a photo Rachel, her older sister, sends to the group chat the three Taylor sisters share.

Thanks to New York City's unbearable traffic, it takes them more than an hour to reach the bar and over twenty minutes to find a parking spot. Despite Katherine's complaints, Mike won't let his boss leave the car alone and enter a bar that screams trouble from the outside.

They enter through a wooden swinging door, and the stench of alcohol and sweat hits them full force. The place is a dark hole with dim lights, featuring a large bar and many small tables, mostly occupied by men over fifty. Katherine feels immediate repulsion when she realizes all the waitresses are quite young, and the customers eye them like pieces of meat.

"She's over there, at the end," Mike says, discreetly pointing to Jodie Sinclair, who's carrying a tray full of drinks and what appear to be bowls of peanuts.

The hair on Katherine's neck stands so straight it causes a sudden shiver. It's a mix she can't define no matter how hard she tries because she feels that protectiveinstinct toward her cleaner again, annoyance because the customer she's serving looks at her like he might pounce at any moment, and desire, the pulsing kind, because Jodie Sinclair, despite her tired face and the dark circles under her eyes, is a beautiful woman.

Mike's eyes widen in horror when Katherine starts walking through the middle of the bar. The bodyguard sticks close to her and places his right hand on the gun he never parts with while staring down anyone who turns to look at his boss.

"Jodie," Katherine addresses her informally when she reaches her side.

The waitress looks up and nearly tips over her tray. She has to blink several times to realize what she's seeing isn't a fantasy product of her imagination - Katherine Taylor, her platonic love and boss, is actually there in front of her.

"Mrs. Taylor," the woman manages to say, and after the initial surprise, feels terror at seeing the Hotel Mallois owner in the bar.

"I want you in my penthouse at nine sharp tomorrow, don't be late."

And that's it. The blue-eyed businesswoman turns on her heels and heads for the exit, leaving Jodie with a lump in her throat and her heart pounding equally in the north and south. Katherine regrets being so curt, but the situation made her nervous, and she wanted to be direct. Now she just thinks about getting home, taking off her shoes, and having a glass of wine on her terrace.

Jodie Sinclair walks through the doors of Hotel Mallois at eight forty-five in the morning. She tries to go unnoticed because it's her day off, and she doesn't want any of her coworkers to notice her. She's literally had a shit night turning over that sudden appearance of Katherine Taylor at the bar in her mind. Many questions and few answers, but what she does know clearly is that she'll do whatever necessary to keep her job as a cleaner.

"Good morning, Mrs. Taylor," Jodie says, looking at an undefined point when she enters the penthouse after Olivia opens the door for her.

"Miss Sinclair," Katherine says and stands from her chair, "how are you?"

"Fine, Mrs. Taylor," the cleaner answers, unable to say anything more. It angers her that her foolish brain acts this way when she's near the businesswoman.

Katherine feels the nervousness floating in the air, and she herself doesn't understand why her heart beat a little faster when she saw the cleaner in the middle of her living room. She decides it's best to end the matter as soon as possible.

"The incident related to the theft..."

"Please don't fire me, Mrs. Taylor. I haven't stolen anything, and I really need this job," Jodie interrupts with a worried expression.

Katherine's heart now beats faster.

"It's not about that," Katherine replies. "We know the accusations were false, and we've already taken care ofresolving it. I just wanted to apologize personally; it's not fair for guests to point fingers at you like that."

Jodie, who can't believe what she's hearing, frowns immediately. It's not that she isn't happy the matter has been settled; it's that it bothers her that Katherine Taylor is the one apologizing when she was the only one who, in the midst of the accusation, supported her.

"You shouldn't be the one apologizing, Mrs. Taylor," Jodie becomes bold and looks her in the eyes without hesitation for the first time, causing Katherine to feel a hammer blow directly to the center of her chest. "What happened yesterday is normal; to the guests, we're just simple women who clean, but you were the only one who treated me with respect and listened to my version without accusing me."

Katherine raises an eyebrow; she doesn't miss the tone in which Jodie speaks to her and feels that something or someone isn't functioning as they should within her hotel. She waits a few seconds for the woman to say more, but realizes she won't open her mouth again, and she doesn't want to pressure her, at least not at this moment.

"You have a couple of days off, Miss Sinclair. Don't worry, they'll be paid, and everything's been arranged," Katherine clarifies, having noticed the cleaner's change of expression.

"Thank you, Mrs. Taylor, they'll be good for resting," Jodie answers, not knowing why she gave that extra information.

Jodie turns, considering the conversation over when her boss falls silent. She wants to leave the penthouse; if Katherine's proximity is suffocating her, being in her home where everything smells like her is deadly.

"I need someone trustworthy to work here in the afternoons," Katherine suddenly blurts out without thinking and curses herself for her impulsiveness. She isn't like this.

Jodie stops dead in her tracks and turns slowly.

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