Page 23 of Hotel Mallois

"She's using you as a messenger now?" Katherine arches an eyebrow.

"She's the boss's sister, I can't refuse," Mike smiles.

When Katherine arrives at the table, she leans down to kiss her father's cheek and does the same with her younger sister before sitting down.

"Where have you been?" the hotel owner asks after signaling one of the waiters to approach.

Her father refills her wine glass while Caroline responds.

"I took Dad shopping, I have a meeting tomorrow and I want him to come with me."

"Dad has a thousand suits," Katherine says.

"None of them are new," her sister responds.

"What's the meeting for?" Katherine asks with interest.

"A potential new provider. I'm having problems with the agency that handles cruise reservations. Lately, they're not meeting occupancy goals and I'm getting tired of it. I've been looking for several weeks and this guy's proposal looks good, seems serious. So I'm going to meet with him and if we like it," she says, pointing to herself and her father with a smile, "maybe I'll reach a preliminary agreement to test it with the next cruise."

"If we like it?" Katherine repeats mockingly. "You run one of the most powerful cruise companies in the state, you have an above-average IQ, and you were in college when you should have been in high school. When are you going to stop taking Dad with you to meetings?"

"Katherine, leave your sister alone," her father warns with a smile.

Caroline fixes her gaze on Katherine, but she's not offended at all because she knows it was just a compliment from her sister.

"I plan to keep taking him as long as he wants to come," she says, taking her father's hand, "with that ogre face of his, he commands respect and nobody tries to hit on me," she adds, and Katherine's snort can be heard above her father's laughter.

The rest of dinner proceeds peacefully as the family discusses a possible visit to Ithaca to see the eldest Taylor sister.

"Well, with your permission, I'm going to retire now," Warren Taylor says, "one's getting old and needs rest."

Both sisters stand up to say goodbye to their father, and Katherine gestures to Mike to ask him to take him home.

"Well," Caroline says when the two sisters are alone, "now tell me what happened this morning."

Katherine makes a puzzled face.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about that strange scene you made in your penthouse when the cleaner came."

Katherine feels a rush of heat.

"What scene? I just asked you to behave."

Caroline's laughter is so sudden that even Katherine ends up joining in.

"Come on, Katherine, that might work with Rachel, but not with me. I've jokingly tried to hit on your lovers a thousand times and you've never cared. And with this girl,who I want to point out I had no idea you had something with, you nearly jumped down my throat..."

"I didn't..."

"Shut up," Caroline requests, "I'm not finished. You were so bothered that I asked her out that you not only forbade me from approaching her but from approaching anyone at the hotel. When have you ever done that? I'll tell you when - never. So you better tell me what's going on between the owner of the Mallois and that cute cleaner."

Katherine closes her eyes and rubs her temples. She's not sure what she should answer, or even if she should, but she needs to release what she has inside that's starting to burn.

"I think I'm falling in love with her," she blurts out.

"Wow!" Caroline exclaims, completely surprised. "Are you serious?"

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