Page 39 of Hotel Mallois

Chapter 21

Jodie can't believe the banker's audacity, and a swarm of thoughts starts buzzing in her head, overwhelming her. Annie Cohen is, without doubt, one of the most striking women Jodie has ever seen, and not because of her looks, but because of the power she radiates. She doesn't need to say a word; her mere existence is enough to have the world at her feet. She's that kind of woman.

"Where are you going?" Sarah asks when Jodie rushes past her.

The cleaner stops dead in her tracks, believing that if she doesn't vomit out what she's thinking, she'll end up in jail this afternoon.

"Annie just left the hotel, and from the gesture she made... I don't know what to think," Jodie laments. "I think they slept together."

Sarah shifts uncomfortably because she thinks it's very possible, considering powerful people believe they have the right to do whatever they want without thinking about theconsequences, but she prefers not to voice what crosses her mind.

"Calm down, don't let your anger get the best of you," Sarah advises, looking into her eyes. "Talk to Mrs. Taylor before doing anything."

Jodie wants these dark thoughts to leave her mind, but she struggles to control what's hammering in her brain. She nods mechanically, touches Sarah's shoulder affectionately, and moves forward at a slower pace. As soon as she gets in the elevator and reaches the top floor of the Mallois hotel, she runs as if a forty-pound rabid dog were chasing her. She pulls out the magnetic card and enters the penthouse, trying to fake a calmness she doesn't feel.

Katherine, who's focused on reviewing some documents at her desk, looks up, removes her glasses, and flashes a smile that could melt Mount Rainier in seconds.

"Hi," says the Mallois hotel owner, staying in her spot while admiring Jodie. She couldn't like the girl more.

"How are you?" the cleaner asks casually, but it's obvious from miles away that something's wrong. Nerves are very hard to hide.

"Did something happen?" Katherine asks and quickly moves toward her girl, fearing something might have happened to her mother.

Jodie looks at her, and that fire that was burning in her chest has now moved down a few inches to settle in her stomach. Katherine looks beautiful in an immaculate white suit, but what Jodie likes most is that she's not in a robe or has wet hair as she thought she'd find her.

"No, no, everything's perfect," a five-year-old would lie better.

Katherine narrows her eyes and fixes them on Jodie. She's not willing to give in; she knows something's up. The cleaner dodges the blue eyes as best she can, but even if she wanted to keep her sanity, it's quite difficult.

"How was the meeting with Annie?" Jodie asks, approaching the subject.

Katherine tilts her head, and her gaze intensifies.

"Fine, as always. We were able to settle several issues about the new hotel that were giving me headaches."

Silence. Katherine doesn't say anything else—quite intentionally—and Jodie has no choice but to let it out.

"I saw Annie entering the hotel and..." Jodie pauses to breathe. "I saw her leave two hours later. You told me you'd meet her at the bank."

Katherine looks at her sternly while nodding, and Jodie feels she's reached a boundary she shouldn't even touch.

"Are you jealous?" Katherine asks, a smile emerging that infuriates Jodie.

"No, I'm not," the cleaner answers with a furrowed brow, "but I know what was between you two... After being in your penthouse for hours, she walks through the lobby, winks at me, and leaves just like that."

Katherine suppresses a laugh; it's not something that should amuse her, but Annie Cohen can be quite a jerk when she wants to be, even at forty-four, though that doesn't make her lose that mischievous air.

"Come with me," Katherine requests, and they move to the kitchen. In a quick movement, she lifts Jodie onto the marble counter and presses against her. "You don't need to worry about her, we've talked about this. We never had anything serious, what we had was physical, but we both know nothing would work beyond that. Now it's you and me, Jodie."

Jodie hooks onto those features that now feel so much like her own. She knows she reacted in such an immature way out of fear of losing Katherine; she could compete with Annie Cohen's endless legs, but never against her power and money.

"I'm sorry, I..."

Katherine silences her by biting her lips and pulling her closer.

"Let's drop this topic. Remember, honey, it's you and me," Katherine repeats, looking into her eyes.

Jodie nods and hugs the woman who drives her crazy, so much that for the first time in her life, she's set up a surveillance service—low-budget because it was just her and Sarah in their free time—to time how long Katherine's ex-lover stayed in the penthouse. She lets out a sigh and pulls away from her boss.

---