Page 17 of The Wrong Fiancée

"Yes, really. Have a good evening, Mr. Archer."

"Elika, I told you to call me Dean." He came closer to my bicycle.

"I'm afraid that would be inappropriate. Thank you for checking up on me and?—"

"What the fuck happened to you?" he blurted out.

My phone buzzed, my calendar letting me know it was time to get to work. "I'm really sorry, but I have to go."

"When is your shift over?"

"I don't see how that is any of your business," I snapped.

"Elika, I'd like to talk and?—"

I shook my head and started to pedal away from him.

Of all the resorts in the world, why did he have to walk into the one I cleaned toilets at?

Chapter Seven

DEAN

"Idon't know how to put this to you, Archer, but I don't really pay much attention to housekeeping staff at my resorts," Dante said sardonically when I called him to ask about Elika Hamlet.

"She was the one I was with in Honolulu," I reminded him.

"You're always with a woman and…wait, is this the girl whose father died in a car crash and her sister was paralyzed?" Dante asked, his tone serious. I heard some whispers on the other end, followed by my friend's firm voice, "Cara, not now. I'm on a call."

"Am I disturbing you?"

"Not really." I could hear Dante's fingers on his keyboard. "Elika Hamlet. Born February Nineteenth, Nineteen Ninety Eight. She started working for Giordano Resorts eight years ago when she was eighteen. She worked part-time for a year…it says she went to the University of Hawaii. Looks like she dropped out. Since then, she's been working full-time for us in Honolulu and now at Hale Moana. Exemplary employee. Her boss recommends her for a leadership program."

"She's Felicity's cousin," I told him.

Dante chuckled. "Ah, that's why there are complaints in her file from Mrs. Ginny Thatcher and your Felicity Thatcher."

"What does that mean?"What the fuck?

"Just that they made official complaints. We record that. And since your folks are regulars, so we take extra care of…," he laughed softly, trailing off.

"What?"

"Elika's boss, who I know well, by the way, put a note saying that Elika is not responsible for the Thatcher family drama and no complaints from the family should be entertained as serious unless she says so."

I leaned back on the lounge chair I was sitting at, the beautiful ocean in front of me. "What are the complaints about?"

"Stupid shit. She's rude. She didn't clean properly. There's one from today…she walked in while you were having sex?" Dante sounded amused. "Seriously? How is that her fault? She probably knocked, and you didn't hear her."

I sighed. "Here’s what I’ve figured out about the Thatcher family: Ginny and Fee can’t stand Elika—for reasons that, as far as I can tell, don’t even exist. And honestly? I don’t know why I give a shit."

"You were really into her in Honolulu. You extended your stay twice because you didn't want to let her go," Dante reminded me.

I took a deep breath. "Yeah. But that was years ago."

And still, you can't ignore her.

"Why do they hate Elika?"

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