I push open the door to the back room, dragging Courtney with me. I don’t care who sees. I need to nip this in the bud.
“Listen,” I start, my voice low but firm. “If you can’t control yourself out there, then you need to leave for the day. We don’t have time for this drama.”
Her face twists into a sneer. “You think you can just...ignore it, don’t you? Just act like no one’s going to say anything?” she snaps, her voice dripping with disdain.
I take a deep breath, trying to stay calm. “I’m not ignoring anything, Courtney. I just don’t have time for your bullshit. Now, if you can’t handle things like a professional, go home.”
Her jaw tightens, and she looks ready to say something else, but instead, she picks up her apron and throws it on the floor. “Fine. You know Whittney wouldn’t approve of you going after the staff, right? She’d bedisappointedin you.”
I freeze.
The words hit me like a punch to the gut.
My jaw clenches as I force myself to speak. “You’re out of your mind,” I say through gritted teeth. “Don’t ever bring her into a discussion like that again.”
She turns on her heel, throwing one last glance over her shoulder before storming out.
I stand there for a moment, the weight of her words settling over me.
She’s right, and I hate that she is.
But I can’t let her get to me.
I won’t.
I just need to focus on what matters.
But the sting of her words lingers in the back of my mind.
I get in the elevator and go up to the penthouse floor. I walk back and forth in my room, trying to unwind, but all I can think about is Courtney’s words.Whittney wouldn’t approve.The phrase keeps echoing in my head, and I can’t seem to shake the feeling that Courtney knows more than she’s letting on.
I’ve been careful. We’ve both been careful, or at least I thought we had.
How could she know?
Did someone see us?
Did the staff figure it out?
The thought of the whole hotel gossiping about my secret relationship with Blossom makes my stomach twist with anxiety.
Does everyone know?
I walk over to the minibar, pouring myself a drink, trying to clear my head, but it’s like the weight of the day keeps pressing on me. My thoughts keep spiraling, running in circles.How could Courtney know?
Just as I’m about to go crazy, there’s a knock at the door.
I freeze for a moment, then glance toward the door. I know who it is before I even open it.
Nicole.
I open the door, and Nicole rolls in with that knowing look on her face, her eyes scanning the room.
"Nice to see you’re not brooding in the corner," she teases, her voice light and easy, but I can tell she’s already got something on her mind.
I gesture for her to come in. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, you know,” she says casually, rolling her eyes. “I just overheard that you sent Courtney home. Apparently, that’s the hot topic among the staff today.”