Page 123 of Too Hard to Resist

Excitement and hope exploded in my chest.

‘Sorry,’ Victoria said. ‘I went off on a tangent. What did you come to see me about?’

‘I wanted to ask if I could take some time off as soon as possible before going to California, but now I have another idea that I would like to discuss with you…’

Before I had said that I believed I would find a way for me and Sammie to be together and miraculously, I was sure I had found the perfect solution that would help usandbenefit the Love Hotel.

I hoped that Victoria and the management team agreed…

48

SAMMIE

‘Thanks so much, Aunty Jeanette. I really appreciate it. Speak soon.’

I ended the call then headed back to the office with a spring in my step. It was the first time I’d felt happy all week.

My boss had confirmed that if I wanted the head receptionist role, it was mine. HR were preparing the new contract and my new salary and responsibilities would be officially confirmed in a matter of days.

I should be over the moon, but ever since I’d ended the video call with Romeo abruptly eight days ago, I’d felt like shit.

He’d been messaging to ask if we could talk but I’d said I needed time and would be in touch soon.

The truth was, I’d been working on something and I didn’t want to talk to him until I knew whether or not it’d work.

What I’d said during our video call was wrong.

I shouldn’t have suggested that we cut our losses without first trying to see if it could work.

Romeo wasn’t like the other holiday romances I’d had.

He was special.

I loved him. And I wasn’t going to give up on what we had without a fight.

So I’d spent days racking my brain, trying to think of how we could be together.

And then the idea came to me.

Yes, I’d just been given a promotion I’d worked my sweet arse off for and had dreamed about getting for years, but was it really what I wanted?

The truth was, it wasn’t.

Like Romeo, I’d always wanted to travel around the US but I’d never got around to it because I was scared and I didn’t have the right motivation.

But now I did.

That was when it hit me. I could try and get a job out there.

I know, it wasn’t my smartest idea. It was batshit crazy.

The chances of finding work were slim. There were probably thousands of people with the same idea who’d already travelled to California looking for work.

But even if there was a 99 per cent chance that I’d fail, that meant that there was still a 1 per cent chance that I’d succeed, right?

I had to try.

I had to know that I’d done everything I could to make this work.

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