Page 24 of Never Fake Date the Financier
“What?” she asks after finally taking a breath as she stands with arms akimbo.
“You have no idea what you’re doing to me, do you?”
Her eyes widen as her mouth bobs. “Dressing you down?”
I bite the inside of my cheek, trying to redirect my attention away from thoughts of undressing her.
She shakes her head, eyes boring into mine. “I’ll see you in one hour.”
“One hour,” I repeat, watching her as she turns on her heel, hips swaying as she walks into the bedroom. She closes the door, and I can finally breathe again.
This woman. Can’t imagine going through this weekend with anyone else.
My phone buzzes, and I check the text. Surprisingly, Asher’s been silent. Haven’t had a single call or text about work. It’s strange. But it’s even stranger that I haven’t thought about work until now.
Mom: I hope you like your room! There must have been a mix-up. That suite was too big! You two need something cozier. I hope you two enjoy the champagne!
You’d think that after I’d made my first billion, my mother would look at me as an adult and not some clueless kid she has to manage. Apparently, not. At least there’s a silver lining: I have proof I can show Ella that I had nothing to do with this.
As annoying as this is, it shouldn’t be difficult to fix. I’ll head down to the front desk and have our rooms switched back. Nothing could be easier.
* * *
“Everything is booked? Check again.”I rest my forearms against the edge of the counter, hoping that, through some miracle, this woman finds me a room.
“Okay,” the attendant chirps, turning to her monitor as she begins hammering away at the keyboard.
After what feels like hours, she looks at me and repeats the same spiel.
“I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do. Everything is booked. We have multiple wedding blocks this weekend and a few conferences. We’re full.”
“I’ll pay ten times the amount.”
She shakes her head. “There’s nothing I can—actually,” she says as she starts typing again. “I can have a cot sent up.”
“A cot?”
She nods. “Yes, it folds out. It will be just like camping,” she adds giddily.
I stare at her silently for a few moments as she maintains that same smile. “Okay.”
I push away from the desk and then press my fingers into my eyes, attempting to rub out my annoyance. But when I open my eyes, I’m met with a different predicament. One that I hadn’t expected to deal with ten minutes after arriving at the hotel: Max and Sariah walking directly toward me, hand-in-hand.
It’s surreal. I haven’t seen Sariah since we broke up. And seeing her with Max? It’s strange.
“Adrian,” Max says, pulling me into a hug. “How was the flight? The room? Is Gabriella here?”
I’m assaulted by a rapid fire of questions, each one requiring a different answer, so I simply disregard all of them.
“Everything’s fine, Max.” I keep my voice level as Sariah’s eyes burn a hole in the side of my head.
“Good to see you, Adrian.”
I turn, smiling at her as her features begin to soften. “You too.” I lean in, hugging her before planting a quick peck on her cheek and pulling away. “Congrats to you both. You two make a wonderful couple.”
“Thanks,” Max says before glancing around. “Where’s Gabriella? She’s here, right?” He fingers my shirt sleeve, taking a peek beneath it.
“Of course.” I readjust my sleeve. “She’s resting in the room. Long flight.”
