Page 24 of Lost Room Lawyer
Is that his thing? Have a bit of fun and then move on? Or is that just how young people are these days?
We had no idea we’d end up working together. The contract was signed without us having met.Why should we have? He’s Leo’s son, and Leo was my mentor. There was no reason not to sign that contract.
But here we were, and I had to do my best to act like an adult, even though I would have preferred to pounce on him. Inside, alittle child was screaming.Why can’t I?I didn’t want to be the adult here. Every glance he threw my way and every smile felt like an invitation.
Is he doing this on purpose?
Or is he just being polite?
By now, the sun had disappeared behind the mountains, and twilight was setting in. A glance at my phone revealed that I had received an email from Linda. It contained the booking confirmation for our hotel.
“Let’s call it a day,” I said. “We shouldn’t overdo it.”
Nico put the paper away, leaned back on the couch, and rolled his neck from side to side. When he stood up, he stretched his arms, exposing a bit of his flat stomach. Inevitably, I wondered what was underneath. He was sexy with clothes on. What would he look like naked?
I went to wash my hands one last time—the old documents, receipts, and whatever Pierin had collected felt awful on my skin—then I slipped into my coat. We left everything as it was; we would still be here tomorrow and probably also Monday and Tuesday.
We drove to the hotel, the Kempinski. I knew it well, as I had been there before. As we drove up the driveway, Nico leaned forward and opened his mouth in astonishment.
“What? We’re staying here? It’s like a castle!”
I laughed awkwardly. “Yeah, Linda must have meant well and forgot that we’re not on vacation.”
“And who’s paying for this?” Nico asked.
“I’ll definitely charge that to Canonica,” I replied, somewhat sheepishly as I parked at the side of the hotel’s entrance.
Once we grabbed our bags, I handed over the car keys to the valet attendant, and then we went to the reception desk.
“I have a reservation for Lando.”
The hotel clerk checked the computer and nodded. “Yes, Hector Lando. Two people. You’re staying for four nights, correct?”
“Yes,” I answered reluctantly. I would have preferred to leave the next day, as I had more than enough to do.
“The reservation was made by Linda Baumgartner,” the clerk stated as she turned her attention to the computer screen.
“Yes.”
“She booked a room for two.”
One room for two people?“What? But I thought … We’re here on business. Aren’t there two separate rooms available?”
“I’m sorry. Mrs. Baumgartner wanted to book two rooms, but unfortunately, we’re fully booked. The Bob and Skeleton World Championships are taking place right now. This is the last room we have.”
I knew Linda well enough to know she had done her job. If this was the last room, then we might as well forget about finding another place.
The hotel clerk clicked the mouse and glanced up at me. “Something will be available again starting Monday.”
“Something wrong?” Nico asked, stepping closer.
“That would be …” I cleared my throat and turned back to the woman. “One bed?”
“Yes, a king-size bed. And there’s a sofa set. I assure you, the room is spacious enough. I’d be happy to send someone up later to prepare the sofa for you. If you like, I can also arrange for an extra bed.”
“Damn,” I said, pulling out my phone and checking the email Linda had sent me. I hadn’t read it thoroughly.
“I’ve tried, boss,” it said as I skimmed the text. “Even in Silvaplana and Celerina, everything is fully booked.”
