Page 24 of The Husband Contract
Sebastian
The cream linen wallpaper is filled with bright pink flamingos, and I understand why the room has been named The Diamond Suite. It’s kitsch, but somehow suits the hotel. The place is cute, understated yet ostentatious in its own way. The lobby was clean, bare, and bright, but the interior of the elevator and this room are both loud and brash. I suppose the room takes after Willow and her two personalities. The quiet, shy persona she puts on to trap men, and then her true personality: the taker, the user, the seductress.
It’s hard for me to process that the woman in the lobby took my brother for millions of dollars. The same woman who had taken my coat. She’s a good actress. If I saw her in the street, I never would have thought she was a cold-blooded manipulator. Though I can see why Sergio fell for her; she’s pretty, almost beautiful, really, and her smiles are full of sugary sweetness and warmth. But I’ve seen her mask slip a couple of times, including when she pretended not to know my name. I’d been about to ask her if she really wanted to play that game.
Initially, I hadn’t been sure what my plan of action was going to be when I saw her again. If I’d tell her off, demand she give the money back, demand she call Sergio and apologize, see if I could get the police involved, though that seemed unlikely, as Sergio had willingly parted with the money. But then she pretended she didn’t know who I was and half-flirted back with me, like she was unsure if she wanted to go for me, as well. I knew I posed a high risk to her. Being so closely related to Sergio, but she likely thought I had no clue as to what was going on, as Sergio was a totally different man when he was in a relationship.
“Willow Montgomery, your day has come,” I mutter as I head over to the window to see the view. I pull back the flimsy, opaque curtain and stare out at a nicely mowed, lush green lawn. There are two picnic tables to the right of a large aqua-blue pool. Six white loungers sit in front of the pool, and a series of stepping stones on the other side leads to a small gazebo that is surrounded by bright pink roses. It’s picturesque, I’ll give her that. Picturesque and dead, though. The lobby, aside from the kooky old lady and her disobedient dog, had been empty. As was the parking lot. Louisa wasn’t lying when she said the business wasn’t doing well. I couldn’t imagine that she was paying many of her bills with the income that paying guests were bringing in.
For a moment, I feel slight pity for her. Maybe underneath it all, she’s a good person, but a lousy businesswoman. Maybe underneath it all, she was as sweet as she pretendedto be. Maybe life had turned her into someone who toyed with men's hearts. Maybe.
I walk back to the bed and take a seat on the mattress, leaning back and rubbing my forehead. I should be concentrating on my upcoming business deal. It was worth a profit of two billion, which was far more than the ten million Sergio had lost, but I knew I couldn’t let this go.
A part of me didn’t want to let it go either.
Willow’s sky-blue eyes intrigued me. She was wearing a pretty dress today that showed off more of her figure than I’d seen at the club the other night. She was sexy, curvy in all the right places, and her lips were juicy. However, even more than that, her wit and charm were captivating and enjoyable to be around. I genuinely enjoyed our brief banter downstairs. Playing this game with her was going to be exciting, which was something I’d lacked outside of the boardroom for a really long time.
I wake at 6:00 a.m., pleasantly surprised that I’ve slept long and well. Whispering Haven is quiet and tranquil, and even though I’ve never minded the noise of the city, silence is not anything I’ve ever craved. Though after my last night's sleep, it’s appreciated. I stretch my arms, pull down the duvet and top sheet, and step out of bed, full of vigor and excited for a new day. I don’t question the reason why I’ve got a pep in my step or the fact that I haven’t already reached for my phone to check my work emails as I normally do as soon as I wake up. I head toward the window and look out at the view.There’s someone swimming in the pool, and for a moment, I wonder if it’s Willow. I stare at the body as it does breaststrokes along the side, then laugh to myself whenI see that it’s not Willow, but the elderly lady who checked in before me. As she steps out of the pool, I see her dog running up to her. I wonder what her story is. Why does she seemingly come here so often? Questions I’m sure I will never get the answer to.
As I turn back from the window and look around the room, I stare at the flamingos and wonder how long it will take for them to irritate me. I’m a man who appreciates blocks of color over cutesy designs—white, gray, cream, blue, those are colors that I want to see in a room. I’m what many would call a monochromatic lover. Not hot pinks and greens.
Maybe it’s because I crave a peaceful and tranquil existence. I don’t like loud and boisterous, though, with a brother like Sergio, I didn’t seem to be able to escape the craziness of life.
I grab my laptop from my briefcase and check my emails. There are over a hundred waiting for me, and I am sure that there are more than a few acquaintances surprised they haven’t heard back from me. I’m usually very quick to reply to work emails. I start going through the long list, responding to the most important clients before grabbing my phone and calling Sergio. He doesn’t answer, and I press my lips together in annoyance. I know I need to give him his space, but I’m worried about him. He’s my brother, and I know he doesn’t take heartbreak well. And after David’s early demise, I don’t like to go too often without being in contact with him.
Frustrated, I call down to the front desk.
“Good morning, this is Whispering Haven Bed and Breakfast,” a perky voice says. I know immediately it’s not Willow, and I’m surprised by the surge of disappointment that runs through my body.
“Hi, this is Sebastian Laurence in the Diamond Suite.”
“Oh, good morning, Mr. Laurence! How can I help you?”
“I was just wondering what the breakfast options were.”
“Oh, sure! Well, we have cereal and eggs, and uh, anything you want, the chef can make.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize you have a chef.”No wonder the hotel’s not doing well, I think to myself. How can Willow get away with hiring a chef when she has two guests? “So, are you saying I can request anything that I want to eat?” I chuckle. “Even caviar blinis?”
“Oooh, umm, I’d have to ask the manager about that, but likely.”
“Sorry, who’s the manager?”
“Willow.”
“She’s just the manager, huh? Who am I speaking to, by the way?”
“This is Katherine. I wasn’t working yesterday, but I’m at the front desk right now. If you have any questions,” she sounds excited, “feel free to come down at any time.”
“Is the manager working today?” I ask through gritted teeth. It would not do if Willow were off today.
“Oh, yeah. She’s just up in Mrs. Kubica’s room, making her bed. She’ll probably be in your room soon so you can get a fresh set of sheets. We pride ourselves on changing the sheets every single day at Whispering Haven Bed and Breakfast so you can have a fresh night’s sleep every night.”
“I see.”
“Unless you don’t wish for the sheets to be changed? She doesn’t have to come to?—”
“No, I think I’d very much like her to come,” I say.
