Page 82 of Captivated By You

“So he didn’t tell you about us, then? Why we broke up?”

I sighed. “Kiana.”

“Okay, okay.”

She reached for her drink again, then drew back her hand, leaving it on the table.

“I’d always dreamed of working in hospitality, hotels particularly. For many people, a trip to a hotel is a treat, and I love the idea that I can be a small part of making their stay a happy one, something they look back on with fondness.”

She ran her hands up and down her arms. I slipped off my jacket and set it around her shoulders. She tugged the lapels close, then buried her nose in the material and breathed in.

“Straight out of college, I landed a job with a small, independently owned hotel right here in Chicago. I considered myself hugely fortunate. A lot of the class I graduated with were still trying to find work in their chosen field many months later.”

“I recall this from your resume.”

She nodded. “I threw myself into the role with gusto. The manager—Simon—recognized my abilities, or so he said. He kept heaping more responsibility on my shoulders. I relished it, craved it, saw it as a way to fast-track my career. I always wanted to work for one of the large, global hotel chains, but I recognized that cutting my teeth somewhere smaller where I could learn my craft in a less stressful environment was a sensible move.”

She licked her lips and swallowed.

“Would you prefer a glass of water?”

She nodded. “Please.”

I picked up a glass and fished a cold bottle of water from the fridge, pouring it for her. She sipped and set it next to her barely touched gin.

“I’d been there about six weeks when Simon approached me one day and asked me to go on a business trip with him to a hospitality conference. I jumped at the chance.”

She swallowed again, as if her throat had closed up.

“It was there where we slept together for the first time.”

She closed her eyes, shaking her head. “I was twenty-one, fresh-faced, naïve, and blinded by what I thought at the time was my first love. He was a lot older than me, and I guess I was flattered that he thought me worthy of his time and attention.” Her laugh sounded bitter and lacking in mirth. “What an idiot.”

I said nothing, did nothing other than tug on my bottom lip and nod at her to continue.

“I thought we were happy, you know? I mean, sure, some of my coworkers talked behind my back, said that I got all the best jobs because I was screwing the boss. But at the time, I put it down to jealousy. Simon was ridiculously handsome, charming to a fault, and I thought he loved me. I thought I was something special to him.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose. “One night, a few weeks after the conference, our bartender called in sick, so I offered to cover for him. As I was clearing up just before closing time, Simon’s brother, Paul, appeared. I’d met him once or twice, but nothing more than in passing. He demanded a drink. He already smelled strongly of alcohol, so I told him no. He insisted, and in the end, I poured him one, more to get rid of him than anything. He gave me the creeps.”

My spine stiffened, but I held myself in check. We were about to get to the part where Simon’s and Kiana’s stories diverged.

“He insisted on another drink, and then another. Eventually, I told him no and this time I said I meant it. That it’d been a long day, and I wanted to go home. The hotel was deathly quiet by this time, most guests having retired for the night. But Paul had other ideas. He came around to my side of the bar and went to kiss me. I pushed him away. He grabbed me again and tried to shove his hand up my skirt. Said that Simon had bragged what a fantastic lay I was, and now Paul wanted a taste for himself.”

While she paused to sip some water, I plotted vengeance.

“I slapped him and told him I wasn’t that kind of girl. He lunged again, but this time I managed to skip out of his way. I ran from the hotel all the way to Simon’s apartment. I expected him to befurious.” She shook her head. “Except he wasn’t. Instead, he called me a liar, said that Paul would never do that to him. He denied he’d ever shared anything about our sex life with Paul, but it was right there in his face. He had. He’d told him everything.”

I slid my hand toward hers. She held on tight, her eyes closing for a moment.

“Go on,” I encouraged.

“I told Simon that if he refused to believe me over something as serious as this, then our relationship was over. He didn’t even try to fight for me. Just shrugged and said I’d saved him from ending it. He was bored with me, apparently.”

She winced.

I swallowed a lump of rage that shot into my throat.

He’s fucking done. Fired. Gone. Karma is a bitch with a thirst for revenge.

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