Page 16 of Last Shot at Love

Room 88

Sedona Ashe writing as Darci R. Acula

My driver opened the door of the sleek black rental car. Mack held out his hand to steady me as I stepped out. I loved being self-reliant, but I was thankful for his chivalry because of my clingy, sequined gown’s habit of wrapping around my ankles.

The absolute last thing I wanted to do was face-plant on the concrete sidewalk outside Luxe Hotel. It would definitely make for a memorable entrance, but not the impression I preferred to leave.

“Enjoy your evening, and try to do something you wouldn’t normally do,” Mack teased.

“Like have fun?” I asked, brow raised.

Mack was a tall man, but with my heels on, we were at eye level.

His gray eyes crinkled with laughter, making his aged face appear several decades younger. “Yes. You really should try that sometime, Miss Beryl.”

Rolling my eyes, I patted his arm and made my way toward the imposing glass doors of the grand ballroom.

A tuxedo-dressed host greeted me.

“Good evening. May I have your name?”

“Beryl Latos,” I answered with a smile.

The host quickly searched the guest list. “Ah, yes! There you are. And will you have a plus one or a husband joining us this evening?”

“No, just me.” My smile tightened.

Why did it seem like the entire world was focused on my relationship status?

The host’s brows rose in surprise, a reaction he quickly hid. “Apologies, miss.”

See? That reaction just made it worse. Because now I wasn’t sure if he was apologizing for the fact that I was single, or if he was apologizing for being forward in assuming I had a husband… or even wanted one. Which, for the record, I didn’t.

I’d done the calculations, and I didn’t have time for a relationship. It was a fact of life and one I wasn’t sad about.

I was living the life I’d always wanted. A life filled with challenging work and expensive vacations—when I managed to sneak away, which wasn’t often enough. I really needed to make traveling a priority.

How long had it been since my last vacation?

There had been my trip to Bali, but I’d been there to meet with a client. I’d ended up spending much of that trip locked away in an office, so I suppose it didn’t count.

Ah, yes! Three months ago, I visited Tokyo. That was exciting… at least until there had been an issue back at my office in the US, which had required me to spend the next four days ordering room service while I worked remotely to get our systems back in order.

I ran through a mental list of the countries I’d traveled to over the past decade and realized with a start that I hadn’t taken a true vacation.

I was a twenty-nine-year-old woman who’d never had a vacation filled with nothing but relaxation and fun. Pulling my phone out of my clutch, I typed a quick memo to add ‘taking vacations’ to my to-do list.

“Follow me, miss.” The host led me through gold-trimmed doors and through an elegantly decorated dining area.

He stopped by an open doorway that led to a private dining room. “You’ll find your party in there.”

Tilting my head in thanks, I made my way inside the room. A chandelier the size of a car hung over the middle of the floor, casting warm light around the room. Linen-covered tables were scattered around the deep-red carpeted room. A few guests had taken a seat, but most stood in small groups.

My stomach grumbled, and a wave of dizziness washed over me, reminding me I’d skipped lunch to prepare for a meeting. I was starving! If I wanted to remain upright on my silver stiletto heels, I’d need to grab a snack.

Making my way to the buffet table against the wall, I picked up a small plate and placed several hors d’oeuvres on it.

“I can’t believe your husband let a woman as gorgeous as you out of his sight,” a masculine voice said from behind me.

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