Page 45 of Boss of Her

Jade’s breath hitched, her leg trembling. But Ashton didn’t notice a thing.

“A restoration of this scale is ambitious,” Simone continued. “But I have a world-class team of architects and designers working for me, all in-house. I believe my assistant has forwarded you examples of their work on our other hotels?”

Simone turned her gaze to Jade, sliding her foot up the inside of Jade’s thigh underneath her dress, brushing her toes against the soft, delicate skin there.

A faint flush crept up Jade’s cheeks. “Y-yes. And we just finished remodeling Hotel Belvale in Santa Monica. I can send you the photos if you’d like.”

“Hotel Belvale was in dire need of a facelift,” Ashton said. “I’m interested to see what you’ve done with it.”

“It’s undergone a complete redesign while maintaining the building’s original charm,” Simone said. “Which is exactly what we’re going to do with The Ashton Star.”

Underneath the table, she slid her foot higher up Jade’s inner thigh until her toes grazed the lace of her panties. Jade sucked in a sharp breath, dropping her fork to the table with a clatter.

She grabbed her glass of water, taking a long sip to cover it up. Simone pulled her foot back. That would be enough to keep Jade on her toes for the rest of dinner.

“And so,” Simone concluded, “my plan will ensure that the legacy of The Ashton Star will continue. I’ll transform it from the ground up. I’ll make it shine again. And I’ll make sure it lives on for decades to come.”

She let the silence settle over them, allowing time for Ashton to digest her words. But it was all theater. Simone had Ashtonhooked from the moment they’d first spoken on that conference call. Tonight’s dinner was just another step in the dance.

“A touching pitch,” Ashton said. “And a compelling one.”

It was then that the next course arrived, a black truffle risotto paired with a pinot noir. Once the waiter had set their plates in front of them and retreated to the shadows, Ashton picked up her fork and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully.

Finally, she placed her fork down again. “I can’t deny that I’m impressed with your vision. Not to mention your dedication to revitalizing the hotel. I believe we can come to an agreement.”

“Glad to hear it,” Simone replied.

“There will, of course, be conditions, which we’ll need to discuss in detail. Starting with the name of the hotel. As you’ve said, The Ashton Star has a reputation. It’s a Los Angeles institution. Which is why I’ll only sell it to you if you’re willing to keep the name.”

“I intend to keep the name,” Simone said. “But with one small change. I want to call itThe Star.”

Ashton crossed her arms. “You want to remove my family’s name?”

“With all due respect, revitalizing the hotel will require a rebrand. It wouldn’t make sense to keep the Ashton name.”

“I can see where you’re coming from. And I don’t blame you for not wanting someone else’s name on your hotel. But this?” Ashton gestured around. “It’s my family’s legacy, just like you said. It represents our place in the city. Is it selfish of me to want to hold onto that? Perhaps, but I do.”

“I understand,” Simone said. “But your legacy will live on regardless. It will live on in this building, in every brick, every piece of stone. What’s a name in all of that?”

Ashton sighed. “I’ll give you one thing. You know how to make a persuasive argument.” She folded her hands on the table in front of her. “I like you, Simone. I like the vision you have forthe hotel. And it’s clear you believe in it. So if this is important to you, I’m willing to put my ego aside. And I’ll admit that The Star has a nice ring to it.” She turned to Jade. “What do you think of the name? Honestly?”

Jade hesitated, still flustered from earlier. But she managed to pull herself together. “I like it. It’s simple but memorable. It suits a hotel as grand as this.”

“All right,” Ashton said. “Call it The Star. Just ‘The Star’ and nothing else. That’s all I’ll concede. The name needs to keep that connection to the hotel’s history.”

Simone nodded. “The Star it is.”

The rest of dinner passed quickly, small talk mixed in with discussion of the finer details of Simone’s plans for the hotel. As they finished dessert, the head waiter reappeared with a bottle of champagne, popping the cork and pouring them each a glass before retreating to the side.

Simone raised her champagne flute in the air before her. “To The Star.”

Jade and Ashton echoed her words, drinking to the toast. It didn’t take long before their glasses were empty.

As the waiter refilled them, Ashton excused herself to the bathroom. Soon, Simone and Jade were left alone, the waiter standing by unobtrusively at the side of the room.

Jade glanced in his direction, then back at Simone. “So that’s it?” she said quietly. “The deal is done?”

Simone nodded. “Of course, there are contracts to exchange, details to iron out. Nothing is final until the papers are signed. But the hotel is as good as ours.” She placed her hand on Jade’s thigh under the table. “How does it feel to close your first deal?”

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