Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 77309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
This is supposed to be his show. Allison is his problem to clean up.
Except here I am, taking over, like usual.
“Easy for you to say.” Allison puts her chin on her knees. “Do you know what it’s like to have a famous dad?”
I nearly feel sorry for her, but Conlan decides this is a great time to speak up. “Don’t blame everything on your family,” he says. “Trust me, you have control over your life. This isn’t all Daddy’s fault.”
She gives him a look. “Like you’d know anything about what I go through?”
“Yes, I would.” He glances at me. “I have my own personal demons to deal with.”
She snorts. “I bet you do with your freaking mafia connections.”
I shift uncomfortable in my seat. There’s the unspoken word, mafia, laid out there like it’s nothing.
And Conlan doesn’t deny it. “I know a thing or two about a controlling family, and trust me, you’ll be better off when you start accepting responsibility for your own mistakes.”
I almost laugh. This, coming from Conlan, the king of avoiding problems? But I can tell Allison’s getting pissed, so I head it off before she can explode.
“We’re not here to lecture you. I thought maybe we could cut a deal, one that makes everyone happy.”
She glares at Conlan like she’s trying to make his head explode before glancing at me. “What kind of deal?”
“Well, I was thinking you could have a job around the hotel.”
“I am not leaving chocolates on pillows or scrubbing toilets.”
“Why not?” Conlan asks. “You’d be good at it.”
“Are you trying to piss me off?” Allison asks, leaping to her feet. “You were a lot nicer to me the other night.”
“If I knew who you were that night, I never would’ve gotten near you.”
“Too bad you did get close. Really, really close. Oh, you don’t like hearing about it?”
Conlan’s face scrunches together. “I am going to gag you if you start talking about that night.”
“Oh, Con Costa, I knew you liked to fuck but I had no clue you were so kinky.” Allison sneers at him. “Go ahead, cover my mouth and spank me if that’s what you really want.”
Conlan growls, stepping toward her, and I leap to my feet. “Con, cut it out. Did you forget that she’s a freaking teenager?”
He hesitates. “That’s a good point. Her brain isn’t fully developed yet.”
“Oh, Con, I’m very developed, as you’re aware.” She pouts at him, clearly loving how uncomfortable it makes him.
I seethe, annoyed that he’s getting baited so easily. “Will you two stop it? Allison, you don’t have to work in housekeeping. There is plenty for you to do around the hotel.”
“Like what?”
“There’s the front desk. Guest services. You can work in the spa. You can work by the pool. You can work with the concierge, at the bar, in the restaurant, in a dozen different positions.”
“Pass.” She sits back down, crossing her arms. “I want to go home.”
“That’s not an option,” I say softly. “I get it, this sucks. You got dumped on us by your father and that isn’t fair. I hear you. But we’re all in this situation together, so why don’t we deal with it?”
“You can deal with it.” She reaches over and grabs her phone. “I’m texting some friends. They’ll come pick me up.”
“Hotel party planner.” Conlan barks the words at her like it’s the last thing in the world he wants to say.
My eyebrows arch. I’d never heard of that before.
But Allison perks up. “What’s that, Connie?”
“Call me that again and I swear—”
“Conlan,” I say, exasperated. “Stop.”
He takes a break, gathering himself. “Party planner,” he says after a couple of deep breaths. “The hotel hosts events all the time. You can work with the marketing staff to coordinate special guest events. Maybe one every week you’re here.”
Allison taps a nail against her front tooth. “I don’t hate that.”
“We’ll pay you,” I quickly add. “A real wage, something reasonable.”
“A hundred grand.” Allison tilts her head. Conlan makes a frustrated noise “I’m worth it.”
I can tell Conlan wants to strangle her, and I think he might actually do it, at least if I weren’t in the room to stop him. “Fine,” I say before he can ruin this. “A hundred grand.”
“And I still want full access to all the amenities. And I want my friends to come to the events.”
“No,” Conlan says. “No friends. No outsiders.”
Allison wiggles her head and sighs. “Fine, okay, no outsiders. When can I get started? I actually have a ton of ideas.”
“I’ll put you in touch with the marketing team,” I say, ushering Conlan to the door. “Then we’ll get the paperwork filled out and you can start tomorrow. Okay, how’s that sound?”
“Great,” Allison says, stretching her legs. “I’ll have a spa and pool day this afternoon then. Also, no paperwork, I want to get paid under the table. Taxes are so annoying.”