***
A knock sounded on my door. I braced myself as I knew who’d be standing on the other side. I picked up my phone, purse, and room card before answering the door.
“You look nice.” Damon greeted me with a tight smile.
“Thank you,” I said as I awkwardly tried to close my room door while he stood way too close to me.
“Hayley assured me you knew the dishes we needed to avoid and all the rest?” He followed me to the elevator.
“Yes,” I nodded patting my purse, “I have the whole list including desert and beverage selections.” I assured him.
“As long as there is none of that fire coffee,” Damon gave me a narrowed eyed look.
We stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby when we heard a shouting match going on. As we drew closer, we saw Celeste having a heated argument with Garry, the concierge.
“Celeste?” Damon stepped around me and walked toward the angry woman.
“There you are.” Celeste looked at Damon. Her eyes were all swollen and puffy. “This Neanderthal wouldn’t tell me your room number. I told him you and I are good friends but he wouldn’t give it to me.”
“What are you doing here?” Damon asked her. “I thought we had this discussion last night?”
“You had your say last night,” Celeste looked at Damon with teary eyes. “As I recall, you never gave me a chance to respond.”
“You ran off,” Damon reminded her. “Didn’t you get my reply to your message you sent me earlier?”
“I did,” Celeste finally saw me standing next to Damon. “Oh, I see now.” She sneered at me. “You’re back with little miss ice queen.”
I looked at her wide-eyed with raised eyebrows.
“Leave me out of this,” I said, holding up my hands.
As I was about to step around her, she grabbed my arm.
“I’m not done with you,” Celeste hissed at me.
“I’m done with you,” I grabbed her hand and removed it from my arm. “Now, I have an appointment to get to.” I turned and glared at Damon. “I don’t need you to come with me. I can do this as I can see you have a lot to sort out.”
I walked over to a stunned Garry.
“Can you please get me a car to take me to PS restaurant?” I asked Garry.
“Of course, Miss Reynolds,” Garry picked up the phone and ordered the car.
“Carla, wait.” I turned toward Damon.
“I’m fine on my own,” I assured Damon, “but I suggest you sort out your baggage.”
Celeste turned and glared at me. Wow, if looks could kill, I’d be a bloody lump of goo on the hotel floor.
“I’ll meet you there,” Damon called after me as I went outside to wait for the car. I really did not want to hear their conversation.
I ignored Damon, and a few minutes later, the town car pulled up. I decided against taking over the Maserati from Damon the day I was dumped in the pool by Harry the horny Iguana. I learned a few days later that Harry only jumps at women for some reason to which Damon replied Harry was probably horny and needed a girl. I was actually quite relieved that I was going to the restaurant alone. This constant competition with Damon was exhausting.
The car pulled up outside Todd’s restaurant. I was feeling a little deflated for some reason but I shook it off. I was probably just tired from all the events we’d done these past few days. These long wedding retreats really took it out of a person. I was really looking forward to the rest of the week and the wedding on the weekend. But I was also looking forward to going home and being back in my own little house in Napa Valley.
“Hello again Miss Reynolds,” the maître d’ grinned at me. “Are you alone today?”
“It appears that way,” I gave the man a warm smile. “But I don’t mind because it’s all the more for me.” I was starving as I’d deliberately skipped breakfast.
“This way, please,” the man led me to the same booth where the cake tasting had taken place. “Todd will be with you shortly.” He gave me a quick bow before disappearing back to his desk.
“Hi Carla,” Todd came through from the kitchen pushing a food trolley with a whole lot of mini pots on and a heap of cutlery and crockery. “Here are the lemon-mint and tangerine orange sorbets.” He put the palate cleansers on the table then looked around. “I thought Damon was supposed to come with you.”
“He got held up.” I gave Todd a look and he nodded in understanding.
“So, he won’t be joining you?” Todd asked her.
“I’m not sure,” I shrugged. “He said he was…” I had no sooner said the words when I saw his red Ferrari pull up outside. “Oh, look at that. Speak of the devil and you tramp on his tail.”