I’d been waiting months for the Passion Gala and now it was happening, and I had all the ins. For starters, I was flying to New York in a private jet with Lola, Corey, Olivia, and Noah.
Don’t worry, I was keeping a safe distance from the sexy Dr. Maxwell. I kept busy with Noah and Olivia on final touches for the event, but every once in a while, I’d give Corey the eye. His poker face sucked, so of course he tried to avoid looking at me altogether.
When we landed, we went straight to the Mandarin Oriental, where Lola checked us all in with pride. Everyone had their own room. Lola and Corey would be sharing a presidential suite overlooking Central Park and with views of the city, while Noah, Olivia, and I had suites with views of the Park and the New York skyline.
Walking into my room was like walking into a dream. The first thing I noticed were the picture windows and the way they revealed the skyline. The view was stunning.
We’d arrived the night before the gala to settle in and get ready for the big event; now the sun was just setting. I stood in front of the window, taking in the steady blur of red and white lights from the cars driving by, even noticing people strolling through Central Park.
For the first time I had a real taste of luxury. I’d looked up this hotel when Lola had mentioned where we would be staying during one of the meetings at work. The rooms she’d booked for us started at $2200 a night, while hers started at $14,000. That was a lot of money. I couldn’t even fathom having that much money to spare for hotel rooms. Her room alone was probably a third of my yearly salary.
There was a bottle of champagne on ice on the table next to the window, along with a flute. I opened the bottle, and when the cork was out and the room sounded with a loud POP, I squealed and then giggled, pouring myself a glass.
“A toast to you, Miss Hill. You did it. You’re here.” I sipped. Stared out of the window. Chuckled.
There was a knock at my door, and I put down my glass, going for it. I checked the peephole and saw it was Noah. I stepped away from the door, rolling my eyes.
Ugh. Couldn’t work wait? He’d mentioned finding me to discuss a few things tonight, but all I wanted to do now was revel in my suite, roll around on the Egyptian cotton, and put on the fluffy, expensive bathrobe that was hanging in the bathroom after taking a long, hot bath in the oversize tub.
I cleared my throat and put on my best smile, swinging the door open. “Hey, Noah. What’s up?”
“So, I was talking to Lola, and she told me she wants to take us out to dinner to one of her favorite restaurants tonight. You down?”
“Sure. What time are we going?”
“She said within the hour. We’re meeting in the lobby. Should be enough time to refresh, right?”
“Yeah, more than enough. I’ll see you down there.”
I closed the door and picked up my suitcase, laying it on the bed. I’d done some shopping before the trip. I’d decided to spend more of my paycheck over the weekend and shopped for tighter-fitting dresses and new shoes. This was New York City and I wanted to go all-out. Plus, Corey would be around more often than not, and I needed to quietly seduce him.
After I was dressed and had done my makeup, I checked myself in the mirror. I had to admit I looked good. Black stockings, a leather skirt, a simple white blouse that hugged my body, and fuck-me heels.
I was out the door in no time, pressing the button for the elevator. To my surprise, as the doors opened for me, Lola and Corey were already inside.
“Hey, Ivy,” Lola greeted me as I walked in. “Don’t you look great!”
I laughed. “You’re one to talk! Look at you!” As always, she looked dolled-up. A little black dress and petal-pink heels, with jewelry to match. “I figured because I was in a new city, I needed to look the part.” I don’t know why I was feeding her an explanation. I really didn’t care what she thought.
“Well, you look amazing.” She winked at me.
“I’m so glad we’re doing dinner. I’m starving,” I said as the elevator began going down.
“Of course. I could use a bite too. I had my hands full this morning. Didn’t even get to eat.”
“You probably already do this, but you should have your food prepped more. I like prepping when I’m too busy and it’s a lifesaver.” I couldn’t believe I was getting so good at making small talk, Marriott. You’d have been proud of me in that moment. Acting like a normal human being.