AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Watch it, lady,” snaps Bailey, her own temper starting to show, which means they’ve been at this a while now. “I’m a finalist too.”
“Whatever,” says the other women, rolling her eyes and turning back to the desk. “I want another room.”
“Ms. Elffers, again, I’m very sorry—”
Before Tracy can wind herself back up, I step around the group of onlookers and up to the desk myself, handing over my staff badge to the attendants.
“I’m Drew Hicks, Sizzle production staff,” I say. Tracy comes up short, surprised enough by the interruption to take a breath. “What’s the problem here?”
“These people,” Tracy sneers at the attendants, “refuse to give me a room of my own. They insist I’m to shack up with her.” She points at Bailey without so much as turning her head.
“The staff members have been moved into suites as well, Ms. Elffers,” I say. The attendants bob their heads in agreement.
“That’s right, sir,” one of them says. “We had a last-minute reservation for a conference this week. Because of the storm, they didn’t have anywhere else to get rooms. I’m afraid the entire resort is booked for the next four days.”
“Well, now,” I say. Tracy puffs up like she’s about to start boiling over again. “Seems to me we can all make some concessions, given the circumstances. Right, Ms. Elffers?” I say. She turns that sneer on me. Can’t say I’m surprised, considering she has no idea who I am, and even if she did, I suspect it wouldn’t matter.
Her condescension is distasteful, but my job is to make sure the show goes on, so I take a deep breath and remain calm. Catching Bailey’s eye, I wave her closer.
“I refuse to share living space with this person,” says Tracy, getting louder. People all over the lobby are watching us. “Or anyone else for that matter.”
“If you would please keep your voice down,” I say quietly. Before she can turn that temper back on me, I hold up a hand and address Bailey. “I believe I have a solution. If I can find you another suite, would you be all right with changing rooms?”
“Yes,” Bailey says emphatically, only barely audible over Tracy’s much louder “Finally!”
“Ms. Elffers,” I say, my voice so quiet she’s forced to step closer to the desk to hear me. “Let me remind you that you signed a contract, and finalist or not, it can be terminated at any time, for any reason the network deems worthy. Do I make myself clear?”
Tracy hears the thinly veiled threat this time, and nods tightly, closing her mouth. Bailey grips my arm.
“You heard the people at the desk,” she mutters. “Where are you going to find an extra room?”
“I happen to have a suite also,” I murmur. I thank the attendants, and disappointed by the anticlimactic end to the drama, the crowd in the lobby begins to disperse.
“What about your roommate?” Bailey asks. I pick up the suitcase next to her feet.
“Come on,” I say. “I’ll explain upstairs.”
The door of the suite clicks shut behind me as Bailey turns, laying her coat over the back of the sofa in the common area between the two bedrooms.
“Jeez,” she says, whistling low. “You definitely won the room lottery. This is beautiful.”
She had a point, but the producers had picked this place on purpose.
“Not a bad camera angle to be had,” I say, setting her suitcase down flush with the wall.
“So what’s the story?” Bailey asks. “Somebody call in sick or something?”
“First things first,” I say, grabbing her hand. I pull her closer, the scent of her body wash making me ache in a way I no longer had to shove to the back of my mind. Instead I lean in, savoring the way it came a little stronger off the delicate skin right below her jaw. Before she can ask me anything else, I do what I’ve been thinking about for the last three days straight and kiss her.
Bailey’s lips part on a gasp. When she melts into me, her body lining up with mine in all the best ways, my arms go around her waist and I deepen the kiss. It’s liberating, being able to touch her like this. Being able to enjoy it after all these years of constantly trying to keep her into the friend zone.
My fingers twist in her hair just a little too hard and Bailey breaks the kiss, huffing out a laugh.
“You’re so beautiful,” I say, instead of apologizing like I meant to. “I mean—”
Bailey catches my hand and presses a soft kiss there, her mouth lingering, her eyes bright with tears, or laughter, or secrets. Or maybe something else.
“Well, this is cozy,” comes a drawling voice from across the room. Bailey chokes on a gasp, whirling around to see who’s caught us.
