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“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied. It made my heart flutter to hear a slight Southern twang appear in his accent when he spoke toher.
“You hear that, Lauren. He sure knows who the boss is,” she said and thenwinked.
“She’s about the only woman on earth capable of kicking my ass,” hesaid.
I laughed. It was another side to Mackenzie I hadn’t seen before and I enjoyed theirbanter.
Gabriella left us and we continued towards the lift. “I really like her,” Isaid.
“I guess we have that same relationship you and Jerry do. Good friends and we work welltogether.”
Not that I should have, but I felt a sense of relief when he’d told me they were just good friends. There was no way I’d be able to compete with her. That thought though, pulled me up short. I shouldn’t even have been thinking thatway.
“She’s your right hand man, so Jerry tells me,” I said, once the lift doors closed behindme.
“She is, has been for many years. I couldn’t function withouther.”
“And it’s herparty?”
“Yes, although don’t mention her age, she’d stab me if I toldanyone.”
I laughed out loud. “How old is she?” Iwhispered.
He leaned towards my ear, cupping his hand around his mouth, not that there was anyone else in the lift tohear.
“Forty, but do not say I told youthat.”
“You’re kidding me, she doesn't look a day older than Ido.”
Either I’d had a hard life or she had phenomenal skin, or a great plastic surgeon. She didn’t have a wrinkle on her face, her skin was perfectly clear, and her eyesbright.
“It’s that Southern gal thing. They don’t sit in the sun, take care of themselves, and she has good genes. You should see hermother.”
We had arrived at our floor, which had only two doors. Mackenzie checked the number on the key card and headed for one. He opened it and allowed me to enter the suite. The porter had obviously arrived before us as, when I walked into the bedroom to investigate, our bags were laid on thebed.
I unzipped my suit carrier, taking out my dress to hang immediately, fearing it would be wrinkled if I left it in there toolong.
I heard Mackenzie on the phone so decided to continue to unpack. I looked at his suit carrier, should I unpack for him? I unzipped and took out a suit, a white shirt and tie, and hung them up; I’d leave him to do the rest. I wasn’t sure how comfortable he, or I, would be with me rifling around his underwear andtoiletries.
I stood and looked around the room. The large, ornate bedstead that dominated the room blended well with the fairly modern interior. On each corner were wooden posts, beautifully carved. I took my toiletries into the bathroom. If there was such a thing as shower envy, I experienced it then. The shower was the width of the room. There was no door and it had a small wooden bench, although why someone would want to sit, I didn’t know, a huge showerhead and jets protruded from thewall.
I placed my toiletry bag on the counter that housed two sinks and walked back into thebedroom.
“I do believe I have shower envy,” I said, as I walked back into the livingarea.
Mackenzie was sitting on the sofa with some papers on hislap.
“It’s pretty neat, isn’tit?”
“You’ve stayed here beforethen?”
“Of course. I ordered champagne,” he said, not expanding on when he’d visited thehotel.
A knock at the door interrupted any further conversation. Mackenzie opened it and allowed room service to lay a tray containing an ice bucket, champagne, and two fluted glasses on a consul table. He thanked them, signed the docket and, once they had left, opened the bottle and poured only the oneglass.
“Are you not having one?” I asked, expecting him to hand me theglass.
“Take off your shirt,” hesaid.
