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Ondrej watched her, his earlier apprehensions about her intentions now mingled with a grudging respect for her passion. Dominika nodded slightly, her own concerns mirrored in Sienna's words.
“We should consider what she’s saying, Pavel,” Dominika said.
Pavel sighed in exasperation. “Despite your obvious conflict of interest, I do believe you that you care about this hotel. But preserving 'essence' and 'history' doesn't pay the bills, Sienna. We have to be realistic here. Wolf Corp is offering a financial lifeline we desperately need. Unless Arcadia can match the offer?”
Sienna's frustration was palpable. “Finally, no. I don’t think we can. But we can give the hotel more than a total remodel. Think of more than just the financial cost of selling to Wolf. You'll be sacrificing the very soul of this place. Please, just give it more thought. Don't make any rash decisions. We’ve been talking for months. They literally just came to the table.”
Her plea hung in the air, a last-ditch effort to sway the siblings. Ondrej could see the sweat forming on her brow. She really was invested, one way or another.
"Consider what your parents would have wanted," Sienna added as the final little cut.
Pavel’s mouth melted into a tight smile. “That’s the catchphrase of the day, Sienna. In light of this new information, let’s push our meeting back. We all need time to collect ourselves and regroup. How about a dinner meeting instead?”
Sienna’s expression was tight and frustrated, but she nodded and smiled like the professional she was.
“Of course. I’ll wait for the details.”
ChapterSixteen
How had I royally messed this up so badly?! I knew this project was going to be challenging and the deal wasn’t just going to close itself, but I thought Ondrej Novák was going to be my biggest hurdle. Who would’ve seen this coming out of left field? Greta Wolf, Europe’s most famous hospitality investor. Of course. Of course, she had to choose my project to ruin.
After pushing myself through a strenuous workout in the hotel's already state-of-the-art gym to decompress from this disaster (and make room for more hot chocolate), I desperately needed a moment of relaxation.
The burn in my muscles was a welcome distraction from the worry gnawing at my mind but now I hurt all over as lactic acid flooded my body. A long soak in a hot tub would be just the ticket. But then I remembered seeing a sign in the spa for a luxe steam sauna. I could definitely do with that.
I snagged a soft terry cloth pool dress from the hotel boutique, thinking it was the perfect sauna attire, and headed to the ladies’ spa area. The door bore instructions in Czech, which looked more like cryptic hieroglyphs to me. I shrugged off my confusion, assuming sauna rules couldn't be that different here, could they? No glass, no cell phones?
With a hopeful breath meant to expel some stress, I opened the sauna door and stepped into the welcoming warmth. It was a blissful contrast to Prague's crisp winter. I sighed, ready to let the heat seep into my bones and dissolve my worries.
I blinked through the mist and noticed a few other shapes. Oh, well I wasn’t alone. Ok, no big deal.
“Ahoj,” a voice said. An entirely male voice.
I jumped back with a little yelp.
It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the steamy haze and I yelped again when I realized there was a group of both men and women—and they were all naked.
“Oh, I’m sorry!” I said, raising my hands up and trying not to look. “So sorry!”
“Is ok! Join!” The male voice said.
Panicking, I spun around for a quick escape, only to collide into the glass door with a resounding thud. Rubbing my forehead, I fumbled the door open and stumbled out, seeking the sanctuary of the female-only locker room.
That’s when, of course, I collided with a solid, barely-clothed Ondrej.
“Damn it! Sorry.”
Ondrej chuckled and helped me right myself. “We just can’t keep running into each other like this,” he teased.
My eyes unintentionally traveled down his chiseled, bare torso before snapping back up, my face radiating mortification.
“By the look of horror on your face, I see you've discovered our Czech sauna customs.”
Flustered, I stammered, “I—I didn't know. I mean, in the States…” I lowered my voice. “That’s not normal.”
He laughed again, now starting to crack up. “What’s not? A bunch of naked people co-mingling in a room of steam? You’re not the first American to have a shock in there.”
“You could have warned a girl.”
