by Calista King
"Oh I know. And she's the one who blatantly flirts with the guests! Can you believe the hypocrisy?"
"Of her, I could believe anything," Laila said.
Laila knew about girls like that all too well. She knew Jenna was still sour about Andreas ignoring her and would love nothing more than to get Laila in trouble. Jenna probably suspected there was something going on between her and Andreas and she was jealous. Several times, when they'd worked the same shift, Jenna would try to ferret out information from her, but Laila kept her mouth shut. She didn't intend to give Jenna any ammunition.
The rest of her shift passed uneventfully and at 6 pm, Laila clocked out for the day. She was meeting Andreas at McMillan's and had decided to have a talk with him about moving out. When she arrived, he was already there, seated at "their" table. He stood when she walked in and pulled out her chair for her. She gave him a quick kiss in greeting and sat down.
Laila felt like she'd never get tired of him treating her with such chivalry. She couldn't remember the last time any guy ever opened the car door for her, or stood when she entered a room, or pulled out a chair for her to sit in. It wasn't like she couldn't do these things herself, but it felt nice to be pampered sometimes.
The waiter came over as soon as Laila sat down and she ordered an iced tea. When he left, she turned to Andreas.
"No red wine today?" he asked.
"No, I figured I'd try something different. Besides, it's no fun being the only one drinking alcohol," she said, motioning towards his sparkling water.
"Don't let me hold you back," he said.
"I won't," she smiled. "But I'm not in the mood for red wine today. I've got something I've been meaning to talk to you about."
"Sounds serious," he said, giving her a teasing grin. "What's on your mind?"
"Well, don't take this the wrong way, but I'd like for you to move out of the hotel," she began. At Andreas' surprised look she hurried on to explain. "The thing is, I'm getting tired of all this sneaking around, worried about who will see us together and if they're going to tell my boss. It was fun at first, but now I'm just over it. I want for us to be able to be together without having to hide it."
Andreas leaned back against his chair and looked at Laila thoughtfully. She was worried she had hurt his feelings when he didn't speak for a while and was just about to launch into more explanations when he held up a hand to hold her off.
"You're right, of course. I should've moved out of the hotel weeks ago instead of putting you in an awkward position. Forgive me for being so thoughtless," he said. "I just liked knowing you were always around."
"I did too. But when you get your own place, I could be around a lot more. I could actually go to your place instead of having to keep my distance. We wouldn't need to hide or be sneaky either. I think it will be good for us," Laila said.
"You've convinced me!" Andreas smiled. "Now, I wonder why I didn't think of it sooner."
"Really? You'll do it?" she asked.
"Yes. I'd planned on doing it at first, but well...I got distracted. Now that you've laid out such a charming picture of what it will be like, I'm anxious to start looking," Andreas said.
Laila was so glad that it had gone so smoothly. She didn't know what Andreas' reaction would be but he had taken it better than she hoped. She was looking forward to the day he moved out of the hotel and finally got his own place. Then they could hang out more at his place instead of her tiny cramped apartment. Though she enjoyed having him over, it wasn't the most ideal set up. He'd never admit it, but Laila knew he felt the same.
CHAPTER 14
Laila didn't know how long it would actually take for Andreas to find a place and move out. Being an impatient person by nature, she had counted on the whole search to take less than a week. She knew it was unrealistic in her mind, but that still didn't stop her from feeling disappointment when a week later, Andreas was no closer to checking out.
It was with these thoughts on her mind that she walked into work that day. She just had a feeling it was going to be one of those days, and she was already counting down the hours until she could go home and crawl into bed and sleep away the rest of the day. Her mood was already sour, but once she saw Jenna at the front desk, it seemed to get even worse. She had expected to be working with Theresa, so seeing Jenna's bleach blond hair behind the counter felt like a sucker punch.
Jenna was busy checking in a middle aged couple and didn't even look up from her computer screen to greet Laila. That was just as well, she thought. Laila wasn't in the mood to act friendly. She already had enough things on her plate.
In the morning, she'd gotten another notice from the bill collectors that she was overdue on her payments to the hospital. They were threatening to send her account over to collections. Laila didn't know where she'd come up with the money and she was contemplating filing for bankruptcy.
The thought of confiding in Andreas and asking for his help wasn't even an option. Though she knew he was wealthy and had a good job, she would never have dreamed of asking him to help pay her bills. Laila had grown up much too early and had a strong sense of independence. She'd been taking care of herself long before she was legally obligated to do so, and this was her problem to deal with, no one else's.
Deep down she knew that if she asked Andreas he would help her out, but she wasn't about to ask. That would make her no better than those gold diggers who'd surrounded him before and tried to use him. She would have to figure something out and fast. Her mind was busy frantically going over possible solutions when she was jerked out of her thoughts by Jenna's nasally voice in her ear.
"I wonder who that redhead is with Mr. De Berg. They seem awfully friendly and even I've got to admit she's hot," she motioned towards the revolving doors where Andreas and the mystery woman were standing, greeting each other.
Laila turned her head towards the revolving doors and felt like she'd had the wind knocked out of her. The woman with Andreas was attractive. More than attractive actually, she was stunning. She was tall and leggy, with long flowing Auburn hair that reached past her shoulders in loose waves. She had a slim figure that was perfectly proportioned and highlighted by the navy blue designer dress she wore. It looked sexy, yet professional. Seeing Andreas standing next to her with her arm looped through his hurt like nothing she'd ever felt before, and the one thought that kept repeating over in her mind was how perfect they looked together. They looked like they were ready to grace the covers of Vogue or GQ.
Suddenly Laila felt completely inadequate. She felt all her faults come bubbling up to the surface--she was too rough around the edges, always spoke her mind, was too short, didn't have the right job, or come from the right family. Laila hated herself for feeling so insecure, but she couldn't help it. It didn't help that Jenna was standing next to her whispering her deepest fears in her ear.
"I wonder if they're seeing each other. They really look striking together."
Jenna couldn't have twisted the knife any further if she tried. At that moment, Andreas had turned towards the woman and laughed at something she said. His eyes crinkled in amusement and he gave her a dazzling smile. The smile he had reserved for Laila.
That's my smile, she thought bitterly. They walked through the doors and out of the hotel, smiling and laughing all the way. She felt a stab of hurt that Andreas hadn't even turned his head in her direction or acknowledged her existence. Since they'd started dating, he'd always made it a point to greet her, either by a look or a smile. What the hell is he thinking bring that woman to my hotel! Laila fumed.
She couldn't believe the nerve of Andreas to pull something like that. It was downright dirty and she was half out of her mind with jealousy. She needed to see him; speak to him and find out what the hell was going on. All reasonable explanations were replaced by her worst seeded fears. He was cheating on her. He had gotten tired of her. He was no good.
The rational part of her mind tried to tell her to slow down and to stop jumping to conclusions. S
he wasn't listening. All she could feel was her heart pumping in her chest and the blood rushing in her ears. Laila almost scared herself by how she had revved herself up from 0 to 60 in such a short span of time, but that fear would also have to take a back seat. She was in no mood to consider anything but finding Andreas and giving him a piece of her mind. But she couldn't even do that. She had to stay put and keep her simmering emotions in check until her shift ended or Andreas returned, whichever came first.
"Well there they go. Probably on some hot date," Jenna said.
She gave Laila a sickly sweet smile full of false innocence. If Laila had any doubt before about Jenna's suspicions, it was laid to rest. The bitch knew full well what she was doing and enjoyed making Laila suffer.
If looks could kill, Jenna would have dropped dead on the spot, such was the look of loathing and ice cold hatred that Laila shot her. Jenna took a step back as if she had been physically assaulted by Laila's glare. She knew better than push her luck and slunk back over to her side of the counter. Laila watched her retreat with grim satisfaction. "That'll teach you to test me," Laila muttered under her breath.
Her satisfaction was short lived. Once Jenna faded into irrelevance, the nagging doubts came rushing back again. Who was that woman and what the hell was Andreas doing with her? There had to be a perfectly reasonable explanation for it, but the way he had looked at her and smiled down at her told Laila it wasn't just business.
She stood there fuming for the rest of the day. By the end of her shift, Andreas still had not returned. Laila knew she couldn't go back to her apartment without confronting him. And what if he brought that woman up to his room while I'm not here? she wondered.
Making her decision at once, she made a quick copy of Andreas' room key while Jenna was busy with guests, and slipped it in her back pocket. She then snuck her way onto the elevator and up to Andreas' room. It wasn't like her to be so sneaky, but she had to find out what was going on. She sat on the couch in his sitting room and waited for him to return.
Laila couldn't remember how long she sat there waiting for him. It was long enough that she had considered just calling the whole thing off and going back to her apartment. But then the image of Andreas strolling in with the tall redhead, arms wrapped around each other in a heated embrace, kept her glued to the couch. If he was playing her, she needed to know.
Laila's ears perked up when she heard the lock click. Her eyes were trained on the door, and she braced herself for what she was going to see. She had worked herself up so much that it was almost a shock to her when Andreas came strolling in by himself. He was whistling and Laila wondered what he was so happy about. What did he and that woman do that's got him whistling a fucking tune to himself? When he finally noticed her, his eyes widened in shock before a stupid grin broke out on his face. He closed the distance between them in two long strides and held out his hands towards her.
"Laila! What are you doing here?" he asked.
Laila ignored his outstretched hands and sat glaring at him with her arms crossed over her chest.
"I'm here to get some answers," she said.
Laila tried to keep her voice emotionless and flat, but she couldn't manage to keep the slight tremble from her voice. Andreas' face transformed from surprised pleasure to concern so fast, it would have been funny if Laila were in a laughing mood. She wasn't. She was sure she was about two seconds from blowing up, but tried to maintain her composure. Laila wasn't going to cry. She'd never cried over any man before and she wasn't about to start now.
"What do you mean?" Andreas asked. He took the seat next to Laila on the couch and turned to face her. "Why are you so upset?"
"Have you been lying to me all this time?" Laila yelled. Her voice got loud and high pitched, something it always did when she was angry and Andreas cringed at her harsh accusation and tone of voice.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't try to play dumb with me Andreas. I saw it with my own eyes. I can't believe you would bring her here!" she spat.
"Laila calm down. Bring who where? I have no idea what you are talking about," Andreas said.
"Oh OK so you're going to try to play innocent then?" Laila asked. "Let me refresh your memory then. Who was that woman you were with? The one I saw you with earlier in the lobby. You two left over eight hours ago."
Andreas' face cleared and the lines on his brows smoothed as he actually laughed out loud.
"Oh my God. You're jealous aren't you?" he asked in dawning wonder.
"I'm not jealous! What the hell are you laughing at?" Laila said. She felt a little of the fight leave her as Andreas continued to laugh and smile at her. Surely it couldn't be that bad if he was able to joke about it?
"My darling Laila, admit it. You are jealous," Andreas said as he held up a finger to stop her protests. "I like it though."
"Are you gonna tell me who she was or are you just going to sit there looking smug?" Laila asked.
"I'll tell you exactly who she is," he began. "Her name's Alexandra Kent and she's my real estate agent. I met up with her today to look at some apartments and I've got some great news. I saw one that was perfect and put in an offer for it. If everything goes through, I should be able to move out very soon."
Laila let the news sink in before speaking. So he wasn't cheating on her. The woman was his real estate agent! She felt like a complete idiot. Laila blushed beet red as she realized the full force of her actions.
"Well? Are you happy?" Andreas asked, after Laila had been silent for a while.
"I'm...such an idiot," she said. "I don't know what came over me or why I reacted like that."
"Don't worry about it," Andreas said. "It's not a big deal."
"Not a big deal? How can you say that when I sneak up into your room and go off on you like that?"
"I say it because it's true. I can understand where you were coming from. If I put myself in your situation and saw you with another man, I think I'd react the same...maybe worse. Besides, I'm a little pleased that you would get so jealous over seeing me talking with another woman. It really boosts my ego," he smiled.
Laila gave him a playful punch on the arm and couldn't help the grin tugging on her lips. "Don't get too cocky now," she said. "It wasn't just talking. You were smiling at her and laughing at her jokes."
Andreas quirked an eyebrow at her "Oh and I'm not allowed to smile at anyone anymore?
"No. Not with that smile that you gave her. That smile is only for me," Laila said.
"And what smile is that?" Andreas asked.
"You know, the one where you look down and your eyes look like they're shining and the lines here crinkle up," Laila said tracing his laugh lines around his eyes. "It's really dazzling."
"Mmm I'll have to remember that," he said.
Andreas took her hand and moved it down to his lips where he kissed her inner wrist. His lips moved up her arm to her elbow. Laila closed her eyes and savored the intimacy of his touch. Being with him felt like everything in the universe was right again. Everything felt so natural and easy. She relaxed into his embrace and leaned her head forward for a kiss. Andreas captured her lips and kissed her thoroughly. His arms lifted her to his lap and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing against him.
"I've fantasized about you here in my room," Andreas confessed. "And now here you are."
"Here I am," Laila said.
She looked deep into his eyes and was lost in its depth. Laila felt like she was drowning in him and she didn't care. Right here and now, she knew she wanted one thing--him. It was time.
All the doubt and fear from earlier made her realize just how much Andreas meant to her. She had felt physically sick imagining him with another woman. Laila knew Andreas was the one for her by the way her heart had lightened when he confessed the truth to her. She knew she wasn't going to leave tonight without showing him just how much he meant to her.
"Will you spend the night?" he asked. Andreas looked up at her almost shyly and L
aila felt her heart might melt with all the love she felt for him.
"Yes," she whispered.
Andreas' face broke out into a wide smile, and he scooped Laila up to carry her into his bedroom. He laid her on the bed and stepped back to loosen the knot of his tie, never taking his eyes off her. Laila scooted back on the bed, her legs curled up under her as she watched Andreas undress. He made slow unhurried movements, slipping his tie over his neck before slipping of his jacket. Next he unclasped the cuff links from his shirt and placed them on the side table by the bed.
Laila's fingers ached to reach out and touch him, but he kept his distance, wanting to draw out the slow tease. He undid the buttons on his front shirt, and she could see the hard planes of his chest as he slid it off his shoulders. Laila's licked her lips, unable to hide her growing desire.
Andreas gave her an amused smile. She didn't care though. She'd never wanted anything more than to feel him right then. Her body felt flush with warmth as his gaze swept over her and desire pooled between her legs.
Laila's eyes trailed down his chest and settled on the large bulge pressing against his pants.
"Let me help you with that," she said as she slid off the bed and reached for him. Her hands stroked his length through the fabric causing Andreas to throw his head back and moan. She undid the button and worked his pants and boxers off where they pooled at his feet. Andreas kicked off his shoes and stepped out of his pants before reaching for Laila's shirt.
He made quick work of taking it off and unclasping her bra before tossing it on the floor next to his discarded clothes. Andreas then slid off her pants until she was standing naked in front of him. He pushed her back until her shoulders made contact with the cold solid wall and she bit back a gasp at the unexpected contact.
Andreas pressed his body flush against hers so that she could feel every inch of him. His erection was pressing against her hip and she longed to reach down and stroke him, but Andreas had caught her wrists in his hand and pinned them over her head. He looked less like a gentleman and more like a predator, ready to ravage her and Laila couldn't wait.
