Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 102834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Lowering my hand, I continued to grapple with the fluttery sensation in my stomach and went to tell Deirdre that it was time to leave. I wasn’t used to a man like Derek taking charge of household emergencies. Colin and I had never lived together, and though I’d had sleepovers with my previous partners, I hadn’t actually experienced living with a man before. It was tough with Deirdre because I had to be so sure about someone before I fully let them into our lives, and I’d never managed to get to that point of trust.
“Thank you,” I said to Derek when he grabbed our bags and carried them out to my car. Gigi decided that she’d come to the hotel with us so she and Deirdre could hang out for a few more hours. It appeared that the post-concert blues had started to kick in, and the both of them were consumed with discussing when Purple Beatrice might come do a show here again.
When we got to the hotel, the receptionist handed me a key to a room on the top floor. The location should’ve tipped me off right away, but I was too busy talking to my mam on the phone and rearranging the dinner I’d planned to host tomorrow evening. We’d have to have it at theirs instead.
“Oh, my goodness!” I heard Deirdre exclaim when we stepped into the room and discovered it wasn’t a room but an entire suite and, by the looks of it, one of the fanciest they had.
“This is the Talbot suite,” Gigi said, confirming my suspicions. “It’s the largest in the entire hotel.”
“Look at the view,” Deirdre went on as she hurried over to the window. “You can see the sea from here.”
Immediately, I pulled out my phone to text Derek.
Me: You’ve put us in the largest suite in the entire hotel. I said a basic room would do.
His reply came several minutes later.
Derek: All the smaller rooms are booked for the golf tournament. The suite is the only one free at the moment.
Me: This is too much. Surely there’s something smaller available.
Derek: Quit stressing and enjoy the space. I’ll stop by later to let you know how much the repair work is going to cost.
Maybe he was right. I should just enjoy the luxury, especially since there was a large home repair bill coming my way. The sea view was especially beautiful, but I just didn’t want to feel like I was taking advantage of his kindness. Deirdre was already unpacking in one of the rooms, so I took the other one. A little while later, I told Deirdre I’d bring back something for a late lunch and left her and Gigi to hang out while I went for a walk on the beach.
Approaching the elevator, I hit the button for the ground floor. The doors opened, and I stepped inside, stopping a few floors down to let another person on. As the doors slid open and I saw it was Derek’s father who was waiting to get on, my heart gave a swift, nervous thud. I’d always been awkward around Padraig Balfe, and it didn’t look like that was going to change any time soon. I found it difficult to be cordial with the man who was accountable for the worst period of my aunt’s life. Still, I managed to paste on a tight smile.
“Hello,” I greeted as he stepped into the lift.
“Ah, Milly, isn’t it?” he replied with a kind, wrinkly eyed expression. “You were at my wife’s birthday party a few weeks ago.”
“That’s right,” I replied tightly, nervously clasping my hands together.
A few moments of tense silence passed when Padraig said, “What brings you to—” Before he could finish the sentence, we’d reached the ground floor, and the doors opened. I quickly stepped off, not making eye contact as I lied, “It was nice to see you again.”
I swiftly strode away, relieved to have escaped the awkwardness. Padraig probably thought I was a complete oddball, but he likely had no clue that Nell was my aunt since we had different last names. I was passing by the reception desk when I noticed a couple who appeared to be in their late fifties arguing with the same receptionist who’d given me the key to the suite earlier that morning
“This is ridiculous,” the woman complained in a high-pitched voice. “We made the booking months ago, and we always stay in the Talbot suite.”
Her statement caught my attention, and I lingered near a large potted plant to listen.
“You have our utmost apologies, Mrs Long. There was a problem with our booking system, but management have asked me to gift both you and your husband a discounted stay as well as free dinners at our in-house restaurant every night.”
“Not good enough. I want to speak with the manager,” the husband put in.