“I will. I’d better go and find Sierra and see what’s taking her so long. I just have to quickly go through what I need her to focus on and I’ll meet you two in the bar in ten.” I grab my room key, phone and wallet and leave the room, reminding them to flick the lock over when they leave. I walk away knowing they’re both staring after me.
I head down to the lobby, quietly fuming. I’m annoyed at my brothers; they don’t want to work this week, yet they don’t seem to want anyone else covering the work that needs to be done either. I’m still annoyed at Sierra too. I mean how hard is it to be in a place the size of fucking Vegas and not get seen by the few people who would recognize you?
I step out of the elevator and cross the lobby.
Sierra is just turning away from the check-in desk. She’s wearing a sensible knee length pencil skirt with a white blouse and a black jacket. If she’s too hot, she’s not showing it. Her ashy blonde hair is clipped up in a French pleat. She clacks across the lobby in her heels.
“Sierra,” I shout.
She turns to face me. Her perfect posture doesn’t falter, but she gives her nerves away by pushing her glasses up. Something she always does when she’s nervous. She comes to stand before me. “I’m so sorry Mr. Hunter,” she says. “I checked the lobby before I came in, but then there was a problem at the desk and it took longer to sort it out than I thought it would, and then Matt was there. I tried to lie to him, but he saw straight through it. Have I caused a whole lot of trouble?”
I can feel some of the anger leaving me. Sierra has been my assistant for the last two years, and this is the only mistake I can ever remember her making. If this is as bad as it gets, then we’re all good.
I shake my head. “No, I’ll handle it. Now what was the problem at reception?” I ask.
“They said they couldn’t find a room booked for me. I had to beg them to let me go up to your room and find out what was going on. They only agreed because I showed them my company ID and they recognized your name,” she says.
“Wait here. I’ll fix it,” I say. I go up to the desk and flash a smile at the receptionist there. “My name’s Chance Hunter. I have two adjacent rooms booked for this evening and tomorrow evening. My assistant has just tried to check into hers and she was told there’s no record of her having a room booked here.”
“Let me check that for you, sir. Chance Hunter you said?”
I nod.
She starts clicking on her keyboard. She gives me a professional smile. “I see the booking here.” She makes another few clicks. “Oh, I see the problem. Because you had already checked in when your assistant arrived, the booking moved to another part of the system. I’m sorry. My colleague is new and wouldn’t have known to check there.”
“No worries,” I say.
She hands me a key card and wishes me a pleasant stay.
If only she knew. I turn back to Sierra.
Rick is talking to her and as I get closer, I hear their conversation.
“So yeah. I’m in room 217 if you want some company later,” Rick says.
I see Sierra tense up as she shakes her head. “As I said, I’m here for work. And I don’t know if that line has ever worked for you before, but I can assure you it wouldn’t work on me even if I was here for pleasure.”
I shake my head and shove Rick away from her.
He frowns at me. “What? I can’t talk to women now?”
“You can talk to women all you want, just quit harassing this one. This is Sierra, my assistant,” I say.
“Oh. Sorry,” he says. He winks at Sierra. “You can’t blame a guy for trying, can you?”
She smiles and shakes her head.
Rick wanders over to join Mark.
“Sorry about that.” I hand her the key for her room. “Your room is 1124. It’s next door to mine, so if you need anything, you know where to find me. Did you bring the Bramer files like I asked?”
She nods her head.
“Good,” I say. “He has some rather bizarre requests as you’ll see. It could take weeks to source some of that stuff, so if you can make a start on going through it all, that would be great. I also need you to arrange a meeting with Vince Falcrow. Oh, and can you send Dennis Rogers something. An apology for Sebastian cutting off our call earlier. I’ve spoken to him since and he’s fine about it, but it won’t hurt.”
“Got it,” Sierra says. “And what do you want me to do about Millicent Burroughs? She’s been calling non-stop since you pushed her meeting back.”
“I’ll get back to you on that one,” I say. When I remember who the hell she is, I don’t add.
“Okay, well if that’s it then, I’ll go and make a start,” Sierra says.
“Wait,” Rick says.
I hadn’t noticed him sidling back over.
“Seriously, Chance? You’ve dragged the poor woman all the way out here and you’re not even letting her take a night to herself to see the sights?” he asks.
“And that’s your business because?” I ask.
He shrugs and wanders back away again.
He makes it sound like slave labor. I mean it’s not like I’ve dragged Sierra out here against her will and her bonus will more than make up for any inconvenience. But he does have a point though. I mean it is Vegas. I smile at Sierra. “He’s right,” I say. “Take the night off and take in the sights. There’s plenty of time tomorrow for work.”
“Thank you Mr. Hunter,” she says
