I peer into the bathroom which is all tiled in white with the occasional black one scattered in that breaks up the white and stops the room from looking too clinical while maintaining the clean, pristine look they’d been going for. There’s a large double shower and a Jacuzzi bath, both of which look shiny and clean.
As rooms go as opposed to suites, I’ve stayed in much worse. I open up my suitcase and quickly unpack my stuff. I find a pair of fluffy white robes hanging in the wardrobe. When I’ve finished unpacking, which takes less than ten minutes, I go into the bathroom and strip my suit off. It feels good to finally lose the suit as it’s so hot out here. I take a shower and go back to my main room.
I get dressed for tonight in a pair of black ripped jeans and a pale blue t-shirt. I run my hands through my hair, mussing it up a little and add a spritz of Armani and I’m done. A full thirty minutes after arriving at the hotel.
I go to the mini bar and grab a rum. I add a couple of ice cubes and take it to the little table beside the leather sofa. I pick the phone up and move it to the small table. The cable just reaches and I grin to myself. Something had to go right for me work wise.
Before I begin working, I sit down and sip my rum, looking out of the window. I have a fantastic view of the strip and even though it’s barely started to get dark, lights flash everywhere. It really is the perfect place for a stag night and as I sip my drink, I promise myself that once we get out tonight, I will forget about work altogether.
The decision made, I pick the receiver up, dial nine for an outside line, and call the office. I get the phone numbers I need and program them into my personal phone when I realize I don’t have anything to write them on.
I call Dennis Rogers back first.
“Chance?” he says, surprised when I tell him it’s me. “Your brother said you were taking the weekend off.”
“Please excuse Sebastian,” I say with a laugh. “It’s his stag party and he’s a little out of control.”
“You’re at his stag party and you’re working? Seriously, this can wait until Monday. Have a great time and have a drink or two for me.” He ends the call before I can argue with him.
I frown a little. Even my clients are telling me to ignore work for a few days. If only it was that simple. I shake my head and smile to myself. If I’d spent my time slacking off, partying and dating, then I wouldn’t be where I am now. I joined the firm straight out of college and I’ve worked my ass off ever since to prove that I’m the best at what I do in the city.
I think I’ve proved that. My clients always come back to me, and my services are booked in advance for the next year. I know deep down I have nothing else to prove and I know if I took a step back, the talented designers who work alongside me would be able to do a great job, but it’s just not me. Why would I have worked so hard to get to where I am if I just wanted to slack off and hand my work off to others? If that’s all I’d wanted to do, I could have taken a more corporate role but the thought fills me with horror. Being stuck in an office all day and never getting to do anything creative is my idea of hell.
I make a few more calls and then I check the time. I have about twenty minutes before I have to meet the others and I pick the phone back up to make one more call. I listen to it ringing and then a female voice asks how she can direct my call. I give her my name and the name of my client and she asks me to hold for a moment. Dreadful hold music fills my ears.
My hotel room door bursts open and I glance up in annoyance as Sebastian comes bounding in, calling my name. I cover the mouthpiece of the phone in case my call goes through and hiss at Sebastian to shut up.
He just laughs. He comes further into the room and shakes his head when he sees me on a call. He marches to the desk and bends down. He sticks his hand behind the desk and the line goes dead in my ear. Sebastian straightens back up and grins at me, showing me the cord he’s just disconnected from the socket.
I slam the receiver down and get to my feet. I’m taller than Sebastian and I stand over him, glaring at him in frustration and anger. “What the fuck are you playing at Sebastian?” I demand as I step closer to him, my anger showing.
Sebastian ducks out of my way, but he’s still laughing and waving the cord, taunting me. It’s like he wants me to punch him or something. “Relax Chance. You’re more uptight than Dad. I know you think Kimberley and I won’t last, but I’m telling you, she’s the one, and—”
“What makes you think I think you and
