Chapter 21
Jodie can't believe the banker's audacity, and a swarm of thoughts starts buzzing in her head, overwhelming her. Annie Cohen is, without doubt, one of the most striking women Jodie has ever seen, and not because of her looks, but because of the power she radiates. She doesn't need to say a word; her mere existence is enough to have the world at her feet. She's that kind of woman.
"Where are you going?" Sarah asks when Jodie rushes past her.
The cleaner stops dead in her tracks, believing that if she doesn't vomit out what she's thinking, she'll end up in jail this afternoon.
"Annie just left the hotel, and from the gesture she made... I don't know what to think," Jodie laments. "I think they slept together."
Sarah shifts uncomfortably because she thinks it's very possible, considering powerful people believe they have the right to do whatever they want without thinking about the consequences, but she prefers not to voice what crosses her mind.
"Calm down, don't let your anger get the best of you," Sarah advises, looking into her eyes. "Talk to Mrs. Taylor before doing anything."
Jodie wants these dark thoughts to leave her mind, but she struggles to control what's hammering in her brain. She nods mechanically, touches Sarah's shoulder affectionately, and moves forward at a slower pace. As soon as she gets in the elevator and reaches the top floor of the Mallois hotel, she runs as if a forty-pound rabid dog were chasing her. She pulls out the magnetic card and enters the penthouse, trying to fake a calmness she doesn't feel.
Katherine, who's focused on reviewing some documents at her desk, looks up, removes her glasses, and flashes a smile that could melt Mount Rainier in seconds.
"Hi," says the Mallois hotel owner, staying in her spot while admiring Jodie. She couldn't like the girl more.
"How are you?" the cleaner asks casually, but it's obvious from miles away that something's wrong. Nerves are very hard to hide.
"Did something happen?" Katherine asks and quickly moves toward her girl, fearing something might have happened to her mother.
Jodie looks at her, and that fire that was burning in her chest has now moved down a few inches to settle in her stomach. Katherine looks beautiful in an immaculate white suit, but what Jodie likes most is that she's not in a robe or has wet hair as she thought she'd find her.
"No, no, everything's perfect," a five-year-old would lie better.
Katherine narrows her eyes and fixes them on Jodie. She's not willing to give in; she knows something's up. The cleaner dodges the blue eyes as best she can, but even if she wanted to keep her sanity, it's quite difficult.
"How was the meeting with Annie?" Jodie asks, approaching the subject.
Katherine tilts her head, and her gaze intensifies.
"Fine, as always. We were able to settle several issues about the new hotel that were giving me headaches."
Silence. Katherine doesn't say anything else—quite intentionally—and Jodie has no choice but to let it out.
"I saw Annie entering the hotel and..." Jodie pauses to breathe. "I saw her leave two hours later. You told me you'd meet her at the bank."
Katherine looks at her sternly while nodding, and Jodie feels she's reached a boundary she shouldn't even touch.
"Are you jealous?" Katherine asks, a smile emerging that infuriates Jodie.
"No, I'm not," the cleaner answers with a furrowed brow, "but I know what was between you two... After being in your penthouse for hours, she walks through the lobby, winks at me, and leaves just like that."
Katherine suppresses a laugh; it's not something that should amuse her, but Annie Cohen can be quite a jerk when she wants to be, even at forty-four, though that doesn't make her lose that mischievous air.
"Come with me," Katherine requests, and they move to the kitchen. In a quick movement, she lifts Jodie onto the marble counter and presses against her. "You don't need to worry about her, we've talked about this. We never had anything serious, what we had was physical, but we both know nothing would work beyond that. Now it's you and me, Jodie."
Jodie hooks onto those features that now feel so much like her own. She knows she reacted in such an immature way out of fear of losing Katherine; she could compete with Annie Cohen's endless legs, but never against her power and money.
"I'm sorry, I..."
Katherine silences her by biting her lips and pulling her closer.
"Let's drop this topic. Remember, honey, it's you and me," Katherine repeats, looking into her eyes.
Jodie nods and hugs the woman who drives her crazy, so much that for the first time in her life, she's set up a surveillance service—low-budget because it was just her and Sarah in their free time—to time how long Katherine's ex-lover stayed in the penthouse. She lets out a sigh and pulls away from her boss.
"I should start cleaning; I wouldn't want to lose my job," Jodie jokes and tries to get down from the marble counter. Katherine prevents her.
"The penthouse is spotless," says the blonde. "You won't do anything today, I want to discuss something with you. Why don't you put on something comfortable and meet me on the terrace?"
Jodie accepts; besides being exhausted, it's true that Katherine's home doesn't have a speck of dust. Every day she's there, she makes an effort to clean it thoroughly, and her boss has the gratitude to keep it in the same state.
Twenty minutes later, and after a shower, Jodie comes out to the terrace and sits next to Katherine, who hands her a cinnamon tea she's grown to like lately. She takes a sip of the drink and signals Katherine to tell her about this important matter.
"What do you think about Blake Johnson for the position of head of cleaning services?"
Jodie doesn't have to think about it.
"I think she's perfect. When I started at the Mallois, we worked together for several months, she has a lot of experience, she's cordial with colleagues, and above all, she understands everyone's needs. Having her as a direct supervisor was wonderful."
Katherine nods and takes a sip of tea.
"Marjorie proposed changing the service structure, explaining that it wasn't necessary to have coordinators if she was at the helm and could direct everything," Katherine makes a face. "It was certainly a mistake on my part to accept it."
"If you're thinking about Blake, I think it would be a great choice," Jodie reaffirms, trying to keep Marjorie out of the conversation. That woman gives her the creeps.
"She's passed several of the filters we've considered for the new head of service. Lamir talked to her to know what she thought about a promotion, and she's more than willing. I just needed your opinion to confirm Blake is the right choice. Besides, I like the fact that she's younger than Marjorie, according to her file she just turned thirty-five, maybe that change will also be good among the staff, and they'll feel more comfortable dealing with someone who wasn't born in the Pleistocene."
Jodie smiles amused while imagining Marjorie turned into a dinosaur. But what she likes most is that Katherine involves her in these decisions because it only confirms that what they have is serious. She feels stupid again for acting that way about Annie's visit and opens her mouth to apologize again, but her boss beats her to it.
"Now that this matter is settled, I want to talk about the most important thing," says Katherine and puts her cup on the side table. "The Magnolis hotel needs to start pre-opening next week, which means having all staff hired so they can familiarize themselves with the facilities before the official opening in two months. We already have many contracts closed, and the heads of each service need to be at the hotel in a few days to coordinate everything. I'm missing a head chef, Jodie, and no matter how much I've thought about it, I don't see anyone more suitable than you for that position."
Jodie didn't expect that. Katherine raises her hand to stop her from speaking.
"I know what you're going to tell me, but you're an excellent cook and an incredible boss. I saw you direct a service without prior preparation that day in the private room. You have great ideas and your dishes are amazing, plus you already have experience. I want you for my hotel because that's your place and because I can't keep bearing to have my girl come to my house to clean instead of to see me. Don't get me wrong," says Katherine to explain herself well, "I don't care what you do for a living, but I'm presenting you with an opportunity that benefits us both, and I think you'll be happier there, in your kitchen."
Jodie's heart has been racing for so long that she would feel she could die of a heart attack if she weren't in the hotel with the most defibrillators in all of New York. It's a mix of happiness, fear, and excitement that makes her head fog up and unable to think clearly. Of course she would be happy in the Magnolis kitchen, being the one directing the service, innovating with dishes, returning to her place. She struggles to speak, and when she does, she lets out the silliest phrase she's said in her life.
"Can I think about it?"
Katherine repeats the gesture from earlier, tilts her head, and focuses her brightest blue on her.
"Do you really need to think about it?" she asks, knowing the answer. Because Jodie is dying to get back to a kitchen, but nerves are betraying her.
Jodie sheds uncertainty for a moment. Those eyes are loaded with spells.
"No, I don't need to think about it. I want to be the head chef of the Magnolis hotel," she says and knows that answer has been worth it. The most beautiful smile in the world spreads before her.