What Happens in Paradise (The Love Hotel #2)

Chapter 3

3

JASMINE

See. It wasn’t so hard.

As I strolled along the beach, my bare feet sinking into the soft sand, I gave myself a mental high five. It’d been twenty-four hours since I’d last laid eyes on Alejandro and I’d survived.

It’d been much easier than I thought. When one of my couples had requested a lunch hamper so that they could enjoy a romantic picnic on the beach, instead of going to the restaurant to ask him, I’d just called Juan, who worked in the kitchen, and asked him to pass on the instructions.

And when I needed to see next week’s menu, I’d emailed Alejandro. Admittedly, it had taken much longer for him to respond than if I’d just walked over to ask him, but it didn’t matter. I’d still got what I’d needed and I kept my professionalism firmly intact.

Go, me!

I’d completely overreacted. In fact, if I timed it right, I could probably go weeks without having to ever lay eyes on Alejandro again.

That famous saying that if you put your mind to something, you really could achieve it was true. I was sure whoever came up with it probably had loftier goals in mind than just avoiding the hot chef at work, but I didn’t care. I was just happy that everything was under control.

I blew out a satisfied breath, slipped on my sandals then walked back to my office. Just as I was about to check that everything was in place for tomorrow’s couples’ activities, my phone pinged.

It was a message from Hazel, asking me to come and see her. She probably wanted to give me feedback on the VIP guest’s visit.

I wasn’t worried. When I’d gone to say goodbye to Clementine, she’d raved about how much she’d enjoyed her stay, said that we were all doing a fantastic job and praised my professionalism.

That was what I lived for: knowing that I’d made our guests happy. I glanced up at my office walls. Both sides were covered with thank-you cards and photos of happy couples who’d met at the Love Hotel. Which reminded me: I needed to order a bottle of champagne and a bouquet of flowers to send to Serena and Elijah who were two guests who stayed at the hotel last year.

I was thrilled when they’d called me yesterday to say they’d just got engaged, so I wanted to send them something nice to celebrate.

I couldn’t take all the credit for pairing them up. It was the team of matchmaking experts that made the selections before the guests arrived.

My job was to build a relationship with the couples and anticipate what was needed to help bring them closer together.

As far as I was concerned, I had the best career in the world. I gave everything to it. I didn’t really have a social life or hobbies. I worked at least fourteen hours a day to make sure every guest had whatever they needed.

I’d finally found my calling. And if my gut feeling was right, by the end of the week, I’d get news from Hazel that would demonstrate that all my hard work had paid off.

My heart raced with excitement as I headed to Hazel’s office. She’d said she would know in a few days if there was an opportunity for me, but with any luck, I’d find out sooner.

‘Knock knock!’ I poked my head around the door to Hazel’s office.

‘It’s my favourite Love Alchemist!’ Hazel chirped. ‘Don’t tell the others I said that.’ She laughed.

My heart bloomed. Praise was definitely my love language.

‘Thank you.’ I took a seat in front of her desk.

‘So.’ She leant forward. ‘I’ve got some exciting news.’

‘Ooh!’ I clapped my hands together, eager to know what it was.

‘A third location for the Love Hotel is about to open!’

‘Wow! That’s amazing! Obviously, I knew the Italian resort is opening in a few weeks and you were planning to add to the hotel’s portfolio, but I didn’t know it was going to happen so fast!’

Hazel had recently taken over from my previous boss, Victoria, who I adored, but had been appointed to help run the new hotel in Italy.

‘The demand from around the world has far surpassed our expectations, so the board are keen to capitalise on that as quickly as possible. Renovations on the building are almost complete and they’re hoping to start offering places to guests within the next six to eight weeks.’

‘That’s fantastic!’ My eyes popped. They really weren’t hanging about. ‘Where is the new location?’

‘Jamaica.’

‘Oh! That’s where my parents are from!’

‘I didn’t realise. The hotel gets a lot of enquiries from the US, so it made sense to have somewhere outside of Europe that was idyllic and beautiful and Jamaica fitted the bill perfectly.’

‘I haven’t been there for years, but I remember loving it. We went when I was a child and I’ve always said I wanted to go back.’

‘I’m very pleased to hear that Jasmine, because Clementine, the VIP who visited us, is actually one of the directors on the board for the new hotel in Jamaica. And she didn’t just come to see how we run things here. She came to check how you and some of our other Romance Rockstars operate. To see if you’d be a good fit.’

‘For what?’

‘We need someone to go to Jamaica for two weeks to help the management team there set up the operations. We need people who know how we work and embody the Love Hotel brand. Your record is flawless. You’ve got an eye for selecting great staff and knowing what romantic activities will delight our couples, so you’re the obvious choice. If this goes well, when you return, the promotion to Love Alchemist Empress could be yours!’

I blinked then blinked again, trying to take everything in.

I couldn’t believe it.

The Empress was basically in charge of all of the Love Alchemists. That role would give me even more responsibility and a big pay rise.

Technically, I’d been doing the work of an Empress for months anyway. As well as all of my normal Love Alchemist tasks, I was in charge of training new alchemists, overseeing the guest itineraries and I was also the Dining Doyenne. That involved organising special meals, for example, briefing the Cuisine team on what I needed them to create for events, picnics, romantic dates etc., which meant that as well as reporting to the Cuisine King, the team also had to report to me. I did a lot more work than I was paid for, so I was glad that I was being recognised for my efforts.

I was in touching distance of getting everything I’d ever wanted: a dream career with a great salary.

‘This is… wow!’ My brain was whirring at a million miles an hour. I opened my mouth to speak, struggling to find the words that would adequately convey the emotions that were racing through me. ‘I don’t know what to say! Thank you so much for the opportunity. I’m so excited!’

‘Excellent! I know you and Alejandro will do a fantastic job over there.’

‘I’m sorry, what ?’ My eyebrows shot up to the ceiling. ‘ Alejandro? What does he have to do with this?’

‘Oh, I forgot to tell you. Alejandro will be going too. We also need someone to work with the Jamaican Cuisine King. Food is a very important part of the hotel’s experience, so he’ll be able to help share his knowledge and ensure everything aligns with our brand values.’

The blood drained from my face and my veins turned to ice. This couldn’t be happening.

‘But it’s a restaurant in Jamaica! Alejandro Garcia is Spanish. Wouldn’t it be better to hire a Jamaican head chef? Someone who knows how to create authentic dishes?’

‘Yes. Like I said, we already have a Jamaican Cuisine King, but it’s not just about the food; it’s about making sure the cuisine team there are shown how we like to do things as a company. They need to embody the essence of the Love Hotel. Alejandro knows how we operate and the level of professionalism we expect.’

‘So wouldn’t it be better to send Marco?’ I said, my heart thundering against my chest. I needed to change her mind. ‘After all, he is the head chef, I mean, Cuisine King. And he’s worked here since the beginning. He’s more experienced.’

‘No. Marco will stay here. We were very impressed with Alejandro’s menu last night. He brings an air of freshness to our brand. It’s settled.’ She slapped her hands excitedly on the table. ‘The two of you will leave this weekend. Juliet will be in touch to make the necessary arrangements, but in the meantime, get your suitcases prepared. You’re going to Jamaica!’

‘Yay,’ I said half-heartedly as I rose from my seat and left Hazel’s office in a trance.

My stomach crashed to the ground.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

I’d dreamt of the moment that I finally got told I was about to get a promotion.

In my fantasies, there were fireworks, champagne, cheers of congratulations and pats on the back for a job well done.

But right now, the sensation in my stomach wasn’t elation and excitement. It was pure and utter dread.

I should be over the moon about the fact that I’d get to spend two weeks in Jamaica. Yes, I knew it’d be hard work, but I was sure I’d get a least one day off a week to explore. It should be the opportunity of a lifetime.

And it would’ve been except for one problem: Alejandro.

Earlier, I’d praised myself for avoiding him for twenty-four hours. But if we were both going to Jamaica, that would be impossible.

We’d be travelling. On a plane for hours and presumably staying in the same accommodation. Together .

Neither of us would know anyone there, so we’d be forced to spend more time together .

How was I supposed to be in close proximity with him every day for a fortnight and not get lost in those gorgeous brown eyes?

How was I supposed to ignore his scent, muscular body, annoyingly attractive face, and that knicker-melting accent without wanting to jump him?

Oh dear God.

It was official: I was a creepy boss having inappropriate thoughts about a junior member of staff – oops, Fledgling Romance Rockstar was the appropriate term for someone whose position was more junior.

In any case, I should know better.

For a second, I contemplated throwing in the towel, but I’d worked too hard to get this far. I couldn’t lose my chance of a promotion over a man.

I was stronger than that.

I was Jasmine freaking Palmer and I could do this!

Couldn’t I?

We hadn’t even left Spain yet, but I already knew this was going to be the hardest two weeks of my life.