3. Santiago
SANTIAGO
Eager to look my best today, I scrubbed every inch of my body until my skin hurt.
To no surprise, we were out of hot water, but I didn’t let that stop me from washing my hair.
Skipping my three-in-one shampoo, I instead took some of the fancy hair crap Nacio always used.
That kid sure loved grooming himself. Bringing the bottle to my nose, I took a sniff.
It smelled nice, although I couldn’t quite tell what this fruity scent was, and the thought lingered in my mind until I was done rinsing my hair.
Stepping out of the shower, I dripped all over the floor as I reached for a towel.
After quickly drying myself, I wrapped it around my waist and moved on to brush my teeth.
Once done, I stared at my reflection and ran my fingers through my hair.
A buddy of mine, Joey, had a barbershop.
The minute I was out, he gave me a nice haircut.
I think he called it a wolf cut, saying it was the thing now.
Well, whatever he did, my hair looked sweet.
It would look even sweeter if Ariyan grabbed it by its roots.
My temperature immediately rose at the thought, my dick taking notice, too.
But knowing I had no time to jerk off, I left the bathroom and went over to get dressed.
I’d admit that since yesterday, I’d had some unprofessional thoughts about my soon-to-be boss, but what could I say?
I had a thing for pretty faces, and his was the fucking prettiest.
Ten minutes later, I was finishing my coffee when the front door opened, and in stumbled Nacio and Tess. Drunk and lost in their own world, they were too busy kissing to even notice me until I coughed to clear my throat.
“Oh, fuck, what’re ya doing up so early?” my brother asked, his girlfriend still wrapped around him like they were attached at the hip.
“Yeah, it’s like 5:00 a.m.,” Tess added, her hands halfway down my brother’s pants.
Rolling my eyes, I placed my empty mug in the sink. “Got work.”
“No way, does that mean you got it?” Nacio cheered while Tess asked what he was talking about.
After he gave her a short update, she asked, “So what hotel is it?”
Turning to face them again, I scratched my jaw. “The Kallos.”
“No fucking way.” Her lips formed a big smile. “You serious?”
My brows pulled close. “Yeah, why?”
“Fuck, bro, you didn’t tell me you were starting work there. It’s awesome.”
Still not getting an answer to my question, my scowl deepened. “Again, why?”
“What do you mean, why?” Tess sneered as she walked to our fridge and took a bottle of Coke out of it, like she owned the damn place. “It’s only the hottest place in Miami. They host, like, these amazing parties you have to get invited to.” She took a sip. “All the girls know about it.”
“The girls?” I asked, unimpressed.
“Yeah, the girls I work with?”
“So you mean hookers?”
“Bite my ass, Santiago.”
“You wish.”
She flipped me off. “Anyway, any chance you could get us onto the list?”
“What list?”
The two of them grunted.
“The wait list for the party, dumbass,” my brother said as he walked to stand next to Tess.
I grabbed my wallet and keys from the counter and shoved them into my pocket. “I still have no clue what you two are on about, but whatever it is, you can forget about it.”
“But—”
“No buts. I finally got a job. Ain’t no way I’m risking it for you stupid kids.”
“Who d’ya think you’re callin’ stupid?” Nacio grunted while Tess muttered something about those “epic parties” again.
Not having the time or patience to stay and listen, I walked out of the house into the early morning.
It must be fun to be them and come back home after a night of parties at the ass crack of dawn.
I was like that, too, but that kind of life was long behind me.
If there was one thing I knew, it was that I’d better stay the fuck away from drugs, booze, and parties.
Not only because of my parole, but because I couldn’t afford the price those addictions took from you.
* * *
“So, this is the infinity pool,” Imani, the girl giving me a tour at the hotel, said while waving around.
And as she went on explaining about where guests get their towels from, I focused on the pool.
It was gorgeous, with palm trees around it and a panoramic view of the ocean.
It was blazing hot today, and right now, I’d pay a hundred bucks to have a dip in those crystal clear waters.
Shit, I was sweating my ass off in this stupid uniform, but wanting to keep this job for more than a day, I had to endure wearing a polo shirt and fucking khakis.
“Hey.” She slapped my arm. “Are you even listening?”
I nodded.
“Sure. You said all towels are made from Egyptian fabric.”
“Cotton.” Her lips twitched. “I said cotton.”
I sighed. “Whatever. Not like it actually matters—”
“Of course it does,” she cut me off, crossing her arms over her chest. “When you run a hotel like Kallos, everything matters, down to the last detail.”
I huffed a laugh. “You saying people actually give a fuck if they wipe their ass with Egyptian cotton or not?”
She looked at me, one thick brow raised. “You’ve never worked in the hotel business before, have you?”
Too hot for this shit and feeling the sweat dribbling down my back, I fanned myself with my shirt. “No. Why?”
She huffed. “Because if you did, you’d know how absurd guests’ demands can be.”
“I bet.”
“I mean it.” She shook her head, her braids following the move. “Last month, there was this lady who tried getting me fired for not serving her the right kind of olive with her martini.”
“Fuck her,” I tsked.
“I know, right?” She smirked at me like a badass. “But that’s far from the worst. People have all kinds of insane demands. That’s why you should be grateful you’re only going to work in maintenance.”
She had a point, because I doubted I’d know how to deal with assholes like that.
She then checked me out. “How about we go inside? It looks like you’re a minute from a heat stroke, babe.”
Running a hand through my hair, I nodded. “Sounds good.”
So far, I liked her vibe. Not only was she gorgeous, with awesome cornrows she pulled into a ponytail, beautiful doe eyes, full lips, and smooth dark skin, but she also had a great personality.
Sure, I might be gay as fuck, but I knew how to appreciate a woman, especially when she looked like a goddess.
“By the way, make sure to follow the dress code tomorrow,” she said as she began walking.
Following her, I glanced down at myself. “This is the uniform I was given.”
“Your name tag’s missing.” She pointed at her own tag. “Ariyan insists we all wear them, saying how important it is to know someone’s name. He says it creates intimacy between us and the guests.”
My attention span suddenly increased at the mention of him.
“I didn’t know that.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “They just got my name wrong on the tag… I’ll wear it tomorrow.”
By now, we were back inside the hotel.
“So what’s he like?”
“Ariyan?” Imani asked, glancing at me.
“Yeah. You know, is he like a shitty boss?”
“Shitty?” She snorted. “He’s the biggest sweetheart ever.
I mean it. He’s so respectful and kind. Smart, too.
Not to mention handsome.” Tapping her full lips with her finger, she hummed.
“There’s actually a rumor among the staff that he used to be a model in New York.
I believe it, although I couldn’t find any proof.
He has no social media, which is insane.
I mean, nowadays, if you don’t have an account, you’re practically a ghost.”
That sucks. I’d love to stalk his photos.
“Why are you asking?” She looked at me, and I shrugged.
“Just curious.”
“That’s legit. I asked questions, too, when I was starting out.”
“You’ve been here for a long time?”
She nodded. “Since they opened, but I’m only doing this until I get into acting school.”
“You wanna be an actress?”
She side-eyed me. “If you have something to say about it, I’ve already heard it all—”
“No,” I cut her off. “I actually think it’s cool.”
She smiled, a bit flushed, until she flipped her braids over her shoulder. “Whatever. Come, I’ll show you the main bar.”
She continued talking more about the hotel on our way there, making me think she either really loved her job or just loved talking.
Probably both. Either way, she didn’t seem harmful, but rather nice.
Although I admit I didn’t hear half of what she just said because, as we walked to the lobby, there was Ariyan, speaking with one of the staff.
Watching him talk with such charm and grace turned me on.
Just like yesterday, he wore all white, reminding me once again of a spoiled gatito.
With my eyes pinned on him, I bit my lip, remembering how hard my cock was for him last night.
Shit.
I definitely shouldn’t be thinking about this right now, not when he was walking toward us.
Wait, what?
Yet, before I could get myself together, he was already in front of me, looking even more gorgeous up close.
“Ms. Jackson,” he said, greeting her with a warm smile that soon turned to me. “Mr. Rivas.”
My heart galloped at seeing his mouth move, and I swallowed hard.
“How are you doing this morning?” he asked.
“Eh… Good?”
Was I asking or stating it?
An awkward silence followed my dumb response until Imani rescued me. “I was giving him a tour around the hotel. We were just about to go over to the bar.”
“That’s lovely,” Ariyan told her before his stare once again darted to me, his eyes locking in on my chest. “You’re missing your name tag.”
I looked down. “Y-yeah. They got my name wrong.”
“Oh?”
“They wrote San Diego instead of Santiago.”
Ariyan’s brows rose with surprise before his lips curled into a smile, and he chuckled. The rolling sound was borderline addictive, making me hot all over.
“That’s an innocent mistake, I’m sure. But one we should fix, nonetheless. Once you’re done with your shift, please come to my office right away.”
Thank you, Jesus.
Not wanting to give away my excitement, I shot him a quick nod. He responded with a smile, yet before leaving, he placed his hand on my arm and gave it a friendly pat.
“Keep up the good work,” he said, his voice soft.
He was about to move when, suddenly, he leaned a bit closer. My pulse immediately increased, and I did my best to hold still and not stare too hard.
“Is that peaches I smell?” he asked, causing my throat to dry out.
“Yeah, I smell that, too,” Imani said from beside us when it occurred to me.
“Sorry, I think it’s my hair.” I swallowed hard. “I… I used a new shampoo.”
Ariyan’s lips curved up, his eyes nearly sparkling.
“It smells good,” he said, then dropped his hand from my arm and moved on from us.
I half turned to watch him walking away, my hand rubbing the spot where he’d touched me.
“Ugh, he’s so damn fine,” Imani muttered, and I quickly turned to glare at her.
“Huh?”
“Ariyan.” She cocked her head in his direction, bottom lip tucked under her teeth, “He’s perfect.”
My jaw tightened with her words. Nothing had even happened between us, and yet I already felt possessive. Fucked-up, yeah, but that was me. Screwed to the core.
“I wish he told me I smelled good, too…” She huffed.
“You do,” I said, trying to be nice.
“I know.” She smiled and then swatted my arm. “Anyway, let’s continue, babe. We still have lots to see,” she said, already moving on.
I like her.
But before following Imani, I turned to steal one last glance at him. He was now talking to a couple of guests, but looking away from them, our eyes locked for a quick second, and once again, he shot me that tempting smile of his that made me hungry for more.