Up All Night (Insatiable #4)

Chapter 1

Izzy

The phone rings in my room, which is odd, since I’m not expecting a call for a bit. As I trot over to the phone beside the bed, I almost trip over my travel bag. “Hello?”

Silence.

“Bonjour?” I repeat, thinking that it isn’t possible that even if this was a French speaking person on the other line, that they couldn’t decipher the difference.

More silence.

“Hello? Bonjour? Is someone there?”

The hair on the back of my neck stands up slightly.

This is the second call that I’ve received like this today.

I make a mental note to call downstairs after I move some things around in my room to make it less like I’ve set purposeful booby traps for myself, to ask if maybe there is something wrong with the phone in this room.

I’ve stayed in a lot of hotels with my job, but most of the time any calls that come in are from my cell phone.

It was so hard to say goodbye to Rush this morning.

Even though I knew that he was only going to be here for a couple of days, it’s still so difficult to let him go.

Don’t judge me, but I miss him already. The ring on my finger just about laughs at me.

Not so long ago, I was offered an engagement from my now ex-partner, which I turned down, and now I’ve accepted Rush’s engagement.

I sound like a woman that can’t make up her mind, but make no mistake, Rush is who I want.

Nothing that Chas had to offer me made sense, and when I later had proof of his adultery sitting right in front of me, I knew that I was wise to listen to my gut and turn him down to begin with.

The expression on my parents’ faces when Rush and I told them that we’re engaged I’ll never forget.

This will go down in history as the most backwards reaction and chain of events.

Normally, parents would shun their only daughter for dumping a fiancé one day, only to accept a proposal from another man the next day.

That’s not exactly what happened, mind you, but it’s close enough.

The difference is that my parents couldn’t stand Chas.

And now both of them adore Rush. If you want the truth, I think that if they could have paired us together from the start they would have.

I’m excited that Bowie is coming out here to see me in Paris.

My last trip here I’ll boil down to a blunder, seeing as that’s when Chas decided to spontaneously pop the question.

It was not expected and not well received.

Even before I learned about his adultery, I knew deep down that he wasn’t the one for me.

Meeting Rush sort of solidified that. But meeting Bowie and having her in my life is like meeting your favorite celebrity and having them befriend you.

The family business is Drummond Motors, a world-renowned company that manufactures specialized engines for automobiles of all types.

We’ve just made a partnership with Lawson Manufacturing.

Bowie is the new CEO, and she just married Jagger Lawson, the owner.

Bowie has been a role model to me for years and I’ve been following her tenure with Kruger Manufacturing, where she worked before she and Jagger were reunited.

And what makes this visit even more special is that I get to tell her about my engagement to Rush.

I’d like to tell her before the whole world knows, meaning before Axl Lennon finds out, and shares it with the media.

Bowie told me not to reserve her a private room.

She wants to stay with me, and I can’t help but feel the flutters of excitement in my belly at the thought of having basically a sleepover with the girl that I’ve admired since my teenage years.

I practically squeal when the concierge rings me to tell me that she’s arrived.

When I give permission to let her up, I could puke I’m so happy and nervous all at the same time.

This is the woman that threw a party just for me, complete with all the industry’s elite, when I came to North Carolina to visit our local site and hers.

A party. At her own house. Well, it’s a mansion, but she had like a hundred people there, just for me.

It was like a dream come true. And she spent hours just talking to me.

And now she’s come all the way to Paris to see me.

Granted, it is partially a business trip, since a visit to the site that will soon be our France offices is on our itinerary, but still.

When I open the door and see her, she looks like she’s about to burst. Arms open, smile wide, I hug her close. “So good to see you, Bowie. I’ve been so looking forward to this.”

“Same here.” She gushes.

“Come on in. How was the flight?”

“Good. I had a chance to get lots of work done, so that I could enjoy your company.”

“Splendid.” I smile. “Let me take your bag.”

Bowie is wearing a tailored pants suit in navy blue, and a crisp white sleeveless shirt that hugs her body tastefully. “Can I get you something to drink? The bar is fully stocked.”

She waves, looking at the suite. It’s lush and luxurious, and way over the top for me.

The crystal chandelier hangs above the bed, which is king sized, and the carpet has a low pile, yet you can still curl your toes in it.

The gauze drapes are cinched with red velvet cording and the area rugs are a maraschino cherry red.

Small red accents are all over the room to accentuate the hotel chain’s red logo.

“No, thanks. I had a snack on the plane.”

“Are you feeling tired or do you want to freshen up or anything?”

“No, no. I’m fine. I’m just so happy to be here. It’s so exciting to open a site here and I’ve always wanted to see firsthand how they manufacture their engines out here.”

This girl and me. It’s like our brains were twinned.

“Have you seen a lot of the production here yet?”

“No. I haven’t seen anything yet. It’s mostly been startup meetings for the plant itself. We’ve discussed plans for assembly but nothing about actual fabrication. But I do have a meeting with the European division later today if you’d like to attend with me.

“Oh my God, I’d love to.” She says, looking in the loo. “This place is so fancy. I have to remind myself that we’re in Paris.”

“Yes, exactly.” This is the part about Bowie that is so exciting.

In Paris, one would think that girls would be anticipating the landmarks, the culture, the men, but no, us engine girls, we’re more excited about finding out how the French make machines.

And she gets me, and I get her. That’s why I’m so crazy about her.

I don’t know that I’ve ever met anyone other than my mum, that is quite so much like me.

I feel like Bowie and I are like soul sisters. “So, what would you like to do first?”

“Well, how about we catch up, and maybe go for a walk outside? The garden looks beautiful.”

“It is. Oh, but first, let me show you the view.” I walk her over to the balcony next to the fireplace. This room is like a fairytale. As I open the French doors, we’re welcomed by a concrete pad, surrounded by wrought iron bannisters in a twisted pattern. There is a clear view of the Eiffel Tower.

“Holy shit!” Bowie says on exhale. “You sure know how to pick them. This is gorgeous.”

“Oh, I can’t take credit. This is the travel agent. I guess our assistant hired someone top notch and it shows. Apparently, you can’t get into this hotel unless you have a reservation months in advance. How she pulled this off is beyond me.”

“Don’t be na?ve, Izzy. Remember who your father is. I’m sure that the French capitalists that have vied to do business with Drummond Motors had something to do with this.”

“I suppose you’re right.” I shrug. My father’s power has never gone to my head.

We’re all still very humble. That’s part of the reason why so many people want to do business with us.

At the end of the day, we’re just people.

“So, how come Jagger didn’t insist on joining you on this trip?

You guys haven’t even had a honeymoon yet, have you? ”

I pull the two little bistro chairs over, so we can sit.

“I don’t know.” She says sort of dismissively.

“We’re not really thinking about a honeymoon.

Doing business is too exciting. There are so many things coming up and we don’t want to miss a beat.

He just wanted me to come out here to see you because he said that otherwise I’ll burst.”

Her warm smile is contagious. “I’m so glad. It’s crazy how much we have in common.”

“It is. It’s like Jagger and me, too. I’m so lucky to have found a man that is my equal on every level. Sometimes we sit up all night just talking about engines and all the technological advancements that we’re coming up with.”

“You two are both exceptionally intelligent.”

“And I could pick your father’s brain all day long. Did he and your mum end up coming here?”

I nod. “Yes. They’re still here, actually. Daddy and mummy will be at the meetings later today, too, so you’ll get to see them.”

“I’m so excited. And both Jagger and I are so grateful that we’re going to be a part of this, too. We have so many ideas.”

“I can’t wait to hear them, but let’s save that for when we see daddy and mummy later.”

“For sure, for sure.” She says, tapping my hand.

Then she changes tack. “Um, don’t get freaked out or anything, but I just wanted to ask you if you’ve got anyone, um, watching you for anything.

I know it isn’t uncommon when you earn more than seven figures to have certain walks of life trying to infiltrate either your wallet or your business, or both. ”

A ‘v’ forms between my brows. “Why do you ask?”

“Jagger received an anonymous letter yesterday. It basically warned him about doing business with Drummond Motors. And we’re trying to rule out my ex in this, but I just thought it was worthwhile to ask while I’m here.”