Chapter 22
Club Owner Demands Compensation! Ethan Darlington Parties with Friends and Premium Spirits, Leaving Chaos and Destruction in His Wake!
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Henry
What the hell was I doing here? I shouldn’t be wandering around the hotel with Kate, further feeding the rumours.
I’d told the truth—I didn’t care if the staff talked about us.
I’d grown used to having barely any privacy.
It couldn’t be avoided when home and the workplace were one and the same.
I’d been born into the situation, though, while for Kate, this was all new.
The people who were talking about us worked for me, but she had to work with them, which was a huge difference.
I wanted to keep her life at the hotel from becoming uncomfortable.
Kate might not have told me much about herself yet, but what I did know suggested she’d been through a lot.
I didn’t want her time at The Darlington to be yet another shitty experience, especially not because of me.
Yet here I was, standing next to her and pressing the button to call the lift.
Because I couldn’t help myself. Because I wanted to spend time with her.
Because I wanted her to get to know the hotel through my eyes.
Even if there was a real chance she’d regret it tomorrow when she heard the whispers, I was placing the palm of my hand on Kate’s back, guiding her into the lift.
She didn’t resist. My fingers brushed the fabric of her T-shirt—only lightly, but even so, the touch stirred something I shouldn’t be feeling.
Especially after Kate had opened the door earlier.
I could already tell with absolute certainty that the sight of her, covered only with that tiny towel, was something I would think about tonight while lying alone in my bed.
In the foyer, we ran into Mrs. and Mr. Crocombe, an older, elegantly dressed couple who had been regular guests at The Darlington for years and frequently attended our events.
They eyed us suspiciously. Our casual clothing was technically not allowed at the hotel.
I said hello, but they didn’t greet us back.
Then again, I wasn’t sure if they even recognised me in my hoodie.
A few guests had settled comfortably into the lobby armchairs and were listening to Theodore play piano.
A waiter, Terry, was doing the rounds and serving drinks.
Through the open glass door of the hotel restaurant, Darlington Dining, I could hear the voices and laughter of the diners.
Breakfast and lunch were served only to the guests staying at the hotel, but in the evening, the restaurant was open to the public.
I led Kate to reception. Naomi was working tonight.
“Good evening, Henry,” she greeted me with a beam that grew even brighter when she saw Kate at my side.
Her warmth didn’t surprise me. Naomi was one of the most kindhearted people I knew, and she’d only grown more so over the years, especially after the birth of her daughter.
“You must be Kate. I’m Naomi, Rakesh’s wife. ”
“They met each other here at the hotel,” I added.
Kate shook Naomi’s hand. “That’s lovely. I met Rakesh earlier today.”
“I know. He told me about you at lunch.”
“How long have you been married?”
“For three years, but we’ve known each other for ten,” Naomi replied, pushing a strand of light-brown hair behind her ear. “We married here at the hotel, up on the roof.”
Kate smiled. “Wow, that sounds amazing.”
“And where did the two of you meet?” Naomi asked and looked from Kate to me and back again with bright eyes. I was certain she hadn’t learned about us from Rakesh alone—she must have also read the numerous articles now circulating on the internet.
“In St. James’s Park,” I replied.
“Bouldering,” Kate said at the same time. There was a silence, and then Kate laughed nervously. “We met each other bouldering, but we didn’t really start talking until we ran into each other again in the park.”
Fuck.
Naomi narrowed her eyes. “You met at the bouldering gym?”
“Yes,” Kate said, just as I said, “No.”
Kate stiffened beside me, and Naomi began to look sceptical.
Shit. We should have agreed on a story. Anyone who knew me at all knew that when I went bouldering, I rented out the entire gym for myself, so there was no way I could have met someone there.
But Kate couldn’t have known. “Kate used to clean there sometimes,” I lied.
Naomi frowned. “Rakesh said you don’t have any housekeeping experience.”
“Not in the hotel business,” Kate answered a little too swiftly, shifting nervously from one foot to the other like she was itching to leave. “A bouldering gym and a luxury hotel are pretty different, aren’t they?”
Naomi looked at us silently and then hummed in agreement, but it was clear she wasn’t entirely convinced by our far-fetched lie. I changed the topic before she had the chance to ask more questions. “I wanted to show Kate the ballroom. Can I have the key?”
“Maybe, if you say please.”
I gave her my brightest smile. “Please.”
“See, that wasn’t so hard.” Naomi retrieved a key attached to a large fob from a drawer. “Can you bring it back later?”
“Of course. Can you turn on the light for us, please?”
Naomi nodded, and Kate and I turned to leave. We walked in silence to stairs that led to a wide double door. I felt Naomi’s wary eyes on my back. She’d probably tell Rakesh about our conversation as soon as Kate and I were out of earshot and eyesight.
“Sorry,” Kate whispered to me as I unlocked the door.
She leaned towards me so that no one else would hear, and I felt her warm breath on my skin as she spoke.
“I didn’t know that the bouldering thing was a bad answer.
I already told Grace last week when she found me in your apartment, and I didn’t want to change my original story. ”
“It’s OK,” I answered, just as quietly. “You couldn’t know that I rent out the whole bouldering gym once a week. Grace wouldn’t know either, so it’s all good. We just have to be a bit more careful.”
Kate looked worried. “What if Grace talks to Naomi?”
“Then that’s just how it is,” I said with a reassuring smile.
The world wouldn’t end if someone found out the truth, but the small lie would make our lives a little easier.
Kate wouldn’t have to answer any questions about her past, and I wouldn’t have to face my mother’s outrage.
She’d been upset enough when she’d seen the photos of me and Kate; she would probably have a heart attack if she found out that Kate had been homeless for the past few months.
I unlocked the door and pushed it open a crack with my shoulder so we could slip in.
The light was already on, and I heard Kate gasp as she took in the ballroom.
Even I still found it awe-inspiring. Marble columns soared up to meet the ten-metre-high ceiling, beneath which hung a vast Renaissance painting we’d had restored five years ago to make its colours gleam with renewed brilliance.
Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and there was a large stage at the front of the hall with heavy curtains on either side.
The tables and chairs, usually decked out for festive occasions, had been pushed to the side and draped in white linen cloths so they wouldn’t gather dust.
“I thought this kind of ballroom only existed in films,” Kate murmured reverently.
Her steps echoed through the empty hall, which was otherwise completely silent.
The soft music in the foyer and the voices from the restaurant couldn’t be heard from in here, and not even the noises of the city made it through the high windows.
“I often forget how big the ballroom is until I see it empty,” I confessed.
“Do you often have events here?” Kate asked without looking at me. She was gazing up at the ceiling, walking backwards slowly as she admired the painting.
“Yes. Pretty often, actually. You can rent it out for birthdays, company parties, and weddings. But we also organise our own events. In June, we have our summer solstice party, and at the end of October, we throw a masked ball for Halloween. The Pearl Gala takes place here too, of course.” The blank look on Kate’s face told me that she had no idea what I was talking about.
“It’s a charity event. We invite a lot of very, very wealthy people to raise money for a charitable organisation. ”
“Oh, wait! Wasn’t there a scandal a few years ago when that drunk boy-band member threw up on the red carpet?”
“Finnian Gomez.” I remembered the incident clearly.
It had happened at the first Pearl Gala I’d ever organised.
Finnian and his band had been celebrating their breakout, which had been swiftly followed by their downfall.
“I’m so glad that that stuck with you, of all things.
We raised almost twenty million pounds for charity that year, but more importantly, Finnian puked. ”
Kate’s eyes widened. “Twenty million?”
I nodded.
“Wow, that’s a lot of money. It’s cool that you do things like that.”
“The gala was started by my grandmother, but I’ve been responsible for organising it since she died,” I said, running my fingers through my hair.
Somehow, Kate seemed to sense that something was on my mind, as she stopped and gave me her full attention.
“This is probably a good moment to say that you inspired this year’s Pearl Gala. ”
Kate furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”
I took another step towards her. “The morning I left you alone in my apartment, I had a meeting about the gala. It was about which charitable organisation we want to raise money for this year. I couldn’t stop thinking about what you told me.
That there aren’t enough sleeping places for homeless people in London. So I suggested it.”
Kate blinked. “You want to raise money for us?”
Us.
I nodded. “I hope that’s OK.”