Suite surrender, p.1
Suite Surrender, page 1
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The link can be found at the end of ‘Suite Surrender’.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Other Titles by Jade Winters
About The Author
COPYRIGHT
Chapter One
Lauren walked into The Grind Cafe, her cheeks flushed from the London cold air. Closing the door behind her, she headed straight for the counter, mentally scolding herself for going overboard with the wine last night. Despite her fuzzy head, Lauren knew just the thing to kickstart her energy.
‘Morning. What can I get you?’ the barista asked cheerfully, a refreshing change from the surly server she had encountered the day before who had made her feel like an inconvenience for daring to order a drink.
‘I’ll have a triple espresso, please,’ Lauren said with a hint of desperation in her voice.
‘Coming right up.’
‘Thanks.’
Moments later, Lauren picked up the steaming cup from the counter. ‘You have no idea how much I need this.’
The barista grinned. ‘Trust me, I get it. Mondays, right?’
‘Don’t even get me started.’
Lauren took a sip of the strong, bitter coffee as she scanned the shop for an empty table. But of course, every single seat was taken with people either glued to their phones or typing away on their laptops. It made her a little sad, seeing how disconnected everyone was these days.
She caught sight of a woman sitting alone at a table near the back, reading a paperback book. There was something about the way she was so totally lost in the pages that drew Lauren’s attention to her. Before she could overthink it, she walked over.
‘Is this seat taken?’ Lauren asked, pointing to the empty chair.
The woman looked up and smiled. ‘Nope, it’s all yours.’
Lauren shrugged off her jacket and sat down. As she sipped her coffee, she couldn’t help sneaking glances at the woman across from her. She had cute freckles on her nose, and the way her lips pressed together as she read reminded Lauren of the way her own lips would purse when she was concentrating on something.
After a few minutes of silence, Lauren cleared her throat, and the woman glanced up.
‘I couldn’t help but notice you’re reading Pride and Prejudice,’ Lauren said, nodding at the book. ‘It’s one of my favourites.’
‘Mine too.’
‘Just out of curiosity, how many times have you read it? I’ve read it at least five times,’ Lauren said, hoping to keep the conversation going.
‘Hmm, at least twice, but I do think it’s time for a modern cover. This one’s pretty dated.’
‘I totally agree,’ Lauren said. ‘I think Elizabeth Bennet needs a bit more of a feminist edge too.’
The woman nodded in agreement, her eyes lighting up with amusement. ‘Definitely. I mean, she’s already a strong, independent woman, but a modern twist could really kick it up a notch.’
‘We should pitch it to the publisher,’ Lauren said, tongue in cheek.
The woman leaned in, chin on hand, and studied Lauren’s face. ‘You know what? That’s not a bad idea. They’re doing another adaptation next year, and you’d make the perfect Elizabeth Bennet. You’ve got her look.’
Lauren raised an eyebrow. ‘Me? Seriously? No one’s ever said that to me before. But I don’t think I’d be able to pull it off. I couldn’t act my way out of a paper bag.’
The woman shrugged. ‘Too bad. But hey, auditions aren’t ’til next year. Plenty of time to take some acting classes.’
Lauren laughed. ‘I’ll keep that in mind. Who knows, maybe I’ll be the next Keira Knightley.’
Suddenly, the woman reached across the table and gently plucked a ladybird from Lauren’s hair, letting it rest on the back of her hand. Lauren’s stomach flip-flopped at her touch. When their eyes met, there was a flicker of . . . something. Could there be more between them than just a shared love of Jane Austen?
She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she felt intensely drawn to this woman. It was exciting but also a little unnerving.
As the ladybird flew away, Lauren suddenly said without thinking, ‘I heard that ladybirds symbolise true love.’
‘Then I guess today might be someone’s lucky day.’ She held out her hand with a smile. ‘I’m Rain, by the way.’
‘Lauren.’ She shook Rain’s hand, and for a moment, all Lauren could focus on was how good it felt. All the stress she’d been carrying around since she woke up just seemed to melt away.
As their hands slowly parted, Lauren couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret.
‘So, now that we’re officially acquainted, what do you do for a living? Wait, let me guess, it’s something creative?’ Rain asked.
‘I wish. No, I work in management,’ Lauren said vaguely, not wanting to get into specifics. It wasn’t that she was trying to be evasive, she just didn’t want to think about work anymore than she had to.
Rain raised her eyebrows. ‘Management, huh? Do you manage a team? A company? Or something else entirely?’
‘I manage a team,’ Lauren said. ‘It’s not the most glamorous job, but it pays the bills.’
Rain’s eyes lit up. ‘Oh, I see. But you’re a boss lady. I like that.’
Lauren couldn’t help but smile at the way Rain said ‘boss lady’. ‘So, what about you?’
‘Me?’ Now it was Rain’s turn to look uncomfortable. ‘Oh, um . . . you know, I drift from one job to the other. I’m still trying to find myself. Well, that’s what I keep telling myself.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with that.’
Rain laughed. ‘Try telling my mum that. She’s convinced I’m going to end up homeless, living in my car, or worse, moving back home and living in the basement.’
‘I’m sure it won’t come to that. Who knows, maybe you’ll stumble into your dream job when you least expect it.’
‘That’s kind of my motto. If it happens, great. If not, whatever. I’m pretty chilled about the whole thing.’
Lauren felt a pang of envy at Rain’s laid-back approach to life. It was the total opposite of Lauren, who was constantly stressing about work and living up to everyone’s expectations.
‘Maybe you could teach me how to be a boss lady like you,’ Rain teased.
‘I’d be happy to.’
Rain glanced at her watch. ‘Oh crap, is that the time? I’ve gotta run. I have an appointment.’ She jumped up, accidentally jostling the table, and shot Lauren an apologetic look. ‘I wish I could stay and chat all day.’
‘Yeah, me too,’ Lauren said wistfully.
Rain wrapped her scarf around her neck and shoved her book into her bag. Then she fished out a pen and scrap of paper, scribbled down her number, and handed it to Lauren.
‘If you ever want to geek out about books again, or just talk, give me a call.’
Lauren took the paper, their fingers brushing for a split second. ‘I will.’
‘Great. Talk to you soon, then,’ Rain said, before hurrying out of the café.
Lauren sat there for a moment, staring at the empty seat across from her. She felt almost embarrassed by the intensity of her feelings. How could this be happening? She was a successful, put-together woman, and here she was, crushing like a schoolgirl.
Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts. She glanced down at the message:
Where are you?
Lauren quickly typed back:
Sorry, on my way.
Even as the familiar weight of responsibility settled back onto her, she refused to let it put a dampener on her newfound spirit. She had something to look forward to now, a bright spot on the horizon that nothing could dim.
Chapter Two
Rain couldn’t help but be impressed by The Mayfair Heritage Hotel as she approached its grand façade. It had the perfect blend of old-world charm and modern luxury, and to her relief, the inside was even better – warm and inviting, but still totally elegant. She made her way over to the reception desk, where a petite woman was typing away at her computer.
‘Hi there, I’m here for an interview with Mr Larkins.’
‘Great, thanks . . .’ Rain glanced at her name tag. ‘Denise.’
As she turned to head for the lifts, Denise called after her, ‘Good luck!’
Rain waved back and slipped into the lift just as the doors were closing. She hit the button for the basement and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.
Okay, focus, she told herself. I need to nail this interview.
But no matter how hard she tried to remember her prepared answers, her mind kept drifting back to her encounter with Lauren. The memory made her stomach flutter.
Come on, get it together. You’re probably never going to hear from her again anyway.
The lift dinged, and the doors slid open. Rain followed the signs down the hallway until she found the interview room. A tall, stern-looking man in a grey suit, who she guessed to be in his sixties, nodded at her from behind a desk and gestured for her to sit. Rain straightened her collar and tried to focus on being present.
Despite her best efforts, her thoughts wandered to Lauren again.
I probably put her on the spot when I gave her my number . . . she was just being polite—
The man cleared his throat loudly, snapping Rain out of her daydream.
‘I’m Mr Larkins, head of housekeeping.’ His voice was formal and disinterested. ‘Ms Thomas?’
Rain met his gaze. ‘Yes, that’s me.’
‘You’re late. Not a good start. I hope you won’t be as unreliable as the person you could be replacing. She just up and left without giving any notice,’ he said as he leaned back in his chair.
‘I’m sorry, I’d never do that. I, um, got held up in traffic.’ Way to go, Rain, great first impression.
With a dismissive wave of his hand, Mr Larkins said curtly, ‘Let’s just get on with it. Why do you think you’re suitable for this position?’
Rain launched into her practised response, trying to sound confident and professional. But her mind was still half on Lauren, and she found herself stumbling over her words.
Mr Larkins scribbled notes on a pad, his face unreadable. ‘I see. And how would you deal with difficult guests?’
Rain clasped her hands in her lap and started to describe a situation from her last job. But just as she was getting into the story, her phone started ringing in her pocket, completely throwing her off.
‘Crap,’ she muttered under her breath, fishing out her phone. It was, of course, her mum. She quickly silenced it. Mr Larkins gave her a disapproving look, and Rain offered a sheepish grin.
‘Sorry about that,’ Rain said. ‘Now, where was I? Dealing with difficult customers . . . as I was saying—’
Her phone now buzzed with an incoming text. Rain wanted to disappear into the ground. Fuck!
She grabbed her phone again and turned it off completely, but the damage was done. She’d totally lost her train of thought, and the rest of the interview went downhill from there. Rain knew she’d blown it. Leaving her phone on had been such a rookie mistake, and there was no coming back from it. Mr Larkins had clearly already made up his mind.
Mr Larkins stood up, signalling the end of the interview. Rain quickly got to her feet too.
‘Thank you for your time, Ms Thomas. You will be notified of my decision in due course.’
‘Oh right, well, um, thanks. Well, it was nice meeting you, Mr Larkins.’
Not!
She left the room and headed back to the lobby, her thoughts running amok as she replayed every painful moment of the interview. She analysed every word she had and hadn’t said, obsessing over each tiny detail. No surprise, the whole thing had lasted maybe ten minutes, tops.
I’ve possibly established a new record for the shortest interview in history.
As she passed the reception desk on her way out, Denise caught her eye and smiled.
‘Hope you get good news!’
‘Thanks,’ Rain replied, forcing a smile in return.
Outside, Rain spotted a bar just down the street. Suddenly, a drink sounded like the perfect thing to help her regroup and figure out her next move.
She ordered a gin and tonic and took a seat by the window, watching the throngs of people rushing by. When her phone buzzed, Rain assumed it was her mum again. But when she checked the message, her breath caught for a moment.
Hey, Rain, it’s Lauren. Want to catch up this afternoon?
Wow, this is unexpected.
Rain couldn’t help but smile as she quickly typed back.
Just tell me when and where, and I’m there.
When her phone pinged with Lauren’s reply, Rain’s smile faltered.
1 p.m. at The Mayfair Heritage Hotel?
A groan escaped Rain’s lips. Of all the places in London, Lauren wanted to meet at the very hotel she’d just bombed her interview at. And at a five-star place like that, the drinks were probably crazy expensive.
I’ll have to sell a kidney just to afford one round.
She stared at the message, torn. Did she really want to go back there so soon after that train wreck?
Fuck it. She typed out her response and sent it before she could change her mind.
Great. See you then!
Now that she’d made up her mind about seeing Lauren, Rain knew there was one more thing she had to do. Call her mum back. The phone rang a few times before her mother picked up, sounding almost frantic.
‘How did the interview go?’
Rain hesitated. She couldn’t bring herself to tell her that she’d messed it up because of her phone call. But she also didn’t want to give her false hope. There was only one thing to do – tell the truth.
‘It didn’t go well. I don’t think I’m gonna get the job.’
Sharon let out a soft, disappointed sigh. ‘Oh, Rain . . . What happened?’
Rain recounted the interview, carefully leaving out the part about her mum’s call interrupting. When she finished, there was a heavy silence before Sharon started to cry.
‘What are we going to do now?’ she asked, her voice breaking.
Rain’s heart clenched at the sound of her distress. She knew how much she had been struggling since Fay disappeared. Even though Rain didn’t think anything bad had happened to her sister, she still wanted to reassure her that she’d get to the bottom of it.
‘Don’t worry, Mum. I’ll find a way to get my foot in the door at that hotel. I promise.’
Sharon was quiet for a moment before she spoke again, her voice shaky. ‘Okay, but please be careful. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you too.’
‘Mum, come on. Fay’s not dead. You’ve gotta stop thinking like that. You know how she is.’
‘But she’s never gone this long without calling me. I just have this feeling that something’s wrong.’
‘Listen, I’ll call you later, okay? I need to go check into my Airbnb. But I swear, I’m gonna figure this out,’ Rain said, trying to sound reassuring.
Sharon’s sobs quieted, and Rain could hear the relief in her voice. ‘I know you will, buttercup. You’re such a good girl. You’ve never given me a bit of trouble.’
Rain couldn’t help but think about how different she was to Fay. Her sister had always been the drama queen, constantly stirring up trouble even though she was only two years younger. When Fay got the job at The Mayfair Heritage Hotel, Rain had hoped she’d finally settle down and start acting responsibly. But six months in, she’d vanished into thin air. Her mum didn’t want to get the police involved, and the hotel management had given her the runaround when she tried to find out what happened. So once again, it was up to Rain to put her own life on hold and clean up her sister’s mess.
She finished her drink and called an Uber to take her to the flat she’d rented for the next two weeks. It wasn’t much, but it would do for a place to crash until she found Fay.
After a quick shower and a bite to eat, Rain walked into The Mayfair Heritage Hotel’s bar just before one. She’d just taken a seat at the bar when her phone buzzed with a text. Rain quickly checked it, hoping Lauren wasn’t bailing on her.
Come up to the Penthouse Suite.
Rain’s lips parted slightly. The penthouse? When Lauren said she worked in management, Rain had assumed it was for some small company, not the kind of place that could afford to put employees up in five-star suites.
Rain headed for the lift, and when the doors opened on the top floor, Rain made her way down the corridor to the suite.
