someone else was getting in trouble.
“You need to try harder!” Delores's hand slammed down on the desk, rattling the pictures and making a pen fall to the floor.
“Do you have any idea how many other girls are here trying to get his attention?” Allison crossed her arms. With her arms crossed, Allison's cleavage was about to explode out of the obviously new designer threads.
“Then work on the sister,” Delores advised, sitting in her high backed chair and glaring at her daughter. “Get in there somehow, Allison. You need to capture that billionaire's heart, or at least be in his pants long enough to get access to his wallet. Do you understand? This is our chance to be rich again. To be what we're supposed to be. Do not let me down.”
“What do you think I'm doing?” Allison indicated to her cleavage. “It's just not that easy.”
“The man is a known player.” Delores's voice was low and dangerous. “When I called the Miramont Hotel, the owner reported seeing at least three of his staff come out of that man's room at late hours. Throw yourself at him a little harder. The man's an easy target.”
“I'm not just sitting here twiddling my thumbs, Mother.”
“You think that's what I'm doing? Twiddling my thumbs?” Delores snapped back. “I'm working on the father. He's worth nearly as much as the son and just as big a player. You want to switch? While I doubt the young son would be interested in me, I'm sure the father would jump at having you.”
Allison's mouth opened and closed as her cheeks flushed. She shuffled her feet and stared at the floor as if she wished she could just disappear. “Fine, Mother. I'll try harder.”
Ella had heard enough. It was no surprise to her that Delores was scheming to get a billionaire. Given that it was Delores, Ella wouldn't have been surprised to find out the older woman was willing to sell her soul to get a billionaire, but to get Allison involved felt cheap. Even for Delores.
With a shake of her head, Ella hurried up the stairs to the cleaning storage area located next to the bridal suite. It took a moment for her to gather all the needed supplies: clean towels, clean linens, fresh soaps and lotions, and all the other miscellaneous items that Delores felt necessary to “improve” the bride's stay.
A knock on the main door yielded no answer, so Ella carefully unlocked the door and went in to reset the room from the previous night. As a maid, she had walked in on all sorts of things. People often forgot to put up the “Do not disturb” sign, and she had found herself in numerous, very awkward positions.
Luckily, today was not one of those days.
The bridal suite was technically two rooms. There was the large open sitting area and then the even larger attached bedroom and master bath. The door to the bedroom was shut, so Ella decided to ignore it for the time being. She would clean the sitting area first and then see if anyone was still sleeping in the bedroom after.
Ella paused for a moment to look out the big windows. They overlooked the lake with the main gazebo front and center and were slowly filling with morning sunshine. Ella smiled. She thought of the three photographs she had placed along with the brochure. She was sure the photographs were what had made the Connors chose to hold the wedding here.
The first photo was of a wedding ceremony held at the main gazebo she was currently looking at. The white of the bride's dress had stood out against the blue of the lake, the green trees, and perfect sky to such perfection that it looked painted and worthy of a magazine.
The second was of a reception. The bride and groom danced in the outdoor courtyard while the doors to the main reception hall stood open, allowing guests to wander in and out. It showcased nicely the 1920's style feel to the place, as well as the beautiful amenities.
But it was the third photograph that she was sure had sold Blue Lake Inn to the Connors. Brides who saw that photo