Chapter 5: 1

At the moment, Heath Bishop was riding the separate elevator that would take him straight to the top floor. The elevator was built for the owner’s convenience on not having to ride the regular elevator with other guests. As for his day so far, it was more interesting than he thought it would be. He came from England and thought that he was going to spend the rest of his life there. But his father, Logan, suddenly arrived there to pick him up. His father had some business going on in Europe as well and Heath thought he was going to eventually take over those, but it seems his father has other plans for him. And so, there he was, in the States, taking over his first building of Bishop Lodgings. Logan basically just dropped him in front of the hotel and told him that if he needed anything or any assistance at all, simply take it to the general manager of the building. His father had explained to him what sort of person Claire Sparks was, but he never expected to meet her and actually have her pass his expectations. She took care of the guests and the employees. Before, when he was walking around, he spoke to the workers and asked them about Claire. All of them enjoyed her company and wouldn’t have anyone else as their manager. Heath was surprised when he first saw her. She had strutted by when he was at the entrance desk towards the daycare in the building. His curiosity was immediately peaked and he followed her after confirming with the receptionist that she was the manager he’s heard of. He never would’ve thought she was the kind who dealt with kids just as well as adults. The elevator bell rang and he stepped out. Right in front of him was the door to the top floor suite–his personal suite–and he took out his card key and slid it through the pad. The door clicked open and he stepped in. His body automatically relaxed from the sight. It was large with plenty of space to move around. Since his father just left him here, he was thinking about looking for a house or apartment another time. For now, he could use the top floor as his home. But that means he would have to call his father to drop off his luggage. The mad old man forgot to take that out of the car before he told his chauffer to drive off. Just what was he planning by sending him here suddenly? Unfortunately, the questioning would have to take place another time. As he walked into the room, he saw a bouquet of flowers in a vase on the coffee table. He walked over to brush his fingers against the petals and saw that there was also a card tucked into the flower heads. Heath took it out and read the contents, surprised to see that it wasn’t a normal greeting card for the rest of the guests. This one was hand written. Welcome to Bishop Lodgings Heath Bishop, I hope that you will take care and guide us throughout the time we will spend and work together. General Manager, Claire Sparks The corner of Heath’s lips curved lightly before he flipped the card over to see her office number written in blue ink. He flipped it over and reread the card once more before placing it down beside the vase. Heath’s attention was immediately caught by the large glass doors leading to the outdoor patio. There was a spa with two chairs and a small round table placed at the side. Logan must’ve spent some time up here with Ava. But there was not a single trace of his father or his wife in the top floor. Meaning Heath could officially claim it as his own. He went back inside before taking off his suit and hanging it on the back of a chair. The top floor really was the best suite in all of Bishop Lodgings. But at the moment, Heath just wanted to rest. From what he saw, Claire did a great job keeping everything in check. He would have to confide in her plenty more times about the building and its people. When he entered the bedroom, he stared at the large bed, perfectly made. He undid his tie and unbuttoned some of the top buttons on his shirt before slipping his shoes off. Then he finally lied atop the covers of the bed. For now, he would take a quick rest. >>>>><<<<< When Heath woke up, he saw that the sky was still bright, but the sun was setting. He looked at the alarm clock beside his bed and saw that it was nearly four in the evening, meaning he took a two hour nap only. He would eventually catch up with his sleep later. Heath stood up and rubbed his jaw as he yawned. He felt the rough stubble and had the thought of really needing to shave. As he put his clothes back on and tried to flatten any wrinkles, he made his way out and spotted the flowers once more. And the hand written card. His lips upturned when he remembered Claire freely playing with her niece and nephew without a care in the world. After catching himself in the mirror and fixing himself to look decent in front of people, he headed out and back down the elevator. His cellphone vibrated in the pocket of his pants and he took it out, seeing it was a message from his father. It was a simple question. He asked how Heath was doing with a mocking smiley face at the end of the message. Heath replied, telling him to bring his damned luggage back to the hotel so he could have clean clothes and shave. When the bell dinged, Heath stepped out and placed the phone back into his pocket. A woman entered the hotel and Heath’s eyes followed. She looked awfully familiar, though he couldn’t quite tell from where he’s seen her before. But then he saw her make her way towards the daycare, and it made sense. She was Claire’s niece’s and nephew’s mother. Just then, Claire appeared and made her way towards the daycare. Heath watched her as she strut by again, without noticing him. Her heels clicked against the hard floor and her hips swayed enticingly in her short black skirt. Heath remembered seeing some of the kids innocently looking up her skirt, making him wonder if she was wearing anything underneath it. When that thought flashed in his mind, he stiffened with surprise. No. He couldn’t be having lustful thoughts about Claire. Their relationship would purely be business. Besides, she looked like she didn’t have any interest in him from their meetings. She looked more cautious than attracted to him. Would it eventually wear off when they worked together more? Then maybe she’d smile at him.