CHAPTER 73

MELANIE.

BLAINE WAS RIGHT. PARIS WAS OVERHYPED.

Anyone who was still romanticizing the city clearly hadn’t been sworn at by a French cab driver even when they didn’t do anything wrong.

My hotel tried its best to make up for it though, with its snooty concierge whose attitude changed once he saw Jordan- who, surprise surprise, owned the place- and the big bottle of bubbly and fancy chocolates they’d sent up to our penthouse suite.

The suite felt like an apartment, all wide spaces and massive windows and doors that opened up to a balcony with the most amazing view.

So far hadn’t heard any news of the police following a lead or cracking a case, and I was beginning to wonder whether we were just being paranoid.

But I remember the little time I spent in a cage when the owners of a painting found me and kept me captive for a few days before I could bust out, and I never wanted to experience that again.

So, paranoia or not, I will enjoy this massive bed and the chocolate fondue that had come with brunch. Besides, it’s only been a couple of days; anything could happen, not that I hoped something would.

“Glad to see you’re enjoying yourself”, Jordan commented drily from the doorway of my designated room. I was not surprised to see him dressed in a Hugo Boss suit; I suspected he lived in suits.

“Where are you off to so early?” I asked curiously as I stretched out further on the bed.

“Where am I off to? Perhaps you have forgotten the reason why we’re here?”, Jordan asked in disbelief and I frowned.

“Uh.. to lie low for a while until it is safe to return back to Puerto Rico?”, I answered with a little uncertainty.

“Wait. You seriously think I whisked you off to Paris so we can lie around drinking margaritas?”

I didn’t like the direction this conversation was going in at all. I didn’t like it one bit.

“Then why are we here?”, I asked even though the sinking feeling in my stomach informed me that I already knew.

“There is business to be done, of course. I need to pay Perkins a surprise visit and know what he’s doing before he succeeds in running my business to the ground”, the last part was directed more to himself than me.

I groaned, “I don’t wanna go.”

“Too bad for you. I don’t pay you to lie around and sunbathe, neither are you up for vacation, so get up, get dressed, and meet me downstairs. Fifteen minutes”, he walked away.

I lay there for a few more seconds, fantasizing about how good it would feel if I could get my hands around his neck and squeeze while watching the life drain out of him, before I reluctantly got up and headed to the en suite bathroom that had a full-on jet tub I couldn’t enjoy because somebody decided to be a workaholic.

I muttered to myself during the shower, but then reminded myself that he’d left his headquarters so abruptly to accompany me when he could just as easily have thrown me to the dogs. I dressed in record time and snagged one more chocolate-covered strawberry before leaving my room, taking a black handbag along the way.

I stuffed my phone, the room keycard, my credit card, a notepad and jotter in case I needed to write anything down, and some loose change into the bag then left the room and took the elevator downstairs. In the elevator with me was a woman with the fluffiest fur coat I’d ever seen and two teenage girls holding dogs on a leash.

I suddenly regretted not bringing my cat along; if I’d known the hotel was pet-friendly I would have. I suspected he didn’t mention it for that very reason. My eyes locked on the woman with the fur coat but she didn’t avert her eyes, just continued to stare at me while taking drags off a cigarette wedged between her index and middle finger.

She exhaled a cloud of smoke and smirked behind it and I got the strangest feeling that I’d met her somewhere before. She couldn’t be more than middle-aged, and still held on to attractiveness. She exuded raw confidence that was almost as alluring as her facial features. Something about her niggled at me, but I couldn’t place it.

“Smoke?” she offered in a voice turned sexily husky likely from cigarettes, flipping open a gold cigarette holder and offering its contents to me. I shook my head even as I automatically began to estimate the value of the fur coat and the cigarette holder. I could probably get a cool thousand for even one of those things, maybe two. She shrugged and retracted her hand. “Suit yourself. Bad for you anyway.”

I was still transfixed on the lady when the elevator stopped and opened onto the lobby. By the time I stepped out and looked away, the lady was gone. I shook it off and pushed the strange sensations aside. I’d been in a lot of different places at different times; if I had a nickel for every person I passed on the street who I looked familiar to, I’d be rich.

Outside, Jordan was leaning against a black rental Audi with tinted windows, flocked by the two teenage girls from the elevator. They chattered excitedly and even squealed as Jordan signed on their notebooks.

They went away happily while I stood there smirking at him with folded arms.

“Someone’s quite the superstar”, I noted.

He glowered at me. “You are three minutes late. I was mobbed by teenagers because my own PA couldn’t keep to time”, he fumed as we got into the car.

“Will you relax? There were just two of them, not an angry ambush”, I said and rolled my eyes.

Jordan started the car and drove off. “We’re going to a brewery”, he started. “It hasn’t been producing as much as it used to and the business could run down if it continues this way. Perkins is manager, I know him personally and he’s been competent enough so far, but lately he has just been off.”

I hummed in thought. “Maybe there’s something personal bothering him. You could ask and probably help so he gets back to how he used to be”, I suggested.

Jordan titled his head a fraction, “That could work. I intend to find out in today’s meeting.”

I turned my attention to the stereo and started switching between channels, marveling at how many talk shows in French there were. Jordan didn’t snap at me or make any remarks and my best guess was that his mind was far away. Running a business seems so complicated, what with all the thinking and decision-making you have to do.

The only benefit I’d seen so far was the travel. Apart from that, maintaining a grip on an empire as vast as Jordan’s remained a mystery. I should ask him about it one of these days.

“We’re here”, he said as he pulled the car to a stop.

I got out and looked up at the huge warehouse-type building with the name written in big ornate letters at the very top. I was too busy admiring the building that I didn’t notice the person casually walking towards me until he snatched my bag and took off. After a brief moment of shock, I went after him.