Prologue.
Olivia sighed as she brushed her long brunette hair out of her face and glanced around. The hotel lobby was beginning to empty as the guests followed an employee to their rooms. She leaned over on the countertop and placed her hands on her face as she heard a man clear his throat. Oh god, she thought. Not this asshole. She leaned up and placed a fake, cheerful smile on her face and looked at her manager. “Eddie. Is there anything else I can do before I clock out for the night?” The man was a total douchebag. A major tool who thought he was god’s gift to women. From his poofy, spiked-up blond hair and blue eyes to his knock-off suits that he claimed were extremely expensive.
His cocky smile always made her shudder. “No, but it would be wise to be a bit more cheerful toward our guests, Olivia.” Olivia glanced around the now-empty lobby and then slowly back at her manager. The last time she checked, she was the politest person other than her friend, Margo, who works there. “Eddie, I was polite to every guest...” That was when she realized that there was a frequent guest who always complained about everything. The little old lady who always smelled of potpourri and breath mints. “What was it that Mrs. Cross complained about this time?” Eddie crossed his arms and shook his greasy head.
“Politeness and poor communication.” Scoffing, Olivia tapped on the computer in front of her and clocked out of the hotel’s system. The day was slow, and she wasn’t about to listen to some sleaze tell her she wasn’t doing her job when she clearly was. “I know, and you know I was polite and I communicated with every guest with great skill.” Olivia smiled, another one of her fake smiles at Eddie as she continued. “Politely, I might add.”
Grabbing her things on the counter, she noticed her friend Margo coming from the elevator that she had taken five minutes previously to show a guest to their room. She must have clocked out, also. “I clocked out, and I will see you in two weeks, Eddie,” Olivia commented as she walked past him. She tried not to cringe as she walked past him, as his cheap cologne caught her nose.
“Yeah, make sure your attitude is adjusted by the time you and Margo come back.” Olivia clenched her jaw, fighting the urge to say a smart comeback. Instead, she walked up to Margo and gave her a look as if saying let’s get the fuck out of here already.
Margo caught her look and nodded. Her friend of twenty-two years knew her telltale looks. Margo motioned toward Eddie, signaling that she had clocked out, and he smiled his cocky smile as acknowledgment.
They both walked out of the small lobby and toward Olivia’s car. “Can he be any more of a douchebag?” Margo questioned her, and Olivia rolled her eyes at her friend. Margo began to pull her medium-length brown hair into a ponytail as her green eyes searched for the parking lot for cars as they walked over the crosswalk.
“You know the answer to that already, Margo. He has and always will be a douchebag.”
They reached the car, and Olivia pressed the button on her key fob. “Yeah, good point, but I think I have a surprise.” Climbing into the car, the both of them closed their doors in unison.
“That can’t be good. Whenever you plan something, I always end up paying for it.” Margo faked being offended. “Ouch. No, you don’t, Olivia. This time, you and I will be having a grand vacation.” Olivia raised her eyebrow and started the car after they had buckled their seatbelts. “Who the hell says ‘grand’ nowadays?”
She laughed and leaned against her seat.
“I say it and trust me, you’ll have fun, Olivia. Especially with the paychecks we just received with our bonuses.” Olivia rolled her eyes. “Where do you have us going?” That was when Margo’s eyes lit up. “Las Vegas.” Groaning, Olivia sat there and looked at her friend. “Trust me, Olivia. You’ll have a Devil of a time!”
